You’ve been working hard to diet and exercise in an attempt to lose weight and get fit – now to reap the rewards. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, losing as little as 5 percent of your body weight may lower your risk for heart disease and diabetes. If you go to the grocery store and see what three pounds of ground beef looks like, you might get some idea of what an achievement losing that amount from your body is. There are a few important signs, physically and mentally, to show that your weight loss plan is working, even if you never step on the scale.
In Your Face
One of the first signs of successful weight loss is a thinner face. Whether you’ve lost water weight or burned off fat cells, you’ll see sharper cheekbones, a more sculpted facial structure and less fat under the chin after losing a few pounds. Cutting salt, sugar and excess fats from your diet, along with increasing your exercise, will quick-start visible weight loss.
More Energy
You will have more energy when doing physical tasks, such as climbing stairs, walking or doing a workout. You will need to exert less effort after you’ve lost a few pounds, as your body acclimates to working harder, functioning better and having less weight to carry around. Losing weight will also help you improve your mood and feel better about yourself, another indication of lightening your load.
Loose Skin
You may see pockets of loose skin under your chin and arms, or from your abdomen, as your fat cells start to shrink. You will need to do strength resistance training with weights to tighten up these areas, but this takes time. Depending on how overweight you were and how much weight you eventually drop, as well as your age, the skin may lose some of its elasticity. If there is a lot of excess skin in certain areas, try wearing garments that have compression stretch in them to firm your appearance, as you continue to lose weight.
Clothes Fit Better
Whether it’s your favorite pair of jeans fitting better, or clothes that were previously snug now looking baggy, you will notice your wardrobe options expanding as your waistline decreases. Even before you’ve lost enough weight to go down a pant or dress size, you will find that a few pounds lost will make you more comfortable in your clothes.
