Best way to measure weight loss?

Mom24_2021

I don’t have a scale, I got rid of it when we moved but I’m hesitant to buy another one as sometimes, I would get very discouraged by the number I saw. Is it better to use body measurements, a scale, both? What have you all found works the best for a true idea of progress, as well as what works the best to help not get discouraged?

Xellercin

tape measure and honesty pants. Honesty pants are a Gin Stephens-ism (very cool woman who wrote a few very good books on intermittent fasting and clean eating), which means completely non-stretchy pants that are just a bit too small if you are trying to lose weight. Then once your honesty pants are too loose, get new honesty pants.

I only had one pair of non-stretch pants, and they only made it halfway up my thighs in early December, now I can do them up. I mean, I'm bursting at the seams in them, but still, I know that's major progress because the last time they fit perfectly, I was the thinnest I've ever been in my life.

kenziestabes

I have something similar to honest pants- My sister's graduation dress. It's this structured, black lace cocktail dress with no give sitting in the back of the closet in my childhood bedroom. When I first started losing weight, I could not zip it up at all, and it barely got over my hips. I checked last week when I was visiting my parents over Christmas, and I can zip it all up, although it is incredibly tight around the bust and hips. The next step is to have it fit comfortably the next time I visit.

goal06082021

If you don't want to use a scale, you can take measurements or progress photos (it can be hard to see the small, slow changes over time in the mirror), or pay attention to how your clothes fit and how you feel. If you're in the habit of exercising, you can pay attention to that; can you walk or run or swim or ride farther or faster now than before? Can you lift a heavier weight, or do more reps of a bodyweight movement? Can you hold a pose longer?

That said, weight is a necessary bit of data for figuring out calorie needs. You could trial-and-error your way to figuring out how much you need to eat, and to a certain extent you'd have to do that regardless even if you weighed daily, but you'd probably have a lot less work to do on that front if you had your weight as a starting point.

Mom24_2021

goal06082021 wrote: »

If you don't want to use a scale, you can take measurements or progress photos (it can be hard to see the small, slow changes over time in the mirror), or pay attention to how your clothes fit and how you feel. If you're in the habit of exercising, you can pay attention to that; can you walk or run or swim or ride farther or faster now than before? Can you lift a heavier weight, or do more reps of a bodyweight movement? Can you hold a pose longer?

That said, weight is a necessary bit of data for figuring out calorie needs. You could trial-and-error your way to figuring out how much you need to eat, and to a certain extent you'd have to do that regardless even if you weighed daily, but you'd probably have a lot less work to do on that front if you had your weight as a starting point.

I have a starting weight. I gained less than 20lbs while pregnant with my 4th child and was back to pre-pregnancy size by the time he was 6 weeks old. I still have to go to the doctor somewhat frequently and they take weight so I know I’ve lost or maintained since then, though I probably gained about 5lbs around Christmas so I know where I should be but scales are really tough for me because I tend to be an emotional eater, if I see the scale has not changed it upsets me and I “give up” for a few days and normally gain back some weight in that time. If I weigh daily, this happens once or twice a week, thus completely defeating the purpose of losing weight. I think I’ll do measurements and do weight checks when I go to the doctor for a few months, just long enough for me to establish a new routine of eating better and working out and then do weekly weight checks from there. Thank you for your input, it helps to get everyone’s ideas on this.

Mom24_2021

Xellercin wrote: »

tape measure and honesty pants. Honesty pants are a Gin Stephens-ism (very cool woman who wrote a few very good books on intermittent fasting and clean eating), which means completely non-stretchy pants that are just a bit too small if you are trying to lose weight. Then once your honesty pants are too loose, get new honesty pants.

I only had one pair of non-stretch pants, and they only made it halfway up my thighs in early December, now I can do them up. I mean, I'm bursting at the seams in them, but still, I know that's major progress because the last time they fit perfectly, I was the thinnest I've ever been in my life.

The honesty pants may be a good idea. There is a pair I’ve been eyeing and I feel this approach would give me the motivation I need to eventually fit in these jeans I love OH SO MUCH! Thank you! I currently wear yoga pants and sweat pants because I don’t feel worth anything cuter I guess. I just want to get to a point I can see some cute jeans online and be like “Yeah, I may not look perfect in them, but I love myself enough to rock them anyway.”