Alright, let’s talk about this ‘hw’ thing in weight loss. I kept bumping into the term, mostly online in forums and chats, people mentioning their ‘HW’. Took me a bit to figure out they meant ‘Highest Weight’. And honestly? My first reaction wasn’t great.
Facing the Past Weight
Thinking about my highest weight ever… well, it wasn’t exactly a happy memory. It felt kinda heavy, like digging up something I’d rather forget. Why focus on the biggest I’d ever been when I was trying to move away from that? Seemed counterintuitive, maybe even a bit depressing.
Getting Started with Acknowledging HW
Despite my hesitation, curiosity won. I decided, okay, let’s just figure out what that number actually was. It wasn’t easy. I didn’t have it written down neatly somewhere. It involved:
- Thinking back to specific times in my life.
- Trying to remember doctor’s visits (they always weigh you, right?).
- Maybe looking at old photos, though those don’t give exact numbers.
Eventually, I landed on a number. My best guess for my personal HW. I wrote it down. Just putting it on paper felt… weird. Like making it real again. Didn’t feel great, but I’d started.
How It Played Out Day-to-Day
So, I had this number. Now what? I didn’t tattoo it on my forehead or anything. It just sort of sat in the back of my mind, and sometimes I’d jot it down in my tracking journal next to my starting weight (SW) for my current effort, and my goal weight (GW).
Here’s what happened:
Perspective Shifts: On days when the scale barely moved, or even went up a tiny bit (you know how frustrating that is!), looking back at my HW was surprisingly… grounding? It reminded me that even if today wasn’t a big win, I was still miles away from where I used to be. It showed the overall journey, not just the tiny steps right in front of me.
Motivation, Sometimes: Seeing the difference between my HW and my current weight could be really motivating. Like, “Wow, look how far I’ve actually come!” It made the effort feel more substantial.
The Downside: Other times, especially during a plateau, glancing at the HW felt daunting. It was a reminder of how much effort it took to get away from it, and how easily things could slip back if I wasn’t careful. It wasn’t always a positive push.
What I Realized About Using HW
Over time, I stopped seeing the HW as this big scary monster number. It became more like a landmark on a map. It wasn’t the destination, obviously, but it marked a significant point in my personal history. It wasn’t about shame anymore.
It helped me understand my own patterns better. It framed my current efforts not just as ‘losing X pounds’ but as ‘moving further away from a point I don’t want to return to’. It added context.
Did knowing my HW magically make weight loss easier? Nope. Still had to do the work – watching what I ate, trying to move more. All the usual stuff. But it did change my mindset a bit.
Wrapping Up My Experience
So, that’s my journey with the whole ‘hw meaning weight loss’ thing. Acknowledging my highest weight wasn’t the most comfortable step, but it turned out to be a surprisingly useful reference point. It didn’t fix everything, but it definitely added a layer of perspective to the whole process. It helped me appreciate the progress, even the slow progress, a little bit more by showing me the bigger picture of how far I’d traveled.
