Weigh In: That Time of the Month

This week was the lead in to That Time of The Month and several days of full fledged That Time of The Month for me. Naturally, we decided to eat out two days in a row. And naturally, we went for Mexican so I face planted into a giant bowl of chips and salsa both times. One time I washed the three zillion chips down with a margarita. One time I resisted the siren’s call. And naturally, my old friend the scale laughed in my face when I climbed on. Then we got closer to the full fledged That Time of the Month and the scale laughed in my face a little extra.

That Time of the Month is by far the most demoralizing if you are a daily scale watcher like me. Two days before, I usually mysteriously float upward by at least a pound. To add insult to injury, I will have exercised and eaten well the day before, too. And if you are doing what you are supposed to be doing and the scale heads upward that’s wrong on every level and messes with my head. The next day, I’ll float another half a pound up. By the time it’s showtime and it’s an actual wings day, the scale will imploding. This go round it imploded the day of hitting 156.6 pounds. What the what?

It’s really, really, really hard not to suck down a 44 ounce Dr. Pepper after seeing that number. It’s also really, really, really hard not to want to shove all the food everywhere into my mouth all at once. Every bad habit begs you to revert back. Every instinct in your body wants to give up. And the hormones in your body second that emotion. A lot. They also like to ramp up the drama inside your head pointing out your every flaw and the complete futility of even trying to lose weight ever again.

So when you successfully close out the day and the worst thing you did was have a slice of cake at a going away party you call it a good day. Because at least you didn’t have 2 pieces of cake. And the next morning, the scale does you a solid and goes down .2 and you actually take that as a good sign. And then you scrape yourself together enough to exercise for 30 minutes before work. And the next morning it floats down a little more. 

I didn't even take a picture of my 156.6 thanks to the shock and awe descending on my soul.

But holy cow alll that floating is annoying. Mainly because it’s so vague and nothing you can count on. Because it floats downward, too. And every day it floats down you hope it’s not done floating down and that it will magically float down some more tomorrow. But you don’t know if it will. So you’re stuck hoping and crossing your fingers. But a hoping and hoping and hoping and hoping is hard. Because it’s like you’re throwing so much good effort down a useless black hole. It’s discouraging is what it is. Discouraging.

By this morning I’ve floated back down to 154.6 pounds. My husband tried to be enthusiastic when I had floated down into the 155s. I tried to not kill his enthusiasm and just said thank you. He’s a supportive fellow and I’m appreciative. And the 155s are better than 204.4. So there’s that. But seriously. Go away That Time of the Month. Go away and take with you the magical extra pounds that float in and out to torture my scale watching soul.

The award for worst scale shot lighting ever goes to this girl right here.

And feel free to take the Papa John’s pizza leftover from dinner last night with you, too. Because heaven help me I wanted to inhale every last piece. I even put 2 pieces on my plate mentally throwing in the towel on a good weigh in the next day. And then after I changed out of my work clothes my will to succeed got back from break and I marched myself right back downstairs to put one of the pieces back in the box and make myself a salad instead. But it was touch and go. Because I was feeling vulnerable. And the extra cheese was calling to me. But I put on my big girl panties and did it. And I should get a good weigh in out of, dang it.

But difficult weeks are what make or break your success. I believe that. Pushing through the difficult upward floating sets you up for a great weigh in the next week. Because you’ll have parted with the extra magical floating pounds plus you’ll have a good week and lose whatever you’d normally lose in a good week. And then your weigh in will be like a double weigh in almost with 2 weeks worth of loss. Except you have to successfully not throw in the towel. And that’s hard. Really, really, really hard.

Sigh.

But if you can do it, man that weigh in is always a good one. Nothing worth having comes easy. I keep reminding myself that zipping up my size 6 jeans will be worth it. But my brain keeps reminding me that french fries are pretty worth it, too.

More sighing.

So frustrating. But must stay strong. Must add exclamation points to prove I really mean it and can do it!!! Now all I have to do is actually do it!