A weighty secret
Thank you for all of your feedback and questions yesterday – I really appreciate it. I am taking many notes to review. Keep the suggestions/questions coming!
I have to share a little secret – I have been weighing myself every single day since October 17th.
And to make it worse? I have been tracking every weigh-in in excel. Oh yes, so I can make fun charts like this:
What does this all mean?
That I am about to get chewed out for weighing myself 7 times a week?
Actually, it means that I have been using the home scale since October 17th and have not stayed overnight anywhere since then.
Well, that is about to change! We’re going to Barbados!
Ha! Not! I wish. No, we are leaving for Iowa soon and will be there 5 nights and 4 whole days.
That is a lot of time away from the scale.
Dun dun dun… what is going to happen?
What usually happens when I visit family (or they visit) is that I lose all abandon and stuff my face silly. But these past few months we’ve had family over a few times, and I have been fine. In fact, in the past few months I have only had four incidences where I felt like I was binge-eating, and they were all at work.
So, I am feeling pretty optimistic that I can forget about that scale for (gasp!) 5 days and see what happens. I think I can have fun and eat reasonably. And I know I can fit exercise in.
But just in case, what are your tips for eating healthy when you are in a situation that normally triggers the opposite?
My tips are to focus on the company, not the food, and to drink lots of water.
Themocracy
I weigh myself everyday too. I just like to keep track of my body. I can usually tell when i am bloated and all that stuff depending on my weight in the morning. i think its a good check to weigh yourself!!
That is why I do it too – I think it helps me become more in tune with how my body reacts to certain foods. It also helps me see the bigger picture! And I figure out my monthly weight pattern 😉 Some people really advise against it though!
I usually try to stay out of the room with the food in it, only take one serving of things at dinner, and keep myself busy with conversation or playing a game.
I usually only weigh myself when I’m feeling like a huge blob. I haven’t weighed myself since the cruise. I admit, I’m sort of afraid to 🙂
.-= Author’s last blog post… Abominable Snowrunner =-.
I weigh myself maybe 4 to 6 times a year and then it is only to measure body fat. We have one of those fancy scales.
I’m not an advocate of diets and in turn, I don’t like the scale. I think we should get in touch with our bodies – how do you feel in your clothes? Can you wear the same clothes you did two years ago?
Health is all about eating the right foods (based on the food pyramid), getting at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, and most importantly – feeling good about our selves. The scale has nothing to do with good health. It’s just a downer. Besides… everyones bone structure and muscle development is different and these play a big part in our weight.
Again …I’ve blabbed.
Forget the scale…keep doing what you’re doing. If you don’t want to insult your family, say no thank you 2 x and if they keep insisting, take one or two small bites just to appreciate the taste and the generosity then get involved in some other conversation – change the subject from food to exercise. 🙂 Take care.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Turkey over Baked Apple and Red Wine Reduction =-.
Oh girl I have no tips because I completely binge eat around friends/family/out of the ordinary circumstances. How did you manage to overcome that lately?
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I think the reason I have been doing better lately is because I have been in my own home and felt in control. I knew that all of the special meals we were making weren’t really all that “special” and that we could make them anytime. That made me feel less like over-doing it because I knew I could have more later if I wanted. Now, I hope I can somehow bring those habits on the trip!
I used to weigh myself every single day too (back in the day). Honestly, I think the numbers on a scale don’t mean a lot but they get so much control over people that it actually dictates their mood for the day. But I don’t judge! 😉
My tip for staying healthy is being prepared. I always pack a million snacks with me (nut butter in my purse, whaaaattt?)
.-= Author’s last blog post… What exactly is a super food? =-.
Water is definitely key. I also go first for veggies before some of the other temptations. That way, I fill up on healthy stuff first before indulging.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Definition =-.
Oh, the scale! I go through periods where I weigh in every day and then times that I only weigh in about twice a month, usually when I am trying to be very disciplined about my food I weigh in more. But sometimes I can be feeling really fit, clothes fitting well, and the scale says heavier than I think; other times I feel like a blob, all bloated and puffy and the scale says lighter than I think. Go figure. I guess I have learned over the years that the scale gives me an indication, not a definition.
.-= Author’s last blog post… The Happy Award! =-.
This may come as no surprise due to my overwhelming obsession with numbers, but when I first moved to Arizona and lost most of my college weight, I weighed myself every morning ad graphed it in excel just like you have. I did it for just short of a year and even had regression lines, etc. Now that I’ve started marathon training I’ve started again because I’m interested to see what happens.
I don’t think that once a day is a problem if you have the right mindset, which the overall graph is important for. It shows a trend an let’s you know that a few off days don’t matter that much in the hundreds of data points.
When out of town, I suggest taking your own snacks for travelling as it’s easy to grab something horrible at a rest stop or airport. Also, don’t sit next to a bowl of snacks w friends, as it’s so easy to just zone out an eat a lot more than you intend. Good luck!
I weigh myself pretty regularly too. I find the opposite of most people who prefer not to weigh….If I get on it regularly, I get used to what my body’s normal fluctuations are. If I got on it once a month though, and I saw a 5 pound increase I would assume I gained 5 pounds. I don’t track my weight, but I have a general idea of the weight range my body stays in when I am maintaining my weight. I guess I have become more comfortable with seeing fluctuations normal daily fluctuations, so I don’t get frustrated when it goes up one day.
All that being said, it is important not to be tied to the scale and to be able to go away and not worry that things will get out of control if you can check in regularly. Any time I go away, I don’t think of the scale once…that’s how I know that weighing myself regularly is not unhealthy.
.-= Author’s last blog post… All About Me! =-.
That is why I am doing it too – to watch for those fluctuations and kind of figure my body out. I think you’re right – if I don’t think of the scale, I will know I am doing good!
Good luck! You’ll be fine!
When I was home for the holidays (normally a HUGE binge time for me), I focused on smaller portions and getting lots of activity in. I gained a pound or two, but they’ve already come off since I”ve been back in my normal schedule.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Wok and Roll =-.
Drinking water and eating fruits and veggie to fill you up. Also,, if you are staying a a friend or with family offer to make dinner and make one of your favorites It is okay to indulge just not go overboard.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Staying safe =-.
Well-hate to say it-but I have a scale you can weigh yourself on! 😛 I think it is off a bit though, because it tells me a lower number than I think is right. But who knows! 🙂 Can’t wait to see you SEES.
MirRAhhHHhhHhHhHhhHHH!
I weigh myself every day too. I know you aren’t supposed to but I am not looking at the actual number as much as any kind of trend going on.
I tend to eat less when I am with my family but more when I am with my husbands. No idea why but I always notice a big-ish weight loss when my family is here and then either stay the same or even gain a bit when my husbands is.
Have a great time! It should be fun even if it isn’t Barbados!
!!!! i laughed out loud about the barbados-iowa comment. i was like NICE… ohhh… welll! hehehe. i think because you have been so cognizant lately that you will continue to be so. i agree- focus on company. why not get up every single morning and do sun salutations? that always gets me really “in tune” with my body. you have to really focus on breathing and belly in yoga– (you get in the habit cuz the instructors tell you over and over to do so! lol– and by instructors i mean my DVD pals). and that sort of makes you conscious of what you are putting in your body for the day. it’s worth a try, right? but definitely enjoy yourself and don’t stress out about it. good for you for keeping a chart and being so diligent! i’m impressed 🙂
ALSO! i looked up subway info– the veggie burger isn’t even listed on their site?! d’oh. but i totally realized it is the morningstar veggie patty– and i found that info here: http://www.morningstarfarms.com/product_detail.aspx?id=323
it has egg whites and calcium caseinate (i believe a milk derivative). so… def not vegan. oh well, i guess it isn’t the end of hte world, right? i agree with you, i have been avoiding all (except honey, altho we ran out after i made those muffin-cupcakes and i haven’t had any since)… i still consider myself “on the wagon” and am not upset i had something off-vegan. my main goal is to avoid 99.9% of the time.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Denver Workouts and Food Highlights =-.
When I was in the “losing weight” mode, I weighted myself a lot. Always at the same time everyday though, right after a run before hitting the showers, naked. Now I only check my weight every so often but still at that same time and same situation.
I don’t think weighting oneself is an issue even if you’re doing it everyday. I think when it starts to distort thinking and how you view yourself is when it becomes an issue. That said, if someone gains two pounds and thinks, “Alright this week, totally back on track”, I consider that a healthy attitude. But if their mindset turned to, “OMG I gained two pounds!” and then they started reducing food intake and hitting the gym for five hours a day, that I think is a problem.
When I’m away it’s really hard for me to feel like I have control over the food situation. I’m really specific on my needs and wants and clearly when staying with someone else that is very hard. I try to eat as many fruits and veggies as I can at every opportunity. If it’s a special occasion or you really only see them once a year, splurging is totally allowed and necessary. 🙂 I may have to do a post on this so I can go more in depth! LOL
.-= Author’s last blog post… Monday Jan 11th, 2009: Boring =-.
I weigh myself everyday! I dont track it on my excel spreadsheet everyday though, that’s only once a week!
.-= Author’s last blog post… Weekend Recap and Monday Weigh In =-.
Glad to know I’m not the only one whose weight goes up and down each day. But overall, it looks like you’re way down! That’s great!
.-= Author’s last blog post… Hoping this means it’s okay to eat leftover cold pizza for breakfast again =-.
I tend to bring my own snacks so that I am never in danger of crashing from low blood sugar AND they are something I can eat without guilt. It’s hard when traveling though to keep to healthy eating.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Namaste =-.
I understand that you may want to weight yourself everyday.. do what is right for you.. but log it only once a week.. thats when you see actual change.. logging everday doesn’t give a good data because today you might be bloated.. yesterda you had tooo much salt the day before didn’t eat enough.. you know what i mean?
When traveling I eat close to what I eat at home but I know I would want to indulge so I usually leave a litle bit of room for indulging foods.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Superfoods for Women =-.
I got weighed at the dr yesterday and even though I told her I did not want to know my weight, she said it outloud. UGH! I used to weigh myself everyday but I couldn’t take it anymore. I was too focused on the number to a point where I felt it made me sick. I feel so much better now that I am judging based on how I (and my clothes) feel.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Three Things Tuesday =-.
Ugh, I eat like I’m building up fat stores for hibernation when I go visit family. Christmas eating was awful. I felt so ill after eating poorly for several days.
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I usually weigh myself every other week or so? It depends (on how bloated I am). 🙂 I have gotten much better about not obsessing about that number, but it does feel good to get that reassurance sometimes. And I’m not one of those people who can always “tell” by how their pants fit….ya know?
My tips are the same as yours – water for me is KEY. I think that’s why I binge more often when I’m not at home (I drink water like an addict at home). I get so dehydrated and then feel yucky for not drinking water. Another big one for me is to eat regular meals. I used to skip b-fast or eat a TINY one on holidays (for example), but that always led to binges! Now I try to eat a normalish breakfast to maintain some routine.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Does This Make You Feel Better…..or Worse? =-.
ugh I’m SO bad when I go home. My mom always cooks me cakes and whatnot. Totally not fun! It’s funny because around the holidays I’m actually a very good eater. I don’t typically over-indulge but something about my parents house sends me over the deep end! I unfortunately don’t have any tips because I’m battling the same issue!
My plans are to get in a treadmill workout and then portion control myself!!! Portion control is always my problem when I go home. Good Luck!
.-= Author’s last blog post… Thank God for the Men in my Life =-.
Wish I could give you some advice but the truth is, I’m trying to figure that out myself.
I think you may intially free freaked without a scale, but then liberated. So is that your actual graph, meaning you’ve been going down, down, down, down….. Amazing. And congrats on only 4 binge-like incidents. I think you’ve got a great grasp of where you want to be and how youre getting there. It’s inspirational. You’ll do great.
.-= Author’s last blog post… AZ Review =-.
I think some time without the scale is always good, to prove to yourself that you can really trust yourself 🙂 Family situations and travel are always triggers for me. My best solution is to have a very clear-cut plan. If I’m not sure the food will be to my liking, I make sure we stop at a store and get stuff to keep in the fridge wherever I’m at. Snacks (nuts, bars, etc) are always good to have on hand. I hate that I need a plan sometimes, but it’s just where I’m at right now. Just the fact that you’re aware of past tendencies will keep you on track, I think. Have fun!
.-= Author’s last blog post… Light bulb moment #2: Feelings as information =-.
I track my weight in Excel TOO!!!!! But not everyday. I weigh everyday, but I don’t put it in Excel everyday.
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I find sometimes if theres something in front of me I KNOW I wont be able to stop eating, I just dont try it at all. I mean this in the case of appetizers. My aunt always puts out an amazing cheese plate, and if I start I will eat all the cheese. So I just dont start and its way easier.
As for meals, I just take small portions of whatever I want. If everyone else is eating something that you dont let yourself have, it just makes it harder. Have what you want, but in moderation. Somehow I managed to lose weight over Christmas, so I know it works!
.-= Author’s last blog post… Working For The Weekend =-.
My triggers are usually boredom (the most common) and feeling down (less common) so I try to find something to keep me busy when I’m bored (hopefully something fun!) and something that will cheer me up when I’m feeling down, like goofing around with my husband or watching Legally Blonde. 🙂
In regard to vacation, I tend to eat less when I’m out of town. There’s more structure to my meals, fewer times to snack and I tend to move a lot more than I do when I’m working in an office five days a week.
step away from the scale!
if I am eating out, then I always get salad with dressing on the side. When I am eating in, I stay away from the carbs and cheese. My downfall is snacks. Chips and chocolate. I have no advice, since I can’t resist those myself
I think you take a break from the scale and enjoy your trip. If you think too much about it (like obsess) you will end up worse off. For example, if I tell myself I am giving up chocolate, I am guaranteed to eat about 5 lbs of chocolate within a day of making that decision.
I think you need to trust your body and your (already) healthy habits. Enjoy your time and if you find yourself gorging one moment, just fix it the next day. You can do it!
.-= Author’s last blog post… Race Prep Dilemma =-.
I weigh myself every day too…nothing wrong with that! I think that on vacation you just have to accept you might gain a bit and when you get home don’t weight yourself for a few days. Then when things settle down and you are back into your routine you can do the every day thing again.
Anyway, that’s what I do…hope that helps!
.-= Author’s last blog post… Book Review – Bitter is the New Black =-.
Oh yeah! I forgot about that. You have to wait a few days to get back on the scale. Ha ha.
Drinking lots of water and focusing on the company instead of the food are good tips! I don’t currently have any but yours were a good reminder.
I have a love/hate relationship with the scale.. and visit it everyday too. Sometimes more than once but starting today, I decided to cut that crap out. Once a day is all I do now.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Clear as Day & Night =-.
I hate hate hate weighing myself but when I’m trying to lose weight, I can’t help getting on that scale all the time
Everything in moderation! 🙂
When I was in Colorado, if I had told myself I couldn’t have something, I would have quickly slipped into my “restrictive eating followed by binging” pattern so I didn’t want to go there. When I wanted something, I had it in a small portion and moved on. It worked pretty well.
You’ll be fine! 🙂
.-= Author’s last blog post… I Never Learn =-.
moderation seriously. i just got some peanut butter. time to put intuitive eating to the test.
hmm. i just focus on company. i’ve actually been in that situation OH so many times. people look at me funny but whatever. i’m just the funny person they know and love!
OMG. starwars is the BEST! my favorite is return of the jedi!
.-= Author’s last blog post… gotta work it baby, work it out =-.
In unfamiliar situations or those where I’d be tempted to eat garbage…I just make sure Im not hungry when arriving at the gathering/event AND look for the healthiest, freshest, greenest choice i can make from the various overcooked casseroles and meatloafs 🙂 I grew up in MN then IL. I know all about casseroles and bundt cakes. Good luck!
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Family totally triggers my overeating. Eat high fiber foods and veggies and drink a lot of water to stay full.
.-= Author’s last blog post… One-Dish-Dinner =-.
Being at home definitely triggers bad over-eating and snacking for me. I recently tried a new thing where I check the clock when I sit down with a plate of food and make a concerted effort to spend at least 20 minutes with that plate. Usually, I’m full and antsy by the time the 20 minutes is up (which means I must normally scarf down my food. whoops.). It helps a lot with satiety though.
Have fun!!
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[…] this week Kim (if you’re not reading her blog please start! She’s awesome!) about dealing with weight and eating while traveling. Her question at the end of the post was […]
I need to make me an Excel chart. I don’t weigh everyday, but I do at least 3 times a week to see how much progress there has been.