Weight loss is incredibly frustrating. Some of us are just more prone to gaining weight than others. There are women who can pop out three kids, eat whatever they want, and still look like bombshells. Then there is me. I so much as look at a nut and my Polish body swells.

The reality is that, while it is more difficult for me to achieve and maintain a healthy weight than some other women, I do respond to diet and exercise. I have proven to myself that consistent exercise, especially mountain biking, will peel the pounds off no matter what I eat or drink. I am working to achieve that, once again.

I have been following the Weight Watchers POINTS plan to the letter since last Sunday. That makes today day nine. I have been doing very well. I’ve been using my Flex POINTS when I go over my allotted POINTS for the day, and I’ve been training, so I get to eat my Activity POINTS.

How It Works

At Di’s current weight, Di gets 26 POINTS to spend on food each day. On top of those points, Di gets 35 Flex POINTS for the week to distribute as she feels necessary. If Di wants to eat 29 POINTS, she can allot three of those Flex POINTS to that worthy cause. If Di wants to horde all of her Flex POINTS for a Dominos pizza and sweet, sweet microbrew on Saturday, Di can do that, too. Di also earns activity points when she exercises. Moderate-intensity bicycling for two-and-a-half hours converts to nine additional points that Di can spend on food.

The Evil, Evil Scale

This morning, I stepped on the scale to find that I weigh just as much as I did nine days ago. This doesn’t really surprise me, because I know better, but it really doesn’t do much for my self esteem or my motivation to progress further on this plan. Fortunately, for me, I decided to take waist and hip measurements, yesterday.

Why?

Because I know the scale is the weight-loss enemy when training. Yup. You heard me right. I am training. I am working on becoming a faster, stronger rider because I want to regain my podium status in races. Call it an ego thang.

Yesterday’s 30-mile ride greatly affects today’s weight…as in gain. A hard effort followed by proper refueling leads to water retention and the good kind of weight gain. This weight gain is temporary, however. (See Weight Gain after a Workout.)

While I will continue to check the scale for progress, because that is what I have been conditioned to do, I will compare my physical measurements to gauge my true progress. I know the first week was successful because I had gotten too fat for the “fat pants” I bought a couple of months ago, and now they are much more comfortable, again.

The great weight escape continues…