So.... how exactly do you measure total of inches lost in your weight loss journey? I have my beginning measurements.... and I have my current measurements.... but I'm confused on how to come up with that "I've lost <insert amount here> since I started!" number. Is it all the inches lost in each place added together?? Or something else?

Blah blah blah...I think if you are Jenny Craig and trying to sell a product you take about a thousand measurements and add them all together. I tend to just look at bust hip waist. but I have never done a "total"

I agree, when you hear commercials that say "I've lost a total of 12 inches" that just means they take every measurement possible and add them together. It sounds impressive. But I look at each measurement one by one. For example I've lost 2 inches from each arm which is great. But I've only lost 2 inches from my hips which is not so great, and only have an inch from each thigh . If I add all those up (from each arm and thigh mind you) I could say "Wow, I've lost 7 inches!" but it ain't all that.

I take measurements from
Waist
Hips
Thigh
Knee
Arm

People post things a lot like "I've lost 17 inches." Which is pretty meaningless to me, because it is completely dependent on what measurements he/she decides to include. No one does it the same. There is no standard. But, if it's meaningful to an individual, that's great. But it doesn't communicate anything to anyone else.

*sigh* That's what I thought.

I guess I'll just add the main area losses together and use that. As you said... if it makes you feel good... I'm all about keeping an eye on my "successes" because it tends to keep me heartened. And hey, they have been pretty formidable. I've lost at least 15+ inches and almost 40lbs, so..... I'm happy!

I didn't start taking measurements until about halfway through my 2nd month, so I feel like I cheated myself a little (missed my best losses), but I admit it's nice to see the changes quantified on paper.

At the beginning of the month I measure waist, hips, bust, and one thigh, so 4 measurements. I've done this 3 times at this point. The 2nd time, I was down a total of 1.5 inches (adding up the losses from 4 measurements). It didn't seem like much. At the beginning of this month I was down 4" total (from the beginning), which starts to look significant, but it's very incremental when you look at each measurement individually (ie only 1" from my waist, etc).

I take my hip measurements, waist (around navel) measurements and my waist where it bends. Those are the only ones I am really concerned about since abdominal fat is the real baddy. I keep a log like you to keep up with my successes so I don't get disheartened. I think seeing the overall shrinking trend is what makes me happy not necessarily the amount of inches.

Also I love putting on clothes I couldn't even zip before. That's real motivation!

Yeah, I'm mostly concerned with my waist as well. :/

In my weight loss journey I always had clothes in my closet that were to small and I did what {and still do with a couple items} I call PLAY CLOSET> And I just go in and try on my clothes and see how much closer they fit in inches that way because sometimes mine kinda moves around because of my working out my butt gets higher or rounder, tummy changes shape YEAH my breast got smaller [they finnally fit in cute clothes]. So I see alot more with that than the tape measure!!!

I agree Diva! I have clothes that just looks WAY better on me now... I actually LIKE going into my closet to try on stuff that I rarely wear because it's like putting new stuff on all the time!!

I used to measure at every conceivable spot and it was a nice motivator to me when the scales were being not so co-operative lol