10 Ways to Measure Weight Loss

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10 Ways to Measure Weight Loss

By Felicia Megginson

Stepping onto a scale is not the best -- or even the most reliable --

means of assessing weight loss. Here are some other methods that

may work better for you.

The Scale

You've been sticking to your new eating plan and exercising

regularly, and you've improved your overall attitude about staying

healthy. You're feeling great; that is, until you step onto the

scale and find your motivation deflating quicker than a balloon left

in the sun too long. You can't believe it; after all your hard work

you've gained two pounds! What's that all about?

Now before you go reaching for the Haagen-Dazs or sleep in through

your morning cardio class, consider this: Stepping on the scale may

not be the best way for you to assess your progress.

Why Scales Sometimes Lie

The scale measures weight -- not overall fitness-- and it doesn't

differentiate between fat and muscle. Muscle is denser than fat and

tends to weigh more.

Try to visualize this: Which weighs more, five pounds of feathers or

five pounds of lead? Neither -- they both weigh five pounds -- but

you're going to be looking at a whole lot of feathers. The same

holds true for fat and muscle.

When exercise is a significant part of a weight-loss program, the

scale can feel less like a friend and more like a foe, because it

often reflects small gains (in muscle mass) before showing

substantial losses (in fat). Exercise helps you to burn off plump,

fluffy fat cells, while building dense, compact muscle tissue, and

you may seem to gain before you lose. But don't despair: Over time,

the scale will become a more faithful indicator of actual weight

loss.

As rational as this explanation is, it doesn't lessen the impact of

seeing that number on the scale, because a lot of emotions come into

play each time we step onto it. " For most women who have dealt with

[weight] issues, the scale just isn't a very supportive tool. " says

Marsha Hudnall, Director of Nutrition at Green Mountain at Fox Run,

a weight-loss retreat for women in the mountains of Vermont where

the philosophy is less about " How much do I weigh? " and more

about " Why do I weigh what I do? "

www.fitwoman.com

Muscle-Fat Ratio

If you are building muscle and burning fat, you'd get a much better

indicator of your progress if you track your fat-muscle ratio. There

are three basic techniques for measuring the ratio of muscle to fat.

Hydrostatic Weighing. Of all the techniques, this is the most

scientific, the most accurate, and the most expensive. Under

supervision of an expert, you expel all the air from your lungs and

submerge yourself in a tank of water. Because fat is more buoyant

than muscle tissue, the weight that is recorded during this process

is of the denser body tissue. Your " wet " weight is then compared to

your " dry " weight to determine what percentage of the overall weight

is fat.

While this is a very accurate means for measuring body fat, the

results can be affected by fluid intake or the consumption of foods

high in water content (like fruits and certain vegetables) prior to

the weighing, or by the patient's comfort with holding her breath

for 20 seconds or more. Finally, this is a very expensive test and

is usually conducted only at university-based weight management

centers.

Bio-Electrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). This is the next best means

for measuring fat after hydrostatic weighing. In this procedure, a

low-level electrical current is run through the body. Water is a

conductor of electricity and the more water in the body, the quicker

the current will travel through. Since muscle is composed mostly of

water, this reading gives a fairly accurate measure of fat-to-muscle

ratio.

The best place to have this test taken is in a doctor's office. You

can also get this done at your local gym by a personal trainer.

However, the accuracy of this test can be affected by the skills of

the person giving it, and by the amount of water retained by the

body, which can fluctuate monthly for women, or even throughout the

day.

Caliper Pinch Test. This is also known as the skin-fold pinch test,

and it involves using a caliper to measure body fat by pinching the

skin at various areas on the body. People store fat in different

places, so multiple pinches are needed to get an accurate reading.

This is the least accurate of the three methods, but it can be good

way to track month-to-month changes in body composition. Again, you

can get this done at your local gym or fitness center.

Click here for more information on measuring body fat.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

The body mass index, or BMI, is another means for measuring body fat

by calculating a ratio of height to weight. The basic formula is

calculated by dividing your height in meters squared into your

weight in kilograms.

Basic BMI guidelines are as follows:

You are underweight if your percentage of body fat is less than 18.5

Your weight is normal if your percentage of body fat is 18.5 - 24.9

You're overweight if your percentage of body fat is 25 - 29.9

You're obese if your percentage of body fat is 30 or greater

While this is a neat little system, it does have its limitations.

For example, a person who has a lot of muscle mass or water volume

(such as an athlete) will appear to be overweight, while a person

who has a small frame and lean muscle may appear to be underweight.

Pregnant woman and the elderly will also get inaccurate readings

using the standard BMI.

As with any test, it's important to consult with your doctor to find

the technique that is right for your body type.

Measuring Change

Taking Your Measurements

This is as simple as breaking out the old measuring tape and

measuring your bust, waist, hips, upper arm, thigh, calf, and ankle.

These are the areas where the body tends to store fat. You'll

probably see more encouraging changes in these measurements as you

progress in your program than you will by standing on a scale.

One really important measurement is the hip-to-waist ratio, taken by

dividing your hip measurement into your waist measurement. Studies

have shown that people with a higher percentage of fat in their

waists than their hips are at a higher risk for developing heart

disease, diabetes and strokes.

Changes in Clothing Size and Fit

According to fitness expert and columnist Carol Krucoff, " Your

clothes don't lie! " Krucoff, an A.C.E. certified fitness instructor

and author of the book Healing Moves, believes the best indicators

for weight loss can be found right in your own closet. The " clothes

test " is her personal choice for monitoring her weight. " I have a

pair of old jeans from high school that I periodically try on, " she

says. When the jeans feel a little snug in places they didn't

before, she knows that it's time to put in a little extra time at

the yoga studio. The satisfaction of seeing your clothes become less

snug, or shopping for smaller sizes, is far more rewarding than any

number on a scale.

www.healingmoves.com

Increased Stamina and Strength

How do you feel? Chances are, if you've taken off weight and added

muscle, you'll have more energy for your daily activities. And

you'll definitely notice changes at the gym, where you'll have more

stamina and strength. If you've added another step in step class,

can lift progressively more weight for more reps, or have doubled

your walking mileage, take it as proof positive that you're making

progress.

The " See Fat " Method

It's as simple as it sounds. Take off all your clothes, stand in

front of the mirror, jump up and down, see what jiggles. You might

feel a little silly doing this, but the idea is to encourage

familiarity with your body. As the weight comes off, you'll see less

jiggling in those places that shouldn't. The point is not to fixate

on what you don't like (namely the fat), and to focus on the

positive changes in your body (more muscle tone and definition).

Krucoff believes it is " important for people to look in the mirror

and see what's right, [to] see the strong points and work away from

only seeing the negative. "

More Measurement Methods

Food Journaling

Recognizing your patterns around food, and changing them, is more

helpful than fixating on how much you weigh. The best way to do this

is by keeping a food journal in which you track what you eat, when

you eat, and why. " The food journal is an important tool for seeing

patterns and understanding where your challenges lie, " says Marsha

Hudnall. It's a means of documenting positive changes that aren't

necessarily reflected by stepping on the scale

Changes in Your Monthly Food Bills

Changes in your food bills can be an indicator of changes in your

weight. As you make progress, you may find not only that you're

spending less money on food, but also that your food buying patterns

are changing. More green in the grocery cart can translate to more

green in your wallet!

Compliments from Family and Friends

It's easy to lose objectivity around your weight loss, especially

when looking at yourself every day. But compliments are proof that

people around you notice how different you look in your clothes and

that you have more pep in your step.

Improvements in Your Quality of Life

This is probably the best measure of your progress. When tasks like

taking care of the kids or tending to the house no longer leave you

winded, or you find you can function without always being tired, you

know you're making strides to a healthier you. And you don't need a

scale to help you measure that!