How to Measure Your Body for Inches Lost in Weight

Standing on the scale is not always a good indication of weight loss. If you incorporate strength training into your exercise routine, there is a chance you may gain weight. Strength training helps burn fat by raising your resting metabolic rate and it builds muscle tissue. Muscle tissue takes up less space than fat, but weighs more so your body will appear slimmer. You can keep track of inches lost by taking your body measurements.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• String
• Paper
• Pencil

Measuring Your Body

1. Strip down to your underwear before taking your measurements. To get an accurate indication of inches lost, you must wear the same clothes each time you take your measurements or wear just underwear. Use the same measuring tape each time you measure yourself.

2. Find your natural waistline. To find your natural waistline, breathe normally and tie a piece of string around your waist so that there is no space between the string and your skin. Bend your body to the left and right side. The location where the string ends up is your natural waistline and the point where you should measure.

3. Place the measuring tape over the string and follow it around your waist. Record the date, time and inches on a piece of paper.

4. Take your hip measurement. Set the measuring tape above your pubic bone and take it from the widest part of your left hip over the middle part of your buttocks to the widest part of your right hip. Record the inches.

5. Record your thigh measurement. Place the measuring tape around the circumference of the largest part of your thigh and record the inches.

6. Take your chest measurement. Wrap the measuring tape as high as possible around your chest. Go underneath your armpits and over the fullest part of your breasts. Record the inches. Women that lose fat may shrink in breast size because breast tissue consists of fat. Men that weight train may see an increase in chest size.

7. Wait two weeks, then take your measurements again. Subtract the new measurements from the old measurements to get your inches lost per area. Add these inches together to get your total inches lost. Wait one month for a more drastic difference in inches.