Accurate waist measurement help needed

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missykaymorgan
missykaymorgan Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all! I'm a bit confused.

I'm kicking up my strength training and am more concerned about losing inches vs weight (not overweight, just very much trying to tone up).
I'm trying to find out exactly where I should be taking my waist measurement. I am only 5'2" and have a pretty darn short torso. I've read to measure either 1) in the slimmest part of your waist and 2) along your belly button line. Well...I kind of have an issue with both of those.
1. The slimmest part of my waist is literally at the very bottom of my rib cage. Also, I don't really have any accumulative fat there. So there's not really a whole lot to lose in that area to begin with.
2. The area along my belly button is literally about an inch below where my ribcage ends. So, again, not really any accumulative fat there that I can lose.

What I am concerned about, however, is losing that extra fat in my lower abdomen area, below my belly button. But, being a woman, that area likes to go back and forth between being angrily bloated and not-so-bloated (I swear I'm always in some state of bloatedness). So trying to get any kind of accurate measurement in that target area is damn near impossible.

I appreciate ANY information/suggestions you may have.

Replies

  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,709 Member
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    First, measure your waist anyway, even if it seems like you don't have fat to lose there.

    Second, I'd take measurements at BOTH of the areas you mentioned and just note which is which. Or, pick one or the other but the main thing is to consistently measure in the same spot.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Measure yourself at the slimmest part and across your belly button. Track both.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    Measure yourself at the slimmest part and across your belly button. Track both.

    that.

    apparently im weird (well, we know that but anyways) and my natural waist, slimmest part AND my belly button are all in the same line.

    which makes it easy to measure lol

    however i do also measure my ribcage cause... im weird? (and yes, ive lost inches there lol)
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    Measure first thing in the morning - before eating anything you will be less bloated than after you start consuming food/fluids. I would pick 3 measurements - natural waist, belly button, hip bones - those are easy spots to find and they will stay the same spot from week to week.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Measure yourself at the slimmest part and across your belly button. Track both.

    that.

    apparently im weird (well, we know that but anyways) and my natural waist, slimmest part AND my belly button are all in the same line.

    which makes it easy to measure lol

    however i do also measure my ribcage cause... im weird? (and yes, ive lost inches there lol)

    The more measurements the merrier! :)

    We lose size in all sorts of spots. I measure my waist at the two spots above, hips, thigh, calf, wrist, forearm, and neck. I have no idea why but I've never measured my bicep/upper arm area.
  • DaisyBlinks
    DaisyBlinks Posts: 18 Member
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    Really, you can measure anywhere you want. I measure my belly button because it's approximately the widest part of my abdomen and it's easy to find the exact same spot each week. If you want to measure another part of your abdomen, go for it. It might be harder to get in the same spot but if you have a mole or freckle or something, just go off of that. You'll see some fluctuation with bloating but I'd imagine you could still see an overall trend over time.

    Honestly, photos might be better feedback for you though. Take one with your abs flexed and unflexed every couple weeks and compare.
  • motterotter
    motterotter Posts: 701 Member
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    Bend sideways where u bend is your natural waist or the slimmest part of your torso
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
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    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Measure yourself at the slimmest part and across your belly button. Track both.

    that.

    apparently im weird (well, we know that but anyways) and my natural waist, slimmest part AND my belly button are all in the same line.

    which makes it easy to measure lol

    however i do also measure my ribcage cause... im weird? (and yes, ive lost inches there lol)

    I am kind of fascinated that your belly button is the slimmest part of your waist, it's so cool how we are all different! My 'waist' is likely where the OP's is, the slimmest part is right below my rib cage. Just this morning I figured out how you can add more measurements you want to track to MFP so I added a few. Like you, I am going to start tracking my rib cage (where my bra band sits). I don't expect my rib cage to get smaller, but hopefully some of that fat on my back will go one of these days!
  • stormyview
    stormyview Posts: 81 Member
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    I measured rib cage, natural waist (just below ribs for me) and the very top of my hip bones. Even without a lot of extra weight there when I started (or so I thought because my tummy was flat!), I lost s surprising number of inches from those spots.

    It's also nice to track more measurement spots than just your waist and hips because sometimes there will be a lot of change in one measurement but not others.
  • missykaymorgan
    missykaymorgan Posts: 2 Member
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    All very awesome suggestions...thank you all for your input. Taking measurements of multiple areas and adding photos to document the process sounds like the best way to go about it. It's good to know that we all have different natural waist definitions. I was starting to think I didn't fall into the norm!
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    edited January 2016
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    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Measure yourself at the slimmest part and across your belly button. Track both.

    that.

    apparently im weird (well, we know that but anyways) and my natural waist, slimmest part AND my belly button are all in the same line.

    which makes it easy to measure lol

    however i do also measure my ribcage cause... im weird? (and yes, ive lost inches there lol)

    I am weird too then. My belly button is where my waist is, and that is directly below the bottom of my ribs at the side.
    My ribs and hips have 2.5 in distance between them.

    There was a good belly button/waist thread a year or more ago with a number of pictures posted and a good description of the differences.

    Those with a belly button and waist in line tend to be a B shape in profile. Looks like you have a top tummy and bottom tummy.

    Those with the belly button below the waist tend to be a D shape in profile with the bottom of the D extending out a little more.

    I looked to see if I had a pic on my phone for an example of the B type, fortunately I don't. (Wouldn't like to scare you all)

    Cheers, h.
    ETA, it doesn't matter how much weight I am carrying, when I sit down my belly button gets lost in my waist crease and my top tummy bloops over waistbands.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    blues4miles wrote: »
    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Measure yourself at the slimmest part and across your belly button. Track both.

    that.

    apparently im weird (well, we know that but anyways) and my natural waist, slimmest part AND my belly button are all in the same line.

    which makes it easy to measure lol

    however i do also measure my ribcage cause... im weird? (and yes, ive lost inches there lol)

    I am kind of fascinated that your belly button is the slimmest part of your waist, it's so cool how we are all different! My 'waist' is likely where the OP's is, the slimmest part is right below my rib cage. Just this morning I figured out how you can add more measurements you want to track to MFP so I added a few. Like you, I am going to start tracking my rib cage (where my bra band sits). I don't expect my rib cage to get smaller, but hopefully some of that fat on my back will go one of these days!


    i always assumed everyone's was like that till i think maybe the thread mentioned below LOL i had just never... thought about it LOLOLOL
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Measure yourself at the slimmest part and across your belly button. Track both.

    that.

    apparently im weird (well, we know that but anyways) and my natural waist, slimmest part AND my belly button are all in the same line.

    which makes it easy to measure lol

    however i do also measure my ribcage cause... im weird? (and yes, ive lost inches there lol)

    I am weird too then. My belly button is where my waist is, and that is directly below the bottom of my ribs at the side.
    My ribs and hips have 2.5 in distance between them.

    There was a good belly button/waist thread a year or more ago with a number of pictures posted and a good description of the differences.

    Those with a belly button and waist in line tend to be a B shape in profile.

    Those with the belly button below the waist tend to be a D shape in profile with the bottom of the D extending out a little more.

    I looked to see if I had a pic on my phone for an example of the B type, fortunately I don't. (Wouldn't like to scare you all)

    Cheers, h.

  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
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    I track waist (slimmest point) & naval circumference).
  • lgoldfarb
    lgoldfarb Posts: 76 Member
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    I'm the same way. My waist hits just at the bottom of my ribs, my belly button is below that. I take and track measurements. Hips also. I'm 5'. My torso is ridiculously short. Low rise pants usually come up to my belly button.
  • Acidique
    Acidique Posts: 119 Member
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    As a nurse, when I measure a patient's waist, I was taught to measure around the hip bones. So I find them with my fingers and line the tape up with them. Not sure if that helps. Whatever works best for you is what you should do, of course. :)
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    Acidique wrote: »
    As a nurse, when I measure a patient's waist, I was taught to measure around the hip bones. So I find them with my fingers and line the tape up with them. Not sure if that helps. Whatever works best for you is what you should do, of course. :)

    wouldnt that be ... the hips?
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    @callsitlikeiseeit oooh, have you been following the thread about where to measure for hips too?
    The confusion there was it is not the top of the hips across the belly, but correctly around the widest part, usually just above the top of the thigh.

    We are also different.

    Cheers, h.
  • mirrim52
    mirrim52 Posts: 763 Member
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    If you are never sure, get a piece of thin elastic (not like rubber band, but like to sewing). Tie it around your approx. waist, a little tight so that you have to stretch it. The elastic will settle at the narrowest part of your waist. As for where to measure...wherever you want as mentioned before. I do natural waist and belly button.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    It's also helpful to lightly flex your abs when you measure; that will eliminate any "sucking in" that you might be tempted to do.

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