7 Signs That You Are Losing Weight

I’m almost six months postpartum, and just like a lot of women, I gained some weight during pregnancy.

Even though I desire to shed some weight through intermittent fasting, I can’t, due to breastfeeding and a health-related reason.

So, I can’t do much, yet, there’s so much pressure from nosey people aka unsolicited weight watchers, who expect you to become a Naomi Campbell right from the labour room/theatre table.

And oh, there’s the chief pressure mounter – social media.

I know what pressure does to one’s mental health, especially to a new mom, so, I made a decision not to add any more pressure to myself.

What did I do?

I told my husband to keep the weighing scale where my hands couldn’t reach easily (he’s taller than me).

I took the pressure off me and ate as I deemed fit.

Guess what?

About two weeks later, I reached for the weighing scale out of curiosity to measure my weight.

To my surprise, I’d lost 4kg!

I knew it. I could feel it.

So, there could be signs that you’re losing weight without you consulting the scales or if the scales aren’t showing it (because you could be losing fat and gaining muscle).

7 Signs That You Are Losing Weight

1. You feel lighter

I remember telling my husband that I felt lighter, even before I checked my weight.

My body felt so heavy postpartum. I felt like I couldn’t carry myself, like I was carrying some extra baggage.

You’ll feel lighter and more like yourself if you are losing weight.

2. Your clothes are a little loose

This is a no-brainer.

Your fitting clothes will become a little loose when you’ve shed some fat regardless of what the scale is saying.

3. You fit into your old clothes before you put on weight

No matter the value on your scale, if you can fit into your old clothes, then you’re definitely losing some weight.

4. You’ve been choosing healthier options

If you’ve been replacing your heavy-calorie foods with low-calorie ones, then you’re losing weight even if your scale isn’t showing it yet.

I hate to tag some foods as ‘unhealthy’.

Aren’t all things given to us richly to enjoy?

I love good food and I hate to deny myself of what my heart desires to eat.

I don’t believe in deprivation, I believe in eating what I want and losing weight by choosing a healthier version of whatever I want to eat.

During pregnancy, I consumed a lot of sodas, primarily because of nausea.

Oh, the nausea!

I always had spit in my mouth, and food didn’t taste as they should.

I couldn’t take water at room temperature. It was either ice or chilled soda.

I just wanted something that’d give me temporary relief from nausea.

This contributed to me gaining a ton of weight.

After I had my baby and was relieved from the throes of pregnancy sickness, I transitioned from sodas to orange juice and later to sparkling water.

I love eating rice and bread. In fact, I eat them almost daily. I can’t do without them.

What I do is eat brown bread and brown rice and not just white bread and white rice.

Also, it’s not realistic for me to stop eating at 8 p.m, so instead of eating heavy carbs at night, I eat Greek Yogurt.

But I must confess that I pair my Greek yoghurt with carrot cake.

Hahaha.

If you really want to lose weight and not be depressed while at it, you should make minor changes that are sustainable.

They say little drops of water make a mighty ocean.

Minor dietary changes can go a long way in making weight loss achievable.

5. You’ve been watching your portion sizes

Some people say the size of your portion does not matter.

I don’t see the sense in that.

More food equals more calories.

One of the ways I shed baby weight when I had my first baby was through portion control.

If you’ve been watching your portion especially with choosing healthier options, you might be losing weight.

I prefer to eat whatever I desire in small portions than to completely deprive myself.

What’s life without enjoying your meals?

I sure don’t want that kind of life.

I prefer moderation to deprivation.

6. You’ve been drinking a lot of water

Some weightloss experts encourage us to drink about 3 litres or more of water daily if we want to lose weight.

This is because sometimes we are thirsty and not hungry. So, if you drink water and you’re still hungry, then you’re hungry indeed.

But if you eat food when you’re thirsty instead of drinking water, you’d be eating more calories.

7. You have been physically active

You lose weight when you lose more calories than you take in.

Your output must be more than your input for a loss to occur.

I wasn’t physically active during my pregnancies due to the sedentary nature of my work and this contributed to my weight gain.

If you’re physically active, losing more calories than you take in, you’re surely losing some weight.

It’s just a matter of time, the scale will show it.

In conclusion, you should never put yourself under undue pressure to lose weight.

Don’t compare yourself with anyone, especially on social media. Your circumstances are not the same.

Work at your own pace, lose weight at your own pace. Lose weight because you want to and for health sake, not for people’s applause or societal approval.

And always remember, no matter whatever you weigh, self-love is the ultimate thing.

If you don’t love yourself now, you’re not going to love yourself no matter what you weigh later.

Don’t let your self-love, self-esteem or self-perception be dependent on the number on the weighing scale.

Be your own definition of beautiful because you’re beautiful and unique.

XOXO.