New to Whole30 in Los Angeles and I really want to weigh myself!!

[Linda419]

Hi all!

I'm Linda and I'm new to Whole30.  I am 55 and very active - running and yoga.  A couple of friends had weight loss success and success with losing sugar cravings.  Today is day 5.  I am not really over weight (just 7-8 pounds of vanity weight) and am down about 15 pounds over the last year just exercising and doing calorie restriction.  I know that I can't sustain that and before Whole30 had cravings every afternoon for sugar and salty crunchy things.  Those have virtually disappeared in just 5 days!  But I really really want to weigh myself!  I know I fall into the "chained to the scale" group and I'm looking for further support on this subject.  I absolutely have in the past let the scale number dictate my mood or what I ate that day.  Also, I"m feeling very full from the protein and all the vegetables and while I'm not bloated, it feels weird to feel full (probably because I was so used to calorie restriction over the years!).  

Can any of you give me some help on leaving the scale alone?  I'd like that addiction to go out with the cravings!!

Thanks!

[____Emily____]

Hi @Linda419 - I have the same issue with the scale. Its an impulse to step on.  It's a rule that I've definitely broken, but I understand why they don't want you to do so. Weight fluctuates throughout the month and if you put a lot of emphasis on the scale, then you will lose motivation when the scale isn't going the "right" way. 

 

Whole30 has a great resourse list of non-scale victories (NSV) that you can use to help you identify progress that isn't a number on a scale: https://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-nsv.pdf

 

[Linda419]

Thanks so much Emily!  I do really believe in the science after reading "It starts with food" so much that I've even made flow charts to understand and visualize it!  Thanks for the camaraderie and for the NSV list!  Linda

[kirbz]

@Linda419 I can also relate to the desire to step on the scale! But I strongly, strongly encourage you NOT to do it! Trust in the program and trust that the rules are the rules for a reason. It's only 30 days. 

So many of the benefits of this program come from eating according to the meal template, which includes a generous amount of fat! If you're obsessing over the scale or your weight, you're likely going to want to cut back. But don't do it! You need that fat for the energy. You need it to re-train your body to become fat adapted! 

Remind yourself of all the other non-scale victories you're looking for, trust the process, and stick to the rules! I promise you'll feel better for it! And hopefully you'll lose weight too! 

Best of luck to you! 

[pags98]

I've violated the no scale rule a lot.  I enjoy seeing the numbers.  So if that makes me a whole30 failure, meh I'm okay with it.  17 days in, feeling great, sleeping well, not craving Coke Zero (my kryptonite) or anything else sugary,  getting compliments are all NSVs for me!  But, after decades of not ever even wanting to look at a scale and losing almost 100 pounds the last 20 months pre-whole30, the scale is part of my routine.  I have not violated the no measurements clause though.  I'll wait for those until after.  

I'm pleased that it's dropping during my whole30 but I'm not starving myself either.  In fact, most meals I should probably stop a bite or two before I have been, but the recipes I've been making have been so darn good (along with the fresh summer fruits and veggies that abound right now).

[____Emily____]

1 hour ago, pags98 said:

I have not violated the no measurements clause though.  I'll wait for those until after.  

Same!  I've stepped on the scale numerous times even if I'm not supposed to because I just enjoy seeing the number (I weigh myself multiple times a day because it's fun to see how it fluctuates - especially before and after toilet use ). But I'm saving the measuring tape and progress pics for the end of my thirty days because I can't wait to see if there are any drastic differences and I don't want to spoil the surprise by getting part-way measurements. Although, saying that, I kind of wish I had saved the weigh-ins for the end too so I could see the drastic number there too.

[Linda419]

On 7/24/2018 at 11:32 AM, kirbz said:

@Linda419 I can also relate to the desire to step on the scale! But I strongly, strongly encourage you NOT to do it! Trust in the program and trust that the rules are the rules for a reason. It's only 30 days. 

So many of the benefits of this program come from eating according to the meal template, which includes a generous amount of fat! If you're obsessing over the scale or your weight, you're likely going to want to cut back. But don't do it! You need that fat for the energy. You need it to re-train your body to become fat adapted! 

Remind yourself of all the other non-scale victories you're looking for, trust the process, and stick to the rules! I promise you'll feel better for it! And hopefully you'll lose weight too! 

Best of luck to you! 

HI!  I agree and believe in the science (so much so that I created Visio flow charts of the hormonal process as I wanted a visual aid!) yeah, I'm a freak.  So I am definitely eating per the template.  I've been tied to the scale for so long, that I think you are right in telling me to let go of it.  I don't want to be a slave to it any more.  Thanks for the coaching!!

[Linda419]

6 hours ago, pags98 said:

I've violated the no scale rule a lot.  I enjoy seeing the numbers.  So if that makes me a whole30 failure, meh I'm okay with it.  17 days in, feeling great, sleeping well, not craving Coke Zero (my kryptonite) or anything else sugary,  getting compliments are all NSVs for me!  But, after decades of not ever even wanting to look at a scale and losing almost 100 pounds the last 20 months pre-whole30, the scale is part of my routine.  I have not violated the no measurements clause though.  I'll wait for those until after.  

I'm pleased that it's dropping during my whole30 but I'm not starving myself either.  In fact, most meals I should probably stop a bite or two before I have been, but the recipes I've been making have been so darn good (along with the fresh summer fruits and veggies that abound right now).

I get what you mean about stopping a bite or two before the meal is over.  There are so many vegetables that I get really full!  I doubt I will go back to many of the "non-compliant" foods after.  I am really beginning not to need them and to enjoy the taste of vegetables and fruits again!  Thanks for the input!

[kirbz]

I, too, convinced myself that stepping on the scale during my Whole30 was okay. I enjoyed seeing the number go down and told myself I wasn't changing what or how I ate because of the scale. 

But, I never got the energy gains I was looking for and I know it's because I wasn't eating as much fat as I should have been. Because I was so obsessed with seeing that number go down. As a result, I didn't achieve one of the most significant NSVs I was looking for! When I eventually get around to doing another round, I am committed to following the rules, caring less about weight, and trusting the program more fully (yes, I was a total hypocrite)! 

[Linda419]

Thanks Kirbz!  I get what you mean.  I have put away the scale in another room so it won't be tempting.  I did notice more energy the last couple of days (I am on 12 today) so hopefully it is coming!  Thanks for your input - I think I am quite in the same place as you were during your 1st W30 and I appreciate the support.  After all, we are all learning right?  Like I now drink black coffee and don't even use Nutpods anymore (why?) and am giving up RX bars too because they just seem plastic.   Thanks again!