I Weighed Myself Daily & This Happened...
THE SCALE IS A BIG LIAR.
(There, I said it.)
A lot of people email me discouraged by their “super slow” weight-loss or are curious how long it takes to lose, say, 15 lbs on the meal plans.
A couple things:
Losing 0.5 to 2 lbs per week is ideal and healthy for an adult, even though some might call that slow.
“Reality” weight-loss TV shows have warped our expectations and what they’re doing on those shows is not healthy.
(Turns out it’s not sustainable either, since most contestants gain it back.)
Most of us slowly and steadily gained, and that’s exactly how we’ll lose it, too.
The important aspect of “slow” loss through the meal plans is that you’re PERMANENTLY changing your lifestyle and creating long-term success.
The closer you get to your healthy weight, the slower loss will creep.
There is also a smaller margin for error when you start zeroing in on your goal.
For example, when Scott and I first went vegan, we didn’t eat very healthfully (very “progress not perfection”) and we still lost weight initially, even eating Boca burgers, French fries, Earth Balance and Coconut Bliss ice cream.
Eventually we plateaued and cleaned up our diet, but it wasn’t until we started using the meal plans consistently, that we broke our barriers and kept the weight off.
I yo-yo dieted for years, constantly gaining and losing the same 10 lbs.
Once I’d maintain my weight loss for a while, I would start being less strict with myself, allowing vegan junk food in -- ”everything in moderation!”
And I’d “moderate” UNTIL my clothes felt snug.
Then I’d return to my stricter diet, lose the weight, and start all over again!
I finally got sick of the 10 lb circuit, committed to nutritional excellence, and have stuck to the meal plans (and kept the weight off!) for 2 years.
There are oodles of hidden culprits that can sabotage you when you’re on your own.
Your weight is not a good measurement for weight-loss.
Especially once you’re nearing the end of your loss -- it’ll bounce dramatically.
Measurements are the way to go, as well as a pair of pants that you don't wash or wear, but keep in the closet for a weekly check-in.
I weighed myself everyday for a month, being diligent to do it at the same exact time every morning, after full urination and elimination, and there were several times where I gained or lost as much as 2 lbs day-to-day, which is physically impossible.
See for yourself:
You cannot physically gain or lose 2 lbs of fat in a 24-hr period!
There's just so much flux going on…
When I posted my experience in the private Facebook group for annuals, Leah left this great comment:
(P.S. Annual sale tomorrow -- one day only!)
AND if you exercise, the scale is completely unreliable because you have no way of knowing if it’s fat loss or muscle gain or inflammation.
Moral of the story? Don’t use the scale to track -- it can be one of many ways you keep accountable but it should never be your ONLY method of measuring progress, especially for the last 20 pounds.