Measuring Success

When people find out you're losing weight, the first thing they tend to ask is "How much weight have you lost so far?"

When you first start losing weight, this can be an exciting question to be able to answer. Feeling proud of the fact you've lost 10 pounds in a month or so, you're more than happy to tell people. But then the weight loss slows, and you might start thinking "Why am I only losing one pound a month?"

No, I'm not going to preach about hitting a plateau (yet), I'm going to talk about different ways to measure your weight loss success so that way you still feel confident along every step, even if the scale isn't showing it.

First thing's first- Pick a set day and time in the week and weigh yourself then and only then. The reason you don't want to hop on the scale every day is because your body weight tends to fluctuate based on what you're eating and how much water you're drinking. If you go out to eat, no matter how healthy you think the meal is, the food is usually packed with sodium and other preservatives, so your body will retain water and cause you to gain the next day. Or, on the flip side if you exercise one day and don't get enough water in to rehydrate your body, then again, it will hang on to whatever water you have and cause you to gain again. So, find one day of the week and stick to it. That will help to keep you motivated because you won't see your weight fluctuating by a number of pounds in a week.

Next, remember that the scale isn't the only way to measure your progress!

Take measurements of your body at the start of your weight loss and each month update those measurements. Everyone has different areas they want to measure, but I recommend your neck, chest, bra band (for the ladies), natural waist, hips, bicep, thigh, and quad. This gives you a look at where you are losing the most fat all over your body. Some areas lose it slower than others, but when you see that you've only lost three pounds, but 11 inches in a month that shows that you're still kicking ass. I suggest making sure you are the one taking the measurements, because you will be more consistent with where exactly you measure. Other people might not measure the same places, so they may not be as close to where you were and that will throw off your measurements.

Your clothes will also tell you that you're successful. Sometimes it's the step from elastic band pants into pants with a button and zipper that you celebrate, other times it's the fact you went from a 20 to an 18. These are HUGE steps and should always be celebrated! You'll know when your pants get saggy in the butt, or when you no longer have to unbutton or unzip them to go to the bathroom. You'll be able to grab a handful of fabric at your thigh and pull, and when you walk they fall off. This means that you're losing weight and it shows.

Your exercise routine is another way to measure. The first is if it actually becomes a routine versus an "I guess I'll try to walk this week." I consider myself a success because I went from sitting on the couch in my spare time typing away on the computer for hours a day to making the gym a priority. I make sure I go to the gym at least 4 times a week for 2 hours a day, which is huge considering that last year I was only willing to commit to a 30 minute walk each week and it was unfathomable to me how people could go to the gym for hours at a time. Now I'm the one who goes to the gym for hours at a time. I can also tell a difference when I'm walking up the stairs and I'm able to run without getting winded, or I can climb the stairs faster than my skinny friends who are walking with me. Getting into an exercise routine and noticing your body's endurance changes is amazing, and a huge motivation to keep going.

Watch your cravings and food. As you lose weight and get into an exercise routine, what your body wants changes. You will find yourself still wanting a bowl of ice cream for dinner, but instead of pigging out every chance you get, you'll find that you do it every once in awhile. You'll start craving salads where before your snack was chocolate, fruit when you would have chips, etc. Choices and how much you eat at restaurants will change as well. Instead of eating the entire bowl of Fettuccine Alfredo, you'll  order something with a lighter sauce, more vegetables, and take most of it home. These are not little changes, they represent a lesson that has stuck in your mind. These lifestyle changes are what will keep the weight off.

Those are just scratching the surface of how to measure the successes of your journey.

How do you measure success?