5 NON-SCALE VICTORIES YOU NEED TO CELEBRATE

Are you feeling discouraged because of the number you’re seeing on the scale? You’re crushing your week, navigating through good nutrition options to fuel your body and you’re being mindful to be more active but you step on the scale and… there is no change! Now you’re feeling frustrated and a little disappointed because “you’re not seeing progress”. Does this sound familiar?

This is your reminder that the scale is only one measurement of progress, not “the only” way to gauge it. Variables like stress, hormones, late meals, more intense workouts, insufficient recovery or changes in hydration can all impact weight fluctuation on the scale. That number can fluctuate from one to as high as six lbs in a week depending on those variables. I see this often both with myself and my clients and I promise you, that does not mean you gained body fat. Just like you can’t lose a drastic amount of body fat in a week, you also can’t gain it that quickly. More than likely just experiencing some water retention. So, take a breath and before you let this unit of measurement derail your confidence in the process or in your efforts, let's talk about the non-scale victories and the progress that you may be overlooking. 

Non-scale victories are ways to measure progress aside from the number that pops up on your scale and they tend to be even more important. Look at it this way, let’s say the scale isn’t budging but you put on your favorite pair of jeans and they fit a little looser in the waist and tighter in your booty. Hello, win. Maybe you’re in the gym and you increased your weight in an exercise. Hi, progress. Maybe you no longer need a nap after work or an extra cup of coffee because you have more energy throughout the day because you’re learning how to fuel your body adequately. Hey, you baddie! The scale has zero relevance to any of those and yet it’s in-your-face progress you’ve been working toward. Why would the number of your gravitational pull to the earth rob you of that progress? 

Progress is progress. If you  are drinking more water, if you’re noticing your strength increase, if you’re feeling better about yourself, and if you’re making an intentional effort to make positive habits and taking actions toward your goals, then you’re creating change and progress is inevitable. Change, like any good thing, takes time but it’s always happening. All of the little milestones add up to the bigger picture. Your value as a person, the way you feel about yourself, your experiences, success and the light you bring to the world can't be measured by the scale. 

Next time you step on the scale and don’t see “progress” make sure you’re not ignoring these 5 non-scale victories to evaluate a more well rounded way to determine if you’re truly moving making forward progress:

1. Changes in Your Body Measurements

   • You may be losing fat an gaining lean muscle mass in equal measures. A pound is a pound, fat takes up less space than muscle so body composition is totally possible without the scale reflecting a change. If you’re measurements are changing to reflect what you’re working toward, like a smaller waist or bigger booty, then you are on the right path!

2. Improved Performance 

   • If you’re performing your rep/sets in the gym more easily and increasing the weight to challenge yourself more, congrats - you are getting stronger and this is a win! Same goes for more notable stamina in your cardio regimen.

3. You Have More Energy

   • Improved energy levels are a fantastic indicator that you’re body is in a good energy balance range likely from properly fueling it! Feeling sluggish or unmotivated all the time is miserable. If you’re more alert and you’re feeling good and are more productive, this is a very good sign and good place to be for more changes to occur in your body.

4. Your Clothes are Fitting Better

   • There is no better feeling than trying on a favorite staple clothing item and noticing it is fitting well in all of the right places. While health is a benefit of weight loss, most go into it for physical change and it doesn’t get more obvious than this!

5. You have a Better Food Relationship

   • You no longer moralize food as “good” or “bad”. You understand that more nutrient dense food is good to have in larger quantities and fuels your body but neutral foods are also okay because there is no need for restriction when you’ve made lifestyle changes. THIS is probably my favorite non-scale victory of them all. Food is simply energy and when you learn how to work with your body and have balance, it’s a game changer and HUGE mental progress!

I am not going to tell you to ditch the scale because it’s a great tool to evaluate how your body is responding. Instead, I’ll encourage you to remember, that it is not the sole determining factor of your progress. Give yourself grace, be objective and look at weight as data because that’s all it is.

Keep being intentional, keep working toward your goals and your progress will be inevitable!