Non-Scale Victories

May 12

It's not always about the scale and being skinny...

When it comes to getting healthy (losing weight and getting fit and strong) — you’re probably only thinking of the visual benefits:

“I’ll fit into smaller clothes! No more belly pooch! I’ll finally have muscles!”..c'mon we have learned so much more than that!

But the benefits don’t stop there. No matter how far away your “after” feels, regular exercise and losing weight — even a small amount — can positively impact your overall health and well-being. These are the NON SCALE VICTORIES.

You may notice changes in your sleep patterns, energy levels, and even your mood, just to name a few. So, if you’re ever tempted to throw in the towel, keep these benefits front of mind:

1. Better Sleep

Sleep and weight loss have a mutually beneficial relationship. Losing weight and being more active can help you sleep better. “Poor sleep leads to fatigue, which decreases motivation to exercise and resist overeating, which leads to more weight gain or at least failure to lose weight,” says Patricia Salber, M.D. and editor-in-chief of The Doctor Weighs In

2. Less Stress

Collective stress levels are rising, and it affects our work life as well as our physical health, according to the 2015 Stress in America survey.

While losing weight won’t magically make your stress disappear (hello, work deadlines and cranky toddlers), exercise is a known stress-buster, so think of your daily workout as a natural chill pill.

Like sleep, stress can affect your weight, and vice versa: “Chronic stress can lead to weight gain,” says Salber. “Chronic stress causes levels of cortisol, an important stress hormone, to be chronically elevated. Cortisol stimulates appetite and drives us to crave foods high in sugar. These foods seem to counteract the stress sensations, providing temporary relief of the unpleasant feelings. So, they rightfully deserve the term ‘comfort food.’ If you are overeating because of chronic stress, you must address the underlying cause of weight gain — the stress — and not add to stress by trying to lose weight through diet alone.”

3. More Balanced Hormones

Losing weight can support your hormones — including the hunger hormones that influence hunger and satiety.

“Fat is not just decoration,” says Kyrin Dunston, M.D., FACOG, who also lost 100 pounds and kept it off. “It’s metabolically active and produces hormones and inflammatory chemicals that alter the way your body functions,” she explains.

“Fat makes estrogen,” Dunston explains. “A lot of women will report that when they lose weight their periods become lighter, less painful, they have decreased PMS, decreased breast cysts,” she says, adding that this is the direct result of the hormonal balance that comes from shedding excess pounds.

Healthy levels of thyroid hormones, cortisol, and other adrenal hormones, and insulin are also linked to weight loss, she adds.

Hormones get a bad rap (who hasn’t used “hormones” as an excuse for an outburst or bad day?), but these essential messengers carry important info throughout the body.

Keeping them in balance can feel like your body has 4G service instead of just a couple of bars.