Silly Question- How do you calculate inches lost

mondesa

Sorry for asking but when you say you lost x number if inches how do you figure that?
Is it just the waist?
Is it the sum of all measurements?
What do you measure?
I currently meausre more than most waist. hips, thighs, calfs, arms, neck, chest would i add togeather for the total. That just seams like the number would he huge.

sthrnchick

OK...let me just say...I am a smart *kitten*...and its taking GREAT restraint not to answer accordingly...BUT ( A smily face so you know that I am not a mean person!! Sarcastic yes....sorry!

I measure my waist, hips, upper arms, and upper thighs... I measure in the exact same place, once a month...for TOTAL inches lost, you add up all the inches lost from the original measurements...Make sense?

LorinaLynn

I never particularly liked the "And I lost ____ total inches!" statement because it depends on how many places you measured. A more specific statement like, "I lost ___ inches off my waist," is a lot more meaningful. I mean... it's going to be a much higher number if you measure your waist, hips, neck, chest, each thigh, each calf, each ankle, each upper arm, each forearm, each wrist and each finger.

So I personally don't bother calculating it.

mcarter99

It's not a silly question. "Inches lost" is a nonsense metric, unless you maybe compare it to your own exact measuring routine, month to month or something. You could lose say 10" off your waist, which would be phenomenal. Or you could measure 100 places around your body and add up all the losses and get 10", which would be virtually nothing lost.

I would say do this-- If you lost 2" off your waist, just keep inching the tape up a little and down a little and adding up all the 2" losses. You could get 100" lost. :happy:

Bobby_Clerici

HECK YES!
I also track progress with bodyfat using measurements of various body spots :drinker:
Weight is not the whole picture, and the scale can lie as badly as the man in the mirror.
You can check here for free: http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html
I like this method, because it is easy to take and the results are consistent.
The bottom line is that we have something definitive to track progress.
This is it.
Good Luck!

DoOrDoNotThereIsNoTry1

With measuring tape??????

TrailRunner61

A silly question is one not asked!

I measure in several spots, write down the numbers and then remeasure. I add up the difference lost and there ya go. So far I've lost about an inch for each pound lost., around 40!

This is what I measure. Some people measure their arms too but I dont.

Neck, above boobs, boobs, waist, belly button, biggest part of belly (which, oddly has moved to dif places and is almost gone, yay), hips, thighs, inner thighs and calves.

ElizabethRoad

I never particularly liked the "And I lost ____ total inches!" statement because it depends on how many places you measured. A more specific statement like, "I lost ___ inches off my waist," is a lot more meaningful. I mean... it's going to be a much higher number if you measure your waist, hips, neck, chest, each thigh, each calf, each ankle, each upper arm, each forearm, each wrist and each finger.

So I personally don't bother calculating it.

That's why I don't add up my numbers and say I've lost X inches. But some people do, and if it makes you feel good to see the number, that's fine too.

ElizabethRoad

With measuring tape??????

Maybe read the post next time and not just the title.

dooter69

Sorry for asking but when you say you lost x number if inches how do you figure that?
Is it just the waist?
Is it the sum of all measurements?
What do you measure?
I currently meausre more than most waist. hips, thighs, calfs, arms, neck, chest would i add togeather for the total. That just seams like the number would he huge.

That's what I want to know!!! Is there some "official standard" for measuring inches lost? Like someone mentioned, you can measure a bunch of places on your body and get varied results. Or measure 3 spots and get less of a result. What's the "right" way to do it?

kafergie

I measure calf, thigh, hip, waist, bust, and bicep; compare from the week before and get a "total" inch loss/gain, but you are right you would need to ask how many and what points someone measured to understand the "total" number. For instance this week I lost 2.5 inches total, but 1 full inch was off my waistline alone, the other adds were a .25 of an inch here and there.

I used a fabric measuring tape, I don't own a body fat caliper yet.

I measure due to sometimes lack of weight loss, the scale may not move but I find my inches usually move more that week.

mondesa

OK...let me just say...I am a smart *kitten*...and its taking GREAT restraint not to answer accordingly...BUT ( A smily face so you know that I am not a mean person!! Sarcastic yes....sorry!

I measure my waist, hips, upper arms, and upper thighs... I measure in the exact same place, once a month...for TOTAL inches lost, you add up all the inches lost from the original measurements...Make sense?

I am not offended easily so no restraint needed!

ElizabethRoad

Sorry for asking but when you say you lost x number if inches how do you figure that?
Is it just the waist?
Is it the sum of all measurements?
What do you measure?
I currently meausre more than most waist. hips, thighs, calfs, arms, neck, chest would i add togeather for the total. That just seams like the number would he huge.

That's what I want to know!!! Is there some "official standard" for measuring inches lost? Like someone mentioned, you can measure a bunch of places on your body and get varied results. Or measure 3 spots and get less of a result. What's the "right" way to do it?

That's the point, there is no standard way. It's meaningless if you're trying to compare yourself to someone else, unless you both measure the same places.

mondesa

With measuring tape??????

Thanks I was having a hard time with the ruler :noway:

mcarter99

Sorry for asking but when you say you lost x number if inches how do you figure that?
Is it just the waist?
Is it the sum of all measurements?
What do you measure?
I currently meausre more than most waist. hips, thighs, calfs, arms, neck, chest would i add togeather for the total. That just seams like the number would he huge.

That's what I want to know!!! Is there some "official standard" for measuring inches lost? Like someone mentioned, you can measure a bunch of places on your body and get varied results. Or measure 3 spots and get less of a result. What's the "right" way to do it?

There is no right way, unless you're in some 'fixed' program like Curves where they measure you in the same X spots every week.

mondesa

Thanks everyone. I just never understood total inches they vary so much. I will just stick with my 10 inches in the waist and 11 in my hips (woo hoo) and forget the mystery "Total"

spearson288

Sorry for asking but when you say you lost x number if inches how do you figure that?
Is it just the waist?
Is it the sum of all measurements?
What do you measure?
I currently meausre more than most waist. hips, thighs, calfs, arms, neck, chest would i add togeather for the total. That just seams like the number would he huge.

That's exactly how I measure. Because you can be loosing fat of parts of your body that aren't the typical. . . like your knee's!

I Personally measure Neck, arms, chest, rib cage, waist, abdomen, butt, upper thighs, calves, and knee's ans so far I have lost 7 lbs but 25.5 inches as of yesterday.

DoOrDoNotThereIsNoTry1

With measuring tape??????

Maybe read the post next time and not just the title.

Wow...someone does not know how to take a joke...

gabzillamom

Totally off topic but I LOVE your profile picture!