New Year
New measurements
When it
comes to weight loss, that number on the scale seems to hold a lot of power. If
it's not budging, frustration might set in. But sometimes the number on the
scale isn't the best way to measure progress.
If you're losing inches, but not weight, with your diet and exercise
program, you're losing fat and gaining muscle, which is a good thing.
So why not start to take your measurements and use those as a guide
alongside what the scales say
Building
Muscle with Exercise
When you're working out to lose weight, whether it's aerobic exercise or
strength training, you're not only burning off calories and fat but building
muscle too. A pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. If
you're losing fat and gaining muscle at the same rate, your body size shrinks,
but the number on the scale won't change.
While you may be upset about the number on the scale, you shouldn't drop your exercise program. Diet and exercise together have been shown to be the most effective at helping people lose weight and keep it off,
While you may be upset about the number on the scale, you shouldn't drop your exercise program. Diet and exercise together have been shown to be the most effective at helping people lose weight and keep it off,
Benefits of
Lost Inches
Even though you're not seeing the number on the scale change, losing
inches and fat is good for your health. People with a higher body fat
percentage are at a greater risk of a number of health issues, including heart
disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, issues with sleep, certain types of
cancer and an overall lower quality of life.
Replacing pounds of fat with muscle is also good for your metabolism, which is the system in your body that burns calories. Adding 4 pounds of muscle can help you burn an extra 50 calories a day. This may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but those extra 50 calories can help you get over a weight-loss plateau.
Replacing pounds of fat with muscle is also good for your metabolism, which is the system in your body that burns calories. Adding 4 pounds of muscle can help you burn an extra 50 calories a day. This may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but those extra 50 calories can help you get over a weight-loss plateau.
So don’t be disheartened. Get out those tape measures and measure
yourself
How do I measure myself correctly?
Before you start measuring, remember to:
- Use a non-stretchable tape
- Make sure the tape measure is level around your body and parallel to the floor
- Keep tape close to your skin without depressing it.
Measurements:
- Bust: Measure all the way around your bust and back on the line of your nipples.
- Chest: Measure directly under your breasts, as high up as possible.
- Waist: Measure at its narrowest point width-wise, usually just above the navel.
- Hips: Measure around the widest part of the hipbones.
- Midway: Measure midway between the widest part of your hips and your waist.
- Thighs: Measure around fullest part of upper leg while standing
- Knees: Measure immediately above the knee.
- Calves: Measure around fullest part.
- Upper arm: Measure above your elbows – around fullest part.
- Forearms: Measure below your elbows – around fullest part.
Re-measure yourself
every couple of weeks and record you measurements, so that you can chart your
progress. This is a great motivator!
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