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.