Nov 30 2008
Tracking Your Weight Loss
When trying to lose weight, you should not go strictly by what the scale reads. Instead you will need to take your body’s measurements along with your weight on a regular schedule.
What worked for me was making a simple spreadsheet with the headers: date, weight, chest, hips, waist, l. thigh, r. thigh. I did not measure my body every week like I weighed myself, but I went every other week with my measurements. So, every Friday, I would step on the scale, record the date and my weight for the week. Then every other Friday I would get the tape measure out and measure my chest, hips, waist and both thighs. You don’t have to do these exact measurements, as you can add other ones such as calves and biceps or not measure your thighs. You should, though, to accurately measure your body, do at least your chest, waist and hips.
Many times the scale may not budge one week or even 2-3 weeks, but when you take your body’s measurements on a regular basis you can see if you are losing inches and if your weight loss plan is working or not. Keeping a spreadsheet of all your weights and measurements can help you to be better organized and can help give you motivation to continue your weight loss. If you want you can even place your spreadsheets in a binder along with monthly photos of yourself to track your progress. Experiment and see what works best with you.
