Measurement questions!

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AuntieKT
AuntieKT Posts: 235 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Good morning everyone!
I have not really ever measure my weightloss by anthing other than with the scale. I know I know, scales lie, they are evil, ect. ect. Well up until now, I have been getting good results on the scale. I have lost 76 pounds since March 1st. My goal is to lose like 20 more pounds. I have only been weighing in every month because in the past I get a little obsessed weighing in evey week. In the last two months I haven't been able to exercise a whole lot because of medical issues. Last month I hardly worked out at all and still lost 6 pounds. This month, though totally not as much as I would have liked, I have been working out a couple of times a week. I have been eating the same way that I always have. Well, I weighed in today a little early because I am going out of town this weekend and just wanted to get it out of the way. The scale said that not only have I not lost ANY weight, but it actually registered that I have gained a half pound! In over three weeks I have GAINED a half pound??? I'm pissed, but I also realize that I have had a lot of issues going on and that maybe there could be other issues that is messing with my weigh in. I don't feel a lot smaller than three weeks ago, but I think it should have registered some kind of a loss. Long story...well, long I guess, is that I am going to try to start taking my measurements and tracking them as well. Since I have never done this before, I thought I would ask: what measurements should I be taking and what amount of inches lost should I be shooting for as a goal? Is there anything else I should know or any tips that anyone has that will make this measurement taking a success?

Thanks a lot in advance!

-Katie
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Replies

  • AuntieKT
    AuntieKT Posts: 235 Member
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    bump
  • AwesomeSquirrel
    AwesomeSquirrel Posts: 632 Member
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    It's half a pound. It's probably water.
  • AuntieKT
    AuntieKT Posts: 235 Member
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    Yes, I agree, but after all this time of eating a lower calorie diet and exercising a few times a week, there should be some loss there was my point. I lost 6 pounds last month when I couldn't exercise at all.
  • areufnkiddingme
    areufnkiddingme Posts: 99 Member
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    Whats your height and weight? I find a lot of times when people are down to the last 10 lbs, what they really want is to tone up, not lose more lbs. For measurements I suggest doing your bust, waist, hip, upper thigh and upper arm.
  • CopperGalaxy
    CopperGalaxy Posts: 27 Member
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    Keep track of:

    Waist
    Hips
    Wrist
    Neck
    Forearm
    Thigh

    These have been rapidly shrinking for me, despite only losing 1lb a week on average. It's the exercise that does it! x
  • edixon908
    edixon908 Posts: 68 Member
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    I don’t really set measurement goals. But I have started keeping track of my measurements as well. If your stomach area measures at over 30+ inches I would set small measurement goals of ½ inch or 1 inch. Any progress is progress. Start small and measure yourself:happy/weigh yourself first thing in the morning (right after using the bathroom but before you do anything else). I hope this helps. :happy:
  • needamulligan
    needamulligan Posts: 558 Member
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    Not sure if this is what you are asking but you can track certain measurements right here when you update your weight. Heck you can even spit out reports based on the measurement of each body part. If you are asking where to measure on your waist, etc just keep the spot consistent. I don't know if setting measurement goals is realistic.
  • therealmax
    therealmax Posts: 33 Member
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    Hey Katie,
    I think where you want to take your measurements depends on where you want to see changes in your body. I personally don't care about my bustline and whether it gets smaller or stays the same, but I do measure my waist, hips, thighs and upper arms because those are the places on my body I am looking to lose inches. Taking measurements is the same as weighing yourself, do it at a consistent time of day when your water retention will be at a similar level, e.g. right after waking up and using the bathroom but before drinking anything.

    Also, if you're interested, try to get a measurement done of your body fat percentage. This is also a good way to see progress when you know the scale is lying to you.

    (This website has pictures and a description of "how" to do it.)
    http://www.wikihow.com/Take-Measurements-(For-Women)

    Congrats on the great success so far!
  • AuntieKT
    AuntieKT Posts: 235 Member
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    Thanks everyone on all the encouragement and advice! mhabs17 - I have been thinking about having my body fat percentage measured a little more accurately than just the scale they have here in the hospital that I work at. I would love to hear from some more of you if anyone else has anything to add!
  • Rosytakesoff
    Rosytakesoff Posts: 321
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    I keep track of:

    hips
    bust
    waist
    thigh
    bicep
    neck
    ankle

    I second the suggestion of getting your body fat measured. I just did the BodPod a couple of weeks ago. While I've lost 122lbs, I still have a 36% body fat, so now I now to direct my efforts to increasing muscle mass and not just losing weight.

    good luck
    katie
  • bhelmreich
    bhelmreich Posts: 254 Member
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    I've noticed that the weeks that I do not work out as hard as other weeks, I drop the most weight. Your muscles hold on to water after hard workouts to repair themselves. At least thats what I heard. I may be stuck at a weight for weeks and then I have a week where I do no work out as much, and I lose 3lbs. Its happened on many occasions.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
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    I wouldn't freak out over half a pound. If you are measuring once a month, you are rolling the dice on your diet, water consumption, salt consumption, etc.

    My weight fluctuates by multiple pounds in a day!

    eg... my lowest body weight last week 164.2. Yesterday morning 169.3, Yesterday evening (after two hours of boxing), 166.3; this morning 166.8. Tomorrow, I may be back to 164.2. I have 164.2 as my current weight on MFP because I've hit that weight 4 times now, and it's the lowest I've ever been in my quest to tone and trim.

    I measure daily, typically in the morning, and log when my weight drops.
  • BABetter1
    BABetter1 Posts: 618 Member
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    On a couple of differnt posts today, I've noticed the OP states they are eating the same number of calories they have been eating with good results up to this point. My thought is, and I don't claim to be an expert by any means, maybe you've lost enough that you need to reduce your calories a bit further. Also, if you're doing the same exercise routines day in and day out for months at a time, eventually you're body is used to it and you aren't going to burn as many calories doing it. Food for thought, I hope. Good luck!
  • fanofsummer
    fanofsummer Posts: 22 Member
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    I keep track of inches on the following website:

    www.weightracker.info

    On the site there is a link towards the top of the page "inchminder". When you add measurements, it is on a body display. Then the site will show each area of your body with a summary of your progress for each measurement and also total inches lost.

    Good luck.
  • jsj024519
    jsj024519 Posts: 400 Member
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    bump
  • dfborders
    dfborders Posts: 474 Member
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    I have a weird mid-area so I actually measure across my hips and under my belly button (I have kind of an hour-glass shape but an indentation right above my belly button all around from where I guess in my teens I wore my jeans too tight or something:ohwell: so I don't weigh right there) - I also do upper thigh and upper arm.
  • ellehcimyelhsa
    ellehcimyelhsa Posts: 110
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    You can calculate your body fat percentage on www.fat2fitradio.com. I personally use the military one. It says to measure your waist at your navel, but you should measure your natural waist instead (bend to the side and measure where your body creases). The most accurate way would be to go to a personal trainer who is trained to use calipers and have him/her measure you. In my own experience, the military fat calculator was extremely close.

    There have been some great suggestions on which measurements to keep track of, and MFP has a tracker for some too. Your goals would depend on your height, weight, work outs and how much you have to lose.

    ETA: Also, you should be reevaluating your daily calorie needs every 5-10 lbs lost.
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
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    Taking measurements is far more useful and important than the scales. Measure your natural waist and your stomach, which some people consider the waist. Doctors for example. You take the former at the smallest part of your abs and the latter with the tape across the small part going down to your naval. Then measure your neck, biceps, forearms, wrist (to determine your body frame), hips, thighs and calves. Oh, and chest.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Good morning everyone!
    I have not really ever measure my weightloss by anthing other than with the scale. I know I know, scales lie, they are evil, ect. ect. Well up until now, I have been getting good results on the scale. I have lost 76 pounds since March 1st. My goal is to lose like 20 more pounds. I have only been weighing in every month because in the past I get a little obsessed weighing in evey week. In the last two months I haven't been able to exercise a whole lot because of medical issues. Last month I hardly worked out at all and still lost 6 pounds. This month, though totally not as much as I would have liked, I have been working out a couple of times a week. I have been eating the same way that I always have. Well, I weighed in today a little early because I am going out of town this weekend and just wanted to get it out of the way. The scale said that not only have I not lost ANY weight, but it actually registered that I have gained a half pound! In over three weeks I have GAINED a half pound??? I'm pissed, but I also realize that I have had a lot of issues going on and that maybe there could be other issues that is messing with my weigh in. I don't feel a lot smaller than three weeks ago, but I think it should have registered some kind of a loss. Long story...well, long I guess, is that I am going to try to start taking my measurements and tracking them as well. Since I have never done this before, I thought I would ask: what measurements should I be taking and what amount of inches lost should I be shooting for as a goal? Is there anything else I should know or any tips that anyone has that will make this measurement taking a success?

    Been doing cardio?

    1/2 lb is 250 calories worth of glucose/water being stored in the muscle.

    That is easily the difference between last weigh-in being low a bit, and this time being topped off.

    You may have indeed still lost some fat, but masked by this.

    So you increased activity, did you increase amount eaten?

    Or you are eating at maintenance letting exercise create the deficit totally?

    Or you are eating with a deficit already, and letting exercise create a bigger deficit?

    Is it too big?
  • AuntieKT
    AuntieKT Posts: 235 Member
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    UPDATE!!!

    I just wanted to tell everyone that responded to this post last week and offered me encouragement and words of wisdom that I got back on the scale today (a week later) and I am down 8.2 pounds from last week's horrible weigh in! I didn't want to make excuses for myself last week, but I had been going through some health issues and I thought maybe the scale was lying to me , hence why I weighed in again today! Obviously I lost these pounds in over a month time period and not just in this last week. I just wanted to shard because I am SO HAPPY that all that work that I put in last month actually amounted to something! Thanks again for everyones kind words and encouragement!

    -Katie

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