Monday Morning Weigh Ins

      The second thing I put in my Walmart cart, after my food scale, was a digital weight scale.  It was the first scale I ever owned.  In the past I would just wait till I got sick and then get weighed at the doctor's office.  I thought that if I didn't see my weight creeping up then it wasn't true how many pounds I was putting on.  Denial is a terrible thing.  So I bought my scale, brought it home, took it out of the box, and probably gave it a dirty look.  In those first few weeks when I wasn't losing any weight I figured that the scale was broken and I thought about taking it back.  But then the doctor's scale said the same thing and I knew it wasn't the scale.  But my body refusing to lose pounds.  But I stuck with my new healthy lifestyle.  I didn't give up because I knew that eventually those pounds would start coming off.

     I first started weighing myself on Fridays. But, when I would do it on Fridays I found that I wasn't paying much attention to what I was eating on Saturdays and Sundays.  Then I decided to change to Mondays that way I would keep focus during the weekends.  June of 2014 a friend of mine started a weight loss challenge.  Everyone who wanted to enter paid 25 bucks and at the end the person who lost the biggest percentage would win the pot.  This challenge was conducted on Facebook and we had to post our weigh ins into a private group.  Talk about intimidation.  But every Monday morning I stepped on the scale took a picture and posted it.  It got me in the habit of taking a snapshot of my weight, and even after the challenge was over I have continued to take a picture and keep a record of my weight loss.  Oh and by the way I lost that weight loss challenge.  I got second place. 


      It doesn't really matter to me when you weigh yourself that's a matter of personal preference. Just pick a day and a time and stick to that schedule.  I think the best time is in the morning, after you have taken care of business and before you have breakfast.  Your weight will fluctuate throughout the day.  That's why I say pick a day and a certain time.  I have done all kinds of weight experiments.   I have done it before going to the bathroom, after using the bathroom, clothed and naked, before working out and after working out, before and after showering.  I have concluded that for me the best is Monday morning, after using the bathroom, naked, before eating breakfast, before working out, and before showering.  My husband says it's cheating to step on the scale naked, but I don't think my clothes should be held against me.  Besides when a baby is born it's weighed naked.  And I kid you not to this day I still have a hard time believing when the scale says that I lost weight.  Therefore are days when I will step on the scale.  Take the picture.  Step off...step back on see what it says...step off, step back on (sometimes holding my Yorkie) and then see what it says.  Then I get off the scale, put poor Maggie down and weigh myself one last time, just to make sure that it's not lying.  By the way I know what Maggie weighs was well and she could probably use less Milkbones.




     One day in July of 2014 I was wondering how many calories were in a banana.  So I typed into the the search box "how many calories in a banana" and it took me to the website:  FatSecret (there will be a post coming soon about the wonder that is FS).  Essentially it's a site that keeps track of calories, activities and weight progression, but at the same time so much more.  After joining FS I decided to start weighing myself  every day.  BIG mistake.  Like I said before your weight can fluctuate throughout the day and it can also fluctuate throughout the week.  And even though I was losing weight by the end of the week I was missing the overall loss because I was obsessing over my weight every day.  After about 3 weeks of doing it that way and getting supremely frustrated I went back to Monday mornings, and I have never looked back.  I know one guy who weighs himself everyday and then takes a weekly average.  And I know others who weight themselves several times a day.  You just have to find the method that works for you and stick with it.

     I also post my weigh in pictures to Facebook.  Yup, I make them public.  I have let everyone and their friends see what I weigh.  It keeps me accountable.  I remember the first time I posted the picture I thought I was going to hyperventilate and pass out.  I couldn't believe what I had done.  But everyone has been so supportive.  I also weigh in on FatSecret.  There too my buddies are the best!  I love every single one of you guys and I can't thank you enough for all the support.  Don't be scared to put yourself out there.  There may be some people who are jerks but you will find that mostly everyone will be super encouraging.

     And last but not least remember this:  IT'S JUST A NUMBER.  I know how frustrating it can be when you are working so hard and not seeing those numbers go down.  But a scale cannot measure who you are as a person.  It cannot measure the inches that you are losing.  It cannot measure how healthy you are getting.  And every single healthy step you take is a step in the right direction.  Keep on stepping!