Step on the Scale

You may know I avoid the dreaded weigh-in on the bathroom scale like I avoid crowded venues and overpriced drinks. Meaning I have completely given up the daily weigh-in. When the scale has nothing nice to say to me, I refuse to participate in an exchange. I have not stepped on the scale once yet this year.

Well, that was all true until yesterday.

You may have read my blog about giving up grains for Passover. Sure, this has religious significance. But for me, it was also a way to kick start my SPRING WEIGHT LOSS. Because it's time.

Winter has been ugly. (Not January because I spent most of that month in Florida!) February had a few nice days, but March was relentlessly cold, gray, gloomy, windy, and depressing. And so far, April hasn't been much better. The terrible weather encouraged WAY too much couch-sitting and sugary-treat-eating. I even rekindled a long-dead habit of eating cereal right out of the box! 

When I look back at photos of myself where I think I looked good, guess what? I was NOT eating boxes of cereal hand-over-fist. No, before peri-menopause confiscated my brain, I used to avoid grains completely. And I used to weigh a whole heck of a lot less. It doesn't take a degree in higher math to put 2 and 2 together...

So for the past few days, I have eaten no bread, no sandwiches, no cereal, no pasta, no grains in any form. I haven't even opened my Kosher for Passover matzoh, although I am saving it in case of emergency. (Matzoh is made from wheat and allowed during Passover.)

After a couple of days of my grain-free regimen, I noticed a few changes.

1) I was getting up in the middle of the night to pee multiple times. This was always true for me until this winter when I resurrected my cereal habit. All those excess carbs soak up fluid in the body and retain it. Like magic, I began sleeping all the way through the night with zero bathroom breaks. I know, it sounds like a good thing, but do I really want to retain water and look like a bloated manatee? I think I prefer getting up to pee.

2) My belly began to flatten. Now, don't get me wrong. It's not washboard city yet. But even after just two days without grains, I could see a difference. The change was so noticeable, it led me to do the unthinkable.

3) Yes, I stepped on the scale. Was I overjoyed at the number I saw? Quite the opposite! Even though I was already feeling lighter, I weighed nowhere near my goal. The goal I actually HIT last fall, somewhere around October. Before winter struck and knocked me pretty freaking far off course.

But I am not deterred.

Sometimes I need a good kick in the pants. It doesn't feel good. In fact, it feels like crap, while denial feels relatively painless. But denial is NOT painless. Denial is a slippery slope. How far down will you slide before you rein yourself in? Will you become obese? Insulin-resistant? Diabetic? Will you do permanent damage to your body? Lose the feeling in your feet? Lose a limb???

I needed a wake up call. And stepping on the scale was just the slap in face--the irrefutable proof--I needed to help me open my eyes.

So my grain-free days will not end with the passing of Passover. I will stay away from the cereal, cookies, bread, bagels, cakes and muffins. It's not that difficult. In fact, it's totally doable. I'm doing it!

Do you need help shedding those winter pounds? I am available for weight-loss coaching, personal training, and holistic fitness support in person, by phone, skype, email, or snail mail! (The last option could be kinda slow, though.) Leave a comment if you're looking for support!