Despite Your Best Efforts, Are You Not Losing Weight? A Nutritionist Identifies Three Important Factors at Work
How many times have you pondered why you’re not losing weight after looking in the mirror? Despite maintaining a rigorous diet and frequent exercise, it can be quite discouraging to see no results. But using your body weight alone to assess your health can sometimes be deceptive. In a recent video uploaded to Instagram, nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar offered her thoughts on the subject.
“Many times we become very depressed if our weight has increased despite following a diet, eating home-cooked meals, and exercising regularly,” Rujuta Diwekar states in the video. We consequently begin searching for products that will help us lose weight fast. Is it beneficial to your health, though? The most recent medical research indicates that it is hazardous to evaluate your health based just on your body weight. You cannot infer anything about your fitness level or level of fatness from your weight.
1. Size: A Better Indicator Than Weight
The nutritionist urges viewers to keep track of their size. “Is your size the same or less than before? If yes, then it is ok if you have lost weight and it is also ok if you have not lost weight,” she says. This is an important reminder that size and weight are not the same. Focusing solely on weight can sometimes lead to frustration, but size can offer a clearer picture of your progress.
2. Shape: The Key to Understanding Fat Loss
Another key element is to take note of your shape. Ask yourself: “Is there any change in your shape because of diet, exercise, and sleep habits?” As per Rujuta Diwekar, “If your stomach is going in and your waist is shrinking, then even if you are not losing weight, you are on track.” Even if the scale is not moving, your shape might be changing for the better. The change in shape, particularly a shrinking waistline, indicates that visceral fat (the fat between your organs) is decreasing. This is beneficial for your overall health, reducing the risk of diabetes, blood pressure, and other non-communicable diseases.
3. Capacity: The True Measure of Progress
The third important factor is capacity. Can you climb stairs without feeling breathless or walk without any knee pain? Being able to work more with your body compared to before indicates that you are in good health. These improvements in capacity show that your body is becoming stronger, regardless of whether you see a drastic change on the scale.