Using the Scale To Track Weight Loss

Using a scale to track your weight loss journey can be frustrating and misleading,.  Your weight fluctuates daily based on hydration levels, food consumption and the time of day you weigh yourself.  Several methods that don't involve the use of a scale can track weight loss reliably.  You can measure your waistline with an old fashioned measuring tape and use photographs and clothing to monitor loss of body fat during your diet or exercise program.

MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS

Step 1:  Pull a flexible measuring tape snugly around your waist to determine its circumference.  Measure your progress in the mornings every other week.

Step 2:  Record the date and measurement in your journal.  Review past measurements to ensure weight loss and adjust accordingly.

Step 3:  Measure the thickness of your skin folds by grasping one of your abdominal skin rolls between your fingers and then pinching it between the calipers.  Do this in the mornings, once every month.

Step 4:  Record these numbers and the date measurements were taken in your journal.  Reductions in your waist circumference and skin fold measurements mean you are losing weight.

PICTURE COMPARISONS

Step 1:  Take weekly pictures of yourself in a swimsuit or form fitting workout gear.  Use the same or very similar outfit for each picture.

Step 2:  Line up the pictures next to each other in order of first to last to compare your progress.

Step 3:  If your body does not appear to change over the course of a few weeks, reevaluate your diet and exercise program.  Make necessary changes and continue tracking progress.

CHOOSE CLOTHING FOR COMFORT

Step 1:  Wear the same size clothes while trying to lose weight.  The clothes will become loose when weight loss occurs.

Step 2:  Wait to buy new clothes until you reach your weight loss goal.  For significant weight loss, purchase new outfits periodically.

Step 3:  Reward yourself with a new wardrobe once you reach your ideal weight.

THINGS YOU'LL NEED

Tape measure

Camera

Clothes

Body fat calipers

Journal

REFERENCES

U.S. National Library of Medicine:  Medicine Weight Loss Unintentional Healthy People 2020: Nutrition and Weight Status British Medical Association:  Waist Circumference as a Measure for Indicating Need for Weight Management 

International Association for the Study of Obesity:  Changes in Measurements of Body Fat Distribution Accompanying Weight Change

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:  Healthy Weight 

American Diabetes Association:  Healthy Weight Loss

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: The Practical Guide Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults