The Scale versus the Tape Measure

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

How should you weigh in or measure your weight loss in a manner that is both positive and not detrimental to your self-esteem? That's simple - the tape measure. It's important when you are planning a weight loss or fitness program to get started on - take your full body measurements.

Using a dressmaker's tape measure, take the following measurements:

• Neck
• Upper Arm
• Wrist
• Chest
• Waist
• Hips
• Thighs
• Calves
• Ankle

Write down these measurements in your journal and you can also take your weight on the scale. As you progress through your diet and fitness plan, you can check your tape measurements every three to four weeks. You should be able to track changes that are noticeable even if only by quarter inches at a time.

Frequently when dieting and working out, you are building muscle while burning fat. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you won't see the scale shifting as much as you might like, if at all. In fact, you may even gain a pound or three at the beginning and that can be very discouraging. The use of the tape measure helps you to see a visible improvement that you might not ordinarily see if you are just using the scale.

Have you used a tape measure to see the inches come off?

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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