Why the scale isn’t the only way to track weight loss progress!
Do you find yourself frequently going to the scale to determine the success of your weight loss, and being devastated to see the number actually go up.
When you’ve done nothing but hope the number went down?
You’ve come to the right place!
Here you will find 3 alternatives to tracking with a scale + A Bonus Tip
*Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. All recommended products I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are my own.
I think most of us have fallen victim to the scale at some point in our lives, or maybe you’re struggling with it right now.
You’ve worked your ass off to see no “progress”?
Well I’ve put “progress” in quotations because the scale is not the only way to determine your weight loss progression!
Sure it gives you a good idea that you are losing weight, but the frequency in which it is used matters. Weighing too often on a scale can often backfire and leave you feeling incredibly frustrated.
Sabotaging our mind and our best efforts.
Why the Frequency of Weighing on a Scale Matters
I’m here to say you’re probably better off than you might think, and I am going to share why the scale doesn’t matter in a second.
And then I am going provide 3 alternatives to track your weight loss progress plus a bonus tip.
The scale is sneaky…she doesn’t always tell the whole story. There are many factors that go into your body weight at any given day or time.
This is why we need to consider alternative measures of success.
Things that can affect your daily weight include:
Water retention
Bloating
Eating
Where you are in your cycle
Right before/during your cycle
Water consumption/Salt consumption
Added muscle mass
And more…
So you can see how things can fluctuate easily, especially just within a day’s time.
That is why when you weigh, and how frequently you weigh yourself can matter.
When I began my weight loss journey earlier this year I would weigh myself daily, sometimes multiple times a day, and I would get so freaking frustrated!!!
My weight could literally fluctuate up 5 lbs by the end of the night if I had weighed myself that morning.
Annoying right?
It would do so much damage to my mindset, because when I got discouraged I would find it easier to go back into old ways!
Because hey, why bother if it’s this hard?
So I am here to say stop weighing daily! It does no good.
In all honesty you don’t even have to use a scale at all if you find it negatively triggering to your well being.
What has worked best for me is weighing once every two to four weeks, and always weighing after my cycle.
We don’t need her messing with our results!
In addition I have focused my energy on other ways of tracking my weight loss that make me feel so much better! Here they are.
3 Ways to Track your Weight Loss without A Scale + A Bonus Tip:
Weight Loss Tracking Alternative #1
- How your clothes fit
One thing I’ve noticed frequently during my weight loss journey is that regardless of my scale not moving, my clothes have felt looser each week.
Shirts I purchased at my largest that ended up being too tight originally were now becoming looser and some even baggy!
This can do wonders for your self esteem because you have just proven to yourself that the scale isn’t everything.
How could you not be making progress if your clothes are fitting looser?
Keep up the good work and remind yourself to let the fit of your clothes indicate that you’re on the right track and not the scale.
Weight Loss Tracking Alternative #2
2. How much strength you’re gaining/progress of workouts
When you first start working out after a long break it can be quite a shock to the body and you might be thinking…
How in the world am I going to keep up with this? It’s so hard!
But you continue forward, and you start to notice improvements.
An exercise you could only perform for 20 seconds becomes 30 seconds, then you can easily do 45 seconds, and you’re feeling pretty darn encouraged!
Let this progress become a form of tracking your success!
Yes weight loss is a goal, but so is gaining strength and becoming more fit.
Celebrate all success big and small! The more you embrace the entire journey the more successful you will become.
Let the strength you are gaining in your workouts become a exciting way to track your progress.
Weight Loss Tracking Alternative #3
3. Before and after photos
So I definitely understand the stress and anxiety that can wash over when taking a before photo… no one wants to be reminded how far they have let go.
What really triggered my desire to lose weight was seeing photos of myself and being absolutely shocked… I got that big??? I would ask myself.
Feeling utterly torn down.
I let go of being ashamed though, because I couldn’t change that exact moment in the photo, but I could change my behavior and mindset going forward.
My message now…Own the before photos!
I actually regret not taking official before photos when I first started!
When I started my weight loss journey at 224 lbs I refused to take before photos because of how embarrassed I was.
I now really regret it because those photos could have been very useful for my progress!
Now I take photos monthly to track my progress because you can really start to notice changes to your body, sometimes subtle, sometimes drastic, but always encouraging!
Even when my weight stays the same I can still notice changes in my photos.
If you are making the changes necessary to lose weight such as exercise and eating in a calorie deficit you will begin to see changes in your before and after photos I promise.
Use them to hype yourself up throughout this journey!
Bonus Tip: Changing your mindset
In addition to these 3 alternatives to using a scale to track weight, I want to discuss my bonus tip to you…
Realizing your thoughts have a profound impact on your weight loss!!!
Who do you think will be more successful in their journey, the person who is constantly engaging in negative self talk?
Or the person who is respectful and understanding to their body.
We have to accept our body where it’s at, weight loss is a process…a long process, and we want to embrace a positive mindset to get us through the long haul.
Let a positive mindset flow through you by embracing positive affirmations, journaling, reflecting and forgiveness. I personally enjoy learning about and practicing The Law of Attraction.
Changing your mindset can help rid your mind of any subconscious resistance you may not realize is there.
Negative thoughts can cause resistance, where positive thoughts will invite flow.
An amazing book that helped me shift my negative thoughts was Super Attractor by Gabrielle Bernstein
Once you begin practicing positive thinking you’ll notice that your weight loss begins to come naturally and more intuitively.
A wonderful way to start seeing and tracking progress
Let’s Now Implement our New Non-Scale Alternatives for Tracking Weight Loss
Now that you have acquired new ways to track your weight loss progress I want you to leave feeling empowered that you can take back your health and wellness while losing weight.
Be reminded that it doesn’t have to constantly be about a number.
Take comfort in your ability to get stronger and leaner without the scale, you don’t need that kind of negativity in your life!
And I am here to hype you up even more with my complimentary 5 Positive Affirmations for A Weight Loss Mindset Worksheet.
Use it as a daily reflection journal, or whenever you need to remind yourself what a total bad ass you are!
Feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you feel insipred to do so <3
Until next time
Love, Mel