12 Non-Scale Weight loss Victories

I’ve been working my way to onederland for as long as I can remember. What is onederland you ask? It’s when the scale drops below 200 pounds. Why does that number matter? It really shouldn’t, but we all rely on the scale to gauge our success, me included. There’s been so many times when the scale hasn’t budged and I’ve felt completely deflated. I’ve done everything I was suppose to and yet nothing, not an ounce. It’s frustrating, right? Have you been there?

I started thinking about this when I weighed in on Monday. I joined a weight loss challenge the second week of January. There’s about 50 members. We each paid a small fee to join and weigh in weekly. The community is fantastic, very supportive and not afraid to share personal successes and disappointments. It’s refreshing to hear everyone’s story and sometimes their struggles. Losing weight is hard. One of the members had mentioned that they were a little disappointed in this week’s weight loss. They expected to see a higher number and it got me thinking. What are some non-scale ways to measure our weight loss successes? I’ve compiled a list of 12 ways we can measure success without the scale.

Non-Scale Weight Loss Victories

Clothes

The scale may not budge, but your clothes might. How your clothes fit is a great way to track weight loss or lost inches in this case. A huge non-scale victory. Have you tried on your favourite pair of jeans, the ones that are a bit snug? You might be surprised to find those cute pants are a little on the loose side now. I have a polka dot sweater that I wore the weekend we went away for our wedding. It’s snug right now. I’m probably about 30 pounds away from it being comfortable but I try it on every now and then and I’m reminded of how far I’ve come.

Compliments

It’s a big boost to your self-confidence when you get that first compliment. Family and friends will start noticing changes in your body and will tell you how great you’re looking. Take those kudos as a sign that your hard work is now visible to others.

Mirror

Do you look at yourself in the mirror? I mean, really look at yourself? I know I don’t. I’ll do the quick glance, but I don’t study my body, by any means. I’m not avoiding it, I just don’t take the time. However, we all need to take a minute and admire our bodies. This is a great way to visually spot the changes our bodies are making.

Cravings

When you’re eating healthier, you start to crave healthier foods. Have you noticed fruit tastes like dessert all of a sudden and you no longer want that Big Mac from McDonald’s daily. Your body will start to steer you towards better choices. You may even find you don’t mind prepping healthier meals.

Skin

Is your skin glowing? All that extra water you’re drinking seems to really boost your skin’s radiance. How your skin looks on the outside could be a direct reflection of what you’re putting into it.

Wrinkles

Ok, I know for some this may be a negative. For me though, I absolutely love when I start seeing laugh lines show up around the corners of my mouth. This is a telltale sign for me that I’ve lost weight. I’m one of those unfortunate people who carries extra weight in their face. The upside, when I start to lose, I notice these changes quickly.

Sleep

Sleep, it’s essential. After losing a little weight you might notice you’re not snoring as much or your partner appreciates the decrease in volume. I know when I’m carrying extra weight, my husband complains of my freight train sized snore, but when I’m lighter, he says I purr. A non-scale victory in my husband’s eyes. ha!

Rings

Rings are hidden gems when it comes to non-scale signs of weight loss. When you start to lose weight your ring may start to spin. They may become downright loose. A ring that’s been impossible to remove, might slip off easily all of a sudden. Just keep an eye on your rings, you may need to get them resized.

Energy

Taking off a few pounds will leave you with more energy. Your body isn’t carrying around the extra weight and you’ll likely start to feel like you can do more. I know for me, my toddler and I play a lot more when I’ve dropped a couple pounds. The house is cleaner and I’m not nearly as tired at the end of the day. I’ve even been known to spontaneously burst into song and dance after dropping a few pounds.

Strength

Another non-scale victory is in your strength. Can you lift heavier weights?Do you find yourself rearranging the furniture by yourself. Projects that you used to need an extra pair of hands to do, you find yourself tackling on your own. An increase in strength is a great way to monitor your non-scale victories.

Endurance

When I start out exercising I don’t have much endurance at all. I rarely get through a 20 minute workout video without stopping for some sort of break. I don’t have the endurance to complete a full video. The more I exercise the longer I can go. This is a big score for me. The scale may be stuck but I know when I can exercise a little longer without getting winded, I’m on the track to success.

Sex

Here’s a fun one. Let’s get real honest here, sex is much more enjoyable after you shed a few pounds. Remember you’re sleeping better now, so you have extra energy. You’re stamina is on the rise and all of a sudden your a bit more flexible. It’s the perfect formula for some really great sex and a great non-scale weight loss victory.

As you can see, there’s plenty of ways to measure weight loss success without using the scale. The next time the scale deceives your hard work, I hope you’ll remember there’s plenty of ways to gauge your progress that doesn’t depend on that number. How do you measure your weight loss without the scale?