How do you measure your waist?

fitnessqueen91
fitnessqueen91 Posts: 166 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I don't know the correct way to measure waist and belly fat. Some sources say above the belly button, some say at the belly button and some say below. I really don't know. I want to know if I'm carrying too much belly fat. I find it quite tricky to measure myself and I have a curvy hourglass body shape with a naturally smaller waist so it's harder to measure at the belly button or below. Any ideas??

Replies

  • Safari_Gal
    Safari_Gal Posts: 888 Member
    I do 2 measurements.
    I do a natural waist measurement - which is the narrowest part of your waist and a lower waist measurement which is at the belly button.

    If you are measuring for a hip to waist ratio - I use belly button.

    Hope that helps!
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Bend at the waist, the dent you get is where you measure.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    I have what some people call a "B belly"--a little roll of fat above and below my belly button. (I still have this shape even though I've been maintaining in my optimal BMI range for about 1.5 years.) The narrowest part of my stomach area is way up on my ribcage; I measure my waist at the belly button.
  • lindamtuck2018
    lindamtuck2018 Posts: 9,838 Member
    My dietician directed me to YouTube and watch the video Healthy waist. It is by the heart and stroke society. It tells you how to correctly measure your waist. I am technology challenged, otherwise I would get you the link. I just searched healthy waist.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    I measure the narrowest part of my waist, the spot where it bends when I bend to the side. It's above my belly button.
  • etherealanwar
    etherealanwar Posts: 465 Member
    I also measure at the narrowest part of my waist.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I measure at my belly button and the narrowest part of my waist and track both.
  • texasredreb
    texasredreb Posts: 541 Member
    I'm just tracking inches lost for my own personal NSV's. I measure at the narrowest part of my midsection, which is above my navel by 2-3 inches. When measuring my hips, conversely; I measure the widest part.
  • grinning_chick
    grinning_chick Posts: 765 Member
    lindamtuck2018 wrote: »
    My dietician directed me to YouTube and watch the video Healthy waist. It is by the heart and stroke society. It tells you how to correctly measure your waist. I am technology challenged, otherwise I would get you the link. I just searched healthy waist.

    There's several possible videos posted on YouTube. This is probably the one you were recommending?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__ZEebzObWs
  • NadNight
    NadNight Posts: 794 Member
    I measure the smallest part of my waist where the obvious dip is (a couple of inches above my belly button). Depending on body shape it may be more or less obvious where this point is but as long as you’re consistent in where you measure (or even keep track of a couple of different measurements) then you’ll be able to track progress

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