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Waist measurement for women

Posts: 70 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Wasn't sure where to post this...

Where do you measure your waist? I've been measuring at my belly button, but I'm seeing pictures where people are measuring at the smallest part of their torso...

Thanks.

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Replies

  • one inch above the belly button, is where my trainer measures us!
  • Posts: 1,010 Member
    I do two measurements - one of each. My true waist is much MUCH higher than my belly button.. So I record a waist and a belly measurement
  • Posts: 2,247 Member
    Lean over sideways and where the crease is, that is where your waist is.
  • Posts: 311 Member
    At the narrow bit, my waist is really high which is why dresses and some tops fit me strangely.
  • Posts: 118 Member
    i measure my waist at the smallest part of my torso.
    and my abdomen at my belly button.

    http://www.henris.com/media/docs/howtomeasure.pdf

    but i dont think their is one proper way to do it. as long as you are consistant with your placement that is all that matters :)
  • Posts: 70 Member
    yeah- I just wonder because when doing the fat2fit.com measurements to determine % body fat, I'm not sure what they mean by "waist" measurement. I'm guessing I entered it wrong.
  • Posts: 115 Member
    To measure your waist - feel just below your ribs on your side. which is usually the smallest part of your waist.
  • Posts: 456 Member
    If it is unclear where your natural waist is, then there are rules available for where to measure. If you have a natural waist, measure there.
  • Posts: 498 Member
    I take two measurements: my natural waist, which is very high, and around my bellybutton. There is a huge difference in the inches because I am pear-shaped. Just measure consistently, and use whichever one you like.
  • Posts: 45 Member
    Lean over sideways and where the crease is, that is where your waist is.


    i have heard before that this is where your waist is and this is how i measure my waist . i also measure across my belly button but i dont count that as "waist"
  • I take two measurements: my natural waist, which is very high, and around my bellybutton. There is a huge difference in the inches because I am pear-shaped. Just measure consistently, and use whichever one you like.

    Same here, I measure in two spots as well. And my hips are 7" below my bellybutton (because I think that's where I had to measure for sewing once and that's what I remember).
  • Posts: 454 Member
    Loved reading this, my trainer measured my so called waist around my belly buttons and I nealry fainted at the 7 inch difference to where I measure, which is like all of you, the smallest part of my torso, this is wear skirts sit not at the top of my hips where they measure, No ones waist is there and its stupid for them to take that as your waistline. Womans bodys are not the same as mens.
  • Posts: 2,247 Member


    i have heard before that this is where your waist is and this is how i measure my waist . i also measure across my belly button but i dont count that as "waist"

    Snap! I do that too.

    That particular measurement I just call "belly"
  • Posts: 370 Member
    I take two measurements: my natural waist, which is very high, and around my bellybutton. There is a huge difference in the inches because I am pear-shaped. Just measure consistently, and use whichever one you like.
    Ditto this, plus I just had a baby a year ago so my lower abdomen still protrudes a bit. As long as you are consistent that's what matters but i know for me I need to lose much more around my bellybutton area than my natural waist!
  • Posts: 227 Member
    I do the narrowest part too, FWIW.
  • Posts: 97 Member
    I've always taken it at my belly button. Mine is 27
  • Posts: 194 Member
    I have the weird double belly thing, so the most narrow part of my torso IS at my belly button. That is where my pants/skirts sit, otherwise I would look like Urkel.
  • Posts: 595 Member
    Smallest part of your torso.

    The smallest part of YOUR torso is always going to be the smallest part of YOUR torso. So that's where you should measure.
  • Posts: 207 Member
    I have the weird double belly thing, so the most narrow part of my torso IS at my belly button. That is where my pants/skirts sit, otherwise I would look like Urkel.

    Thats how my body is too! With my "lower belly" being big, I always wondered if my waist measurements was suppose to be around that or slightly above (across my belly button) where its narrow. And that is where the waistband of my pants/shorts go. So I've done 2 measurements that I listed as Waist and Across Belly lol.
  • Posts: 2,631 Member
    my belly is huge so i should be measuring mine in 2 places, but i do belly button. maybe i will start doing 2.
  • Posts: 207 Member
    I decided to start doing two measurements because I'm not sure if I'm losing any of my belly so I wanted to have numbers for comparison whenever i lose 10 lbs.
    Its so weird because my waist (across the belly button) is getting smaller, so are my hips but I just can't tell with my stomache. :S
This discussion has been closed.