"Cheating" with your weigh ins?

So I've been trying to loose 20 pounds for a while now

I've been weighing in on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but sometimes I go home to my parents and have a "bad" weekend. This one was especially bad, confession time:

- A lemon slice cake at work on Saturday
- A large packet of minieggs
-A vanilla latte and a cake out shopping with my dad on Sunday
- A huge Indian buffet dinner on Sunday night

Arrrgh, bad I know!

After one of these bad weekends I find myself skipping my Monday weigh in because I know I'll have gained. I try and be healthy until Wednesday when I weigh in again. I know this is probably bad as I should force myself to face up to the consequences of my weekend eating on Monday but I'm worried I'll be too disheartened if the scales go up. However I'm sure if I knew I HAD to weigh in on Monday morning then I would be more controlled at the weekened. Does anyone else find this? Or have any idea how I could beat the bad weekends so I wasn't too scared of the scales on Monday?

Thanks.

I do that too!

I also think that moderation helps me sustain weight loss - being able to cheat feels good. I dont know how long Id be able to last on a super rigid, strict diet. Probably not long.

If you know the weigh in is going to be bad, totally fair to skip it as long as you plan to get on the right track. No use stressing yourself out.

Maybe let your parents know that you are trying to avoid high cal foods & sweets so they dont tempt you, and next time you go out to eat with your family, be the one to suggest a place with smaller portions or a salad bar.

Personal opinion.

I think you're weighing too much. I weigh in once a week, same day, first thing in the morning after I use the bathroom, before anything else.

I believe doing that gives you consistency and also weighing yourself so often is frustrating as you know! I also wouldn't chose Mondays as my weigh in day because weekend are usually when I may "cheat" a little. I weigh in Fridays after I've done my 5 days of workouts.

Keep in mind if you are about to start or already on your "monthly" your weight will most likely go up. No big deal, it will go down the following week if you maintain your calorie and exercise goals.

I hope this helps a bit. Good luck.

PS. . never deprive yourself. Enjoy your cake :)

I weigh in Mon, Wed, and Fri also, but I try to ignore the scale number and follow the trend number on the weight log.  I figure as long as that number is going down, I'm doing good.

I also agree with igloogal, you are weighing in too many times a week. I would also change the day you weigh in. If you tend to only cheat on saturday and sunday then weigh in on saturday morning. I usually will have a more calorie dinner on sunday evening so i weigh in on sunday morning, by allowing myself that meal i tend to not cheat as much.

I weigh everyday. There is no point in lying to yourself. If you want to be successful you have to be HONEST and you have to know what is going on.

Now of course this daily weighing in has to take into consideration the water retention effects of eating out, too much salt intake, and dehydration from alcohol consumption and time of the month considerations too. But it is better to confront these fluctuations as normal and be honest with what you are seeing than to postpone weigh ins and 'lie' to yourself.

You know what you consumed - you will know what to expect on the scale. Face up to it. And then don't focus on the bad number - focus on your trendline. Small increases are common - but if your trendline is slowly going UP to higher weights instead of DOWN than you know that you really will need to reevaluate what you are doing.

IMO: I think your trendline is more useful with daily weigh ins. And your weight loss will be more productive if you learn from your mistakes and own up to your decisions and consequences.

Just for the record folks.

I don't believe for one second that if you don't weigh in ever day that you are "lying" to yourself. I just believe that you will see more consistant results.

As jef stated "You know what you consumed - you will know what to expect on the scale". If you know this, then you are not lying to yourself at all. This is a valid point. So why bother? Just improve for the next day.

I weigh in everyday. It has taken me a long time but I simply do not beat myself up over it. The daily weigh in now keeps me honest and keeps me from losing control.

The key is to be honest with yourself and not beat yourself up over any mistakes you make. If you can do that then regular weigh-ins are your friend.

When I know I am going to be retaining water weight, I avoid the scale for a few days.  I don't think that weight is "real" weight and I don't think it's worth feeling bad over.  I also think how often you weigh in is a matter of personal preference.  I weigh-in daily because it keeps me on track and I can take small changes in stride.   This is the sort of thing you have to decide for yourself and do what works best for you.

Chances are if you're weighing yourself 3 times a week, you're looking for 3 lower numbers everytime, which says to me that you are depriving yourself of more cals, inturn, over indulging on the weekends.

There's nothing wrong with having a treat. Food tastes good. It's okay to count a goody in your cal intake.

If you're not depriving yourself, then you're obessessed with the scale. I'd weigh in on friday or saturday morning like the other member suggessed. You're not "cheating" weighing one day a week, bc we're really suppose to lose only 1-2 per week (on average).

Give your head a rest and weigh in once a week. You'll really see how your progress is going when you're not constantly checking yourself. if you're eating right and working out, you know the results will eventually be good.

I think the issue of how often you weigh is not the issue. weighing is just a tool that helps us towards the goal. it doesn't matter how often, it matters what you do with the information, and the doing has to do with calories in vs calories out. 

I weigh daily because I find it helps keep me on track. thats just me, and i dont obsess about it. I have a clear picture of my monthly fluctuations and i find comfort in understanding my long term picture. that said: 

• Do you have a daily calorie target? 
• Is it realistic? Realistic will mean different things for different people.

For me it means a bit of chocolate every once in a while, a cocktail every now and then, etc. but really, I've looked for other ways to socialize that aren't food centered, and have enlisted my friends in the effort.

at the same time, i dont know that any of us succeed at this without restraint. So realistic also means how much restraint are you asking of yourself? 

• Are you still losing despite your weekend patterns?

If so, then you might not need to be hard on yourself at all.

If not, how do you remain mindful of your daily intake when in these situations? Is there room for a few calories over your target one or two days a week? If not, can you make different choices about what you order, or your meals earlier in the day so that you can afford those extra calories on special things? and make them special. doing it every day is not a "treat" its a habit. (not saying you are, but i certainly used to!)

• Do you track your deficits? 

I find it helpful to look at my running deficit over a week or so, that way, a few 800 cal deficit days help me feel alot better with the one day i run no deficit at all. exercise is a really helpful aspect in this equation as well. 

Its not about how often you stand on the scale. Its your relationship to the food you put in your mouth, whether your plan is realistic for you, and your strategies for staying mindful of the choices you make throughout each day and the week overall. Your plan has to work for you. If its not, figure out what you can tweek and keep moving forward. 

best in your efforts, 

I also recommend measuring portions when your at home so you get an eye for what a 1/2 cup of rice looks like, 4 oz chicken, and so on. that will help you make informed choices at the buffet table. 

best. 

Not gunna lie i weigh in like everyday, mostly just for kicks, but if i know i gained, due to bad decisions i will stay off the scale until im confident...

seriously people, weighing in everyday? that's a little ridiculous. it's a freaking scale. if you're eating right and exercising then you'll be okay. i mean, what would you do if scales didn't exist?

Original Post by jellobee:

 i mean, what would you do if scales didn't exist?

speaking for myself only, its a nice ritual. it keeps me focused on my goal each day. its a way of respecting myself and reminding myself of where my priorities are. It gives me good feed back, lets me celebrate new lows when they happen, and gives me a heads up when i've been less dedicated to my goals, or that my very irregular menstruation is on the way. I like to weigh daily. It brings me pleasure.

i also like the weight graph here, it gives me excellent feed back. i've learned what my usual variations are, when i gain and how much is normal for me, its all just information. maybe down the road, i wont feel the need to weigh daily, but for now, its part of how i start the day, reminding myself that i value myself and that i chose to stay on this path of mindful eating. 

Why would you judge that? I dont judge people who don't weigh daily. its a matter of preference, no?  the scale is just one tool among many.

do you use measuring cups, a food scale, a stop watch? a tread mill? should we judge people who go to the gym as it too is invented technology? really? and of these tools any of us use, with what regularity? are you addicted to counting calories? do you need to do it every day? what would you do with out the list of food's caloric values? these are all just tools that we each use to meet our personal goals in what ever way works best for us each individually.

I'm with Bubbles; hopping on the scale every morning helps me start my day being mindful of my goals, too.  I like the weight graph, because using it every day has shown me that there's a rhythm to my weight loss; the line isn't supposed to just go down every day.  Knowing that, I'm not even disappointed when I make a little jump up, because I know that I've been eating and exercising right, and I'll see the results another day soon.  It's just interesting to me to see my progress that way.  When I hit a little plateau, and see that the numbers aren't going anywhere, I can switch up my exercise routine a little to try to break it.

Weight loss is all about numbers!  Calories in, calories out, steps taken (if a scale is obsessive, how do you feel about a pedometer?!), heartrate, --there are countless things that we measure in this journey, and every one of these numbers is significant to our goals.  In my opinion, the more informed one is about his/her body, the better the chance of success in losing weight.  All of these numbers can absolutely lead to obsession, and if a person is truly obsessed, counting everything might be counterproductive, but weighing once daily isn't obsessive.  Weekly, daily--whatever works best for each individual is good.  Period.

I have a scale in my bathroom, and it takes 10 seconds to weigh myself in the morning.  Because I weighed myself, I have started my day with my attitude where it needs to be in order to reach my goals.  If I spend the night somewhere, I'm not going to pack up my scale to take it with me; I'm not "obsessed" with weighing in every day.  But as long as it's there, why not?

Original Post by bubbles556:

Why would you judge that? I dont judge people who don't weigh daily. its a matter of preference, no?  the scale is just one tool among many.

 

 Wow folks get defensive in a hurry.

I think we are missing the point of the post now. The OP was having difficulties and most were trying to give her suggestions on how to make it a bit easier on herself.

Bottom line: To make yourself feel a bit better for now, maybe lay off weighing in too often and stick to once a week for the next month or so. You might like it, you might not, that's a matter of personal preference.

But, why not give it a try? Good luck.

my original point to the op is that if you are avoiding weighing, the problem isn't with the scale. the challenge is in the eating behaviors over the week end and how they impact the overall goal, the question really seems to be how has she set her goals, structured her eating plan, and taken into account the weekend pattern that has become problematic. thats where focusing adjustments will bring the greatest benefit. if she wants to throw out the scale on mondays, more power to her, but the problem isn't with the scale. thats like blaming the mirror for showing us our reflection. 

when i start avoiding the scale, i know i'm in trouble.  the last time i did (last fall, for several weeks), i gained back almost 10 pounds.

i weigh daily, because i find it easier to mentally account for fluctuations that way.  doesn't work for everyone, i know, but for me, i want to know what's going on with my body.  if i'm gaining, i don't see the point of waiting until monday to find out, and if i'm losing, i'm entitled t feel good about that.

When I am trying to lose, I weigh in on Mondays and Fridays.  I find that adding that Monday weigh in helps keep me honest over the weekend.  If I am maintaining, I just weigh in on Fridays.  That way, I have the week to recover from the weekend. 

if i know i'm going to see a giant number as the result of some overindulgence, i'll sometimes skip it.  i weigh everyday, and look at my weekly average-  my weight can fluxuate SO much with salty food, PMS bloat, etc (to the tune of 7 pounds, sometimes) that it would be way more stressful for me to see a huge # once a week and not be able to feel better about it for 7 more days.