More Than A Scale

So many of us on our journey get caught up in the numbers on the scale. Weighing yourself often, or at the wrong times, can really take a toll on your mental state, and can even lead to becoming an addiction. If you’re not seeing progress on the scale, transition yourself away and look for other non-scale victories that are just as important.

1. Clothes Fitting Better

Although the scale may not move, you may start to carry your weight differently, as inches have changed. Pay attention to how your clothes are fitting. An old shirt may fit more loosely or you may have to start tightening your belt. This is often the first thing people notice when losing weight. Why? You could be gaining muscle, but losing fat.

2. More Energy

When you begin fueling your body with the nutrients it needs (instead of those it craves), you will find that you have more energy. When you eat poorly, you may get short spurts of energy from sugar or caffeine, but quickly find yourself tired again. Exercising also releases endorphins, giving you more energy throughout the day. This is why many people prefer to workout in the morning, or why they may feel sluggish when they don’t.

3. Sleeping Better

Exercising tends to make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Not sleeping well can slow down your progress. Sleep is crucial to muscle recovery. Sleeping poorly can cause a vicious cycle of not being able to get the most out of your workouts, craving bad foods, and not being able to recover completely.

4. Bad Habits Decreasing

When you start exercising, eating right, and seeing progress, it fuels more motivation to do better outside of the gym. Are you craving less sugar? Consuming less soda? Drinking less alcohol? All of these are signs of progress that you should celebrate.

5. Medical Changes

Often, one of the most rewarding successes relate to medications or test results. When you begin living a healthy lifestyle, you may find that you are able to stop taking blood pressure medication completely. Blood work that may have been out of a normal range may now be in a normal range. For those struggling with medical issues, this can mean more than seeing the scale move.

Remember, the scale is not the only indicator that you are making progress!