Many people are afraid of their bathroom scale. It holds great power over them and the thought of finding that the scale shows a few extra pounds is so overwhelming that they do not weigh. I wanted to clear up a few misconceptions about your scale weight.
1. Your weight is not a fixed number but varies daily. Yeah, we all know that. Why the freak out then? Most of us find that our weight will fluctuate within a few pounds. This is simply a product of how much salt you ate or your hormones most days and not true weight gain. Do not freak out and binge eat!
2. The best way to control your weight is to know yourself. What is your weight range. If you normally weigh between 140 and 144, then do not freak out at 144. Consistently track your weight weekly and as long as you are in that range you are ok. When you need to worry is when your weight is consistently 142 to 146. You probably have gained two pounds. So there are times when you feel lighter at 142 when you are in your lower 4 pound span, than 142 when you are in your upper 4 pound span. Claim a four pound block that is your range. When you are hitting the upper range and going a bit beyond, that is the time to clean up your eating for a bit.
3. The best way to tell if you are gaining a few pounds is by your clothes. Are they tight? You could be 142 and your pants fit great or 142 and your pants are tight! If they are tight, you probably gained a few pounds, even though the scale does not register it.
4. WEIGHT GAIN DOES NOT SHOW UP OVERNIGHT BUT TAKES A FEW DAYS TO HIT. I believe this fact is not known or we ignore it. Most people weigh the day after "pigging out" and say "Whew, I did not gain any weight!" Then they purposely eat healthy for a couple of days and weigh. They have gained a couple of pounds. They say "I may as well eat because when I pigged out I did not gain a pound, but when I ate healthy I gained. I am soooooo depressed. I must make myself feel better by eating a bag of my comfort chips!" A little exaggeration but isn't this what we do?
5. If you track your weight gain or loss it will not be a straight line but a zig zag line going up and down. That is just how our bodies work.
6. The important thing is to claim your pound range. Most people stop weighing when they reach their weight goal and then hope for the best. Keep weighing weekly and do not live in a dream world!
If your pants are tight you are probably gaining weight even if you scale does not register it yet (Unless you accidentally put your jeans in the dryer!) The most helpful hint I have for not gaining weight is to never buy bigger clothes. When you hit the high end of your weight gain, add more veggies and be mindful of your carbohydrates and you will be a winner!
Diets Don't Work, but there are simple things we can do that help us to eat healthy and lose weight. We can eliminate emotional eating, foil our food triggers, and end mindless eating for good. There are many helpful ideas and hope abounds.
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