Post by ECM on Jul 4, 2011 13:48:21 GMT -5
That'd be dieters, not those that appreciate fine, alligator, belts/footwear: today, one week ago to the hour, my weight has *dropped* 7 pounds. 7. In one week*, with NO change to my diet/routine from the preceding several weeks except for a bit more daily water intake. The week before the 7 pound loss, I was up 4 pounds from the preceding week. The week before that? Down 3. The point is, the scale, without any other tools (read: bodyfat measurements) is *not* a reliable way to track weight loss.
You are much, much better off using the way your clothes fit, the mirror or even other people than the scale**. If you must use the scale you also must do a bodyfat check our you're going to get readings that are probably going to be off by quite a bit. (I do understand the temptation to rely on the scale due to ease/self-flagellation, but it's only measuring absolute weight, not fat gain/loss, water gain/loss, muscle gain/loss, cat stepping on scale gain/loss, etc.)
So be free! Kick that mocking measuring stick to the curb! Or recruit its brother-in-fat, a pair of calipers, and make sure what you're losing is fat...and not your mind.
*It's mostly all water, probably due to the fact that I'm drinking more and because you just can't control things like stress, etc., so your weight is always going to fluctuate within a range of 5-7 lbs. over the course of a week, naturally.
**You should also not be doing any of this/expecting change on a week-on-week basis, unless you're me and you're inured to the lies! That's because (again) the scale will lead you down the primrose path and the only thing waiting (deliciously) there is a (ferocious) carton of cookies 'n' cream ice cream that will demand you sacrifice your weight-loss goals in service to its rich, creamy, velvety, choclatey, vanillaey...*runs to freezer*
Cross-posted to the Facebook you don't have me as a friend on!
And to my blog, Zig!
You are much, much better off using the way your clothes fit, the mirror or even other people than the scale**. If you must use the scale you also must do a bodyfat check our you're going to get readings that are probably going to be off by quite a bit. (I do understand the temptation to rely on the scale due to ease/self-flagellation, but it's only measuring absolute weight, not fat gain/loss, water gain/loss, muscle gain/loss, cat stepping on scale gain/loss, etc.)
So be free! Kick that mocking measuring stick to the curb! Or recruit its brother-in-fat, a pair of calipers, and make sure what you're losing is fat...and not your mind.
*It's mostly all water, probably due to the fact that I'm drinking more and because you just can't control things like stress, etc., so your weight is always going to fluctuate within a range of 5-7 lbs. over the course of a week, naturally.
**You should also not be doing any of this/expecting change on a week-on-week basis, unless you're me and you're inured to the lies! That's because (again) the scale will lead you down the primrose path and the only thing waiting (deliciously) there is a (ferocious) carton of cookies 'n' cream ice cream that will demand you sacrifice your weight-loss goals in service to its rich, creamy, velvety, choclatey, vanillaey...*runs to freezer*
Cross-posted to the Facebook you don't have me as a friend on!
And to my blog, Zig!
