The Great Bhuz Weigh In Competition

[Lilladancer]

It feels so good to break that plateau, doesn't it? Even if it bounces back up temporarily, you know you have gone there, and that your body is in the process of accepting a new setpoint.

I'm up by .5 from the sudden drop of 2 lbs. that I had last week, but I'm not worried, because I know this is my new fluctuation range, and I feel the difference. I can feel the walking is really toning up my legs too. Even though I have very strong thighs, glutes and calves already, fast walking is a different motion than dance and my body is responding to the cross-training.

But mostly for me what feels different is I have my camels back! When I have that extra layer around my midsection, I feel like I just can't camel right. It's amazing how a few pounds can make such a difference.

[Lilladancer]

Those of us participating are finding this thread inspirational and a good source of continuing motivation. Join us!

Michelle, if you tend to resist goal setting, you might even want to ease off your goals further and just give yourself 3 months to lose 5 pounds. If you lose the 5 pounds in three months, you'll feel success because you reached your goal, and you'll feel motivated to go on. But you might even lose more than that, and then you'll really feel motivated....

[stardancer]

Do you guys weigh yourself every day? I am getting frustraded with the scale fluctuating constantly. I'm not even sure I know what I really weigh since the dr scale says something totally different than my scale at home.

[danidance]

Technically, you're supposed to weigh once a week and if you have any extraordinary compulsive behaviors you might not want to get into the weighing everyday thing.

For me, after a lifetime of dieting, I'm curious and interested in tracking how my weight fluctuates to educate myself for maintenance and really understanding how my body reacts/doesn't react to food intake. But I've made a conscious decision to let this process take as long as it needs to and not beat myself up over small gains or losses (despite some normal chit-chatty disappointment with the lack of movement on the scale)

Oh, PS, Dr. scales are rarely the same as at home - it doesn't matter - losing a pound is losing a pound no matter what the initial weight is. I know it can be demotivating to weigh at the doctor's but just go by consistency whichever scale you're using.

[danidance]

Lilla,

Is this a self-consciousness thing or a "can't pull in the extra weight" thing on the undulation? or, the extra layer just doesn't look the same visually?

[Lilladancer]

I'm weighing (and measuring) daily because if I don't, with my busy schedule it will be too easy to get back into unconscious snacking habits and forgetting my "project". Yes, the scale fluctuates up and down, but as Dani says, it does help teach you what your weight fluctuation patterns are, and how various things affect it, such as monthly cycles, eating after 9 pm, maybe even certain foods, like someone mentioned in regards to wheat.

With the two different scales issue, I would just choose one to follow and stick to it. I have a friend who knows her scale weighs about 5 lbs. under reality, but she figures as long as she sticks with that scale, she'll know where she stands relative to before....LOL

[Lilladancer]

Originally Posted by danidance

Lilla,

Is this a self-consciousness thing or a "can't pull in the extra weight" thing on the undulation? or, the extra layer just doesn't look the same visually?

To me it feels like a "can't pull in the extra weight" thing, like I just can't get a nice smooth abdominal roll because there's an extra layer there, but there could be a self consciousness component as well. But what I notice in the mirror is that when I have extra weight, I pull in for my undulation, and it doesn't visually show the effort that I am putting into doing it. When I am at my normal weight, my camels look more defined. I'm sure that's not true for everyone, but it seems to be the case for me. And then I think that feeling of "can't pull in my stomach all the way" makes me self conscious, so then I find myself inadvertently avoiding camels when I perform... it's kind of a domino effect.

[damiena]

Congrats Dani on busting through your plateau!!!

[danidance]

Thanks, Damiena, it's been a chore!!! I'm proud of myself for not giving up.

It's so easy to lose heart when the scale is not moving, break out the Ben & Jerry's and just say "F*@k it." For once in my life, I didn't do that this time - just calmed myself down (and whined a little) and kept on plugging away.

I'm down another .5 pound this morning! unbelievable and great. I'm ecstatic!

And, the best thing - when I sit down, the extra tummy weight isn't two "rolls" - it's only one kind of puffy tummy! (all dieters will recognize that milestone I think! youpie! )

Originally Posted by damiena

Congrats Dani on busting through your plateau!!!

[Lauren_]

I haven't posted on this thread in a while, but I wanted to send my appreciation to those of you who have.

The daily battles for a half-pound or a pound, plateauing for weeks then finally losing a pound then gaining two... This is where I've been living for 6.5 months now, and it's SOOO nice to know I'm not alone, that everyone is fighting the same battle.

Frustrating as it's been on a daily basis, when I take a wider view I *have* lost 14 pounds, and it's made a huge difference in my face & my body.

Stardancer, you probably already know this, but be sure you're comparing your first-thing-in-the-morning daily weights. It's normal to fluctuate by maybe 5 pounds or so over the course of each day, you have to ignore that!

[antimony]

A friend of mine just invited me on a cruise next summer. It will be a cruise on the Baltic, so not much swimsuit time, but we *will* have two formal nights, and I used to be able to *rock* a formal gown.

Anyway, I have 13 months to lose 15 pounds. Unfortunately, for my body it will probably take the whole 13 months to get there. But at least now I have a specific goal to look forward to!

[danidance]

Antimony,

I think giving ourselves a month to lose a pound is a really reasonable and easy to achieve goal. It's also way more long term!

[Michelle75]

It's been two days and I've lost one pound. I'll weigh myself again at the end of the month so I don't go crazy thinking I'm not losing any. Yippee!! It's better than gaining.

[CharlotteDesorgher]

Can someone explain....

My scales haven't moved an inch - not a centimetre

But my hip belt is starting to slip down and it's on the tightest hook!!!

And yesterday I wore my new Pharonics bedlah to perform in (yay) and the little roll over the belt that was there a month ago had disappeared

So, any theories on why the scales stay stubbornly stuck?

I know it's not muscle weighing heavier than fat because I haven't been doing anything to build muscle

[CharlotteDesorgher]

Originally Posted by danidance

Antimony,

I think giving ourselves a month to lose a pound is a really reasonable and easy to achieve goal. It's also way more long term!

Keep whispering that in my ear Dani - I need to hear it!

[kina]

yay Dani!!!!!!!! That's fantastic! It is really hard to stay motivated, congratulations!

[danidance]

Sunshine,

I can't explain the hip belt slipping other than weight shifting around. And I don't understand the scale being stubbornly stuck yet losing inches other than perhaps weight shifting.

What I can say - it happens. The whole time I've been stuck, clothes kept getting looser. Could it be we stand straighter and more pulled in because we have more energy from eating less? Or, could it be our abdomens are less distended (gas/bloat) because we're eating less, thus it seems smaller but no weight is really gone?

I'll do a little research on this mystery and see what's out there on the web. We aren't crazy and it does happen!

Originally Posted by sunshine

Keep whispering that in my ear Dani - I need to hear it!

[CharlotteDesorgher]

Originally Posted by danidance

Or, could it be our abdomens are less distended (gas/bloat) because we're eating less, thus it seems smaller but no weight is really gone?

I'll do a little research on this mystery and see what's out there on the web. We aren't crazy and it does happen!

Hmm, maybe that's it - the lack of bloat. 'cos I tell you, if I eat bread I grow a six month pregnancy within an hour

[Lilladancer]

Originally Posted by sunshine

Can someone explain....

My scales haven't moved an inch - not a centimetre

But my hip belt is starting to slip down and it's on the tightest hook!!!

And yesterday I wore my new Pharonics bedlah to perform in (yay) and the little roll over the belt that was there a month ago had disappeared

So, any theories on why the scales stay stubbornly stuck?

I know it's not muscle weighing heavier than fat because I haven't been doing anything to build muscle

All I can say is that we definitely can't worship the scale, as this morning my scale says I'm two pounds heavier, but my hip measurement (widest part, around the thighs, not the belly area) is 1/2 inch less than yesterday. Could be that some days we retain more water than others, etc. so that will register in pounds but not necessarily in body size? I know that I had a bit of a larger meal last night than I have lately, but it hasn't registered as inches, I've actually lost 1/2. So now I just have to make up for it in the next few days to keep my losing streak going...

[damiena]

The new scale shows the same weight now as the old one. The battery in the old one died so I can't check it, but I may have lost 2 more pounds!!!