Tracking Weight Loss: How to Take Body Measurements

26 Sep Tracking Weight Loss: How to Take Body Measurements

Posted at 04:35h in Advice by

Knowing how to take body measurements correctly is important when you’re losing weight. Many of us jump on the scale in order to track our progress. However, your weight alone (and even your BMI) doesn’t always tell the whole story.

Any good fat loss programme will incorporate optimal levels of protein which, especially when combined with exercise, can result in an increase in muscle mass. Given that muscle is denser and weighs heavier than fat, when we step on the scale we may be surprised that although our body is changing in a way that brings you closer to reaching your goals, that number on the scale may not decrease as quickly as you might expect.

HOW DO YOU MEASURE WEIGHT LOSS PROGRESS?

When measuring weight loss progress, it’s important to go beyond just stepping on a scale. Body measurements are also a valuable tool for tracking changes in body composition. Additionally, other methods such as body composition analysis, skin calipers, and visual assessment can provide a more detailed understanding of changes in body fat percentage, muscle mass, and overall physique. Therefore, a combination of these approaches offers the most comprehensive view of progress than simply relying on weight or BMI measurements. Learning how to take body measurements to track your weight loss is just as important as stepping on a scale.

As a nutritionist-led weight loss clinic, we can support you in overcoming your weight challenges, reaching your goal weight and maintaining it long term. Book a complimentary call today to speak to one of our expert team and find out how we can help you.

HOW TO TAKE BODY MEASUREMENTS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Many weight loss programmes require body measurements rather than the readings on the scale. There are five key areas to measure your body for weight loss, which include bust, waist, hips, thigh and arm. Of course, where you choose to measure is completely up to you. If one of the areas outlined isn’t a concern for you, feel free to leave it out. Read on to find out where and how to take body measurements when tracking weight loss.

WHERE TO MEASURE YOUR BODY

BUST / CHEST

Keep the tape measure in line with the nipple and take the measurement at the side of the ribcage, underneath the arm.

WAIST

Keep the tape measure in line with the tummy button, ensure it’s level all the way around. Again, taking the measure at the side of your body is often easiest. (It’s worth remembering that the waist can be the least reliable measurement due to bloating. Often women’s measurements will not be accurate around the time of their period.)

HIPS

It would be more accurate to call this the ‘bum measurement’! This measures the widest point. Ensure that the tape measure is level both side of your hips.

THIGH

Take this measure towards the top of the leg at the widest point at. Make sure you measure the same leg each time as your legs can be slightly different in size.

ARM

From the tip of the elbow, measure 15cm up the arm. Take the measurement at this point. As with your thighs, make sure you measure the same leg each time.

IS IT BETTER TO TRACK WEIGHT OR BODY MEASUREMENTS?

Tracking both weight and body measurements provides a more comprehensive view of weight loss progress. While the number on the scale offers a quick snapshot of your progress, it doesn’t distinguish between fat loss, muscle gain, or water retention. Body measurements, on the other hand, can reveal changes in body composition and shape that the scales can’t account for. For the most accurate assessment, combine weigh-ins (ideally not too frequently, and at a regular time with controlled conditions) with monthly body measurements of areas like waist, hips, and thighs, as detailed above. This approach gives a more holistic picture of your progress and can be more motivating, especially when the scale doesn’t seem to be moving as quickly as you’d hoped for.

WHAT ARE OTHER WAYS TO MEASURE WEIGHT LOSS?

BODY COMPOSITION ANALYSIS

Body composition gives a more detailed breakdown of what’s influencing the number on the scale. Assessment tools available such as bioelectrical scales, or DEXA scans can provide information about your body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, water and more. These methods may be more accurate in determining changes in body composition, but for most people, they’re not as accessible as taking body measurements at home.

SKIN CALIPERS

Skin calipers are a tool used to measure skinfold thickness at various sites on the body. By measuring the thickness of the skinfold, you can estimate body fat percentage. The accuracy of this method can depend on the skill and experience of the person taking the measurement and may not be as consistently accurate as other professional tools.

VISUAL ASSESSMENT

Looking in the mirror and visually assessing your body can be a helpful way to track changes in muscle definition and overall body composition. While this method may not provide precise measurements, it can give you a sense of progress and changes in your physique. Some people like to take weekly progress pictures so that they can look back at their progress over time.

WORK WITH US

We are a team of qualified nutritionists who specialise in weight loss. If you’re ready to overcome your weight challenges, achieve your goal weight and maintain it long term, we can help. You can use this link to book in for a complimentary call. This is an opportunity to talk through your challenges with a member of our team and decide together whether one of our Intelligent Weight Loss programmes is right for you. Or contact us to request a copy of our brochure and we will get back to you soon.

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LINDA ROBINSON

Linda is our Practice Coordinator, helping to keep the clinic running smoothly.

 

Originally from Texas, Linda completed her MBA at SDA Bocconi in Milan. Linda has worked as a Strategy Consultant across multiple industries globally in cities including Kyoto, Paris, Chicago and San Francisco. She developed an interest in nutrition whilst volunteering for an organisation that provides cooking and nutrition education to children and families.

Linda is now settled in London with her husband, two children, and her very bouncy, sociable dog.

SARAH LAW

Sarah has worked with hundreds of clients over the past decade to help them live in a healthy body that they feel confident in.


Sarah spent a large part of her teens and 20’s as a professional dancer battling with orthorexia and an unhealthy relationship with food and her body. This created a desire to understand the human body more so she could finally cut through the confusion and end the cycle of yoyo dieting. This fuelled her passion to help other women do the same.

 

Sarah specialises in supporting women who are struggling to lose weight due to underlying health issues. She’s helped many women manage their weight during and after the menopause, as well as clients with thyroid disease and immune system dysfunction. Sarah loves food and sharing healthy recipes with her clients. Her aim is to ensure that clients don’t feel deprived and instead, achieve their weight loss and health goals in a positive and sustainable way.

 

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Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

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Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team and heading up the day-to-day running of our clinic.

 

Coming from a background in town planning, Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, continually ensuring we are delivering the very best service to our clients.


A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 where she lives with her husband, two children, and her rescue dog Skyy.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

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INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

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ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

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