Hi Dr. Mike,

I just don't get it, so I need your help. I am up 2 pounds this week and my waist went down another 1/2 inch (total: 156 pounds, 29" waist).

The only way I can explain this one is this way -- please tell me if I am right:  Am I gaining muscle, hence the increase in weight and decrease in waist? 

Please help, Dr. Mike -- what else can I do to see the scale mimic gravity? I need the number to drop down!

Caroline

Dr. Roizen says:

Are you WEIGHTing for your weight and waist to decrease at a synchronized pace?  Rather than swimming toward a very distant shore, celebrate the small victories as they come, because the 1/2 inch gone doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be dropping pounds, and that’s OK.

While a few too many cookies can send the scale for a ride, it takes time for inches to build around the waist. That means that the pounds won’t shed at the same speed as the inches, either. Although watching your weight is undeniably important, pounds don’t come only in the form of fat. The new YOU may be slim, trim, and loaded with muscle, which could be the reason that your scale isn’t agreeing with your mirror.

Don’t get discouraged! If your waist is on its way downhill and your pants are bagging at the knees, you can attribute the added pounds to the strength you’ve built since beginning the YOU Diet. How you feel is far more important than what you weigh, so muster up that patience and watch your beautiful body make heads turn once again.

Believe it or not, if you compare their weights to their heights, both Michael Jordan and LeBron James were/are technically overweight at the middle of their play-off runs. And I’d bet that most people would agree that those two top athletes are in pretty good shape. Some have said that MJ is getting a little extra around the middle, although I’d never tell him face to face (or in my case, face to waist). So don’t beat yourself up over a few pounds; smile at your waist loss, embrace your newfound energy, and just wait for your weight to fall into place.

Congratulations to Caroline on yet another 1/2 inch lost. Although she’s up 2 pounds this week, she is now down to a 29-inch waist for the first time since age 29, which is more than enough reason to celebrate. 

To Suzanne, who’s up only 2 pounds and 1/2 inch after 3 weeks away (as opposed to her usual 5 pounds): Keep working at it! If you stay ultradisciplined for the next few weeks, you’ll be ready to pick up where you left off in no time. Good luck!

Remember that the goal is to make YOU the healthiest you can be, so measure your success by the number of days you look and feel great!  Watch out -- I’d bet they’re more frequent than you think.