I have been so busy these past few weeks, I had to put my blog on the back burner. I have missed sharing my highs and lows of my weight loss journey. But life has gotten in the way. I have been busy at work, which is a very good thing. I also made a trip to Evanston, Illinois to visit my family. I always love visiting with my family and this visit was an extra special one for me.
So to let you all know about how I did on my staying off the scale challenge – I failed. I could not stay away. I very rarely fail at challenges. But this challenge hands down got the better of me. I love my scale at times and sometimes I hate my scale. But one thing I decided is that it keeps me in check. It makes me accountable for what I put in my mouth. It is a tool and only a tool, just like my measuring cups, food scale and daily points tracker.
Before I went to Evanston, I got on the scale. The number was the same number it has been for a month. Oh well. I had been so good with my eating throughout January. And my weight would go down a pound and up a pound. It just had not been going down consistently. I will admit with the weather being so bad, I did not work out as much as I had been in the past. So that could be the reason for the no weight loss in January.
Every time I go see my family, it is like a free for all for me. I love my brothers cooking. And I eat things that I normally do not eat. My sister in law had a bowl of chocolate covered cranberries sitting in all its glory on her table. How dangerous for me to have a bowl of goodies right within my reach. I tried hard to resist it. But when that sweet tooth kicked in I found myself reaching for them. There is so much truth to the saying “out of sight out of mind.”
But I was determined this time not to come back from my family visit to see a higher number on the scale. And we all ate very healthy. We ate plenty of fruits, vegetables and lean meats. I cooked one evening preparing roasted chicken with roasted potatoes and vegetables. We had a wonderful salad to round out the meal. And for dessert we enjoyed sorbet. And the key to eating the sorbet was eating one serving which is a very small half cup.
I did not weigh myself for almost 5 days. Because one thing I have learned is that there are only two scales that I can count on. My Withings Scale and my Weight Watcher meeting scale. These scales are very consistent. I trust them. And I weigh myself wearing the same thing and at the same time of day.
When I came back from my visit, I hopped on the scale and I had lost one pound. I was elated. I had been very good with my eating. But when you are visiting people you are really at the mercy of what they are eating. I just made sure that I kept track of my points. Unfortunately, I did nothing in the way of exercise. There was three feet of snow on the ground in Evanston and I used that as a good excuse to not get my walk in. Excuses-excuses.
So for today, I am looking at my scale not as a demon nor as a friend. I am looking at the scale as only a tool.
