How to take body measurements

When you are following a weight loss plan – such as the Healthy Mummy plans, it is important to take measurements as well as use the scales to gauge your weight loss results.

Also, If you have begun exercising, you may be toning up and gaining lean muscle, which means the scales don’t move – but you will most likely find that your measurements have, in fact, gone down.

So it is important to understand that you will often find that even if you haven’t lost the kilos, you have, in fact, lost centimetres. And that is VERY motivating.

You can also click here to learn about what may be happening if the scales are not moving.

How to take your body measurements our top tips

• Always use a cloth measuring tape, not a metal one, as it’s much more accurate.
• Do your measurements in the nude first thing in the morning. It’s the best way to avoid your clothes getting in the way as well as steering clear of post-meal bloating.
• Breathe normally and don’t ‘suck in’ to get a better number, as it won’t be reflective of your true stats.
• Measure in front of a mirror to ensure that your tape is straight. This is especially important when measuring hips, as it’s hard to see if your tape is in line.
• Remember to write them down, as it would be impossible to remember them all. Plus, you can then see your progress over time.
• Pull the tape so that it is snug but not too tight.
• Be consistent with your measuring. If you need to, write down exactly where you measured so that you remember each time you do it.

When you’re done, keep track of your major stats in The Healthy Mummy App.

Breasts

Place one end of the tape measure at the fullest part of your breast, which is usually your nipple. Wrap the rest of the tape around your back and under your arms to join back up.

Chest

This is measured just under your breasts, where your bra line goes.

Waist

Your waist is easy to find. It’s the natural fold that you get when you bend over to one side. Located just above your belly button, it tends to be the smallest part on your torso.

Place one end of the tape above your belly button and bring the other side of the tape around your back to join up again.

Stomach

Use your belly button as the measuring point for your stomach. The key is just to be consistent, and this makes it super easy to do so.

Hips

Measure at the widest point of your hips or bottom. It’s really important to be in front of a mirror for this one as it’s tough to see if your tape is level.

Thighs

Use the fullest part of your thigh as the point to measure. This may be ever so slightly different on each leg, so you will need to measure both separately.

Upper Arms

Once again it’s the fullest part that you want to measure. Be sure to write down the measurement for each arm separately. Often your dominant arm can be more muscular (as it’s used for lifting bags, babies, and shopping) which can affect the numbers.

Calves

On each leg, measure the largest part of your lower leg.

And remember – the scales don’t always tell the truth

As you begin doing exercise and light weight-bearing exercise you will gain lean muscle tissue, a substance that weighs more and is denser than fat. So you may actually see the number on the scales increase. Even though the scale may not be moving, it doesn’t mean that you’re not getting smaller. Muscle is more dense than fat, so it takes up less space. You can be in a smaller pants size and not be any lighter on the scale – and this is why we advise to take measurements each week as well as weighing yourself.

It is also a good point to note that this extra lean muscle tissue has added benefits too – not only will you appear smaller, but muscle will help raise your metabolism too which helps to burn more fat – win win!

And to see lots of weight loss results from mums using our plans click here