Do most people do body measurements? (I'm new)!

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123yenta
123yenta Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
First time doing any sort of diet as not been able to before (been in wheelchair back cooperation), is taking body measurements an encouraging way to do it? I did mine with scary results :( does it really help and how often do you weigh/ measure yourselves? thanks!

Replies

  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
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    I take 3 body measurements: belly, wrist and neck.
    That's what I track along with weight and have a formula that calculates "bodyfat".
    Mere weight loss is not the whole picture.
    Fat Loss - that's the ticket :drinker:
  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
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    I took measurements when I started. Waist, hips, arms, thighs. i'm glad i did. bc, there are weeks when you don't lose weight, but you lose inches. then, as you approach your goal. the pounds slow even more but your body starts to change. the numbers are a good thing to have, they're a great motivator for lots of people.
  • BarbaraC47
    BarbaraC47 Posts: 175 Member
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    I weigh most days - its a bad habit, once a week is the better option, and I don't measure until I feel I might need to buy smaller clothes, then it such a high!! Its all down to personal choice though, whatever motivates you the best. Good luck whatever you choose :happy:
  • icimani
    icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
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    You'll hear lots and lots of different answers to your question. There will be some who will say throw away your scale and just go by your measurements, and there will be some who weigh themselves several times a day. I think it all boils down to doing whatever works for you.

    I weight myself 2x a day - morning and night. The morning weigh-in I think is the more accurate one, but the evening one helps to keep me mindful. But I'm not obsessive about it - if I forget it's no big deal.

    I measure myself at the beginning of each month. Especially since I started lifting weights I'm seeing more progress with measurements than I am with the scale. And it also helps to keep me motivated when I'm on a weight plateau but continue to see progress with my measurements.
  • DanTillson
    DanTillson Posts: 71 Member
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    I take 3 body measurements: belly, wrist and neck.
    That's what I track along with weight and have a formula that calculates "bodyfat".
    Mere weight loss is not the whole picture.
    Fat Loss - that's the ticket :drinker:

    Agree :)

    Has your wrists change at all Bobby? Would love to be able to build/strengthen mine, they are about 15cms and can't even wear a watch without it looking ridiculous lol.
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
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    I take 3 body measurements: belly, wrist and neck.
    That's what I track along with weight and have a formula that calculates "bodyfat".
    Mere weight loss is not the whole picture.
    Fat Loss - that's the ticket

    Agree :)

    Has your wrists change at all Bobby? Would love to be able to build/strengthen mine, they are about 15cms and can't even wear a watch without it looking ridiculous lol.
    The wrist measurement is supposed to be the constant which must define bone structure.
    Neck is their way of gauging lean body mass and belly is how fat I am.
    They're are tons of different on-line body fat calculators.
    Just google it, pick one and track the result.
    It matters not which one you pick, but my choice was simply the easiest.
    I am all about making this journey easy :drinker:
  • lorenzoinlr
    lorenzoinlr Posts: 338 Member
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    I both weigh and measure. When I started a year ago I only weighed. Now after a successful year of weight loss and workouts, I put more credence in measurements.
  • 123yenta
    123yenta Posts: 10
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    Thanks all! I think that if I did it daily it might consume me and scare me off, so after reading these will do it every Friday for weight and once a month on the 1st for measurements. I have done lots, neck, under arms, waist bottom, thighs, calls, ankles...both legs very different from each other! I have permanent nerve damage to one leg and foot so exersise with caution.. back opperation has changed my flexability...BUT I am not paralyzed and with support WILL do this! thanks again :)
  • DanTillson
    DanTillson Posts: 71 Member
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    I take 3 body measurements: belly, wrist and neck.
    That's what I track along with weight and have a formula that calculates "bodyfat".
    Mere weight loss is not the whole picture.
    Fat Loss - that's the ticket

    Agree :)

    Has your wrists change at all Bobby? Would love to be able to build/strengthen mine, they are about 15cms and can't even wear a watch without it looking ridiculous lol.
    The wrist measurement is supposed to be the constant which must define bone structure.
    Neck is their way of gauging lean body mass and belly is how fat I am.
    They're are tons of different on-line body fat calculators.
    Just google it, pick one and track the result.
    It matters not which one you pick, but my choice was simply the easiest.
    I am all about making this journey easy :drinker:

    Ah ha, I see, thanks for the advice, will give it a google! :)
  • 123yenta
    123yenta Posts: 10
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    can't wait to buy smaller clothes will be a great insentive for me!
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
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    I weigh every morning.

    I check measurements weekly.

    I take pics every month or so.

    I recommend using as many tracking methods as you can because sometimes surprising things happen as you lose and get fitter. You can show a gain on the scale yet a reduction in inches. I've also lost, per the scale, with no change in inches (though obviously I can't measure every single part of my body lol). And when I lost my first 10 pounds, I thought I looked the same til I checked out my progress pics.
  • chocolateminx
    chocolateminx Posts: 3 Member
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    I take body measurements every 6 weeks, hips waist and thigh :)
  • chocolateminx
    chocolateminx Posts: 3 Member
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    Also once a week i weigh in, in the morning though :)
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
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    I took measurements when I started. Waist, hips, arms, thighs. i'm glad i did. bc, there are weeks when you don't lose weight, but you lose inches. then, as you approach your goal. the pounds slow even more but your body starts to change. the numbers are a good thing to have, they're a great motivator for lots of people.

    ^^^^^this^^^^^
    I take a few more than above but use it the same way - there have been times when my weight would not change for weeks but my measurements continued to improve.. I track body fat% now since maintaining/improving lean muscle mass is more important than the number on the scale.

    http://www.gymgoal.com/dtool_fat.html
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
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    I wish I had taken measurements when I first started in January 2012. I didn't take measurements until June so I will never really know just how much I have lost. I measure every 2 weeks. You can check my profile to see how many inches have come off. Yes it is scary when you first do it but each time that tape is going to measure less and less. That is encouraging!!
  • 123yenta
    123yenta Posts: 10
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    Will have a look thanks
  • shanmackie
    shanmackie Posts: 194 Member
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    body measurements are a more accurate method of determining how you're doing than weight loss is. definitely do those in addition to weighing in so you don't get frustrated. trendweight.com is good for logging body weight though, so you can get a more accurate picture if you're relying on pounds/kg lost.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    I measure. The scale isn't a good indicator of how your fat and muscles are progressing.

    A body fat caliper would be ideal, but ....
  • chocolateminx
    chocolateminx Posts: 3 Member
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    Yeah i think at the same time/day when weighing. Also with measurements do them at regular intervals like monthly, 6 weekly etc
  • RunFarLiveHappy
    RunFarLiveHappy Posts: 805 Member
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    I measure once a month. Several places; neck, bust, chest, largest point of upper arm (R and L), smallest point of waist, largest point of waist, widest point of hips/butt, largest point of thigh (R and L), largest point of calf (R and L). I also have my body fat tested every few months. I weigh anywhere between 1/day to 1/week lol. Stupid scale.

    Inches lost and fat lost are most important to me!

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