I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
Take a photo; check back 30 days later. Rinse and repeat.
Progress can seem slow, that if you look at yourself day-to-day you’ll not notice it.
Scale isn’t the best judge either, because even if you weigh at the same time every day (first thing post BM is good) - your weight can fluctuate due to hydration and quality of sleep.
Consider measuring your waist as an alternative, seeing as that’s what was your initial motivation.
If you aren’t already, add walking to your daily routine - or even consider programs like Couch to 5K or ZombieRun if you want some motivation and a tougher goal. It’s great for your heart health, and will help contribute a small amount of additional burned calories.
Lastly, diet is the most important facet of weight loss. I highly recommend logging everything you eat (at least for the first week or two to get your bearings) using an app like Cronometer.
Another thing to add on to why weight isn’t a great measurement - You will put on muscle as you lose fat, especially if you shift your diet while you workout. It’s fully possible that you lose 5 lbs of fat in a month while putting on 5 lbs of muscle. Both are great strides forward, but the scale will show no change.
If you are going to use a scale, get one that will do body fat analysis as well. They aren’t 100% accurate, but its another measurement that gives a closer look at your actual fitness.