Why obsessing over the number on the scale is a good thing

Last week, I caught a glimpse of Jennifer Hudson on Oprah.  She sheepishly admitted to having lost 80 pounds and going from a size 16 to a 6. Wow, what an accomplishment!!! She looks fantastic and full of life!!  Sitting on the first row of the audience, was her weight watchers coach/moderator.  Jennifer seemed unsure about disclosing how many pounds she had lost saying that her coach did not want her to say it because she wants people to focus on embracing a healthier lifestyle rather than a number.  What???  She cannot talk about  losing 80 pounds??    Seriously???
I personally do not think there is anything wrong with bragging about your weight loss or focusing on a specific weight loss goal.  It is easy to say that we should "embrace a healthier lifestyle," but how are we going to measure that the lifestyle we have embraced is making us healthier?  Being aware of our weight and how much we have lost is a way to check if our new lifestyle is working for us.  I have tried losing weight by eating healthier and exercising without weighing myself or tracking my progress.  It did not work for me.  I started under estimating my calories and I ate more with the excuse that - "It's okay -- I should still be losing weight."  When I was no longer aware of the impact, I lost track of the calories I was really consuming.  This approach backfired as there was no accountability for my actions.  When I weight myself, the scale stares back at me and gives me the truth.  Whether I like it or not, I get the true story of how my health efforts progressed during the prior week.  It makes me rethink my strategy if I am not heading into the right direction. Maybe the chips and salsa I ate for lunch two days ago was not such a good idea.  Perhaps I shouldn't have skipped a day of exercise.  For everyone afraid of the scale I say embrace it!! Make it a part of your healthy lifestyle. The scale:

• May not show you what you want to see, but it will show you where you are
• Will hold you accountable when nobody else does
• Will motivate you and show you that your efforts are paying off
• If you lost weight, brag about how it!!!  Be proud!!!
• If you gained, pick yourself up and keep trying, it is not the end of the world
• And most important, LOVE AND ACCEPT YOURSELF, ENJOY LIFE, HAVE FUN. 

"It is time for us to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever, the one who recognises the challenge and does something about it." Vince Lombardi

Of course these are just my opinions and not based on any scientific data.  This is what works for me.  I do not proclaim to be an expert in weight loss other than I have had a lot of practice :)

Week 3 - 6 week set back - hernia surgery recovery

I have been avoiding this week's post... I am not sure of all the reasons -- a big reason was that I was all drugged up on pain medicines after surgery last Friday.  I was so dizzy and nauseous for four days, even thinking about sitting down in front of the computer would make me sick.   After I started feeling better, I knew my blog was waiting for me but could not get myself to write.  This is what happens to me when my fitness/weight loss efforts do not according to plan.  I start to avoid reality and I don't want to admit to myself and others that what I committed to do is not happening.
Dr. Fass is my surgeon, and he is great!!  He performed an umbilical hernia repair which will prevent me from doing much exercise (other than walking) for six weeks.  This is really freaking me out --  I had started getting into my jogging routine and after a six week hiatus I will have to start all over again.  This greatly demotivates me and depresses me.  I know the hernia needed to be repaired -- it was causing me pain when exercising, especially during push ups and abdominal exercises.  Six weeks is not that long, so I will continue to focus on taking one week at a time.  My plan for this week is to stay focused on what I am eating so at least my weight remains the same.  I will wait until March to join the Health Risk Management program (HRM) at the Austin Diagnostic Clinic.  I haven't decided yet whether I will stick to the fruits, vegetables and meal replacements or if I am going all in with meal replacements only.   Now that the weather and my health are improving, I am hoping to spend time outdoors walking around trying to burn as many calories as possible.  Several experts say walking is the best exercise to lose weight, we shall see!!

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."  Maria Robinson