This morning is Monday, and I weighed, and before I ever stepped on the scale, I could feel it.
My hands are swollen. My face is swollen. My feet are swollen. Gonna be fun pushing them into my walking shoes in about 10 minutes.
So I knew the scale was not going to be my friend today. Sure enough. I weigh three pounds more than I did Friday. Now this is where a lot of people get really frustrated and quit because they've been depriving themselves of food for however long, they've been working their bums off, and now the scale turns on them. So, why bother?
Here is why.
First of all, a person's weight can fluctuate as much as 5 pounds on any given day.
That means I could still weigh what I did two days ago but hormones, the weather, salt, and other things can cause my body to retain water. It could have been that my 3 pound weight loss last week was aided by some dehydration when I was on the scale, so it showed I weighed a bit less than I really did. It could also mean my body is still processing the delicious food I ate late last night.
The point is there are lots of things that can cause my weight to bounce around, so I'm not going to freak out because I'm puffy today.
Second, I trust my plan.
I have been doing all the right things. I walked 4 miles a day five days last week. I was in the gym. I kayaked. I worked in the yard. I scrubbed the house. I was active burning calories, and I have been under my calorie target everyday. Everything I'm doing should be leading to weight loss, so I am going to trust that it is. I am going to stick with the plan, trust this is a hiccup, and squeeze my puffy feet into my shoes and go walk another four miles.
Now, let's talk about the reality of my eating the last two days.
Yesterday I attended a graduation party, and it was so much fun! I ate coleslaw and BBQ and potato salad and a roll and a piece of cake and chips. Right now some of y'all are thinking that explains my three pounds. No, it doesn't. Each pound is 3,500 calories. I promise you my southern comfort meal was not 10,000+ calories. Not to mention I spent a lot of the time there on my feet walking around and helped clean up after the party, so I burned some calories, too. But, there was a lot of salt involved, and salt makes me puffy. I drank regular Dr. Pepper, and it always makes me puffy. Sometimes it makes it so I can't wear any of my rings which are usually slightly large on me.
So do I think what I ate yesterday contributed to my weight? Yes, but not for the reason a lot of people think. I am not "fatter" today because of what I ate. I am puffier because of what I ate, and that comes off pretty quickly if I go back to less salty food choices.
Now, other factor I have to consider is the humidity right now. We have storms in the area. The sky is thick with grey clouds, and the humidity is 80%. I am going to gain weight. Years ago my late husband and I would make trips to see family in Louisiana. It was guaranteed I would gain 5 pounds while I was there, and within 2 days of being home, I would be back to normal. When this front is past, I will drop a few pounds within 24-hours, so I'm not worried.
Finally, do I feel bad about yesterday's glorious indulgence? Not remotely.
My trainer and I have an agreement. Whatever changes I made has to be sustainable for the rest of my life. The simple fact is if I am going to a party, I'm going to eat the party food. If I go on vacation, I'm going to eat vacation food. The honest fact is I may not lose as much that week or any at all, and on vacation, I may gain some. I'm okay with that. It just means I need to step back into good choices when I get home, put in a bit more cardio work, and know I can make a chance and am not a victim to vacation or party or wedding or...This is real life. I am going to have a real life. And sometimes real life means really weird weight swings. Just is what it is, and I'm not worried about it.
I hope your Monday is great! God bless you on your journey to accomplish your goals!
Enjoy the journey!
Jerri
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