The Evil Scale
Many people have warned me “don’t put too much stock in the number you see on the scale” because it doesn’t truly reflect the progress I’ve made. But did I listen? Noooooooo. I jumped on that mug every single day while telling myself “the number today is no big deal because my real weigh in is on Saturday morning.” In other words, I’m watching the scale, but not really watching the scale…whatever the hell that means. The number isn’t important, right? Ha! The mental games we play.
Well, my game finally caught up with me and I had quite the depressing morning. Although I’d been sick and not following my regular fitness and nutrition routine, I was still hopping on that scale like clockwork. The minute I’d wake up, I’d do my business, strip, and hop on. Either the number remained steady or went down slowly – as usual. No big deal, as long as the number wasn’t going UP. Then I’d shower and move on with my day. Except this week, the cold/flu virus made sure that “my day” consisted of nothing more than a shower and back to bed. When my stomach allowed, I’d force myself to eat toast and drink tea. Blah!
However, on Friday morning, the number on the scale said I’d lost over 3 lbs from last week’s weigh in. I knew it was a pretty big dip with little effort, but I was pleased to see the number regardless. It motivated me to ease back into my fitness routine.
Although I still felt a little weak from being sick, instead of taking another shot of TheraFlu, I decided it was time to lace up the Asics again. Suddenly, I craved a PB&J sandwich and a block of cheddar cheese. Not a slice, a big chunk from the BLOCK! LOL Since I hadn’t had an appetite in 3 days, I gave my body what it wanted. About an hour later, I went to the fitness center and hopped on the treadmill. I wasn’t sure if I’d run or walk, but I was going to do whatever my body allowed.
I finally walked for 30 minutes between 3.0-3.5mph, zero incline, and burned 158 calories. Not bad for my 1st day back on the treadmill. It felt good and I was happy to have a little energy and appetite again. For dinner, I ate grilled chicken over a bed of baby spinach and romaine lettuce with grape tomatoes, shredded mozzarella cheese, cucumbers, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Oh it was sooo good. I almost felt like my old self again and couldn’t wait for my Saturday weigh-in.
Well lo and behold, I get up this morning and the darn thing said I’d GAINED 1.2lbs…in ONE day. WTF!! *faint* This can’t be right! I stepped on it again – same number. I stepped off, replaced the batteries, stepped on it again – same number. Tried it one more time – same number. I thought “oh this is some bullshit, man!”
It was a blow to my ego AND my motivation. But now that I think about it, it’s exactly what I needed to bring me back to reality. So I said “screw you scale!” and ate my oatmeal and banana for breakfast, then went back to sleep. I needed some time to wallow in my acute state of depression. LOL
Now I believe it when people tell me “don’t put so much stock in the number you see on the scale.” I probably still won’t listen though. In fact, I’ll probably weigh myself at least 3 more times today to see if the scale was wrong. LOL! But now I know how it feels to be bamboozled by the evil scale. I’m her bitch!
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What you experienced is not uncommon. You didn’t eat much for a few days, then you eat carbs, protein and fat in one sitting. Your body was so happy to have substantial food after fighting to get you well, that it replaced the weight that had been lost as a result of the “fight”. The 1.2 pounds wasn’t “real” weight loss. It was sickness weight loss and the first weight the body tries to recover if and when it can.
Better to learn the lesson early in the game, less you really fall out after a night of “girl’s night out” and you wake up the next day to find you gained two pounds! (Happened to me…took three days to get rid of it.)
PS I have known ladies who, so happy to have lost a few pounds as a result of being sick, strategize about how to not gain the 3-4 pounds back. Seems silly to me, but to each their own.
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Hi Single Ma — You might want to brace yourself…It’s quite likely that the number on the scale was dropping, because you were too sick to eat. Now that your body is recovering, you’ll probably get pretty close to whatever weight you were pre-illness.
Try not to let the number get you down! The fact that you went back to the gym, even though you aren’t feeling 100% is so indicative of the progress that you’re making
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See! This is exactly why – I’m staying a-weigh from the scale LOL! This lifestyle change/ running thing has proven to me that I truly am a head case! Scale stalking would psych me out BIG time.
I’m using my jeans & size 10 dress that I bought last year knowing I couldn’t fit it (what? it’s Calvin Klein & it was $7 from Loehmann’s #dontjudgeme) that I cannot zip up as my guide!
You are TOO funny!
Keep walking all over that scale Ma! LOL! (but stop switching out the batteries …hilarious)
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Don’t forget that if you’re getting more fit, you may actually gain weight at first, because muscle weighs more than fat. But muscle also burns more calories at rest than fat, so it’s better to have more muscle and less fat!
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You replaced the batteries after you didn’t believe the numbers the first two times?!
*snickers*
I’m rooting for ya, SM
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