I’m obsessed with data. I love tracking everything and then looking back and analyzing, optimizing. It basically gives me a high. When I don’t have anything to analyze and optimize I get a little sad and offer my services to friends. That…doesn’t usually go over too well 🙂 .
I’ve been tracking my weight since I left college 6+ years ago. I can look in MFP and see it yoyoing all over the place during that time when I know I was either starving myself or counting calories and always trying to bring it down without success.
I started tracking it religiously when I starved myself thin in 2012. I weighed myself every day and it usually set my mood for that day as a result. When I started keto I tried to weigh in every Monday to see the overall trend, but usually caught myself weighing everyday. I’ve tried to stop weighing daily in the past and have only made it a full 7 days so far.
Well I think I’ve finally cracked my obsession. My body is changing rapidly and I feel amazing and think I look amazing. I don’t need the scale to tell me nothing has changed because things HAVE changed – even if not the scale. So I’m not going to weigh myself until at least November. Maybe not until later than that. I usually look forward to each pound melting away on the scale, but I know that given my current low weight that can be a slow and frustration process.
Instead of weighing myself I’ve been using a pair of shorts to track my progress and that has been an awesome success. I’ve sporadically tried on my smaller clothes throughout this journey and noted when since almost fit and FINALLY fit! These shorts are next. I’m already able to fit into my 2012 skinny jeans (!!!) which are the largest size that Forever 21 stocks for $10. Everything bigger is $35…fat tax anyone?
Yesterday I started trying on random things in my closet that I couldn’t imagine fit yet because they didn’t in 2012 until I was about 20 pounds lighter than I am now, but THEY FIT!!! All my vests I haven’t been able to wear since my first job 6 years ago, a flannel shirt I haven’t been able to wear since around the same time, an interview shirt that had sadly become a “maybe one day” interview shirt have all become feasible options. It all fit and I looked awesome in it! This seems more meaningful than the scale. My body is changing and that’s all that matters. Though data gives me joy that level of obsession and letting it dictate my mood had to stop. I’m so glad I’ve finally broken the pattern.