Do you measure your waist right at the belly button?

Mellouk89
Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I notice that when I measure my waist above the belly button it's smaller, what is the “valid“ method?

Replies

  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    I measure twice: at the belly button and approximately 1" above that (which I've seen some resources refer to as the "natural waistline" but the definition seems to vary a bit).

    If you're sizing for clothing fit then measure the smallest part of your torso.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,833 Member
    I measure two spots too:
    - at belly button height
    - natural waist (most narrow point)
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    The waist is different for men and for women, I measure mine at the narrowest point which is a few inches above the belly button. For a guy its usually below the belly button a few inches, at the narrowest part.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I measure at the smallest point (natural waist) as well as at the belly button. I find my natural waist doesn't change much so I always include both.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Measure half way from the top of the point of your hip bone and the bottom of you lowest rib.
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I measure at the smallest point (natural waist) as well as at the belly button. I find my natural waist doesn't change much so I always include both.

    For me the difference is about half an inch.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    I measure my natural waist only, I'm a woman. It's higher than my navel.

    I have heard both for men, either their navel or their natural waist. I assumed the "navel" was for measuring when the waist was...rounder? than the ribs and hips. If you have a defined waist, I'd measure that. It seems more accurate.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I measure at the smallest point (natural waist) as well as at the belly button. I find my natural waist doesn't change much so I always include both.

    For me the difference is about half an inch.

    I meant change over time. I don't tend to hold fat higher up but I measure and include it for reference.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    edited June 2020
    I bend at the side and then measure at the hinge point for waist measurement. About an inch below belly button is also where my hip bone is so I take a measurement there. Then I measure at the widest point of saddlebag area (which is what I use for "hip measurement" when buying clothing on line). My waist measurement varies the least even with many pounds variation, so it's not that useful for tracking purposes.
  • MidlifeCrisisFitness
    MidlifeCrisisFitness Posts: 1,106 Member
    Men at belly button.
    Women about an inch above or (narrowest point)
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,246 Member
    edited June 2020
    Many papers that go into detail as to how they measuref seem to suggest:

    half way point between top of iliac crest (edge top of hipbone when you poke at your side) and lowest rib.

    Tape parallel to the floor (verify with mirror)

    Normal exhale.

    Measure.
  • SeanD2407
    SeanD2407 Posts: 139 Member
    Men can either do belly button or .5 inch above. Whatever is your smallest measurement is probably accurate.
  • hipari
    hipari Posts: 1,367 Member
    I measure over my belly button, because I know it won’t move around as I lose weight and I can measure it consistently to see trends. That is, however, not where the thinnest part of my waist is.

    Similarly, I measure my hips over my hip bones, and my butt over a spot that is marked by a small scar near my nether region. None of these spots would probably be ”correct” for things like clothing sizes, but they are where I can measure consistently and see the changes.
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    Ok and for exemple whey they say you shouldn't exceed 40 inches for men, what method of measurement are they referring to?
  • majoki
    majoki Posts: 151 Member
    I know this is an older conversation, but I'll add in my thoughts for future readers:
    I am a cis female. I only measured at my natural waist line (narrowest point, for me, it's above my navel), and I "regret" that now. I lost a bunch of weight, I look much slimmer, but my natural waist barely budged over the past ~17 months. I should have measured where my belly sticks out too so that I could have had a measurable change.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    Ok and for exemple whey they say you shouldn't exceed 40 inches for men, what method of measurement are they referring to?

    I think both the 40" for men/35" for women and the waist-to-hip ratio use the natural waist. This is almost completely a pure assumption on my part, with my only claim to authority being that my recollections (so, obviously fallible) of being measured for health assessments by either medical personnel or physical trainers has been at the natural waist.
  • Walela617
    Walela617 Posts: 657 Member
    I measure my waist at the narrowest part. I have another measurement called "belly" which is at the fullest part (close to navel). Too bad my belly is five inches bigger than my hips! (Sorry if that's "TMI"!)
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    Since I am short and my torso is too, I measure at the smallest point. My belly button aligns more with my hips than my waist.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    I only measure for the sake of buying clothing so my waist measurement is taken where I bend, also where a waistband would sit. That's a couple inches above my belly button. Hip measurement is the absolute widest part and is quite low. I want the clothing to fit, after all!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,246 Member
    edited August 2021
    Many people have sagging or even reconstructed belly buttons, how do we account for that?

    Top of hip bone (iliac crest).
    Bottom of lowest rib
    Halfway between
    Use mirror
    Make sure tape is parallel to floor

    Oh look I already said that in the past and one person disagreed...

    http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2007/03/14/dc07-9921.full.pdf

    Page 4, take your pick of what you want to use...
  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
    I measure natural waist (the narrowest point on my torso from a front view, a bit above my bellybutton, common for women) as well as my waistband (where the top of my pants actually sit, which is right below the bellybutton). I have one of those B-shaped tummies.
  • All4Christ12
    All4Christ12 Posts: 2 Member
    I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one frustrated by the inconsistency in waist descriptions. I get sooo angry at the way that every website either fails to define 'waist' or 'natural waist' at all, or equates just above the belly button with the narrowest point, which is insanity on my torso. Any professional in fitness, nutrition, or health who does so should be reprimanded for their incompetence (and honestly that isn't nearly as severe as what I really feel like saying, though I trust my mind more than my heart on this one).

    For me, the narrowest point is nearly 4 inches above the belly button, and this equates to a 5 inch circumferential difference. Without a clear definition of 'waist' or 'natural waist' assessments like waist-to-hip ratio or 'waist less than X' are utterly meaningless, putting me in completely different health categories. Like others here, I do what I can by monitoring multiple points which at least tells me something about changes. It is fascinating to me to hear that someone on here is my opposite, with their navel at their narrowest point.

    Searching today, I was glad to see that at least some in the garment industry are starting to study such variations in women's bodies but why isn't the medical world where it seems like a far more obvious and significant issue to me? But then I've had more exposure to the medical world than I have had to sewing.

    And what really confuses me is that despite my apparently extremely high distance between my belly button and narrowest waist, and my roommate's describing me as long-waisted, I have had issues with jeans going up too high on me, especially back in my middle-school years where I looked like a doofus with them running up my rib cage. Even now, I recently bought a pair of jeans that were supposed to be 'mid-rise' that were 'high-rise' on me. Granted, they were only 'short' instead of my usual 'petite.' Is it possible to be half long-waisted and half short-waisted? My belly button seems to be normal placement relative to my hips. I guess the garment industry really does have obvious reasons to study such things.
  • All4Christ12
    All4Christ12 Posts: 2 Member
    edited December 2023
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    I think both the 40" for men/35" for women and the waist-to-hip ratio use the natural waist. This is almost completely a pure assumption on my part, with my only claim to authority being that my recollections (so, obviously fallible) of being measured for health assessments by either medical personnel or physical trainers has been at the natural waist.

    Yeah but what is the 'natural waist?' Top result in an internet search says "Your natural waist is the measurement you take around the smallest area of your torso or just above your belly button." THOSE ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PLACES AND MEASURES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (FYI, I'm yelling at them, not you, since you aren't the one claiming to be an expert.)

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,246 Member
    edited December 2023
    Oh look, it's the same thread again... and my answer(s) remain the same! 😵‍💫🤔😎🤷‍♂️😘
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    isn't smaller .. smaller? as long as any number goes down.. ? right.
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 1,067 Member
    i, too, measure my waist at its smallest point.
  • ddsb1111
    ddsb1111 Posts: 871 Member
    edited December 2023
    All4Christ12 wrote: »
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    I think both the 40" for men/35" for women and the waist-to-hip ratio use the natural waist. This is almost completely a pure assumption on my part, with my only claim to authority being that my recollections (so, obviously fallible) of being measured for health assessments by either medical personnel or physical trainers has been at the natural waist.

    Yeah but what is the 'natural waist?' Top result in an internet search says "Your natural waist is the measurement you take around the smallest area of your torso or just above your belly button." THOSE ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PLACES AND MEASURES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (FYI, I'm yelling at them, not you, since you aren't the one claiming to be an expert.)

    Actually, your waist *is* just above your belly button, at the smallest part. Whether that is 3,4,5 inches, it doesn’t matter. It’s not possible to tell everyone a distance because it’s different on everyone. Try to focus on the purpose which is to measure the same spot for changes. Honestly, anger like this over nothing will get you filmed on TikTok someday. It’s not worth it 🙏🏻🩷

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