The Hazards of Weighing Daily

While I have not run in to it yet, I know the day is coming when I do everything right and step on that scale one morning to find that I have gained some weight.  Most websites, magazines, diets, and pundits all recommend that you weigh weekly.  This is mostly so that you do not find yourself in a state of depression or give up on those days where your body is acting just plain funky.  Usually, over a week's time these ebbs and flows will even out and you will get a decent reading of your success or failure.  I agree with this philosophy for the most part.  There is a great satisfaction in stepping on a scale after a week and putting up the kind of big numbers that Biggest Loser contestants would be proud of.  In addition, decent results on a daily basis just don't seem quite as impressive.  I lost .6 pounds for the second day in a row.  Looked at on it's own, .6 pounds just doesn't jump off the scale. I have been happy each of these mornings, but nowhere close to elated. But, seven days of that is 4.2 pounds.  And, while my greedy mind would like double that each week, I would be more than happy to lose that much each day.  It's 140 days from now until my birthday on August 16 (yes, you have 140 shopping days).  At a pace of .6 per day I would lose 84 pounds in that timeframe.  Eighty-four pounds!  That has a lot more meaning than .6. 

But, I find there are some advantages to weighing daily as well.  Without it, I can easily see bad meals becoming bad days and bad days becoming a couple of bad days and a couple of bad days becoming a bad week!  I think it's easy to lose sight of your goal and to lose focus without that daily reminder.  I want to know each day.  Because if I am flat or gain weight, I am sure to work extra hard and eat even better the next day.  It serves as my morning reminder that, at the moment, this is the most important thing I have going on.  And, again, knowing that I am going to post that weight for the two people who read this blog to see each morning is motivating.  I don't want to post a bad number and I don't want to have to lie.  lol. 

I have set some goals for myself if you would like to follow along at home.  April is going to be a .7-per-day kind of month so I am hoping to lose 21 pounds.  That would take me down to 270 by May 1.  May feels like a .5-per-day kind of month... so subtract another 15 pounds.  June 1 goal, 255 pounds.  After that, I think 10 pounds per months seems reasonable... though it is over the 2 pound limit given to me by myfitnesspal.com (and please don't tell my pal about the 21 pounds I plan to lose in April).  So, July 1's goal is 245 pounds.  August 1 is 235.  And, my birthday goal is 230 pounds!  That's 61 pounds over the next 140 days. Here's to losing .435714 pounds per day...