8 Ways to Detect Weight Loss That Aren’t The Bathroom Scale

July 22, 2018 Ashley 0 Comments

This is it.

It’s been three weeks on your new diet and exercise plan.

And you’re finally going to mount the bathroom scale.

(“Time for my conference with the self worth barometer!”)

Maybe you see a number you like. Maybe it’s a lot less of a loss than you’d hoped for. (Especially after suffering through innumerable nights sans the comfort of cups of chocolate and peanut butter.) And then you hear it: That could be retained water. Or waste. Or there’s the consolation: “Don’t be discouraged! Muscle weighs more than fat!” And yes, muscle may be dense and keep the dents out’ve your thighs. But it’s still not good enough for us sometimes. What we want – what we need in order to keep plodding along – is some sort of measurement to let us know we’re making headway after pushing our butts so hard.

Well, lucky for you, I’ve got 8.

8 thinstruments to detect that you’re shedding pounds:

1. Tape measure

This one’s classic. It’s so vintage, we forget it exists; but it works beautifully. Just pull out a tape measure, and wrap it around all the major spots that generally expand when your diet does (and your gym visits don’t). Note the numbers, and check again in a week. When you begin fitting in a smaller loop, then guess what? You’re losing weight!

2. Old clothes

The issue with the tape measure is always: Did I do it right? Did I measure in exactly the same landmarks? There’s an easy fix for that. You remember how easy it was to climb in ‘n out of those Rockstar jeans that fit you fine two summers ago. Or how they felt when you were at your most slender. So, save those bad boys as a sartorial body ruler . Are ya spilling out of them? Or slipping in with more ease than last week?

3. Photos

Before and after pics might be the best way to compare and contrast where you are as you downsize. Pose protip: strike the same stance for both snaps so you can get an honest assessment of where you’re at. It ain’t gotta be super cute. This isn’t Insta bound. (I mean, unless you’re THAT proud of the results; then, you do you, boo.) Really, though, this is just for you to see where you are ATM.

4. Blubber rub reductions

When I gained a few pounds during school, I could feel it. And one of the places I could feel it was in my thighs.

Now, I’m not here to knock a lack of thigh gap if your pins’ insides have never seen daylight.

What I am saying, however, is that it’s one of the first places we can feel the friction increasing.

The good news? We can use that as a weight loss monitor as that rubbing begins to decrease.

5. Relaxation levels

In a previous article, I mentioned how weight gain can become this cortisol carousel ride of fat increase. We inadvertently suck in, which makes us tense. (Driving up fat inducing cortisol.) Bigger bellies put pressure on and discourage the diaphragm from letting us breathe with ease. (Worsening that stress.) Once we begin to lose weight, however, these symptoms may start to disappear. Look for that as your fat banishing validation.

6. Sweatiness

I always note an inverse correlation between my aesthetic hotness and temp hotness. The fatter I get, the more I sweat. Ever notice this? Especially when I’m running around work, during summer. I hear it from a lot of friends too. Granted, at the gym, we’re still gonna make that meat suit we’re moving rain. But if you’re pouring from just performing light chores, watch for that to decrease a month or two into your new lifestyle. (Unless you’re menopausal. Or your A/C’s broken AF like mine is.)

7. Comments

I’m not one for relying on external validation. Not for defining self worth, at least. So let’s first differentiate between that versus making use of an unexpected but fortunate tool. See, if you’ve got an honest squad who, unprompted, asks if you’ve lost weight, that’s your first sign. (Esp if they dunno you’re trying to lose weight.) Then, if other people, unrelated to your pals, randomly ask the same, guess what? The answer’s likely yes.

8. Hunger

As I began to eat healthier and lose my school weight, it didn’t take long before I noticed something. I was jonesin’ for the recreational snacks that I don’t need but eat anyway a lot less. I wasn’t as hungry. What’s more, I wasn’t even eating as much when it was time to dine. My stomach had shrunk along with the rest of my body, so there wasn’t as much space to shove any more stress munched morsels into. Deferring seconds and ending a meal without Cascade-level cleaning my plate was a new and welcome change to witness. More self affirming than any number of pounds could offer.

So, next time your scale’s throwing shade, throw out your scale.

And let these determinants weigh in instead.