Not Sure Where 2 Post - Does Anyone Use ...

Knowing what my ideal shoulders, waist, and hip circumference should be helped me reach my goal and see progress, as well as my "weight range".

But also taking front, side, and back profile pictures helps you see progress you won't see in the above mentioned metrics.

Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You can not make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.

Hi, I'm new....I wasn't thinking about measuring...guess it's a good idea. I've always had the problem of losing slowly and get depressed about it. I need things to keep me motivated.

Barring physical ailment, progress pics and tape measure every 30 days will be your best friend if you are following a proper meal plan and make a conscious effort to move about. And that's not because "I said so," it's simple biology.

For women chest is measured ABOVE the breast, in the armpits. For men chest is measured at the nipples.

Your waist is measured (both men and women) at the narrowest portion of your waist (which may not necessarily be at the navel).

For both men and women you measure your hips where you are biggest around. If you carry "more junk in your trunk" lol then that is where you measure. If you have wider hips then you measure at that point.

Thighs are measured at their biggest point for both men and women.

Calves, forearms, biceps, for both men and women are measured at their biggest point - relaxed, not flexed.

Neck is self-explanatory. LOL

Thanks for this info b/c I am always worried that I am not measuring in the right places but I am - except in the chest - I need to move that one...lol :happy:

My preferred way of tracking progress is photos taking with the self timer. I've been "at goal" for over a year now, so there's not going to be any massive changes on the scale or with the measuring tape (who goes "WOOHOO!" over 1/16th of an inch?!), but in photos, I can see improvements.

Great thread! :drinker:
I wasn't sure where to measure my chest, but now that I know......

I use the scale, the tape measure, the way my clothes fit, pictures, how I feel, etc. to determine my progress. It all matters. You always know when you're not at your best. I love feeling and seeing positive changes (however slight they may be) it keeps me going.

For me, it also helps to have a good support system. That little bit of encouragement can go a looooong way. When you're feeling like you're not getting anywhere, it's nice to hear it from friends & loved ones. :flowerforyou:

It is very important for men as we are often, at about fifty or some younger, carrying big bellies, but our weight hasn't changed that much since we were 25. I've lost about 5 in. off my waist and hips during a period of time where I only lost about ten pounds. Some of that is burned fat replaced by lean muscle.

I do use one. The reason that I use it is I find that there are times when I am losing inches but not lbs. It is like my body is catching up with my weight loss. If I only depended on the scale I would lose motivation during plateus.

Rocky