How to do body measurements?

debrag12

Whenever I take measurements it is either always the same or higher than my previous measurement.

I am clearly losing weight - a bit here, a bit there. Even my OH has noticed but my measurements basically stay the same. Could I be measuring wrong or it is that I'm just not losing from those areas?

emmamcgarity

I was listening to a podcast that interviewed James Krieger the other day. He mentioned that it’s difficult to consistently measure the same spot every time. That makes it hard to compare. He recommended focusing on a waist measurement that crosses your belly button so that you have the same point of reference each time. He didn’t seem bothered by having other measurements be off.

cmriverside

Someone mentioned that they took pictures of the exact placement of the measuring tape.

Gisel2015

debrag12 wrote: »

Whenever I take measurements it is either always the same or higher than my previous measurement.

I am clearly losing weight - a bit here, a bit there. Even my OH has noticed but my measurements basically stay the same. Could I be measuring wrong or it is that I'm just not losing from those areas?

I have the same problem and that's why the scale and how clothes fit are more important markers to me than the measuring tape.

k8eekins

debrag12 wrote: »

Whenever I take measurements it is either always the same or higher than my previous measurement.

I am clearly losing weight - a bit here, a bit there. Even my OH has noticed but my measurements basically stay the same. Could I be measuring wrong or it is that I'm just not losing from those areas?

I do a combination of approach to using my tape measure.

• Bikini Fitness measurements
• Custom tailoring measurements

Edited to add: Myotape is available at most Walmart centers.

Stellamom2018

I measure at natural "dips" in my body. For my arms I follow the natural indentation on my bicep, I measure the largest part of my thighs, and 3 different spots on my waist.

texasredreb

I measure the widest part of my hips and the narrowest part of my waistline. My is probably less consistent but I try to measure near the same spot every time.

sefajane1

I measure across the fullest part of my breasts, the smallest of my waist (I use the bathroom mirror) and the widest point on my hips. Wrist and forearm I use moles to know the exact spot each time 😀
Don't be too disheartened though, my measurements didn't really change at all for the first few weeks even though my clothes were looser and I could see I was smaller. Since that initial stall they seem to be going (slowly) in the right direction.

lorrpb

I can measure twice in a row and not get the same number! When losing, m trainer took measurements every 3 months because I wanted to be sure I'd see a chsnge.

Yivs_87

I use two methods - standing in front of the mirror, and the other involves a couple of spots and scars I have over my body
First of all, I always, always wear the same bra and the same bikini when I measure myself, and I always try to have the same posture.

So the mirror one - obviously, I stand in front of a full body mirror and look for middles/smallest/biggest parts or where my scars/spots are:
- Neck - I aim for the middle of my neck;
- Shoulders - I put my arms together and work with the meter as if it's a scarf, aiming to put it over where my collarbone is.
- Arms (aiming for the wings) - I stick my arm to the side and look which is the biggest part and I loop the meter over it;
- Under breasts- I use the line of the bra to measure this one;
- Over breasts- going around and aiming to be over the nipples;
- Waist - look where the thinnest appears to be and measure that;
- Tummy - look where the biggest curve is and go there (and an additional one - I've got a spot just where that part is so this helps);
- Butt - aim for the middle;
- Thighs (I measure the two legs together and then each leg separately) - aiming for the biggest parts;
- Over knees - two fingers above where the knee;

Yes, sometimes I might be measuring a bit different spots, but with my method (that works for me) I keep track of "my fattest points". If they are shrinking - good! And why they are shrinking they might be moving (a bit higher, a bit lower, depending on how much you're losing and how you workout), but in the end I personally am more interested in those points and I'm okay if it turns out that if I had measured always at 100% the same place I'd have seen a much bigger loss.

neugebauer52

A medical practitioner told me that the wrists lose in proportion the same circumference as does the body. However the differences are tiny - measured in mm. I used to be unable to join middle finger and thumb on my wrists, after one year on MFP I can do so on 1 hand. Happy days!