Sometimes the signs you gained weight aren’t as easy to spot as we’d like. Weight gain can creep up on us unknowingly so I compiled a list of 7 telling signs you gained weight so we can correctly decipher if it’s just water weight, or our bodies are trying to tell us something. If you’re trying to gain weight, then you can use this list as sort of a barometer of whether you’re really gaining weight or not!
Snapshot Survey
Snapshot Survey
1. Time to Weigh in
Okay, so this is one of the most obvious ways to tell you’ve gained weight but there is a trick to it. If you get on your scale and you’ve gained more than ½ a pound since the previous day, it’s likely water weight and not true weight gain. You certainly don’t have to weigh yourself every day and it’s tempting to want to hop on the scale often to keep track, but the number you see on the scale isn’t always accurate so keep that in mind! If you do see an increase, up your intake of water and cut back on salt and you should see a difference.
2. Get Dressed
One of the more accurate signs you’ve gained weight is when clothes that used to fit you comfortably no longer fit or they feel tight. I’m not just referring to pants either, I mean all over. Try on tops, jackets, skirts, everything! I normally gain weight in my midsection so if I wake up and try to put on a pair of dress pants I haven’t worn in awhile and it’s uncomfortable, I know I’ve gained a few. Don’t try this at the end of the day because you could be bloated or just full from a big delicious dinner!
3. Get Undressed
Another telling sign you’ve gained weight is if your unmentionables start feeling tighter than before. Of course there is always some shrinkage to underwear and clothes but if you have any marks on your shoulder or back from your bra being too tight or your panties fit you differently than before, it’s probably a sign that you gained some pounds. Bras can tell you a lot, aside from any marks on your body after wearing it all day, if you see any bulges that you don’t recall seeing, then you know.
4. Strike a Pose
An effective way to tell if you’ve put on pounds is to compare pictures from past to current. Pictures can tell you a lot. Take a full-length photo of yourself and a face shot and compare to some pictures from your past, maybe 2-3 months ago and see if you can see a difference in your face or body. We’re all victims of bad photography every now and then so be sure you have a variety of pics to choose from if you try this out!
5. Check Yourself out
This is a private and easy way of tracking weight gain which you can do in the privacy of your own home, look at your body. Do you see any changes in your body that you just hadn’t really noticed before? You know your body better than anyone so if there are any minimal or moderate changes, you should be able to tell. Check out your entire bod from front to back, even if you happened to have gained weight, you might like what you see! The point is to see if you notice any changes in your appearance, not to put yourself down or get angry!
6. Examine Your Threads
Earlier I suggested putting on some clothing as a method of determining if you’ve gained weight, now take a good look at your clothes. A telling sign you’ve gained weight is if you see some wear in the inner thigh areas of pants from friction. This can happen in other areas as well like tops, but if you often wear layers of clothing, any sign of wear could just be from the different fabric rubbing together and not gaining weight.
7. Get Blinged out
Another one of the subtle signs you’ve gained weight is if your jewelry or accessories are fitting a little more snug than before. How does your watch or your favorite cuff fit? If you can see or feel any differences, it’s likely a sign you’ve gained weight. If you wear loose jewelry, this might not be a good method, but if you wear a fitted wristwatch, you should be able to feel a difference.
I hope you found these 7 signs you gained weight helpful. Gaining weight isn’t always a bad thing and it’s definitely not the end of the world. We all go through changes in our lives and as long as we eat healthy and stay active, we’re golden! Don’t let your weight define you or dictate your happiness because your weight doesn’t show the world how awesome you are!