Hi Mark,
I would actually use three lots of measuring methods to gauge how well my body shape is changing, obviously the scales although they are known for not telling the truth all the time, and then measuring.
This is how I advice people to measure:
Let's start with the men first:
- Around you neck where the shirt collar would go.
- Around your chest, just under your armpits more or less at nipple level.
- Around you stomach at the largest part.
- Around your upper arm at the largest part but without flexing your muscles and keeping your arm straight.
- Forearm at the largest part with your arms straight and again without flexing muscles.
- Your thighs at the largest part and do take time to measure each leg separately and also around the calves because some men do put fat on around the calves.
Now the ladies: They have a little bit more to measure. Ladies measurements are:
- Again, around the neck where the shirt collar would go.
- Around the chest or bust and it's important to keep the measuring tape parallel with the ground. Probably the best way of doing it is measure around just under the bra and exhale; you want this measurement to be as smallest possible in order to retain the accuracy. Measure your bust as well by standing straight with your arms at your side and measure the fullest part of your bust preferably while wearing a bra and again make sure the tape is parallel to the ground.
- Then the upper arm at the largest part of the arm without flexing the muscles and the arm is straight.
- The forearm, the largest part of the forearm with straight arms and without flexing muscles.
- Then the waist ideally at the smallest part but you need to be the judge of that. The secret is to keep the same place each week.
- The stomach which is normally a little bit lower than the waist, again at the largest part.
- Hips, at the level of the hip joint or the largest circumference of your hips.
- Thighs, at the largest part of each leg again measured separately.
- Calves, at the largest part of each of your calves.
Those are the areas of the body both for men and women that will show the greatest change due to fat loss and a change of muscle tone.
The bottom line is the more places you measure the more indicators you've got of a change of body shape. Different areas of your body will change size at different times depending on the quality of the underlying fat but also the type of exercise that you're getting as well.
One last thing that I always recommend people do is when they first start on an effective diet like low carb is to put on the snuggest outfit they've got and on the same day they measure, get it out and see how loose it's starting to get.
So there are three ways that you can see how well you're doing and encourage yourself from week to week. Oh yes, only do this once a week by the way, any more than that is just a waste of effort.
Hope that helps,
Mark
