So I didn’t weigh in at my meeting this week – I was AWOL.  I’m in the middle of a 14 day stretch at work, so I had to miss my meeting.

I did weigh in at home, which is an event all unto itself.  You see my scale is a bit possessed.  It never ever ever matches what the scale says at my Weight Watchers meeting.  It is anywhere from a half of a pound under to almost a full pound.

So according to my scale at home I lost 2 pounds this week.  Taking into past consideration that could be anywhere from a half a pound to a pound and a half, so I’ll split the difference and say I lost a pound.

Which means I am 7 pounds to goal!  Wow.

I must say I was pretty impressed with myself and how far I’ve come.  It made me think about what is so different this time around?

Seriously, when I lost a ton of weight on Weight Watchers before….If I knew well in advance that I wouldn’t have to weigh in for two weeks…Well let’s just say it would have been a couple of day feeding frenzy followed by very strict under-eating of points for the rest of the time.

Not exactly healthy, eh?

Scale games.  That’s all it is.

Oh all veteran Weight Watchers know about Scale Games.  The rules are simple:

• You were absolutely the least amount of clothes you can.  There was a woman who seriously stripped down to a bathing suit at my meeting to weigh in. The rest of us had our capri leggings and tank tops, but you gotta acknowledge the extra effort!
• You do not eat out the night before weigh in.
• You do not eat extra salt/salty foods at least the day before weigh in, maybe two days before weigh in.
• You eat every light the day before weigh in, and you eat at the low end of your points.
• You never ever ever use your weeklies the last couple of days before weigh in.

It’s seriously crazy, right?  How can a number on a scale matter that much?

I’ve read a lot about it, from body acceptance peeps to health advocates.  I think the problem is we have all been taught that number is a reflection of our very selves – how good or how bad we are.

It’s just a number.  A scientific measurement that you can use to judge your progress, just like measuring your waist or thigh or neck or whatever.

I think I’ve finally disassociated that number with who I am.  It is not who I am.  It is a tool to judge my progress, my overall health.

So I realize that playing games with the scale doesn’t help me at all.  A couple of weeks ago I ate a steak (which I love love salt on my steaks) with a big honking baked potato and butter the night before weigh in.

The. Night. Before. Weigh. In.

It occurs to me that all you non-Weight Watchers that read my blog just for the healthy recipes must think we sound like lunatics.

Anyway, so I had lots of Smartpoints left, had most of my weeklies, and tons of fit points.  I had been craving a baked potato, and not one with nasty spray butter either.  Oh no I wanted the real deal.

I had the points which would reset the next day so I ate them.  Weigh in the next day?  Well I lost .2 I believe.  If you look at my stats, I have averaged 1.5 to 2 pounds a week loss, which is awesome and healthy.  Did one steak and potato make me gain a pound or two and undo all my hard work for the week.

No, but the salt probably made me retain some water.  I mean you have to have 3,500 calories extra to gain a pound.  That dinner was not between 3,500 and 7,000 calories.

The next week I lost like 3 pounds, because any water retention fell off.

I understand this now, so it isn’t a game.  If you are tricking the scale, you are tricking yourself.  “Normal” people do not have one day a week where they are afraid to put something in their mouth, and this is my new normal.

 

Tools

So if you’ve noticed the categories I have set up for my blog I have one for tools.  I try not to post more than once a day because I have a lot of email subscribers and I don’t want to blow them up.

I can’t not post about the Instant Pot today because tomorrow is PRIME DAY.

Oh yes, that glorious day to get the deals on Amazon.

The Instant Pot is the single biggest Tool in my arsenal for my success.  Forget the stove top pressure cookers of yesterday that left chicken all over the ceiling when they blew.  The new generation is safe and efficient.

I mean I can make a whole meal, from frozen meat, in under 20 minutes cook time.

I know there is the perception out there that people who are overweight are lazy.  I found this to be not true in most cases.  I mean I am gone at least 13 hours a day working.  That doesn’t leave much time for cleaning, paying bills, grocery shopping, sleeping….Much less cooking.

This little device has got me out of the take-out merry-go-round because it makes it so much easier to cook at home, and so much faster!

There are a lot of great groups out there for it too.  My absolute favorite is the Instant Pot Community on Facebook.  The people there are just amazing and share tons of tips, tricks, and recipes.  They have been so supportive of me and my efforts to get healthy.

But listen people….If you do not have one of these and you are a Prime member with Amazon….Watch for it tomorrow.  They always have big deals on them on Prime day, and you will not regret it for a single second.  I think I know like 78 people I’ve told about Instant Pot and every single one of them LOVE it as much as me.

You will not regret it!