Tracking your progress, weighing and measuring.

It can be really hard to track your progress with some kind of diet or exercise plan.

Should you weigh yourself?
So many factors go into your weight. Did you gain muscle, did you drink enough water, are you going to the bathroom regularly? Any weight loss does not always mean fat loss, and weight gain does not mean you've gained fat.

To be completely sure that I'm getting a consistent reading on the scale, I try to make each time I weigh myself exactly the same. I always do it in the morning, after I have used the bathroom and before I drink any water. I also always weigh myself completely naked.  Making sure that everything is the same each time helps me feel like I'm getting a more accurate reading.

Should you measure your body?
Most people will tell you that measuring yourself is the way to go.  You just get a fabric measuring tape and measure your hips, waist, thigh, arm etc. My only problem with using only measurements to track your progress is the length of time it takes for us to lose inches.  In the past when I was trying to lose weight, I would measure every day and things wouldn't change fast enough.  That would discourage me and make me think that everything I was doing wasn't working.  Also, bloating can impact your size and measurements a lot.

I always try to use a combination of both weighing myself and measuring.  I step on the scale every morning, sometimes its up and sometimes its down.  At this point, I know my body pretty well, so i can usually figure out what has made the change.  On top of that, I take my measurements two to three times per week.

Overall, I can easily track my progress without a pretty good level of confidence.  I love being able to see the weight go down and also seeing my body get smaller.