That Blasted Scale . . .

So after making a wise choice on Valentine's Day (as I blogged about yesterday), instead of seeing the scale reward me for my good choice, it was actually up two pounds - TWO POUNDS!  Although I have successfully lost 126 pounds on Take Shape for Life/Medifast and stayed in my goal range for almost three years, and even though I know this program works wonderfully, it's still not a happy morning when I see the scale blip up.

However, two things keep me from throwing the scale out the window.  First of all, I know that body weight fluctuates from day to day due to humidity, water retention, hormones, etc. etc.  During the almost-year that it took for me to lose 126 pounds, I was a daily weigher (still am).  While I don't recommend weighing on a daily basis because it can really mess with your head, daily weighing taught me a lot about how my body works.  Even though I stayed on plan the entire time, never went off, sometimes the scale would show a one, two, or even three pound gain.  I knew I couldn't possibly have gained "real" weight on less than 1,000 calories a day, so I understood that the blip up on the scale wasn't fat, but water.  That didn't mean that I was happy to see the scale go up, because I wasn't, but understanding that it was water retention helped me take it in stride.  I knew it then, and I knew it again when I got on the scale this time and saw the higher number.  While I don't always know what triggers the water retention, I know that it will be gone in a couple of days.  I haven't done anything wrong - it's just the way my body works.

Second - and most important - I'm in this for the long haul.  I was then and I worked to reach a healthy BMI, and I am now, as I move towards the middle/lower end of my BMI range.  This isn't a diet, this is a lifestyle change, so a temporary upward blip on the scale doesn't cause me to throw in the towel and call it quits.  I know that this program works, and it works fast, so as long as I work the program and keep my eyes on where I want to go, I'll be fine.

The scale is the least dependable reflector of our progress - it is frustratingly temperamental, yet we tend to give it more, um, weight than anything else.  While we certainly want to see the scale go down, absolutely!, look at other things as well.  How are your clothes fitting?  How many inches have you lost?  How are you feeling?  Have you been able to reduce or eliminate any medications?  What are you able to do now that you weren't able to do before starting on this program?  Look for all of the non-scale victories and celebrate each and every one of them!  Don't let the scale dictate your mood, and certainly don't let it determine whether or not you stay on plan today.  It WILL eventually reflect your goal weight, as long as you continue to choose wisely :-)