Have you ever been on a diet and agonized over how slowly the numbers on the scale seemed to be going down?
Even when you worked really hard on improving your eating habits and worked out religiously each day, you may have experienced a flash of disappointment when the scale showed only a 1 pound loss (or worse, none at all).
It happens to almost everyone at some time or another, and can leave you extremely frustrated with slow weight loss.
What you may not realize is that the numbers on the scale do not tell the whole story!
Many of us use those magic numbers to let us know if our hard work is paying off or not, but there are many other ways to see our progress more clearly.
1) Your friend, the measuring tape.
One of the most inspiring ways to measure weight loss is with the use of a flexible fabric measuring tape (available in most fabric shops and craft stores).
Before you start your weight loss plan (or as soon as possible if you have already started), use one of these measuring tapes to measure around key parts of your body and jot down their size:
– Upper arms
– Bust (chest for men)
– Waist
– Hips
– Thighs
– Calves
– You can also measure your neck, ankles, and wrists
After a few weeks on your plan, if the scale shows disappointing progress, whip out your measuring tape and measure all of these areas again – most often you will have lost an impressive amount of inches overall.
This is partly due to water weight loss, but if you are also working out regularly, you will be burning fat and building lean muscle (which weighs more than fat, but it takes up less space).
The result: modest progress on the scale, but impressive progress losing inches!
2) Happier joints, clearer thoughts, and other signs.
Eating better quality foods, drinking more water, and exercising regularly also creates some welcome changes beyond weight loss.
For one thing, you may notice after just a few weeks that your joints don’t ache as much as they used to. You may enjoy greater flexibility and stamina, even if you haven’t made much progress on the scale yet.
You may enjoy greater concentration, clearer thinking, and decreased episodes of moodiness (including PMS-induced mood swings for women).
All of these subtle changes may not seem like much, but they are clear indicators that your body is shedding the negative effects of a poor diet and shifting into a healthier state of being.
3) The radiant glow from within.
Another clear sign of improving health is a radiant glow that starts to shine from within.
You may feel much happier emotionally, which can provide a special kind of glow, but other contributors are increased energy, along with healthier skin, teeth, hair and nails.
These are all great “clues” that indicate your progress on improving your health and well-being – and weight loss will be a part of it too, even if it takes a little time to really get moving.