Weighing In with a Scale Obsession

     I started my blog one week ago and stated on it that I would post weekly updates of my weight, whether good or bad. I have also decided to put my measurements up as well. So as of last week I have lost 5 lbs!! Woo-Hoo!!! I am very excited about it. Now last week I didn't take my measurements so I do not have anything to compare to.

As of this week though here they are:

Bust: 39
Waist: 50 (Yikes!!)
Hips: 54 3/4 (Yikes!!)
Right Thigh: 31 1/2      Left Thigh: 33 1/4                                    (That's a weird difference between my thighs)
Right Arm: 15 3/4       Left Arm: 15


     So now I am hoping to see how next week will turn out. This week was a very good start to my new lifestyle. My husband even did a few workouts himself! Hopefully I am inspiring him and he will join me into becoming healthier.

     One thing that I did notice was that every morning I would go to the downstairs bathroom and weigh myself; I would also weigh myself before I went to bed. I know, I know, not the greatest thing to do. Somehow I have become obsessed with it. When I use to do my crazy diets before I was completely and utterly obsessed with the scale. I would get on it every chance I got. This would effect my mood and either have me happy or sad. I learned that the scale is my enemy and I shouldn't rely on it completely. I should start noticing how my clothes fit on me or how I am looking in the mirror.

     Many people become obsessed with the scale and base their entire diet around it. The reality is that your weight is going to fluctuate day to day. In fact it will actually change throughout the day. Here are some reasons not to weigh yourself constantly:

1. Muscle weighs more than fat. If you are doing strength training, then you are building up your muscle. This will cause the scale to go up. Most people do not realize this and get alarmed. The fact is having more muscle is good! It helps out your metabolism and helps reduce the amount of fat you have.

2. All scales are not the same. Do not weigh yourself on all types of different scales; i.e. at the gym, at home, at the doctor, at your friend's home. There is always a difference when I get weighed at my doctor's office compared to at home. It is usually off by a few pounds.

3. Your weight will change throughout the day. Your body does all kinds of weird things and making your weight go up and down is part of it.

4. You will make yourself go crazy! If the scale isn't where you want it to be you will feel horrible and that might lead to a lack of motivation. You may give up, because you might think, "What the heck, nothing is working." Or the opposite may occur; you may see a slight decrease in weight and splurge.

      So why is it that we have become so infatuated with this little machine? I would like to think that I can just hide my scale and not try to look for it, but honestly I think I would go through withdrawl. I will however start limiting myself on how many times I weigh myself. I promise to not weigh myself more than once a day. Can you make that promise too?? Let's put an end to the scale obsession.