I wish scales worked like budgeting . . .

[DorothyB]

With budgeting, it is easy. Everything is black and white. You pay one dime on a debt and it goes down by 10 cents plus the interest benefits going forward. You save 25 cents and your savings balance goes up by 25 cents.

I weighed 197 / 198 last week. Tuesday I weighed in at 199 which was a bit of a surprise, but OK because I weighed that a week earlier. Tuesday I ate pretty well other than over-eating a bit at dinner. No soft drinks, drank my 8 cups of water, etc. I did have TWO junior mints in the afternoon, but counted them as well.

So I weigh yesterday, expecting to have stayed at 199 - nope, I'm up to 200.

Yesterday I followed my eating plan, barely got in my 8 cups of water, had salty Fritos with my lunch (planned in, but then I gave 3 of them to Duchess!). So, this morning I'm hoping for 198. Nope, it is 197 and tending down to 196.

I think I'd do better if I saw exact results from my eating and exercise choices.

[LoriB]

Well, one thing I have learned is that when I am NOT doing the right things, I never even think about the scale, and don't weigh for months at a time.

So, why of a sudden do I obsess about the scale?

If it is driving you crazy, just put it in a closet. Weigh once a week, once every 2, whatever. The body always fluctuates, and with exercise, you burn away fat, but build muscle. Sure, pound for pound they weigh the same, but it is VERY easy to lose a pound of fat while gaining TWO pounds of muscle. On the scale, that may look bad. But on the body, it looks GOOD.

A pound of fat takes up SO much more space.

[KarenN]

Yes - I've learned to not pay too much attention to the daily flucuations and have set aside a specific day each week as the "mark" day. I still weigh everyday - more out of habit then anything else. It can be defeating to weigh everyday though - most recommend only once a week.

[ride4fun]

My plan recommends weighing every day and averaging weekly. That weekly weigh in can be off by the water fluctuations (or whatever) and it could be dis-heartening to feel like you gained after being good all week --or misleading and think you're loosing too fast and need to eat more to avoid starvation mode. I was 153, than missed a couple days, 151.5, then 153 and now 151.5 again. Be kind of discouraging if I'd started a pgm on a 151.5 day, then had a 153 day after being good all week.