Thursday, December 17, 2009

Confession: The Scale Owns Me.

Yes. It's true.

I know I encourage you guys to measure success by how your clothes fit and how strong you feel and how much further you can run than last month and all that... but I'm afraid I don't hold on to that advice myself as much as I should.

The freakin' scale owns me. I hate that thing. I am addicted to it and I hate it and I love it.

When it's a number I like, I'm in an amazing mood all day. When it's a number I don't like, I'm depressed. I can usually take it in stride, but yesterday I hit the wall. Yesterday, I weighed in at 174.6. Three weeks ago I weighed in at 174.8. I've been eating healthy and working out daily for three weeks, and I lost .2 pounds. I flipped out and I actually almost started to cry.

You guys, that's just not cool.

What I will say, is that when I freaked out and posted on Facebook and Tweeted and such, you guys totally supported me and told me not to jump off of the cliff I was threatening to jump off of. You guys are awesome. <3

~J

25 comments:

~ugly girl with a beautiful heart~ said...

Your words are exactly as I feel. The only thing that makes me pathetic is that it actually gets me to a point after so many scale trips that I do cry. Or kind of huff a bit in something similar to a cry because I don't know if I can properly cry anymore.

PS: I'm totally searching for you on facebook!

carissajade said...

It will happen!! We go through so many plateaus, and your body is getting used to the changes... but I promise it will. When I first started working out, I saw nothing. For months, then in 3 months I lost about 25 lbs. then for a yr I kept at about 5 lbs a month. 2 years later I'm finally at 100lbs lost, and ive been pretty much sitting on that number since july...but i think its finally starting to pick up again... It will eventually start working!! I don't know how, but it does!! Keep with it girl!

Veronica M. D. said...

Would it be possible to get rid of the scale for a while? And then when your addiction subsides you could set a schedule and that is the only time you can weigh in -- like once a week?

And maybe you should have a scale that is so precise! :)

I used to be the same way with the scale addiction. Sure, I was skinnier then, but I also bordered on an eating disorder and compulsive exercising (I would come home from 4 hours of dance classes and ride the stationary bike for an hour. Then I would get on the scale, get mad, and punish myself the next day.) Not saying you are like that, but man, when I got over the addiction, I sure liked myself more.

MadScientist said...

the scale is a source of validation. no matter what anyone says the battle with weight is really about the battle with internal self-worth and love. I know it sounds hooky. I am getting to the point where I know my body well enough and my emotions well enough not to let my day/life to be defined by it.

dig deep into your soul and let go of the need to be validated by an f-ing number. If someone asked you 'would you let a number dictate your day?' what would your response be.

I am will weight myself as well. However, I wont let it weigh my soul anymore.

Anonymous said...

The scale owns me, too. But Jenn, tell me there wasn't something thereputic about putting it out there in twitter/blogland? When I freaked out that day, and decided to make the vlog? It was a very big day! To let others in to help me. To talk about something everyone could relate to, but generally keeps private. I'll bet it's the same for you. You'll end up feeling good that you got people talking and connecting, which can be a victory, too. A NSV.

You rock and I love you. And the scale will move again.

carla said...

Im gonna work hard not to make my comment postlenth.
I think:
chuck the scale in favor of a pair reference pants (jeans?)

maybe change around the food? not fewer calories but mix it up a bit to SHOCK YOUR SYSTEM.
even a day of higher calories all CLEAN?

I could yammer forever---tweet me if you want more thoughts

xo xo,

Miz.

Claire Dawn said...

I completely understand. You feel like the weight should just continue to decrease and then it doesn't go as fast as is should, or it doesn't go at all. Or worse yet it increases.

I think I'm going to go find you on facebook as well.

PS I think I need to get back on my fitness journey. I just had the most horrible experience with shopping. Going to go blog about it now at http://aclairedawn.blogspot.com

MB said...

The scale is evil and I'm very afraid. I've been going to the gym and working out hard for the past 3 weeks but I'm afraid to get on the scale because I feel so good and don't want the scale to bring me down with its lack of movement. Hang in there or throw the scale out the window. ;)

l said...

From what I can tell, you're outgoing and you like to live outside the box. You'll take pictures of your underwear and show the world because you can and because it makes a difference. So why rely on a number that's socially acceptable when you're so much more than that. It doesn't measure what counts anyway. You've already lost 50.2lbs to date, why let 0.2lb break you down?
You can do it!

Runnergirl said...

I know it's really hard, but you've undergone a massive change in your regime, and I know it's absolutely gutting when you don't get the results you want. I can't explain it. I get similar results sometimes and no one has ever been able to explain it to me either.

All I can say is, stick with it - the results will come because you're putting in the work - it may not be at the pace you want, but they will come.

I weigh myself every day. I know I shouldn't, but I do. We all do things we're not supposed to, just don't hurt yourself in the process.

M said...

I read somewhere that when you plateau, you should eat a meal thats unhealthy so itll shock your metabolism. Not for a week or anything just for a meal. If youve been eating healthy, your body is probably all used to it.

174 is friggin awesome and you LOOK like youre in the 130s girlie!

MegFordice said...

I hate when that happens. Do not freak out. You've been Shredding and building up muscle. Wait a few weeks and weigh again. It will start to slide off. Also, being in the 170's is nothing to sneeze at!

Sarahf said...

"I won't let it weigh my soul anymore" is exactly right. I worked so hard this year, I ran a 10k, climbing Mount Fuji and trained as hard as I could. I lost 8 kilos. I felt like I should have lost more and totally berated myself. Until others started complimenting me. A lovely old man even told me just today that I should stop now, but I can't help but think how much nicer it would be if my BMI was perfect. Trying not to hear that voice is hard, but I'm gonna try. Being happy, whatever my statistics are, is the reason I try to be healthy. No number can quantify your self confidence or health. You7re beautiful, and you can measure your health in other ways. Why don't you enlist that gorgeous boyfriend of yours to hide the scales? Then you can have a weigh in at helpful intervals, just until you feel able to check yourself without beating yourself up.

'Drea said...

Ditto: the scale owns me too.

I have been stuck at the same number or in the neighborhood of the same number for over a month. It's definitely frustrating...

Julia said...

All of us are going to have plateaus, set-backs, and disappointing weigh loss numbers from time to time. All I know is that we are all here for one another when these struggles present themselves, for support, guidance, advice, and a shoulder to (almost) cry on.

In all honesty, my first official weigh in is on Monday and I may need talking off the edge of a cliff after that as well. But at least I know that there are a lot of people on here who won't let me jump!

Peace of mind Jenn, you a beautiful, you have made amazing progress, and you are not alone in your trials and tribulations. . . oh, and WE LOVE YOU!

Julia
jewliagoulia.blogspot.com

RHK said...

You've been working out so you've been building muscle...muscle weighs more than fat. But your body's in better shape so don't let a number upset you. I say that, but feel just as crap when the scale doesn't move. Glad to know there's someone else out there like me. Hang tight! I know you're going to see the number you want.

Lauren Ashley said...

Plateaus are they most difficult and disheartening part of weight loss.

Consider how much the average person gains between Thanksgiving and New Years-and consider your self a success.
I think you are doing wonderful!

Anna said...

I refuse to get on the scale more than once a week now. I was weighing in every single day! My husband said I was obcessing and threatened to take the scale to the basement and leave it so our dog would eat it (she stays in the basement while we're at work and destroys what she can reach - like the furnace filter ... out of the furnace!).

Stephanie said...

Ugh, those plateaus are brutal! So sorry. But keep it up. Your routine sounds solid. You WILL get there!
BODA weight loss

Tania said...

I totally feel your pain. I was eating healthy all week, exercising every day and I kept seeing the number go up and up (I weigh myself fairly regularly to keep tabs on my progress, but only truly count a weigh in on Fridays). It can be frustrating, but we just have to keep at it.

Also, do you track measurements? Cause if not, then you should. It would help you see that while their may not be much of a weight change over a couple weeks, there may still be a change in inches. Which at the end of the day is where we truly want to see a change.

One other thing I wanted to ask. I know you do the shred, but do you do any cardio or anything in addition to the videos? Or do you just do the shred videos once a day?

Midwestgirl said...

Do yourself a favor and thrown the damn thing out. Only weigh yourself at the gym, then you have to go there to do so. Which means you might as well workout while you're there. It's a win win. You get to workout and have the love/hate relationship with the scale that you feel you need.
If it's not in your house, perhaps it will feel more of an accomplishment rather than just something you step on every day.

And BTW, I think you're fabulous.

Melissa Martin said...

You're a powerful woman and you make me and hundreds of other of your followers feel enabled to make positive changes for themselves.

Thanks! =)

Kendra said...

Don't let it...(that's hypocritical of me to say)...but really, you're probably in a little bit of that fitness plateau that we tend to suffer from!! And maybe just switching up one little thing will jump start your loss again! :) Don't give up!

Anonymous said...

So not a fan of the scale. Just have to say, even though I hate it when others remind ME of this, that your working out is probably contributing to the steady state the scale is in. Keep on keepin' on, and think of it as building good maintenance habits for when you DO want to maintain!

Dawn Dishes It Out said...

I too was (am, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have bad days) a slave to the scale. I saw Geneen Roth speak last year and she had a great idea. Basically she said, if you need to weigh a certain number, write that number on a piece of paper and tape it to the scale. This way every time you step on it, you can allow yourself to have a good day!

You are doing great!!!

Good luck & keep on posting!!