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Use the same scale all the time. Do not compare how much you weigh on
different scales. What’s important is that you take a baseline
measurement and monitor your progress from there.
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Weigh
yourself once a week or twice a month on the same day. If you weigh
yourself every day, you may become frustrated because weight can swing
two to three pounds up or down due to fluid changes. For example, if
you eat a lot of salty food, you retain more water. If you catch a stomach
bug, you lose a lot of water from going to the bathroom more often than
usual. You get a more realistic picture of your weight loss if you weigh
once a week.
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Do
not weigh yourself several times a day. It makes no sense and can lead
to scale neurosis.
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If
you weigh yourself at night and in the morning, don’t be surprised
to see that you have lost between two to three pounds. This is due to
evaporation of sweat and minute water droplets in your exhalation while
you were sleeping. One cup of water equals half a pound.
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Weigh
first thing in the morning without any clothes or with minimal clothing
after using the toilet and before eating or drinking anything.
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You
weigh the lightest when you first wake up. You are also at your tallest
height because gravity hasn’t had a chance to compress your spine.
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Many
women become bloated before and during their period. Don’t bother
weighing yourself at these times unless you enjoy being depressed.
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The
most accurate scale is the type your doctor uses. However, make sure
the scale is calibrated from time to time.
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The
scale should be set on an even surface. Avoid using a scale on carpet,
which can distort the results by four percent.
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Don’t
become obsessed with the scale. When you exercise regularly, it’s
not uncommon to be a size smaller but to weigh more than you think you
should. This is why weighing yourself should not be the only method
you use.
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Use a nylon tape. Cloth tape measures tend to stretch and become distorted
over time.
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The tape should be snug and lay comfortably flat. Avoid pulling in to
get a smaller measurement.
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Measure yourself once or twice a month right after weighing on the scale.
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Your measurements also change during the day as you accumulate more
fluid from eating and drinking.
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Do not measure yourself before or during your period to avoid getting
a “bloated” measurement.
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Take your chest and waist measurements as you exhale normally. You are
only fooling yourself by cheating with a forced exaggerated exhalation.
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Chest: Measure at the nipple line.
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Waist: Measure at the smallest portion. People store their fat in different
ways so look for the smallest part of the torso and take your measurement
there even if your belly button seems strangely out of place.
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Hips: Measure at the widest part across your buttocks.
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Arms: Three inches above elbow or around the widest part.
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Thighs: Measure at the largest part of the curve of your inner thighs.
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Calves: Four inches below the knee or around the widest part.
Clothes-o-meter
The most practical way to measure yourself is the way your clothes fit.
A tight pair of jeans or a leather belt are good evidence of weight
gain or loss. After I gained 50 pounds with my second child, my favorite
jeans were the best and most satisfying gauge of my weight-loss progress.
At first, I couldn't even get the jeans past my thighs. Little by little,
I was able to slip them up my hips, zip up without turning blue, and
eventually, wear them comfortably.