Intermittent Weight loss, How do you handle it?

[Stevehud 1,790]

So, i weigh myself each morning, same time, on the same scale in the same place etc. in the very early going it was amazing to see the weight loss, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds per day it seemed. now after losing 85+ i have noticed that of course it slows down, but ill notice than for two days ill stall then ill lose 2 pounds of the next 3 days then stall for 2 days, etc. this seems to almost be a pattern, and this is with my diet and exercise staying he exact same, no cheating or extra sugars or carbs etc. My question is, that on those mornings when the scale is just not going to move, how do you handle the feeling f "what did i do wrong, why didn't i lose today) etc.? Perhaps i should start weighing only bi-weekly or weekly even.

So i guess my questions are really twofold.

1. How do you get past those feelings of anger/ depressed/annoyance etc of not losing each day?

2. Is it better to weight weekly at this point , I do worry than by not weighing in daily I may miss some key piece of information that i need to keep my weight loss moving forward.?

I was thinking about writing a piece of fiction about a handsome yet obese man who seduces his young and naive secretary after he has sleeve surgery, Im going to call it, 50 Grams Of Carbs. LOL

[JamieLogical 8,708]

I never had a period where I was dropping a pound or more a day (I'm lucky to lose more than a pound in a week!), so I guess it's much easier for me to handle the lack of a loss or even a small gain from one day to the next.

I weigh myself every day, but I only "officially" weigh once a week. I record my Monday morning weigh-ins in a spreadsheet. So while I do weigh every day, it's not "real" until my Monday weigh-in. I don't know if that makes any sense? Do you record your weight? How often? Maybe try to limit how often you are recording and only emotionally invest in those "official" weigh-ins instead of the day-to-day ones?

Edited February 24, 2015 by JamieLogical

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

This is very normal.

I chose once a week as my official weigh in - every monday. I kept a log of weights and progress. I might have sometimes weighed other days, but Monday was my official weight of record..haha.

Some people do it monthly.

[Stevehud 1,790]

you know that makes a lot of sense to maybe weigh here and there but only one day as the official weigh in day. ,

[mykdzmom 387]

@@Stevehud - "50 Grams Of Carbs" made me smile

[samuelsmom 670]

I can't imagine everyone here not identifying with this post. Here's my 2 cents:

1. How do you get past those feelings of anger/ depressed/annoyance etc of not losing each day?

Easy! Don't get on the scale! But seriously, I think of it as "normalization" time for my body. I lose, my body takes time to get used to it and then goes down some more. For most females there will also be small increases too. The lesson here? Be happy you're a guy!

2. Is it better to weight weekly at this point , I do worry than by not weighing in daily I may miss some key piece of information that i need to keep my weight loss moving forward.?

At this point you know what works for you as a post-op sleever. Every dietitian I've met does not recommend daily weights as they commonly become counter productive.

That being said, if you have a heart condition daily weights are good to show Fluid retention. Or if you just like to weigh yourself a lot that is up to you!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Special medical conditions aside, you do NOT learn anything new by weighing daily except the false indicators coming from Water gain/losses. Never forget, that in the short run, the scale lies. On the long run, it tells the truth, but think if it more as an indicator, not an exact measure of your progress.

Let me give a specific example. If you go out drinking alcohol and consume many extra empty calories you might very well show a loss the following morning as alcohol TENDS to dehydrate you. So, I think we can all agree that partying on the town everynight is counterproductive to your weight loss (not to mention general health and welfare!) and yet it might look like "you got away with it".

I also think it is not mentally healthy to obsess on the numbers. In my work we talk alot about leading, versus lagging indicators. A leading indicator of success is how you are managing your food, activity and healhty lifestyle (example, hitting Protein and hydration targets). Pretty good evidence that if you do those things, even if you never step on a scale, you will get slimmer, healthier and lose weight. Lagging indicator is what the scale says.

For whatever its worth - yes I care about the scale, but don't let it make you crazy.

[MLP70 13]

I had stalls when I gained weight so I expect them when I lose. I remember times when I was eating horribly and thinking, "wow, I haven't even gained", then wham 10 pound gain.

[GEAUX SAINTS 143]

@@Stevehud - I weight everyday, as well. I went for my first 2 1/2 weeks losing a pound a day. Then the "dreaded stall". I stalled for 4 days straight. UGH!!! I didn't get upset, other that I couldn't say that I've lost a pound a day anymore! With the sleeve, you KNOW it's not gonna just stop! You WILL loose it, probably a couple! Guys are so lucky! Good luck on your journey!!!

Edited February 24, 2015 by kellsbells

[robga999 129]

I weigh 1x a month at my dr visit.the rest of the month I let my clothes weigh me,they are more accurate then the scale and I haven't seen a stall yet!dont be a slave to the scale,it puts you on a roller coaster ,not good.i figure when I get to goal I will weigh weekly.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

Every day since surgery, I have weighed like it's my J.O.B. It's just me, but it helps keep me focused. I don't let the fluctuations drive me nuts. But to answer your question, only you know what you can handle. A lot of people will tell you just don't get on the scale, and others will say they do. I've seen studies that show people who weigh daily tend to be successful with weight loss.

I log my weight daily on one spread sheet, and then on another tab I log once weekly. During weight loss, that's what I relied on to see if I was truly trending down. For most of us, the closer you get to goal, the slower the loss. Anyway, now that I'm in maintenance, I still weigh and log daily, but now I keep a monthly average of those daily weights. That's been pretty effective to give me a realistic picture of where I am, and what I use to determine if I need to make a change.

All that logging isn't for everyone. I just happen to like data, and I think gives me information that's useful. One thing I don't ever do is get on the scale more than once a day, because that does not give me useful data.