Top 50 Non-Scale Victories – What the scale does not tell you

Table of Contents

  1. A billion-dollar industry
  2. Why am I not losing weight
  3. What are non-scale victories
  4. Top 50 Non-Scale Victories list

A billion-dollar industry

 

Losing weight and dieting is one of the most searched topics on google. At last count, there were 88 billion searches for dieting and losing weight. According to the Boston Medical Center, an estimated 45 million Americans diet each year and spend $33 billion yearly on weight loss products.

Losing weight and maintaining a weight loss is complicated, as many people will understand. It is a series of hormonal interactions, lifestyle, genetics, environment, muscles, digestion, mental health, gut health, and many factors that still need to be understood.

 

“Why am I not losing weight?”

Why am I not losing weight is a question I get often. It is a difficult question to answer because I don’t know. One of the most complex parts of working with patients who work so hard and make many positive changes is that the scale does not budge. The scale many times is what people focus on as a measure of success. Although that is one small piece of the health puzzle, many other factors that are not scale-dependent show how healthy we are.

An answer that I focus on is the importance of non-scale victories.

What are non-scale victories?

 

Non-scale victories are successes that a person can achieve or feel when they begin to make healthy food and lifestyle changes. Often times the scale will be the last to move which is so frustrating. There are so many more positive changes that can happen that do not have anything to do with a number on a scale. When asked why I am not losing weight, we brainstorm at least ten healthy non-scale victories people notice when they make healthy changes.

One answer that I can give is non-scale victories. When asked why I am not losing weight, we brainstorm at least ten healthy non-scale victories people notice when they make healthy changes. Many times people can identify with these victories and they are a better marker for health than weight and BMI.

Top 50 Non-Scale victories list

  1. Sleep better
  2. Sleep longer
  3. Clothes fit better
  4. Not needing to unbutton pants after you eat
  5. Able to poop easier, more regular
  6. Stool is softer
  7. Pea is clearer, less yellow
  8. Understanding what works for you
  9. Finding new activities you enjoy
  10. Trying new foods
  11. Blood work has improved
  12. Lower cholesterol
  13. Lower triglycerides
  14. Lower LDL
  15. Higher HDL cholesterol
  16. Improved blood sugar
  17. Improved insulin resistance
  18. Less fatty liver and improved liver health
  19. Less inflammation
  20. Better mood
  21. Taking less medication
  22. Reducing the dose of medications
  23. Skin looks better
  24. Hair looks better
  25. Able to bend over to tie shoes
  26. Breathing easier
  27. Spending less on out-to-eat foods
  28. Using all the food purchased from grocery shopping
  29. Not relying on the scale to dictate mood
  30. Rings fit better
  31. Socks fit better
  32. More energy
  33. Stamina
  34. Improved attention span
  35. Sense of achievement
  36. Less fatigue
  37. Excited about progress
  38. Understanding hunger and full cues
  39. Understanding how to fuel yourself better
  40. Understanding how food works in the body
  41. Seeing the joy in the process
  42. Getting to know yourself better
  43. Flexibility
  44. More confidence
  45. Stronger
  46. See more muscle definition of your body
  47. Less indigestion
  48. Less bloating
  49. Understanding that weight is just a gravitational pull
  50. Understanding how wonderful, creative, special, and loved you are.