Today’s Weight: 160.0

If you read my last post and the accompanying article, you’ll know that experts advise that you weigh yourself at the same time of the day, so your readings will have similar circumstances.  Your weight fluctuates throughout the day, and I’ve found I’m at my very lowest point in the morning, just after waking up and going to the bathroom, but before drinking or eating anything.

My scale, a carefully researched Omron HBF 400, sits in the center of my living room, waiting for me patiently on the hardwood floor.  I’ve tried it in every room of the house, thinking that the floors are slightly angled in some spots, and this might put more weight on the scale.  This is probably just paranoia, but for right now the center of the living room seems like a perfect solution.  On a typical morning, I shed anything that would add even a half ounce of extra weight – no jewelry, clothes, headbands, glasses – just me.  Then I step on and see what happens, typically weighing in 5 or 6 times, just in case the reading changes based on my stance or because of technical difficulty.  It seldom does change.  That’s why I bought an Omron after years of subpar bathroom scales.  It’s fast, accurate, and consistent.

So WHY is my scale toying with my emotions today?  I really wanted to be 159 today.  I actually just expected to be 159 today.  After all, I worked out really hard and ate very well for the last few days.  I know, I know…I’ve already lost 5 lbs in as many days, so now I’m just being a spoiled brat.  But really, two days at exactly 160.0?  That’s gotta be some kind of divine joke.  Not to mention that this morning when I stepped on the scale, the very first reading was 159.8.  I could have stopped there, but I kept up with my routine and weighed in 5 more times.  The next to last weight also registered as 159.8, but every other reading was 160.0.

Today’s goal is to not let myself get discouraged for not having constant irrefutable proof of progress, and to not take a little group of numbers on a tiny screen as my only proof.  After all, my belt fits on the last notch, I did a great job in Bikram last night, and so what that I’ve been 160 for two days – I was 165 (and sometimes higher) for months!  There’s also the little question of muscle, which I have to be building in class, and we all know that weighs more than fat.  I’m the winner here, and let’s not forget that.