When we exercise or diet, we do it for a purpose. Whether that’d be for the sake of being healthier or becoming fit, you could say that the whole point is to better ourselves. Seeing the results isn’t always so easy though, especially if you’re using a weighing scale to measure your progress. Scales aren’t the most trustworthy way of determining your fitness or health level as many factors influence whether or not your body sees the fruits of your labour.
For example, it’s possible you’ve only lost a few pounds, but you have a look you always wanted, and some people have even found themselves to be fitter or healthier even though they had gained weight. It’s clear that results are not determined by what the numbers on the scale say, so let’s look at how to know that your exercise and diet regimes are successful.
Loose in All Ways
Unsure of whether you’re losing fat? Well, the quickest way to find out is on your clothing. As you progress with a workout routine or a new diet you might notice a slight change in your clothing. Garments that used to feel tight or maybe didn’t even fit suddenly feel looser; maybe you even run the danger of them falling off (which can be quite bothersome if you don’t notice on time).
The size of your clothes is also a good indication of something else – your movements. Remember that sometimes, you might be gaining muscles which are more dense than fats so your weight may increase but your clothes size decreased. This is a good indication that you’re on the right track.
Strength and Energy for Days
We all know that exercise doesn’t just help one to lose weight. Strengthening exercises are what help us get fit, but aside from toning and reshaping our bodies, they also make us stronger. Your increase in strength will also help you be more resilient. You might be able to run that mile that eluded you so many times before or climb up several flights of stairs without panting, something which didn’t happen before.
It’s not just strength that you get. Energy is also a great trade-off that comes with staying dedicated to your workouts. When your body is naturally in balance and your metabolism increases, you’ll naturally feel energetic the whole day and need not reach out for that extra cup of coffee to keep you alert.
Less About Eating More
As you work on improving your eating habits, you’ll see a decrease in craving for snacks and you will find yourself eating smaller amounts while feeling full. What was hard at first, now feels like a breeze and you don’t feel like you’re missing out.
It’s not just eating less either. Leaving behind the greasy and fattier foods also means that you have new favourite healthier foods. These are foods that you would’ve never thought even to eat, but turn out to become important parts of your new lives; you might even like them more than the food you used to eat.
It Starts to Become Fun
Let’s be honest, all new activities we start out scare us at first. When you first start exercising or dieting all you can think about is how tough it is, lamenting the fact that you have to change your life. But as you get more used to it you’ll start to enjoy it more; you might even start challenging yourself as you improve and adapt to your new lifestyle. Just don’t overdo it.
It’s About How You Feel
We’ve only been talking about physical and mental signs to watch out for to know if your new routine is having any effect, but there’s another layer to it, the emotional one. Like we said before, the whole reason anyone starts exercising or dieting is for a specific goal.
Whether that goal is to lose weight or improve your health, it all comes down to how you feel. Sometimes how you feel doesn’t even relate to losing weight, but if you feel more confident about yourself, then you’ve already won.
Photo Credits: US News Health, More Magazine, Genesis Health System, Eat Mindfully, Lean it Up
Melissa Fann
Rui Ting Goh
