Jessica Simpson's Weight

huskymom

Chuffy

Bathroom scales are the most stupid invention in the universe.  And diets are for losers!

I wish I could have that view of things.  I don't by any means want to be rail thin, but I do want to lose weight still.  Part of it is vanity for sure, but being able to run around with my kids and my dogs means alot to me too, and I simply could not do that if I was still as big as I was.

 Sure, wanting to be fitter is an admirable goal.  If you are overweight and want to slim down so you can be healthier and so you can feel GOOD about yourself, that's cool.  But you don't need scales to accomplish that - you KNOW you are unfit and/or overwieght without going near them, right?  Obsessing about how much you weigh is completely unhealthy IMO; it's just ONE of the odd food/body hang ups that so many people cling to that actually PREVENTS them from slimming down and being healthier.

I don't know, I weigh myself 1-2 times a day but I am an extremely analytical person.  I need numbers, I need to know where I am at.  However, I think I'm dang good at removing all the emotional baggage that comes along with the concept of weight.  I was just as happy weighing 25lbs more than I am right now, but I'm kind of a black-and-white person in that when I want something I don't compromise and for me there IS a "perfect" weight vs. a "good enough" weight.  Hopefully I'm making some sense.  I can obsess about it without becoming obsessed with it, lol.  That's just how I am, it's not just weighing in, working out, etc.  A big thing for me is not just getting healthy but staying healthy.  I need to keep tabs on my weight and in the past had to keep a food journal and exercise journal because it's really a lifestyle overhaul, for me it was not something I could just do without some amount of new habit-forming and learning how far I can go in either direction before I get off track.  For example, if I didn't weigh myself for a week I might get off track and feel fine, but then I step on the scale and have gained 2-3 lbs.  So for me the scale is just a part of the bigger picture - overhauling my lifestyle and re-training my body about what is healthy, what it is to feel hungry or full, etc.  A year ago I FELT great and I thought I looked fine when I weighed more, but I was not healthy.  Now, my bloodwork shows I am in the optimal ranges of everything.  I step on the scale twice a day but I really don't give it more than 10 seconds thought.  I just need to know where I'm at is all.  When I see results I have more motivation to continue.  When the results are not what I'd hoped I kick myself in the butt and work harder.

Liesje

I don't know, I weigh myself 1-2 times a day but I am an extremely analytical person.

For people who want to lose wieght, I don't think this helps.  You (colloquial) will obvioulsy weigh more after a meal and less after you have, er, been to the toilet.  All you are seeing from MOST of your readings is your normal daily - or hourly - weight fluctuations that have nothing to do with "permanent loss".

Liesje

However, I think I'm dang good at removing all the emotional baggage that comes along with the concept of weight

I would guess you are right.  I also guess that you are unusual on this score

I know SO MANY women who diet successfully, shed the weight, feel great and are determined to stay slim and fit and healthy because they feel so much BETTER.  They say things like "this is more than a diet, it's a whole new way of life for me and I feel great so I am going to stick with it!"  This usually lasts a matter of months until the weight creeps back on and then they have to blitz it again!  Long term, I am yet to see any evidence that diets work.  Hence - I don't diet. 

I also don't buy into the whole "skinny celebs" stuff.  I don't care what celebs are doing.  They can go right on doing it, fat, thin, drugged up, knocked up, WHATEVER.  It really doesn't affect me. It just surprises me that it appears to affect so many other people! 

Liesje

overhauling my lifestyle and re-training my body about what is healthy, what it is to feel hungry or full, etc.  A year ago I FELT great and I thought I looked fine when I weighed more, but I was not healthy.  Now, my bloodwork shows I am in the optimal ranges of everything. 

Emphasis added by me

That's the bit *I* do.  I eat when I am hungry.  I have discovered that the body doesn't NEED all that much fuel to function properly. Some days it will need a little more, some days not so much.  My body knows what it needs.  I give it what it wants; I don't starve myself, I don't stuff myself and I don't make food an "issue" by denying myself foods, or counting calories or examining portion sizes.  NO WONDER diets don't normally work - people make something as simple as eating so gosh darned COMPLICATED and it is nigh on impossible to keep it up long term!

Chuffy

But you don't need scales to accomplish that - you KNOW you are unfit and/or overwieght without going near them, right? 

Any successful weight loss program that I have ever heard of has at least weekly weigh-ins.

For me, it's just not a big deal.  I weigh in twice a day.  I'm not afraid of my weight or ashamed of it, I just weigh in, mentally record the number, and that's that (and I am aware of fluctuations throughout the day and also throughout the month, part of why I DO check once or twice daily so if I were to only weigh in weekly and it was one of those weeks, I wouldn't freak out for being heavier and bloated).  I could say I don't care how I look, so having a mirror in the bathroom is pointless to, but for me it's just not true.  I like to be 18.5-19.5 BMI, and I like to look a certain way.  The BMI I like is something *I* decided, not a celebrity or my friends.  It's a BMI that I know I can be, and I know I can be healthy at.  I don't see any reason to stress over it or be ashamed to admit it.  If I have a reason to be worried about my weight not being what I want, I'll put in a few more minutes with the dogs or on the elliptical rather than fret about it.  And I don't run just to be skinny, I enjoy doing it, I feel more energized and sleep a lot better.  Unfortunately my job requires me to be sitting down, in a basement for 9 hours a day.  If I had a more physically demanding job or could stay at home and naturally do more active things, maybe I wouldn't have to run, but as it is I don't feel like exercise is a burden or something I force myself to do just to be a certain weight.

Liesje

If I had a more physically demanding job

Try electrical work. We have a mantra. Up the ladder, down the ladder, up the ladder, down the ladder, move the ladder, up the ladder, down the ladder .....

punctuated by carrying 2500 foot rolls of #12 wire up a stairwell. At least I don't have to spend money on a stairmaster.

Yes Ron, that would suffice!  When I was a student I never worked out.  I walked to and from school, work, the mall, the bank, and my grandparents house.  At work I walked miles a day, often moving and carrying computer equipment.  Now my student workers do all the grunt work and I sit in my chair and delegate, har har.  In the summer I run less because I walk the dogs daily, but in the winter walking is just plain dangerous.

 For me, I have to be careful about how much I weigh in.  I do so once a week--if I start doing it more often I'll get obcessive.

If I weigh myself every day, then I don't freak out about fluctuations and I also get to the point where I can "feel" how much I will weigh just before I step on the scale and I'm very accurate.  It gives me a better sense of where my body is.  The longer I avoid the scale, the less in touch I am.

miranadobe

If I weigh myself every day, then I don't freak out about fluctuations and I also get to the point where I can "feel" how much I will weigh just before I step on the scale and I'm very accurate.  It gives me a better sense of where my body is.  The longer I avoid the scale, the less in touch I am.

Exactly.  I even try to guess before I get on, lol.  For me it's just a part of the routine.  Brush teeth, wash face, weigh in, use toilet, contacts in/out....

Also part of it for me is that I'm trying to lose my last few pounds and it's a lot harder than losing the initial big amount or even maintaining that.  Going from 125 to 120 will be harder than going from 150 to 125.  Even pounds or half pounds make a difference.  I'm also experimenting with different speeds, resistance, lengths of time that I run.  I don't want to do extra work all week long for nothing!  For me it's more of an experiment than "OMG I weight that!" sort of thing.  But, I used to be a competitive gymnast so I'm used to constantly being "evaluated" half naked, lol.

huskymom

But how do I know that I'm losing anything if I don't have a scale?

See, this is the thing. You don't need to know you are losing anything, whatever size you are.  It's irrelevant.  You only need to know because you WANT to know.  Maybe you want to know if "it's working" or if "your are doing the right things", in which case it's only buying into the unnecessary worry about what you are eating.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have top count calories, be careful what you eat, not-consume more energy than you use, only eat at certain times etc. etc.  These are just rules that over-complicate the simple matter of eating.  Often, they cause you to THINK more about food and therefore feel hungry more often which is counter-productive!  You just need to get in tune with your body.  Guess what?  Your body knows what it's doing.  Relax.  Listen to it.  Feed it when its hungry.  Pay attention when you are eating and watch for the "I'm full" sign.  STOP.  Repeat next time you are hungry.  Surplus weight will disappear over time, whether you measure it or not. 

huskymom

Once she's lost enough so that she can get back up and start exercising, then she will likely be able to feel a difference, but for now, the scale is her only confirmation.

Nicely put - confirmation.  It's ONLY confirmation of what you hope to be happening.  Validation of your actions.  Its not necessary for the weight loss.

huskymom

Any successful weight loss program that I have ever heard of has at least weekly weigh-ins.

I don't think ANY "weight loss program" is successful long term - that is my point.  Think of the "naturally slim" people you know.  The people who seem to eat what they want and they always look in pretty good shape.  Wouldn't you rather be that person, instead of someone who weighed themselves every week and watched every morsel they put in their mouth?  My mum has been using "successful weight loss programs" for YEARS, with weekly weigh-ins.  She freely admits she has been on a diet most of her life.  She eats good food and doesn't stuff herself.  So why is she overweight?

There was an experiment done with children.  They lived in a house for 30 days where food was always on offer.  They could help themselves.  Crisps and sweets and chocolate were all within reach, as was fruit, yoghurt, cheese, sausage rolls, biscuits..... Any food you could think of.  Cooked/prepared food was served at mealtimes and the kids could have as much or as little as they wanted.  Do you know what happened?  For the first few days, all the kids ate junk food.  Burgers, chips, chocolate, cakes....  Yum!  Then after that..... the novelty wore off.  They helped themselves to the healthy food MOST of the time, with NO encouragement or prompting from adults.  They just ate what they fancied, and what they fancied was dictated by what their bodies needed.  Too young to have been "trained" into thinking about "bad food " and "good food" they literally, went with their gut - and ended up eating a good diet.. again, NO prompting from grown ups.  None of the kids got fat or developed health problems or eating disorders after the experiment. Interesting, eh?

The last time I got on a set of scales was when I was pregnant.  The doctor recorded it; I paid no attention.  It's not that I'm scared of it or ashamed or anything.  It is irrelevant to me.  I don't need to know that number.  It's not part of who I am. 

Chuffy, I think what you are saying is true for some people.  I have seen pics of you and you look thin.  So not that what you are saying doesn't count, but it's easier to think that when weight has never been a major struggle.  You sound like a pretty active person, out doing neat things with Will.  Someone like me....well I never was fat, but I do not have genetics on my side and if I had continued how I was I would have become fat.  Not to mention the nature of my job is sitting at a computer 9+ hours a day, so it's not enough to just try to be active and eat well in general.  There are a lot of health issues on both sides of my family (diabetes, heart conditions, cancers, arthritis, osteoperosis...).  I have found that in general, if I keep myself thin, indirectly my cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, HDL, etc all stay optimal without me having to pay attention to what is in the food I eat.  You are right, too many people over complicate it.  Weight is calories.  Burn more, eat less and you lose weight.  I focus on exercise and being active rather than food b/c that is fun for me; I don't diet or run numbers on carbs, fat, etc.

My sister dieted for years and her weight fluctuated up and down.  When dad died (about 3 months ago), she stopped caring about dieting or food.  Stuff was thrown into perspective for her, I think.  So she stopped dieting.  She broke all the food rules.  She didn't eat three set meals a day.  She didn't take care to eat her 5 a day.  She didn't trouble herself with breakfast if she didn't fancy it.  She didn't eat food just because it was in front of her.  If she was hungry at 10pm, she ate something.  She kinda did what those kids in the experiment did.  Just ate whatever, whenever.  Chocolate and cake were no longer "forbidden" items and as such, lost a great deal of their appeal!  She could have them whenever she wanted.... just food.  She found she was "naturally" eating a reasonable amount of fruit and vegetables, without having to think about it.  She is healthier, fitter, slimmer, and, body-wise, happier than she has been in years.  She used to watch me eat a chocolate bar and she'd say "ooo you witch!  you eat whatever you want and you still stay slim!"  Now she's foud out she is a "naturally thin" person too, and always ahs been.  She just had to stop making up rules and thinking she knew what she needed to consume better than her body did.  (Take pregnancy cravings.  Some people think that's your body telling you that you need something and to listen to it.  Why should any other craving be any different?)

My other sister and my mum continue to diet, continue to struggle with fluctuating weight and continue to expect a different outcome while repeating the same actions....  (Clinically insane!!!  )  They are the ones who are imposing rules on themselves about what to eat, how much, and when, yet despite their best efforts they are still overweight and still hungry!

When I first consciously decided to only eat when I was hungry, I found that I seemed to be hungry all the time.  I actually got fatter at first!  And then I found I was hungry less and less often and I could get by on very little food a lot of the time.  Food has little importance to me now.  Some days I "forget" to eat - this used to be an alien concept to me!  I used to eat 3 hearty meals a day PLUS snacks! 

My theory is, it's a bit like dog training.  Intermittent reinforcement is the best way to increase/solidify a behaviour, right?  You aim to be a fruit machine, not a vending machine.  If your body is only occasionally being listened to when it says "I am hungry" then it will increase the number times it sends that signal, in an attempt to get the need met.  Hence, my mum can eat the "correct" number of calories in  a day, but because she has ignored that signal at times (for example, resisting snacks in an attempt not to go over the number of calories) her body is increasing the hunger signals.  When you give the body what it wants, when you "answer" every hunger signal, the body stops frantically sending them.  It starts to only send them when it "needs" to.

It's a bit like a new baby as well.  If you pick up the baby every time he cries, then he will only cry when he really needs something, because he is confident that the cry will be responded to promptly.  Babies who are sometimes ignored because the parent is worred about "spoiling" them, increase the frequency and intensity of their cries, to increase the chance that they will be heard.

Chuffy

My theory is, it's a bit like dog training.  Intermittent reinforcement is the best way to increase/solidify a behaviour, right?  You aim to be a fruit machine, not a vending machine.  If your body is only occasionally being listened to when it says "I am hungry" then it will increase the number times it sends that signal, in an attempt to get the need met.  Hence, my mum can eat the "correct" number of calories in  a day, but because she has ignored that signal at times (for example, resisting snacks in an attempt not to go over the number of calories) her body is increasing the hunger signals.  When you give the body what it wants, when you "answer" every hunger signal, the body stops frantically sending them.  It starts to only send them when it "needs" to.

Dog training....now we're on the same page!

My problem is that my body's "hungry" signal needed the adjustment.  It sent the signal as a response to stress, not when it was truly hungry.  I've found that exercising actually makes me feel less hungry AND has reduced my stress.  So, I think your theory makes sense, but needs to take into account WHY the body is sending the hungry signal in the first place.  The hungry signal for me is just a symptom of the larger issue.  Instead of either ignoring the signal or responding to it, I needed to make the signal just plain not happen.

hmm, chuffy... i used to be like you A LOT! i NEVER used to diet, i'd eat whatever i felt like eating etc etc.... well, thing is: i have been gaining weight at an alarming rate since highschool ( i smoked back then PLUS i was very active, which now i am not). i would outgrow my bras and pants every few months!!

i know it's because i have a weird relationship to food! when i was a kid i wouldnt eat. i had no appetite... meal time was always a struggle. i use to get very small portions, but i HAD to finish them. lunch time was usually a 2 hour ordeal... my mom tried the "ignore the kid - she'll get hungry" route. well i didnt. being already skinny as heck, by the end of the day i hadnt eaten a single thing and was without energy and scared the crap out of my mom...

then when puperty hit, my appetite kicked in. my theory is, that i never learned to listen to my body or control myself. a few year ago i discovered that i STILL would frantically try to finish whats on my plate, even though i was STUFFED! i had been doing it all my life and didnt even realize it. since then, i have greatly improved about that particular issue....

still though i am rarely hungry. but i ALWAYS have cravings. i crave all kinds of stuff and i have been giving into it up to now. it hasnt gotten me anywhere... i never crave fruits.... i crave a salad maybe once or twice a month... last year it got so bad, i got sick almost every month.

i just think that not everyone can be painted with the same brush. everyone has different issues to deal with, may they be mental or hormonal, or just plain other health problems that prohibit "naturally heathy" eating habits...

i have never had a scale, since last year. to be honest i hadnt weighed myself in years. even now, my weight isnt important to me. what IS important is improvement, and if i dont see that (other than my breasts not popping out of my bra anymore ) then i have no motivation to change to a more healthy lifestyle.