Technology doesn’t always show the entire picture.
I received a cool Garmin digital scale from my husband for Christmas. I know, not the most “romantic” gift but he knew how dedicated I was to be getting in shape. It was Wi-Fi connected; measured weight, body mass index, body fat, and skeletal muscle mass, and recognizes up to 16 users. This thing was amazing!
However, the scale can only show so much about health and weight loss (or gain). I would notice that the scale would show a gain in weight one day and a gradual drop in weight another day. It was so frustrating seeing my body weight not going consistently down. I have since learned that this is a normal part of weight loss, especially for women.
But my clothes were fitting differently—more loose—despite what the scale was saying.
That’s when I decided to start taking my body measurements with a good old-fashioned tape measure. If you’re serious about your weight loss efforts, taking your body measurements weekly or monthly is a great way to see how your body is changing.
To take your body measurements, you’ll need a cloth tape measure that you can wrap around your body to take the measurements. You can find cloth measuring tapes at tailor shops, fabric shops, and drugstores. It doesn’t need to be fancy.
Taking and writing down your body measurements will give you a starting point, or baseline measurement. Then, when you take your body measurements each week or month, you can compare your first body measurements with your current body measurements. This will help you see where you are losing inches.
How to take Body Measurements
Before you begin measuring, follow these quick tips.
- Use a non-stretchable cloth measuring tape.
- Make sure the measuring tape is level and parallel to the floor for all places measured.
- Keep the tape measure flat against your skin without depressing it.
Where to Take Measurements
Neck. Measure around your neck two fingers width above your collarbones.
Bustline. Measure around your bust and back in line with your nipples.
Chest. Measure under your breasts, up as high as possible.
Waist. Measure around you’re the narrowest point of your waist.
Hips. Measure around the widest part of your hips.
Midway. Measure halfway between the widest part of your hips and the narrowest part of your waist.
Thighs. Measure around widest part of your upper leg while standing.
Knees. Measure directly above your knee.
Calves. Measure around widest part of your calf.
Upper arm. Measure above your elbows, around the widest part.
Forearms. Measure below your elbows, around the widest part.
Re-measure yourself every week or month and record you body measurements, so you can chart your progress. What a great source of motivation!
Here is a FREE printable for easily tracking your body measurements. Get the PDF here: Body Measurements.
