8 Subtle Signs you are Actually Losing Weight.
Humans are inherently motivated by progress. Each step forward gives us a little burst of dopamine and motivation to continue the next. Unfortunately, when we are undertaking a weight loss journey it can be difficult to gauge accurately our progress; at least day to day. Sometimes, at the end of a long week, you can’t see any difference and the question of “is it really worth it?” continues to nag at your psyche…
The reasons for this are two fold:
- Fat loss is slow. It takes time to breakdown and remove fat. Over a week, you may only loose a couple of hundred grams, at best! This, distributed over your entire body might leave you feeling like nothing has happened.
- Water retention. Humans retain water under the skin, in the muscles and in other tissues. Water retention under the skin can leave you heavier than you were a day ago, even though you might be carrying less fat. Any added bloating will compound this problem also, as you might actually look fatter… So if you have a big meal, and wake up 1 or 2 kilograms heavier, it is likely water weight and not extra fat. Furthermore, women, (and this is mostly due to hormonal cycles) tend to have greater fluctuations in water weight; as much as 3–5 kilograms.
Okay, so back to the topic at hand. With all of this, if you have committed to a weight loss journey and the scale isn’t moving as fast as you might like, how on earth might you be able to judge, if you are losing weight?
1. Your face looks slimmer / people make comments about it:
When we lose weight, the first place it will often come off is our face. If your cheek bones are more prominent, or people are making comment, it’s likely you are a bit lighter;
2. Despite daily fluctuations in the scale, there is a general trend towards loss:
Day to day we might be up or down on the scale. This is usually due to water retention. If you’re weighing yourself daily and you see a general trend down; over say 1 or 2 weeks, you are probably on the right track;
3. You begin to see you hip bones:
Another area where fat loss if often noticeable. If your hip bones are appearing, or becoming more lean, you’re on a winner;
4. Veins appear in your arms or near your ankles:
Same with above. To see veins we need to be quite lean. If they are becoming more prominent, it’s working!
5. Your belt is a notch tighter:
An extra notch (in the right direction) on the belt means a smaller waist. Even if you can’t see the difference (aesthetically that is);
6. You have more energy throughout the day:
One that is more reflective of a healthy person than simply weight loss. But if you have more energy during the day you are likely eating and exercising properly;
7. You sleep better:
Another item that reflects general health, and some visceral fat depositions. Better sleep can be an indicator that fat deposits (particularly those around the neck) are declining; and
8. You go to the toilet, a lot!
Assuming you don’t have diabetes, fat loss and water weight loss can up the amount you head to the bathroom quite significantly.
Finally, assuming you are medically clear, you might just need to trust that your diet / program is working. Taking a weekly progress photo; using the same lighting, time of day etc., is a great way to measure progress. You will falter, you will find it tough, you will question whether it is worth it. Just remember the “pain of discipline is always less than the pain of regret”. It can be hard to tell day to day, it’s a long term process, and long term processes are not rapid. Trust what you’re doing, keep at it, and you will have success.
Thank you for reading, I hope this has been of some help.
Hugh
