Overall Weight
That’s right-get used to the scale! You should weigh yourself weekly, on the same day every week to track your weight loss. For the best results, weigh unclothed after using the bathroom in the morning, but before eating or drinking anything.
Body Fat Percentage
The body’s mass is comprised of water, muscle, organs and fat. Fat is the one thing you desire to change when losing weight; thus, keeping a measurement of your body fat percentage can be helpful. Popular methods to calculate your body fat percentage include: Skinfold testing, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, Dexa Scan, Bod Pod, Underwater Weighing and several others. These tests can often be properly conducted by a trained health or wellness professional. Though some tests like the Dexa Scan and Underwater weighing tend to be more accurate, they can be costly and complex. Comparatively, Bioelectrical Impedance, though not considered exact, can be measured within minutes using a small hand held machine found in gyms and health care offices free of charge.
Body Measurements
Have you or someone you know ever said you haven’t seen the number on the scale change but you can tell you have lost because your clothes fit better? Well this is exactly why measuring certain parts of your body that typically contain fat and muscle can help better understand your success. You should measure weekly unclothed after using the bathroom in the morning, but before eating or drinking anything.
Here’s how:
- Chest: Measure around your chest at the center
- Waist: Measure around your natural waist (typically above the belly button and below the ribs)
- Belly: Measure around your torso at bellybutton height.
- Hips: Measure around your hips/glutes at the fullest point.
- Right and Left Arm: Measure around your right arm at the fullest point (typically an inch or two below the armpit).
- Right and Left Thigh: Measure around your thigh at the fullest point.
- Right and Left Calf: Measure around your calf at the fullest point.
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– CASEY EDMONDS, CHWC, CPT, CMS
Health Advisor | Email Casey
