Weight Loss Progress Without The Scale - written by Sarah Elena Elliott

There are many challenges to losing weight. Knowing when to eat, what to eat, how to eat, how much to eat and dealing with your cravings are just some of those challenges. You have to exercise, and be consistent about it. And you have to weigh yourself to track your progress, right?

Weekly, or even daily weigh-ins can be a great way to gauge how your weight loss efforts are paying off, but how many times have you been sent on an emotional roller coaster because of your scale? Feelings of desperation, disappointment, frustration and even elation can send all of your best weight loss efforts into a tail spin.

Is it possible to lose the scale and still lose weight? Yes! In fact, your scale may be a huge culprit in why you are having such a hard time losing weight. Think about it, when you do really well with diet and exercise and don't meet you weekly weight loss goals, how do you feel? Are you wanting to throw in the towel and drown your best efforts in a pint of ice cream or your mothers best cheesecake recipe? When you lose weight, do you find that you want to be more relaxed with your eating and reward yourself with food?

There are ways to measure your weight loss progress without the scale, such as how your clothes fit, how much better you are able to complete new and challenging exercises and by monitoring your food intake and exercise habits. Take a trip to your closet and pull out a pair of your favorite pants that fit snuggly before you began your weight loss efforts. How do they fit? Are you able to sit down in them comfortably? Try on a button up shirt that used to gap open. How is it fitting now? Consider taking a picture of yourself in these clothing items and making notations in your journal about the fit. Overtime these clothes will fit better and then eventually they will actually get too big for you.

If you need to see your progress in numbers then try taking measurements of your body. When you begin to lose weight always take a few minutes to measure your body. Measure every part of your body and make notations of where you put the measuring tape. Measure your wrists, waist, hips, bust, each arm, thighs, etc. Each month pull out your measuring tape for another round of measuring. Measure your waist, hips, bust, and thighs.

Progress can be subtle, but if you pay attention and keep a journal, over time you will see how good you actually feel. You will have more energy to tackle every day activities, and your mood will greatly improve. Eating a diet that is healthful will satisfy you, fill you up and give you more energy. Is your diet doing that for you? As you keep up with your exercise you will build muscle and improve your overall fitness level so that you can finish tasks that once seemed impossible.