weightloss

I was so confident. I had drunk nothing but water for 6 weeks, I had done an exercise of some sort every single day, and I have tried to control my portions at meal times. I was going to step on that scale and see a big difference. My weight loss journey was finally going to show some results. 

I was ready. 

I was wrong.

I had actually gained 2 pounds. Luckily my grandmother was there to give me a tin of cookies to make me feel better – I never did eat them. – But when I sadly returned home my husband, so kindly, reminded me that muscle weighs more than fat. 

Even though I was losing fat, I was gaining muscle,  specifically in my legs -thank you squats. – This is when I decided to take a different tactic when it came to measuring my weight loss.

Throw Away The Scale

Not literally, unless you are comfortable with that, but at least stop being chained to it. The scale is one thing. Your weight; and while that is a part of being healthy it is not alone in. 

Your weight fluctuates day by day, and even hour by hour. If you don’t weigh yourself under the exact same circumstances every day there is no real way to guarantee accurate results. 

If you must keep weighing yourself, try to do it once a week at most. 

Take Measurements

While this is something best done by a second person, to get the most accurate results possible, they are a great way to put a number on weight – fat – loss.

These numbers also can very be based on different circumstances, so try to make sure you.

1. Measure in the same place
2. Do it at the same time of day – preferably first thing in the morning, before any potential bloating sets in.
3. Don’t measure after a workout, when your muscles can be a bit swollen. 

Benchmark Outfit

You always see the weight loss commercials where someone is standing on one leg of the pants they used to use. This is very similar. 

Pick an outfit that you started out in. Keep trying it on and watch it get looser and looser. Any time you feel like you’re not seeing results, try it on and see if you can see a difference. You may not be standing in one leg like those viral images, but you can probably notice a losser fit.

Goal Outfit

That outfit you’ve always wanted to wear, buy it. Keep looking at it as motivation. With some hard work and dedication, you will be able to rock it in no time. Then it won’t matter what the scale says.

Feel It

This is my biggest and most important note – one I would do well to remember – instead of focusing on what the scale says, or what the tape measure says to think about how you feel. Even the little things. Maybe you’re a little less tired then you used to be. Maybe you can walk up a flight of stairs easier than you used to be able to. I promise there is something, some non-scale-victory somewhere. a win is a win, and those my friends are definitely wins. 

Scales are probably going to disappoint you more than encourage you. Weight loss is not a straight downward line on the graph. It moves up and down and laterally at times. Add to this that your ideal body weight may not be your ideal body shape. 160 lbs of fat will look very different than 160 lbs of muscle. Your height, your shape, and your muscle will play such important roles in your weight, more so than any number on the scale.