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Don’t worry about what your scale says. Here are some other ways to know if your weight loss journey is paying off.

Tracking weight loss varies, but the majority of people rely on their scale. While this is clearly an effective way of monitoring weight gain or loss, the scale is a stressful measure, one that doesn’t work for a lot of people and that makes them feel even more pressured to lose the weight they want.

Weight loss can be monitored through a variety of measures, from the way you look to the way you feel. Here are 3 signs you might be losing weight, despite what your scale says.

Your low-stress workouts feel tougher

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If you’ve been working out more intensely, and randomly choose to do a low-key exercise, this will likely feel difficult. While it sounds counterintuitive, new workouts and routines — whether your capacity for working out is high or not — are likely to feel more difficult the first time. This doesn’t mean that you’ve gone off track with your health goals.

You feel more hungry

Since your body is going through some changes, your metabolism might pick up, making your appetite skyrocket. This is a good thing, as your body is becoming more efficient at burning calories that your body greatly needs when you’re putting it through a regular workout.

You gain a couple of pounds

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Sometimes, eating more healthy foods and working out more can result in some weight gain, which can be due to building up muscle, which is heavier than fat. Focus on the feel of your clothes; if they feel more comfortable even though you weigh more, it’s likely those extra pounds are due to new muscle mass.

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