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4 Ways to See Your Weight Loss Progress in Places Other Than the Bathroom Scale
By: Scottsdale Weight Loss Center
Published: February 11, 2019
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You have been working out, eating healthy and doing everything right for two weeks. Yet, with all these great choices, you don’t see much change when you step on the bathroom scale. You lost a pound the first week and gained a pound the next. Does this mean that your newfound routine is not working? On the contrary, it only means that advancement in these things tends to add up slowly. Luckily, there is lots of change that you can see if you look in other ways.
When you do physical work, it seems easier
If climbing up a long flight of stairs was always something you dreaded, you might find that after a couple of weeks of workouts and healthy eating plans, you no longer fear it. If exercise no longer leaves you as out of breath as before, it’s a sign that your heart is stronger than before.
Your newfound strength may also show you it’s time to upgrade your fitness plans and work out a little bit harder to stretch yourself. The body has an amazing ability to become efficient with energy expenditure. The more you work out, the better your body becomes at it. When you feel less winded after a workout or physical stress, it’s a sign of greater efficiency and progress made. It’s progress that doesn’t show on a scale.
Your clothes don’t fit as correctly as before
When your body-hugging dresses no longer stay with the lines of your body, when there’s a little bit of room around the waistbands of your jeans, you know that you’re winning a struggle that doesn’t adequately show on the scale.
These little victories may not be easy to measure, but you could try. Try measuring your waistline once a week with an inch tape. You only need to wrap it around your waist just above your navel. You may find that your waistline shrinks by a tenth of an inch once every few days.
There’s a reason why these areas of progress do not reflect on the scale; it’s because weight lost in fat is usually replaced by muscle, which weighs more than fat. For this reason, even as your body gains a healthier shape, you don’t see it on the scale.
You’re beginning to notice muscle definition
Six-pack abs and healthy looking biceps may take time. What you can have after a couple of weeks of workouts is better definition. It’s easy to begin to notice the difference. Flex your biceps, tighten your abdomen, and take selfies close up once a week. While you may not be able to see much difference simply standing in front of the mirror, these up-close selfies will reveal subtle changes in muscle definition. Then, you’ll have proof that your body is getting better.
You’re in a better mood than you ever were
Working out and getting on a healthy diet, you may only think of your body, but these new habits can have a profound effect on your mind, as well. Think about how you sleep better after two weeks of taking better care of your health. Do you feel more confident as well? These are quick indicators that your new life is working. It’s simply that when you get into better, healthier choices, your mind gains a more positive view of life and the world. With the release of endorphins that exercise comes with, you even manage to fight stress and depression.
It’s important to remember that working out properly and eating well only helps you lose about a pound a week. It does add up to 50 pounds a year on average. You simply don’t see it week-to-week when you get in front of the mirror or step on the scale.
Nick
Nick's Story
"I wish I would have come here first. We spend all our time reacting to the next great weight loss tip or program. It might work for a while, but does not last and we end up yo-yoing from one fad to the next – as we gain more weight." Read More
Gina
Lost 44.5 lbs
"I had no trouble adhering to the meals and they really helped catapult my progress! The classes were so beneficial to me because they helped change my thinking about how I viewed health, nutrition, and fitness.
I will always have my relationship with Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. They truly helped me change my life forever." Read More
Lauren
Lost 60 lbs
"Dr. Ziltzer and everyone who I have come in contact with at the Scottsdale Weight Loss office have been so encouraging and I look forward to seeing them each week. It is now a year and 2 months later since I started. I am down 60 lbs., which is the average amount a 9-year-old weighs, it is crazy to think I lost a whole person! I feel amazing, I hit my goal weight in November 2021 just before Thanksgiving. Nothing on my body hurts anymore..." Read More
Chuck
Lost 66 lbs
"The best thing I did was call the Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. I have a lot more energy, I'm not hungry, and it feels great.
You can take it from me that this is a program that produces results. The staff is always positive, supportive, and never judgmental.
Your visits always result in positive reinforcement, no matter if you had a good week or a bad week." Read More
Emily
Lost 101 lbs
"Here I am at the lowest I have been since high school weighing in at 155lbs. I have lost 101 lbs, BMI of 39 when I started, to 21.6, and of course at body fat % of 47.1 to 26.5%. I told myself by my 30th birthday I wanted to be confident in the way I look and I owe it all to SWLC. The entire staff is so welcoming and they are rooting for you just as much as you are rooting for yourself...." Read More
Reviews
Meet Our Team
Robert Ziltzer, MD, FACP, FAAP, FOMA
Obesity Medicine Certified Physician
Diana Bone, FNP-C
Specializing in Obesity Medicine
Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, MFOMA
Obesity Medicine Certified Physician
Kristen Ash, FNP-C, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Alicia Earley, FNP-C
Family Nurse Practitioner
