I was just reading the post on the types of scales users have in their house... And some one mentioned measuring. I have never done this. What do you do, how often do you measure, where? I know how to measure, but I am not sure on logistics. How do you all measure? Is it successful?
-A
When I was doing it, I'd measure arms, bust, waist, hips, & thighs. It's up to you where you measure, really. I would measure over my bicep on my arm & around the fattest part of my thigh. I did this once a week. It was a great way to see your body changing, especially if the scale doesn't seem to be moving.
It's difficult to get correct measurements on your own, so you'll need a friend to do the measuring. I'd recommend measuring:
1) around your neck
2) shoulders (w/ arms to your sides and tape going around arms)
3) widest part of the check (w/ arms to sides and tape going UNDER arms)
4) smallest part of your waist
5) 3 finger widths below your belly button
6) hips
7) widest part of your tush
8) thigh
9) calf
10) ankle
11) upper arms
I only measure about once a month. Even if the scale doesn't go down much, I tend to see great results with the measuring tape.
To ensure consistency, always measure with one finger under the tape, or else you may pull it too tight to get the true measurement. If you take all measurements every time with one finger under the tape, they will always be consistent.
I measure every other week in the same areas that AshleyRae mentioned (minus shoulders, calf, and ankle). Like everyone else has said, it helps keep me motivated when the scale isn't budging.
It also keeps me motivated to work out - if I lose 5 pounds and don't work out the whole time, I lose a lot fewer inches than if I lose 3 pounds and exercise the whole time.
Do you all have note books? I have been wanting to write this all down... But I don't want anyone to stumble upon my private notes.... I guess that is a self esteem thing.
Yep. I keep my notebook on a bookcase shelf with a couple of other notepads. Although my husband knows where it is (since he takes my measurements), no one else suspects it's anything other than a plain notebook.
I keep mine in an excel spreadsheet on my computer - the spreadsheet is a wee bit obsessive, it's got my daily weight, food log, exercise log, measurements, and a graph of my weekly loss. But since it's on my personal computer, I don't have to worry about someone seeing it.
I know what you mean about keeping it private - I won't even get on 3fc anywhere but home; it just makes me uncomfortable for people to know that I'm actively trying to lose weight. I try to be comfortable no matter what my weight is, and I feel like letting people know that I'm trying to lose is like saying that I don't like the way I look.
I keep an extensive spreadsheet too. Keep it on Google docs, nobody can access it but you. And you can access it from anywhere.
At least that's what I do.
I take mine monthly or so, and I keep it in a notebook. I just measure my chest, bicep, waist, hips, thickest part of my thighs and calves. It helps to see those numbers go down when the scale is being stubborn.
If you are really self-conscious, use code. Lol. Know what but you will know what your numbers mean. I measure everything but clothing sizes go by Bust-Waist-Hips. Mine I write as B37/W28.5/H41, or 37-28.5-41 or whatever. Someone wouldn't likely make the conenction if they found that...it just looks like numebers to them. :P If you want a guesstimate of what you were when you started, I seem to find, on average,1 inch over all three is about 8lbs. Sometimes it is divided over the three areas differenlty and isn't done evenly, but whatever. lol.
Measurements
