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What did you wish you tracked from day 1?

12 replies10 peopleOct 21, 2026☆ Follow
Summary

what metrics or records do people regret not starting on day one of their weight loss journey

Participants consistently wish they had captured more baseline data before noticeable changes began. Common regrets include photos, body measurements beyond the waist, mood logs, and DEXA scans for body composition. Several also note they would have tracked side effects, appetite changes, and dosage responses from the outset. The thread shows that early photos and measurements later provide the clearest personal proof of progress.

What this discussion establishes

Nothing here is advice.

12 replies · 10 people
SlowLedger99archiveopening post11h

Looking back I wish I had recorded a lot more from the beginning. Side effects, changes in food noise, and how each dose made me feel would have been useful. It's easy to misremember details over time. What do others wish they had begun noting earlier?

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LevelAlder29archive11h

I wish I had tracked photos of myself. At my highest weight I felt too sad and ashamed to take any selfies and avoided mirrors, training myself to look only at my face. This memory still makes me sad. I wish I had found the strength to accept how I looked then, especially since the weight gain came with reduced mobility from pain that also increased emotional distress. My first photo came after losing 25 pounds. Now that I am 30 pounds from one goal and 65 from another I take many more pictures. I also wish I had tracked mood more consistently. I have improved at this using the iPhone Health app where I already log my medications and supplements. Keeping meds, mood, and cycle details together makes it simpler. From the limited mood notes I did keep, mostly negative ones, I can see I have not felt this steadily positive in a very long time thanks to the weight loss, better mobility, less pain, and reduced anxiety.

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GreyLantern71archive11h

Body measurements. I only measured my waist on a regular basis. Now I wonder about my arms, legs, chest and hips. My shoes also feel looser, which is strange.

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GreyLantern71archive11h
↳ replying to @LevelAlder29

I agree completely about photos. I only have a few and they show me covered up so they are not very useful for seeing progress.

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PlainLedger95archive11h
↳ replying to @GreyLantern71

This is mine too. I wish I had taken starting measurements at least.

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LevelThistle44archive11h

A DEXA scan before I began. My first one happened 6 weeks and 21 pounds into the process that has now reached 100 pounds and 44 weeks.

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NorthWillow72archive11h
↳ replying to @LevelAlder29

I am often surprised by old photos. I looked at my drivers license photo today and may need a new one. This is funny. One pair of brand new shoes that never fit because they were too tight from the start now fit me. It is the only pair where I really noticed the difference. I wish I had tracked muscle loss more carefully because I keep second guessing how much I may have lost.

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PlainAlder11archive9h
↳ replying to @GreyLantern71

Make me a third. I also wish I had started with my smart scale at the beginning of the year. I got it in February.

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SlowLedger99archive8h

Shoes that finally fit is the most underrated non-scale victory I have read all week.

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SlowLedger99archive8h

One hundred pounds down with a DEXA scan to confirm it is the dream. Congratulations.

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IronLantern24archive8h
↳ replying to @SlowLedger99 (opening post)

Thinking about it now, I should have noted down my waist size right away. That idea never came to me at the time I began. An app for keeping tabs on the shot amounts would probably have been useful as well.

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SteadySparrow75archive8h
↳ replying to @LevelAlder29

Nothing beats cheerful seasonal shots and you really do look amazing 🙂 👍 ❤️

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WarmAlder42archive7h
↳ replying to @LevelThistle44

I got fortunate with my choice here. Back in March of 2023, following several months of strength training sessions, they offered a special deal so I went for a body composition test. My weight was still elevated then and the findings left me a bit disappointed overall yet I appreciated having that baseline as I worked toward better health. Three months after that I started using a weight loss medication from a clinic and stuck with it. The following year I switched to another similar medication and recently in March I had my follow-up scan. It's fascinating to compare how the fat and muscle have shifted between the two. I'm excited about it and plan to get one more scan later this year hoping my bone strength will have improved by then since that was one area from the initial results that wasn't strong and that's why having the test was useful.

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