Stupid scale...what gives!

[cherokee]

So I've been thinking I've been eating better...smaller portions...one splurge in the day rather than 4 or 5. I weighed myself today...and am 1.8 pounds MORE than a few days ago. What the heck?!?! Why does that happen when I FEEL better and *think* my naked body looks better in the mirror?

I bought some "tropical mix" from Wal Mart...sugar soaked dried fruits and nuts...thinking even sugar soaked fruit should be better than crackers and cookies at work.
Guess I was wrong.

[Sheryl]

The scale is stupid. It can't tell the difference between water weight, fat and muscle or heavy shoes. I can heavily influence how my saturday morning weigh in goes based on if I had a salty meal on Friday. It is ridiculous! You kind of need to take a longer time horizon view since day to day your weight can fluctuate quite a bit.

[LoriB]

Don't obsess with the scale.

Remember, if you are exercising, you are gaining muscle, but losing fat.

Muscle takes up less room (which is why your body looks better in the mirror) than fat.

You can gain 2-3 pounds of muscle and lose a pound of fat. You will look better, but still have an overall gain.

If it makes you feel better, put that scale AWAY and take it out once a month.

Forget the tropical fuits and nuts.

Get REAL fruit, and a handful of almonds.

Much better for you than the fake bagged stuff, that dried fruit has some awful stuff in it.

[Mary Ann]

A lot depends on how much you eat. I'm in agreement that even sugar soaked fruits are better than cookies, but are there any plain dried fruits where you shop? Or nuts?

Sheryl's right. Don't sweat the scale. I can count every single freaking calorie and in a day gain two pounds. The good news is that if you're really cutting overall calories, they don't stay. So just ride your ride....

[snaffle]

I bought the dried fruits and nut mixes many years ago.. like you I thought I was eating healthier...
nope.. gained so much weight from it!!

a 'portion' (who pays attention to that! ) is such a tiny bit...
and who has the control or discipline to not eat more than the portion!!
lots of sugar and salt in that stuff...

AND.. the additives that are in some processed foods actually make us crave those tastes.

AND depending on where you are in your friendly cycle.. that in itself can cause a woman to retain or gain.

it will get better... yep... most likely you are building muscle if you think the naked bod looks better!! ;D

[greymoya]

Get a food dehydrator and make your own dried fruits. Nothing better than apple chips you made yourself!

[Stephanie]

Make sure you are weighing yourself right after you get up in the morning and after you use the bathroom. One thing that I've found is that weighing myself everyday helps, because I can see if the weight was a sudden jump from the day before (and probably due to water weight/bloating) or if it's slowly been creeping on (and real weight gain). I've lost 8.6 pounds since October 9th...that comes out to .58 pounds per week, which means that if I weighed myself just once a week I could never see that I've lost weight for an entire month if I happen to eat something that makes me bloated the day before each weigh in.

I'd ditch the fruit, unless you measure out one serving and put it in baggies and only take one a day to eat. I know the only way I can limit my portions is to premeasure and only have one within reach. If I take the whole bag I'll eat it all, unless I force myself to throw it in the trash.

[snaffle]

I am with Stephanie... weighing daily helps me to stay honest..

and I tend to agree a bit about the fruit.. fruit has sugar... and it must not be overdone...
when I eat too much fruit... the joints in my fingers are very stiff in the mornings.

I have to be careful with apples.. there is something about apples that causes me to hold my weight.

and I LOVE apples