Why I took my scale on vacation

When I left for vacation two weeks ago, there was no question in my mind about taking my scale with me. I've weighed almost every day since January, sometimes more than once a day. I know that's against the rules. Everyone says you shouldn't weigh more than once a week. I don't care. It works for me. Plus, if I go up a pound, I don't get all crazy and stop eating or anything like that. I just make sure I'm really careful about what I eat and counting every point for a couple of days. My brain responds to reason and it's reasonable to expect that my weight will fluctuate from day to day. But the constant weighing in does keep me on track and it keeps me from being surprised when I officially weigh-in on Fridays. I don't like surprises.

So I went on vacation expecting to gain weight. I figured I could live with up to three pounds. While I was there, it was hard to except seeing a higher number (sometimes as much as 5 pounds higher). And it seemed like the number was getting bigger every day. I did eat and drink a lot more than normal. And some of it definitely wasn't good for me, including alcohol, creamed chipped beef, french fries and fried crab cakes. It tasted so good and I was on vacation. But the truth is that I ate just as many good foods, including fruit, salads, grilled chicken and turkey. When it was all said and done, I went over my daily Weight Watchers points allotment every day and I used my weekly points (and then some). But I also used a lot more energy than normal by climbing up and down stairs at the dock and walking around the town.

It was worth it, especailly now that I've been back home a few days. The scale, for once, is being kind. It actually says I've lost weight since the last official weigh-in two weeks ago. Now, who knows what the scale will say tomorrow morning when I actually weigh-in. But I'm pretty sure it won't say that I've gained weight. That's why I took the scale on vacation. I splurged plenty, but I needed those constant weigh-ins to help me make smart choices at least part of the time.