Okay, so you have finally made up your mind to eat mindfully, balance your meals, exercise atleast thrice a week, stay active with a sport or walking the rest of the days and all of that.

BUT, you are not seeing your weight drop. Week after week, the drop is barely seen in numbers. Some of you even see an increase and get horrified! You start to wonder if you are even doing the right thing anymore. You feel absolutely demotivated with the results despite the effort you are putting in.

You know why this happens?

• Its because when you exercise, your body retains water. This  shows up as weight on the scale, even makes it look like you’ve gained weight when you have actually not
• You start gaining muscle when you exercise. Since muscle is denser than fat, even if you are losing fat, your weight does not drop. And that’s okay!
• When you initially start exercise, until your body understands what it is being put through, it is stressful. This is why nutrition becomes very essential because food is what repairs and grows your muscles
• If you are eating too less calories, even then your weight won’t drop because your metabolism slows down
• You are impatient! It been just a few weeks, do not expect drastic changes. It has taken years to damage the system, it is going to take a while to reset it!

But honestly, there are changes you feel which you either don’t notice or think it is not really significant enough. We call them non-scale victories!

• You feel more energetic than before – you actually have enough energy to tick things off your long pending checklist of chores!
• Your bowel movements are great – it means your gut is happy! A happy gut means better mood, better absorption of nutrients and better hormones too!
• You clothes fit better – this is clear proof that you have lost fat! Your weight might not show changes but you will feel lighter, leaner and stronger. That, right there is proof that you’ve lost fat!
• You also sleep better and wake up fresh – a well rested mind and body is like hitting a goldmine. Your productivity increases exponentially!

What can you do to make sure you are doing everything accurately?

• Drink adequate water. This prevents water retention
• Stick to a consistent meal pattern for a few weeks — it helps you stay in control of portions and calories while you build habits. It is the easiest way to ensure a calorie deficit is maintained
• Do not starve yourself. This is more harmful than useful
• Sleep like its your job. Recovery after a long day matters as much as nutrition and exercise

These are the real milestones of wellness you need to chase. Because wellness isn’t measured in kilos — it’s measured in energy, strength, and how good you feel in your body.

So if you are on a journey to get healthier, just keep going! If you need any guidance, I am always here to talk!