Further weight adventures: in which scales are evil

[lizbee]

When I first started this project, I decided that I wasn't going to do any kind of weekly weigh-in.  My weight fluctuates hormonally, and frankly, that kind of habit is bad for me. 

However, it's been three weeks, and ... well, I was in baggers' room, and she has a set of scales.  (And that's the other reason I didn't start the weighing thing: I have trouble seeing scales without wanting to weigh myself.  So owning my own would be bad.)

I had pretty low expectations, on account of how I was pretty sure I had underestimated my weight by a few kilos when I said it was 80.  Maybe 83?  I can't remember. 

What I was not expecting was ... 90 kilos.

The other problem with scales:  COMMON SENSE GOES OUT THE WINDOW.  Instead of going, "Sure, these are cheap scales, and I know for a fact that my body is changing," I went, OH GOD, I'M A FAILURE, and added a Chiko Roll to my dinner order. 

Then, because I had over-eaten at dinner, I woke up hungry in the middle of the night, and spent a quarter of an hour meditating on HOW MUCH I FAIL before giving up and reading Texts From Last Night until I felt sleepy again. 

This morning, I've come to the following conclusions:

- those scales are pretty cheap
- do I really think I could have gained 10(ish) kilos in a few weeks WITHOUT NOTICING?
- more to the point, my clothes are getting looser
- and I've lost a couple of centimetres from my belly circumference*
- and I've discovered a direct correlation between Eating Properly and Not Having Sugar Lows And Uncontrollable Hungers
- that Chiko Roll was delicious, and much better than the burger that accompanied it

In conclusion, I really need to avoid scales, because they encourage all kinds of stupidity.

Otherwise, I'm doing okay.  I discovered, via a work afternoon tea on Friday, that eating Krispy Kreme at the time I normally eat lunch, and then having a very late lunch that featured the first white bread I've eaten in ages is actually a bad idea.  WHO KNEW, RIGHT?  The donuts and the pork salad roll were both tasty, but the timing was all off, and that much refined sugar in one day was a bit more than I could handle.  And yes, then I was hungry again really soon after.  BOO TO YOU, METABOLISM.

But on the upside, my body does seem to be changing.  A dress that was on the verge of being too tight a couple of months ago fits very comfortably now, and I need some kind of apparatus to hold my jeans up.  (Although, when I bought said jeans, I did go up a size, which has obviously turned out to be a foolish decision.)  And I have a lot more energy, and my skin and hair seem to look better.  Because I was sick with a chest infection last week, and have been accordingly run down this week, I haven't been cooking much with fresh food.  So that's a habit I need to get back into, because everything tastes like salt.  Breakfast will be spinach, egg, tomato, asparagus and wholemeal toast.  LIKE A BOSS. 

* I'm not sure, but I think belly circumference is one of those "universal signifiers" of potential diabetes that actually isn't?  But all the diabetic women in my family gained a lot of weight in their middles in the years preceding diagnosis, so I guess my genetics are pretty typical in this regard.

Comments

[melwil]

Yep, belly circumference is a things that makes doctors go 'hmmmm' so decreasing it is a good thing.

When I had the egg retrieval, I put on 5 kilos in two days, and you definitely feel it. If your clothes are feeling more comfortable, then I'd say the scales are pretty dodgy :) I'd ask your GP if you can weigh yourself next time you're there - more accurate scales, and they'll help you discuss it from a health point of view

[lizbee]

THAT'S MY PLAN. Hopefully I'll have Doctor Awesome again, and not some random fat-hater.

[jaydeyn]

There was a study a while back that said the correlation of belly circumference to heart disease wasn't quite as strong as they had initially thought, but that larger belly circumference had a high correlation with lack of exercise and lack of exercise meant the cardiovascular system wasn't getting worked properly which did correlate to heart disease. Um. It's been a while since I've read it, so my summation skills may be lacking. I don't know much about diabetes but perhaps the same sort of mechanism might be at play in your family?

But YAY for losing cm's! Boo for inaccurate scales. I've weighed myself on my home scales, a friend's scales and a doctor's scales within 24 hrs and had 4 kilo's of difference - I'd bet scales aren't all calibrated the same. Consistently using same scales is probably a good plan (if only to avoid the wtf-omgI'mafailure-spiral. Really not a pleasant thing at all!).

:)
Jaydeyn

[lizbee]

I think the way it works with diabetes is that it causes adipose tissue to build up around the abdomen. Or is caused by adipose tissue building up around the abdomen, no one's really sure. Either way, it can be a warning sign.

[lunafana.livejournal.com]

Actually, putting on a few kilos while getting thinner is a highly positive sign because it could mean you're gaining more muscle, which is several times heavier than fat. Higher muscle mass means better metabolism, more energy, and in general better everything for health and fitness. I'm much thinner than I was years ago and my weight has remained constant the few times I've weighed myself. In fact, due to a history of hyperthyroidism I'd freak out if I did lose weight. I think you're wise not to own scales, because weight tells you very little about your health. That's my $.02!

[lizbee]

I wondered about that! But I don't think I've exercised enough to put on any significant muscle mass -- I've really only been walking thus far.

[lavinia]

Go you!

Can I ask what kind of diet/exercise regimen you're on, to get such good results so quickly?

[lizbee]

Nothing very sophisticated. I cut portion-sizes to some extent, but mostly just swapped around the proportion of carbs to fresh fruit and vegetables. I started eating more low-GI foods, so that I don't get sugar lows, and I stopped snacking on chocolate all day. Oh, I also cut my alcohol intake from "two glasses of wine most nights" to "a glass of wine twice a week".

And exercise-wise, I get 30 minutes a day, four days a week, just going to and from work, and the other three days I get some more intensive exercise, usually about 45 minutes solid of walking.

[lavinia]

Thanks!

[kerravonsen]

If you are going to weigh yourself regularly, always use the same set of scales. Me, I get weighed at my monthly doctor's appointment and I avoid scales at all other times.

If you want to avoid refined sugar, keep away from the "Suga" shop in the Royal Arcade. Delicious hand-made boiled lollies are DEADLY.

We haven't gone for a walk together yet! Should I phone you from work? I'm afraid of doing that in case I'm interrupting something.

[lizbee]

I DO LOVE BOILED LOLLIES QUITE A LOT.

We haven't gone for a walk together yet! Should I phone you from work? I'm afraid of doing that in case I'm interrupting something.

Yes, but don't be offended if I say no. Work usually gets really intense from about 12 to the end of the day, so most days I just take 20 minutes and don't stray far from the office.

[purple_smurf]

I had the unfortunate situation last year where the doctor's scales were 10kg off (it was a sliding one, and I think the nurse did it wrong). As in, they were 10kg under, and I got a nasty shock when weighing myself a week later and every scale said I'd put on 10kg in a week (I hadn't, I still maintain, given all my clothing still fitted the same).

[danni]

I've totally had this problem. My solution is to only weigh myself at the doctors.

[lizzieladie]

I'm gonna guess that the weight gain is a combo of cheap/different scales and exercise. I'm not sure about walking, but running without any lifting can definitely build up leg muscles and make people freak out that they're gaining weight when they're actually getting in much better shape. If you were really out of shape before and are now regularly using leg muscles for walking, it's possible that they're getting a bit bigger and that fat you used to have is turning to muscle to support that. Last year I did this thing where I would miss the bus and then have to walk crazy fast to work, and even though I was not running I could totally feel leg muscles getting used in the same kind of strenuous way that they do when I run. I don't get that as much with just walking at a leisurely pace, but I've also been in good enough shape to do some (very slow) running for most of life, so it's possible that you're getting the same kind of muscle building from a more leisurely walk.

Also, weight does fluctuate a certain amount even without being messed with by hormones, and all scales are not accurate to each other. It's really unlikely that you gained that much in a month.

Definitely, if you're feeling happier and stronger, and especially if your clothes fit better, trust all of that and not wacky scale readings!