[CherryBlossom]

Hi! This may seem like a silly question but, oh well. If ya need to know, ya need to know!

I had a friend helping me take my measurements the other day. She went to take my waist measurement and put the tape right above my belly button...where I have the most fat. I told her my waist was further up but she said no, your waist is the fattest part of your torso.

Well let me just say I love a looong torso, I carry most of my height there. Like halfway between my belly button and breasts my stomach kinda dips in...and I don't mean between rolls. It's just more narrow at that point. I always thought that was was my waist...my measurement there is 8 inches less than the one above my belly button. (Like 42 inches there, the fattest part of my tummy is 50) My friend says that's too high to be my waist.

So do you reckon that's my waist or is my friend right?

[booskibabe]

I too am long waisted, and I say you are correct. I've always heard to measure your waist at the narrowest part of your torso, which for us long waisted ones is higher up. Go with the smaller measurement!

[mandalinn82]

I just Googled this...it is the narrowest part of the torso. Some people have waists in different places, so don't worry too much about it.

[Meg]

I agree with the others, your waist is the narrowest part. When I worked as a trainer at Ballys, that's where we all were taught to measure. I
think your friend just got mixed up between smallest and biggest part!

The only important thing when you're taking measurements is consistency in where you measure every time.

[KforKitty]

Your waist is most definitely the smaller measurement, although I can see where your friend is coming from as many of the pants nowadays are low rise and do not rest on your natural waistline. Being of a shape where I increase size dramatically from my waist to my hips, I'm only really comfortable when clothes rest on my natural waistline.

Kitty

[aphil]

Seamstress here-

The waist is the smallest part of the torso. For shorter people, that might make the waist around the naval area...but for many people, the waist is actually a bit above the naval area.

[karmuz]

I agree with everyone -- it's the narrowest part of your torso.
that varies person to person .. i have a long torso for someone my height and my natural waist is 5" above my bellybutton, right where my ribcage ends.

[nelie]

I have a long torso too and my waist is a lot higher than my belly button.

[ennay]

my waist - such as it is- is actually ON my ribcage, that is the smallest part for me, but it is a good hands width above my belly button. My belly button lines up with my hip bones. Needless to say, I dont have a long waist, I have a very very short to non-existent waist.

Your waist may also move as you lose weight. So it is hard sometimes to measure in the same spot every time. I take my waist as the narrowest place I can find and my hips as the widest place I can find between my waist and my thighs. My hips have moved down several inches in the course of losing so my measurements stopped changing for awhile.

[NightengaleShane]

Your waist is the smallest part, yup! And your waist is close to where mine is - a little above your belly button and a little ways below your ribcage. The waist is definitely NOT the fattest part of your midsection. I've done a little bit of fashion design and I always went out of my way to measure the narrowest bit of the torso for the most flattering fit - if clothes were made for the "waist" portion to be the biggest part, they might not look very good (That said, as a very... um, curvy, woman, I have several qualms with the fashion industry regarding the way clothes fit, but that's another story...)

[lumifan4ever]

Everytime i look at a catalog and i see where it tells you to measure...it always points to the smallest part of the torso which is usually a good deal higher up than the belly button. my confusion with this has always been that my jeans usually always end up at my belly button....which is not my smallest place. So that has always confused me. That's why i divide my abs into 2 sections when i measure. i call them upper belly and lower belly. lol.

And i think that is an excellent question. ONe i've probably been to embarressed to ask or just don't think to ask it. Thanks for putting it out there for us!!!

[suitejudyblueeyes]

I measure an inch above my belly button when I measure my "waist". It's not my natural waist, not the smallest part of my midsection, but I know that as I lose weight I will always be able to find the spot one inch above my belly button and measure that, even if my natural waist begins to move down as I lose. If that makes sense If you're gonna measure at the smallest part make sure you use a point of reference so you remember where that is for when your waist moves down as you lose (take note of where your ribcage or belly button or a freckle or something is!).

[skinnyvanilly2b]

Its there girl! You are very beautiful too ! Thank you for being apart of us so we can all find our waists together!!

[QuilterInVA]

Your waist is measure about 1-2 inches above your belly button because that is where the bad fat that leads to disease is stored. If it is over 35" for a woman, that is increased risk for disease. It is not measured at the smallest part. This was in the latest issue of the Humana Digest.

[aphil]

That is only correct if you are measuring for the particular fat measurement associated with heart disease-not for you true waistline.

The reason they say to measure there in the Readers Digest, is because most men don't have discernable waistlines, and many apple shaped women do not either when they are overweight. For them, there really isn't a smallest part, so they tell you where to measure.

For your true figure, though, and measuring for clothing, or to see how much smaller you are getting-your true waistline IS the naturally narrowest part of the torso. This will be above the naval in some women, or at the naval for others-depending on your figure and height.