Five Ways to Measure Weight Loss

THE SCALE

If you are like me, you weigh in weekly if not more. Weigh-in day is a ritual. The same clothing if you weigh in at a meeting, or if you weigh in at home, you may be in your birthday suit. I personally, am in my birthday suit and weigh in right before showering.You get on the scale knowing that this is going to predict how your day will be. It says……the same as last week, or worse, a gain. Your mood goes downhill fast. You second-guess every morsel you put in your mouth. What did I do wrong? I tracked every day. I exercised daily. I don’t understand. I am a failure. Does that sound familiar? Read on.Later in the week, you are out shopping and you find a good sale on jeans. You decide to try on jeans for the heck of it. Let’s see how much of a failure I am at my weight loss goals. In the past, you wore a size 20 or 22 but have recently fit into some 16’s or 18s depending on the jeans. You try on size 16, they fit perfectly, even a little baggy. You decide to try on 14s to see how close to fitting they are. This will help you to decide whether to buy the 16s or wait. OMG! I don’t believe it! The 14’s fit perfectly. Granted they are stretch jeans but still, they fit! You try to remember when the last time was that you wore that size and can’t remember! Score!Does this sound familiar? If so, remember there are more ways to determine weight loss than the scale.

THE FIT OF CLOTHING.

The scale does not tell you what size of clothing you will wear. When you lose weight, every person is different. Some lose in the top right away. Others lose in the hips and thighs but can’t get rid of the belly. Personally, all my weight gain goes to my belly and butt. I have always had thin arms and thighs, but my waist, belly, and butt get bigger immediately. I find that smaller clothing sizes mean more to me than the scale.

TAKING MEASUREMENTS

Some find that measuring the number of inches they have lost means a great deal to them. Take measurements at the beginning of your weight loss, and each month after. This will show you how many inches you have lost regardless of the number on the scale.

HEALTH

Many start a weight loss program because they are tired of the number of medications that they take daily. Unfortunately, a higher weight can mean heart issues, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and more. Losing 10% of your weight can mean a great reduction or even an elimination of medication.

ACTIVITY

How many of you simply walk up a flight of stairs and are out of breath? How about trying to lug a laundry basket up a flight of stairs? Out of breath? Me too. Before starting my weight loss, simply walking upstairs would leave me out of breath. Dragging a laundry basket would leave me feeling like I was dying. I would need to lie down before sorting my laundry. As I lost weight, I realized that I could go upstairs for something and not feel like I am dying.New to being active? Don’t worry, even small steps count. When going to work, park farther away, or better yet, walk to work if it is possible. Walk up a flight of stairs rather than take the stairs. At work, I know I am not as active as I would like to be, so I make a point of getting up and walking up and down the hall for a few minutes every hour. Take a walk at lunchtime.No matter what, don’t give up! You can do this!! Happy Tracking!