I totally understand your sentiments. However, I finally decided to weigh myself every single day if possible, and through doing that for several months I've desensitized myself to the fluctuations that used to send me over the bend. I now view the scale results as **one** form of feedback among many, and if you track weight daily, for example, and chart it, you will see the downward trend over time rather than fluctuations. You can't see weight loss OR gain from day to day. But you CAN see water gain/loss daily.

Case in point: I've been hovering around 148 for a few days. Yesterday I had a mega gym session, doing 40 min. of cardio and a 45 minute intensive weight workout. Today I woke up at 151.4 (up 3.4 lbs) even though yesterday was a perfect Atkins induction day in terms of eating. I know there is zero possibility I gained true fat weight, so I know this is water retention weight without a doubt...probably due to the weight workout more than anything....in a weight workout out you create tiny tears in your muscles, the repair process begins, and that involves the muscles puffing up and holding more water temporarily. I didn't gain 3 lbs. because I didn't eat 10,500 calories too many yesterday!!!

I watch the scales to evaluate the effects of what I eat and what I do and above all I look at the trends. I never look at a single big movement upwards as weight gain because that just doesn't happen. And realize that your body CANNOT stay at a single weight endlessly, all sorts of things affect your daily weight. I've found it interesting to observe the normal fluctuations that occur from day to day. These fluctuations have always been happening....when we aren't on a weight loss plan and don't step on the scales for months at a time, these types of fluctuations are occuring all the time and we just don't realize it. Your weight can even vary by a couple of pounds across the space of one day! The human body has a huge % of water (something like 60-70%) and all sorts of things affect that balance and percent: weather, amount we drink, amount of water in our foods, salt intake, exercise effects, etc.

Don't let the scales get to you! It's just useful feedback, but it's not the main one, actually.