On Thursday, May 31st, I bought a new scale and weighed myself. The reading: 269.5. I relcalibrated it and weighed myself two more times with the same result. That same night, I began an intensive exercise program and cut back on all soft drinks and most fast food. Over the next six months, I watch my weight fall an average of 8.5 pounds per month. On Friday October 19th, I weighed myself again. The result: 218.0. WOW! I’d lost 51.5 pounds!!

Or so I thought….

Back on May 2nd, I went in to see the doctor about another flare up of my acute insomnia. As a normal part of the check-in process, I was weighed but I knew I was the heaviest in my life so didn’t even look at the scale. I went back in today (for the insomnia again) and was weighed. Though I knew I’d gained about 1 1/2 pounds in the past couple of weeks, I was anxious to see how much I’d blew the old reading out of the water. The numbers showed 228.9. Hmm, about 5 pounds more than I expected but I still must have crushed it. I asked the nurse what I weighed the first time I came in. She said 218.2. Surely she was mistaken. I asked to see the chart. I told her their must be some error, the first reading was wrong. She checked and said no, that the scale they use is extremely accurate and is re-calibrated every single morning. She casually said that I’d gained 11.7 pounds in the past 6 months. I sank in my chair.

In the past 6 months, I’d averaged 1,038 miles on the bike per month (approximately 280,000 calories alone), walked several hundred miles with Amy and the dogs, cut out all soda, watched what I ate and GAINED 11.7 pounds. IN THE SUMMER. Before starting to exercise, I was working on the road, completely sedentary and eating fast food for every meal.

Amy thought that there must have been some mistake. Either their scale was wrong the first time or it was today. I called their office back and was assured by a different person that the scale is in fact calibrated every day and that it was a $8,000 scale and extremely accurate. How is that possible? How could I have gained all that weight with all that activity? Was the (rather expensive) $130 scale I purchased in May lying to me the whole time? I don’t know what it is but it has certainly destroyed my motivation.

I guess I’ll have to double everything. A 2 hour ride on the trainer will now have to be a 4 hour ride and 4 days off a month becomes 2. I’ll also have to pick up running. Crap.