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Food Diary Lessons: Reducing the Power of The Scale
By: Lee Kern, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.
Patty uses her food diary to track overeating episodes and triggers, and to maintain communication with me, her therapist. She has lost 70 pounds to a weight of 323. A recent 10-day plateau resulted in the following comments in the diary: “Grazing on ice cream, feeling sick of this weight, tired of carrying it around.” During phone contact she explained that despite her success, she felt a mounting impatience with her rate of losing weight, and then tries to numb these feelings with passive, mindless eating.
Recently I reviewed 50 weight charts kept by our program’s participants. There were two common themes: 1) Weight can be gained from one day to the next due to fluid fluctuations, perhaps a result of sodium intake but not always. 2) Plateaus can go on for many days, sometimes up to two weeks. These things can get very frustrating and can lead someone to act like a light switch, and “click off,” deciding all the work is not worth it. They then use this as a justification to return to old overeating patterns.
Studies suggest that often there is a gap between weight loss expectations and reality, and this can produce negative feelings. Patty’s situation is a reminder of how difficult it can be to appreciate success when the scale no longer provides pats on the back. One study of very successful weight losers concluded that the best attitude to take is to view weight loss as a natural result of living life in healthier ways: de-emphasize the scale, focus on healthy behaviors, keep track of all the non-weight benefits of success. I advise clients to keep a log of success markers such as: changes in clothing sizes, improved health metrics like blood pressure and cholesterol, fitness improvements, enhanced daily functioning (more stamina, the ability to tie shoes, climb stairs, walk the dog, get a good night’s sleep, wear a seat belt), internal changes such as better mood, self-esteem and confidence. While weighing yourself is an important component of self- monitoring, it is equally important to reduce the power of the scale by tracking many other success indicators.
Lee Kern, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., is the clinical director for Structure House, a residential weight loss facility in Durham, NC. Kern leads the post-bariatric surgery program. Designed for patients following weight loss surgery, the program offers surgery-focused medical assessments and personalized eating and relapse prevention plans. For information, visit www.structurehouse.com or call 800-553-0052.
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