By the numbers

Do you trust your scale? I have a hard time doing so. My Dad trusts his. He has to, for medical reasons. For him, the number itself is almost arbitrary. It's the change in numbers that is important. If he gains weight, that means he's retaining water. Don't you just love that that's all it means? This system works well enough, unless he loses 10 lbs unexpectedly (true story). 10 lbs is over a gallon of water, which is an awful lot to retain unknowingly.

Personally, I don't keep a scale in the house. Much the like comic above, it affects my mood. It is also impossible for me to keep from stepping on it daily. This is not a good combination when my thyroid condition makes me retain water periodically (when I forget to take my medication), when I eat salty foods, or when I have too much desert.

I get curious sometimes, though. Especially lately, as I've been tracking what I eat again, have stopped (mostly) eating sugar, and have been working hard both at my parents and on the bike/in the pool. I know my pants fit differently. So I step on my parents scale every once in a while.

I don't believe the numbers I see.

Yes, part of my mind makes the connection that looser pants = lower weight. Part of my mind says I can't be 180 lbs though. That can't be right. I haven't been 170 lbs for at least 10 years. The scale must be wrong, I must be dehydrated, it will go back up tomorrow....

Then I go out to dinner with Aunt Gertie, who's visiting from Florida, and have a big brownie sundae.

Anyone else do that?