Your weight loss journey likely involves stepping on the scale often to measure your post-surgery progress.
But have you ever felt great before you got on and not-so-great when the number staring back at you didn’t meet your expectations?
While it is important to get to and maintain a healthy weight, you shouldn’t rely solely on the scale to show you how you’re doing. It’s part of your weight-loss arsenal, not the only weapon — it can’t give you a complete picture of your overall health.
Here are five ways to measure your successes beyond the scale and take pride in your accomplishments:
(Lack of) Medications
Were you using a CPAP machine to quell your sleep apnea or taking multiple medications to manage your diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure before weight-loss surgery? Saying goodbye to sleep apnea therapy and cutting back on or eliminating your medications are huge signs of success.
Body measurements
As you lose body fat and replace it with muscle, you might lose inches without much movement on the scale. Five pounds of muscle takes up less space than five pounds of fat, so measuring your arms, waist, hips and thighs periodically can highlight your successes in a way the scale cannot.
Improved mobility
As you lose weight, there is much less impact on your hips, knees, ankles, heart and lungs as you move around. For example, studies have shown that each pound lost can reduce the knee-joint load by four pounds. People who once were unable to walk a few blocks without pain or strained breathing can train to walk — or run — for miles at a time after weight-loss surgery.
Increased energy
After surgery, many patients report they have much more energy than they did in the past. That has led them to try new activities such as long-distance running, swimming and hiking that they weren’t able to do before they lost weight. Accomplishing fitness goals and enjoying new experiences is an excellent way to build confidence regardless of the number on the scale.
Higher self-esteem
Before surgery, many patients are often limited by activities that people at a healthy weight can take for granted. Flying in an airplane, taking the subway or riding a roller-coaster might have been challenging, embarrassing or impossible. After weight-loss surgery, many say hello to new experiences and higher self-esteem. This causes a boost in mental and emotional health and can lead to even more successes.
No matter where you are in your weight-loss surgery journey, Penn Medicine is here for you.