Don't Put All Of Your Eggs In One Basket...

Also known as...don't put all of your trust in one measurement when it comes to your body shape.  There are many different ways to quantify your level of health and body composition.

Weight in pounds or kilograms

Many people fixate on weight and get frustrated when they do not see changes that they consider equal to their effort expended (ME!).  It is important to remember that you might be the same weight or even gain weight when starting to exercise.  Not always a bad thing.

Body fat
I consider body fat to be the most important indicator of health.  There is no cheating your way around this measurement.  It proves that a thin person can still have too much body fat and that a 250 pound body builder can be really lean.  There are so many factors that can affect overall weight like height and build (endo, ecto and mesomorph).  Body fat measurements allow a way for you to track yourself against yourself.  After all, your body is not built like the body of anyone else.

How to measure it:
Body fat scale
Skin calipers
Water submersion
Taping
DEXA Scan

The American Council on Exercise uses the following categories based on percentage of body fat: 

Muscle mass
I think this measurement is most important for competitive athletes and body builders.  Keeping track of this number over time helps you assure that you are losing fat vs losing muscle when trying to get lean.

Body water percentage
Very important for women to track throughout the month.  It can let you know that a 5-pound gain is not related to fat or muscle, rather you are just bloated and retaining extra water weight.  Another application is based upon the fact that our bodies naturally tend to hold on to fat.  If your body thinks that it is being deprived, it will actually break down some muscle and dump water weight in order to hold on to its fat reserves.  Fad diets often suggest that you can lose 7- 10 pounds in a week, without specifying the type of weight being lost.  However, it is physically impossible to lose more than 2-3 lbs of body fat in a week.  Water volume measurements can also be used to assess hydration if one is exercising intensely in sessions longer than an hour.

Body Mass Index (BMI)
Commonly used at health fairs and in doctors offices.  It is an acceptable measurement for about 90% of people.  However, weight lifters and anyone who has a high percentage of muscle mass can often fall into overweight or obese categories.

Click here to calculate your BMI.

Body taping (neck, chest, waist, arms, legs) in inches or centimeters
Pick a few specific spots and measure them at consistent times of the day over a month.  The measurements can show loss in size that might not be reflected in weight.

How clothes fit
The least scientific but one of my favorites.  If you have a favorite pair of jeans, use those as a gauge as to how you are losing or gaining.  As you drop weight, get a smaller size and use those as your gauge.

My favorite scale

EatSmart Scale

Buy this scale at Amazon.com.


What I plan to try in the future:
A DEXA Scan is the most accurate measurement for body fat.
You can read more about it by clicking here.

Find a few of these techniques that work the best for your needs and try to use them consistently.