Hi everyone!
So....I went to weigh in on Tuesday morning, not having ONE iota of a clue how I'd done - this is the first time I havent know by weight BY THE HOUR practically for YEARS! (Thinspired, I also could have written your post, and Shrinki, I too weighed in the night if I got up for a wee.....) Id had 5 perfect days and 2 days where Id had a couple of extra glasses of wine and half a slab of dairy milk each eve taking me over my syns. So I knew Id gone over my weekly syns. However, Id had a better "on plan" week than I usually have as lately its only been 3 or 4 good days and 3 or 4 REALLY bad, so I thought Id have a good loss, especially as a skirt I tried on last week was tight and this week I wore it easily.
So I get on the scales and Im really quite nervous, to find Ive lost 1.5 lbs. I was REALLY disappointed! Because Id been having fantasies of 5, 6 or even 7 ha ha ha! BUT - the disappointment lasted no more than 5 minutes rather then the WHOLE week, as previously!!
I went and got a coffee, sat with a couple of members I know, had a lovely chat and a giggle and by the time Image Therapy started, I was absolutely fine. Afterall, I hadnt followed the plan 100% becauseof those 2 days where I went over the syns. So the things that I personally got out of my first scale-free week now Ive lived it are:-
1. My mood was in no way affected by my weight and I can honestly say Ive felt light-hearted and happier than I have in ages. When I think back, sometimes Ive bitten my husbands head off and then thought "blimey, whats wrong with me?" and Ive traced it back to getting on the scales in the morning - so very many times it set me up to be in a bad mood for the WHOLE day as it subconsciously played on my mind.
2. Had I looked at my weight during the week, Im convinced I wouldnt have lost any weight whatsoever. Eg - perhaps I lost a 3 lbs quite quickly at the start of the week and then gained water by the end of the week? (Ive def lost inches as my clothes are looser and newly-washed jeans are easily done up instead of me lying on the bed ha ha!) So if that is indeed what happened, I might have looked at a big early loss and thought "ooh I can relax a bit" and maybe I might have had an Indian Friday night instead of my syn free tea. Or perhaps I put on early in the week for some reason (water retention, "fibre" retention(!)) - again, had I looked at my weight I might have felt REALLY disheartened and then I might have assumed I wasnt going to lose by next weigh in and chosen a burger and chips ("might as well") at Wetherspoons instead of the 5 bean chilli for 4.5 syns only.
3. I went by the feel of my clothes rather than just the numbers. Eg had I looked at the scales all week, I wouldnt have even tried that skirt on again, I would have assumed that as I hadnt lost any significant weight, why would it fit but in fact it fitted beautifully and I went out to class on Tuesday feeling I looked really quite nice in something I had never worn, rather than thinking "oh I suppose Id better wear what I wore last week again" which is the same old stuff Ive worn for ages now as nothing else has fitted.#
4. I did concentrate much more on the plan as I couldnt double check and alter my week accordingly - so I had things like Quorn chilli, much more fruit in between meals, much less wine than usual etc etc and when I look back, Ive had weeks like this before where Ive expected a bigger loss and then its shown a week later so I feel really motivated now for the next weigh in.
4. It was actually a nice feeling to be stood in the queue chatting to people without knowing in advance my result. Sometimes when I already know its a gain, its felt like Im in line for the gallows because I know its bad news and Im depressed before I even get to the scales!
5. Finally, as I said previously, I WAS a little disappointed with the weight change but it was a tiny weeny bit of my time spent feeling like that, literally a couple of minutes, compared to my normal week of highs and lows every bloomin hour!!
I dont know if that helps anybody. I will keep reporting in as often as possible.
For those that are struggling to do it, I totally and utterly understand but for me, something just snapped. Id been joining and rejoining groups constantly, never really committing - I know the plan, I know what happens at class, I know what Ive got to do yet still I couldnt do it, my head has really not been in the right place at all so I have ended up getting heavier and heavier. In the end, there was nothing left to change bar going over to Weightwatchers for something completely new!! So I had to change the only thing left, and that was ditching the scales.
If you are home weighers, it must be soooo hard as you have to keep your scales. If you're not a home weigher, the advice I would give is to bin them and never have them back, then your mind can forget them and focus on the job in hand. Home weighers, I know putting them away or taking out the battery is all you can do really but when I tried it, I still kept thinking about them. Once I gave mine away, I just had to forget them and my weight and my mind has filled with other things.
Sorry for rambling on but Im away from tomorrow so I thought Id give you a massive update. I will update again asap, hopefully Tuesday afternoon. Im going to be very nervous about weigh in again as I dont want to put on but am going to struggle to stick to the plan for 4 days this week as Im not back til Monday, eek!
There is no way Im missing weigh in though, I will take whatever result is shown and move into the next week feeling positive because Im on a different track now and it feels great!
I hope you are all getting on ok but dont beat yourself up if you're not, dont forget, its taken me 4 years to get to this point! I liken it to crossing a ravine when you're scared of heights - trust your safety harness (the plan) - think of the fabulous view you get when you relax and enjoy it (freedom from the scales), and the fab sense of achievement when you get to the other side (no peeking between weigh-ins)!!
Lots of love,
Veggiegirl xxxxxx
