Giving yourself a leeway

[sleepybird]

When I first started CD, my original target was 8.7 from 10.2 starting point. When I got to 8.7 on 810, it didnt feel enough so I carried on with 810 for a bit longer and then just watched what I ate (no crash dieting) and went down to 7.11. Even at this point, it didn't feel enough and as far as I was concerned, I looked the same as before.
Am now 8.1 according to my scales now and thats with having a few days of excess tempered with trying to eat healthily. I dont do very much exercise at all and this weight is probably where my body is happy to stay at.
As to where to stop, I wanted to get to 8 stone, which i did. I then wanted scales to say 7 stone something, which they did. Did it make me feel any better about myself? Not really.
Apart from the fact not eating much makes me unhappy, I can easily see myself having tried to then get to 7 stone 7 and oh, lets see what its like at 7 stone. Totally impractical for my lifestyle. I bet I can get down to that weight but not stay there, so whats the point?
Don't think thats the answer you are after Lizzie but hope a small bit of it makes sense!!
BTW, want to sit at 7 stone something again just for peace of mind. But, if I don't, who cares!!

 

[*butterfly*]

Just wanted to say thankyou to everyone involved in this discussion for imparting your experience to others. Its reading discusions like this i find most 'grounding' in a sense. It easy to get swept away in the early stages with the excitement of the weight loss. I'm trying so hard to begin to change my thinking/behaviour around food in a more long term sense so that i will remain at a healthy weight long into the future. I can understand why people set 'leeways' but i know this could be dangerous too, and allow me to ignore the other signs that my eating is not as controlled as i would like. I would love to think that i can get to a point where i really do learn how to eat well, and not have to rely so heavily on the scales as a tool to measure my success, but read what my body tells me. Think this is why i have such a problem setting any goals, i just feel i will 'know' when its time for me to stay around a particular weight/shape. Early days still for me. Time will tell. xx

 

[Bess]

You are doing really well Butterfly, congratulations. I found it difficult to set goals too, because I had been big for so long and honestly never thought I would actually lose weight. As I passed each one and assessed how I felt I would set another. Now it's my final one and just within my healthy bmi.
I wish in a way that I hadn't set a goal though, a number on the scales. It's just happened that way, all dieting seems to be about achieving a particular weight. Weekly weighing sessions to measure progress and so on. I think if you find that you do 'know' when you are comfortable with a particular weight/shape, that would be a very good thing.
I'm actually wondering about throwing my scales out when I have 'finished'.

 

[Greeneyes11]

Now this is where my opinion differs. I have been at goal for 5 weeks now and weigh myself every day. This is important to me to learn and understand what food helps me to stay at goal weight, I know if I eat more bread one day and put on weight (although I know it isn't fat), I then know that my body cannot tolerate that much bread and try to find an amount which maintains my weight (I'm not saying bread particularly, just using this as an example), I also can judge the amount of food I can eat and carry on maintaining, at some point in the near future I now hope to be able to weigh myself every other day and still eat the correct amount of food for my body to use, other than when I have the occasional treat and know that my weight will rise slightly. I feel it is important to find the right balance of food for your body and the type of food before you should ditch the scales, much easier to lose a lb or 2 than have to lose 1/2 a stone....

 

[alexmummy07]

Greeneyes - personally my opinion is tending to agree with you. I'm a scale hopper at the moment, and learning so much from this and what affects my body and weight. Like you, bread is one of my deadly foods, and certain other foods too. I am, of course, combining this with the calories, and not messing around having too many calories or anything like that, but working out that for me, carbs are something I think I will always have to keep lower in order for me to, at present, keep the weight loss going, and in future, to maintain weight when I get to goal.

I think this will be important for me when I get to goal also, and hope that I will also one day be able to work out food without so much calorie counting etc, and judge more by knowledge in a sense, but I also know that this will be a long time off yet.

xx

 

[KD]

Ah, you misunderstand me. I'm not saying ditch the scales. Not at all. I weigh daily and love my scales Just can't see the point of overeating until you get to a point (that you've planned) where you need to diet again.

Especially when that point might not be a true weight anyway ie if you are eating low carb(ish) and add some carbs, you will put on weight until you reach a 'normal' weight....glycogen replenished.

I'm not sure where people are getting the idea that I don't think the scales matter. It's more to do with interpreting the scales properly.

 

[alexmummy07]

KD I don't think it was you - I think it was just Bess's opinion that she is thinking of throwing scales away once she has finished xx

 

[KD]

Teehee. I wondered that just after I posted. Serves me right for popping on very quick without going back over the thread

Then suddenly next student turned up at home for a piano lesson and I thought...d'oh

 

[alexmummy07]

No problem...I have been reading over this thread today too, and others whilst being poorly and feeling rubbish. Lots of food for thought (so to speak) in the threads I'm reading, and it's definitely keeping me on the straight and narrow.

I know I have a long way to go, and lots of head work to do, but adding to the leeway question, is there a way of curing the thoughts in my head about putting the weight back on. It absolutely terrifies me ever putting the weight back on, any of it.

I do feel I have, and am changing 'for life' and so those old habits are staying away, and I only have food that 'isn't nutritious' on the odd day/occasion like 'normal' people but the thoughts/nightmares do still terrify me.

 

[Bess]

Now this is where my opinion differs. I have been at goal for 5 weeks now and weigh myself every day. This is important to me to learn and understand what food helps me to stay at goal weight, I know if I eat more bread one day and put on weight (although I know it isn't fat), I then know that my body cannot tolerate that much bread and try to find an amount which maintains my weight (I'm not saying bread particularly, just using this as an example), I also can judge the amount of food I can eat and carry on maintaining, at some point in the near future I now hope to be able to weigh myself every other day and still eat the correct amount of food for my body to use, other than when I have the occasional treat and know that my weight will rise slightly. I feel it is important to find the right balance of food for your body and the type of food before you should ditch the scales, much easier to lose a lb or 2 than have to lose 1/2 a stone....

Yes yes yes! Bless you, you are right. Thankyou - a lightbulb moment for me, thanks to you Lynda.xx

 

[Bess]

Ah, you misunderstand me. I'm not saying ditch the scales. Not at all. I weigh daily and love my scales Just can't see the point of overeating until you get to a point (that you've planned) where you need to diet again.

Especially when that point might not be a true weight anyway ie if you are eating low carb(ish) and add some carbs, you will put on weight until you reach a 'normal' weight....glycogen replenished.

I'm not sure where people are getting the idea that I don't think the scales matter. It's more to do with interpreting the scales properly.

No, I mentioned it in response to Butterfly's post, it was just something I have been thinking about. But, I need to learn a lot about weight flucuation. Like, why does it happen? Just water retention? Where can I find out about this?

KD I don't think it was you - I think it was just Bess's opinion that she is thinking of throwing scales away once she has finished xx

Yep, just musing, see above though.....

No problem...I have been reading over this thread today too, and others whilst being poorly and feeling rubbish.
I know I have a long way to go, and lots of head work to do, but adding to the leeway question, is there a way of curing the thoughts in my head about putting the weight back on. It absolutely terrifies me ever putting the weight back on, any of it.

Me too and how. Sorry you are feeling poorly though. Hope you feel better tomorrow.

 

[Porgeous]

No, I mentioned it in response to Butterfly's post, it was just something I have been thinking about. But, I need to learn a lot about weight flucuation. Like, why does it happen? Just water retention? Where can I find out about this?

This is a tricky one Bess as for everyone it can be different. A food that may cause me to retain a bit of water or feel a little bloated may not have the same effect on you if you know what I mean. This is where the scales help us because as we try new foods we can use them to interpret what changes take place in our bodies. I have a really odd one that is soluble paracetomol always results in me being a lb heavier the following morning!!

xxx

 

[Bess]

This is a tricky one Bess as for everyone it can be different. A food that may cause me to retain a bit of water or feel a little bloated may not have the same effect on you if you know what I mean. This is where the scales help us because as we try new foods we can use them to interpret what changes take place in our bodies. I have a really odd one that is soluble paracetomol always results in me being a lb heavier the following morning!!

xxx

Ahh, Hummmm. Maybe I actually need some new good scales then. So is it water retention that can cause 'unexplained' (i.e not over eaten) weight changes then? Anything else? Hormones?

 

[Porgeous]

Ahh, Hummmm. Maybe I actually need some new good scales then. So is it water retention that can cause 'unexplained' (i.e not over eaten) weight changes then? Anything else? Hormones?

If you haven't been over eating and therefore aren't gaining fat then mos fluctuations on the scales can be put down to water in my experience. All sorts of things can cause it, yep hormones, I always go up a couple of lbs mid cycle and at TOTM. If I have a very lazy weekend and sit around alot I am always a bit heavier on a Monday morning etc.

x

 

[alexmummy07]

Hormones for me = nightmare
any salt (and I'm talking any added at all) = nightmare
Mr Jamie Oliver (i love his work I must admit) always talks about salt water to cook Pasta - if I do this - guaranteed 1lb up the next morning, if I don't - no problem, maintain or down. (this is using the same weight of pasta each time) and no other fluctuations in TOTM etc

 

[Greeneyes11]

Porgeous, you said in few words that which I was trying to say in many... lol

KD, just replied to Bess's post, nothing to do with you mentioning ditch the scales.

Bess, I have these awesome scales, cost a small fortune that I bought when I started CD. They measure bmi, water, fat, bmr, visceral fat etc, I know they are not particularly accurate on these readings because to measure these accurately you would really need a super duper set of scales costing £100s but they do me and I can normally tell that I have put on water as it tells me what the % of water I am and the % of fat I am.... works for me anyway, and weighs you to 0.2lb, so you can tell all the little fluctuations.... I weigh myself same time everyday, once I get out of bed, use toilet have shower and then weigh.... unless I know I haven't been too good the day before, then I may skip a day to give my body to readjust....

Alexmummy, I can actually eat bread, it doesn't bloat me at all but I know a lot of people on here have problems with it, so just used it as an example... I know that too many low cal snacks help me to go up in weight, all added together with normal meals makes slightly too many calories, so trying to give them up at the moment before they become a habit.

Piece of useless information, it takes 21 days to break yourself of a habit, that is all.

 

[KD]

flucuation. Like, why does it happen? Just water retention?

There are loads of reasons. TOTM, I don't they know why ladies retain water, but they do. Some exercises make us retain water to protect the muscles (or something like that). Some people find certain grains swell up and make them bloated and retain water. If you've been low carbing(ish), your glycogen stores will be a little depleated. A few carbs will start to restore it and glycogen holds 3/4x it's own weight in water. Not water retention in that case...just going back to 'normal'.

If you don't have much salt, then you start having it, you are more likely to retain water. I have the reasons for this buried deep somewhere in my notes.

There are so many reasons, and most don't matter in the grand scheme of things. It's part of our physiology.

The body is incredibly clever at keeping our water cycle stable. It will tell you when it needs more. It will get rid of too much. And it will store excess if it needs to for some reason.

But, it's pretty unrealistic to expect it to keep static all day, every day within a few pounds. After all, you only have to drink some water and you'll put on weight.

 

[Bess]

I can't reply fast enough to you all, but thankyou, you've given me lots to think about. And I've decided that I will invest in some good scales, as a learning tool if you like......I know that maintenance is the difficult part, but I'm determined to try very hard. I shall feel awful if I put the weight on again. I can't bear to read the 'returners' section of this site. I can see myself there so easily. It scares me.

 

[KD]

Piece of useless information, it takes 21 days to break yourself of a habit, that is all.

Gosh. Oh how I wish that was true. That would mean you would only have to eat 'normally' for 21 days and you would probably maintain forever. How cool would that be.

Give up smoking for 21 days and never 'need' another one.

Sadly, the majority of people who've maintained for a year, still manage to put weight back on after that. 5 years seems to be the golden point where the majority then continue to maintain. So perhaps 5 years to break a habit? Or maybe 5 years to suss it all out, change lifestyle to what works. And possible reset your leptin levels (though the jury is still out on that one)

 

[Porgeous]

I can't reply fast enough to you all, but thankyou, you've given me lots to think about. And I've decided that I will invest in some good scales, as a learning tool if you like......I know that maintenance is the difficult part, but I'm determined to try very hard. I shall feel awful if I put the weight on again. I can't bear to read the 'returners' section of this site. I can see myself there so easily. It scares me.

Some fear is natural I know I was scared stiff of maintenance but then I decided to face the fear and believe in myself. I always had the mindset throughout SS that I could do this and it helped me so much I decided to take the same attitude to maintenance, I could and would succeed, no questions, no doubt. I know it is over simplifying it but never under estimate the power of the mind, believe it and achieve it hun.

xx