The Ugly Truth

Okay, this is the really embarrassing part. I am going to tell you all of my Flab secrets. I weighed Sunday (yesterday - 05.20.12) morning, and I weigh 270 1/2 pounds.

To help keep track of my progress, I will take some measurements for comparison. It is important to measure at the same spot each time to be accurate. It is important to measure because when a workout plan is started, muscle mass is gained and fat is lost. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you may be getting smaller even if the scale does not show it. I went to LiveStrong.com and got this information about proper measuring.

Step 1:

Measure your arms by wrapping the tape

measure midway between the elbow and

the shoulder

Step2:

Measure your waist at the narrowest part of your torso. This area usually falls right beneath your ribcage and slightly higher than your belly button.

Step3:

Measure your abdomen by placing the tape measure even with your belly button. Make sure the tape measure is level in the back of your torso. If the tape measure is too high or low, the readings will be inaccurate.

Step 4:

Measure your hips at the widest part of your hips and buttocks. The tape measure should be even at the maximum circumference, located above the gluteal fold.

Step 5:

Measure your thigh at the maximum circumference, beneath the gluteal fold. Unlike the arm, the thigh is not measured in the middle of the bone. The tape measure is usually higher than midway on the thigh.

Step 6:

Measure your calf at the widest part between the ankle

and knee joint.

Their tips and warnings:

All measurements should be taken on the right side of the body using tension-regulated tape. Pull the tape to proper tension without pinching the skin. Measure each site three times, and take the average. 

Arm:

        15 ¾ inches

Waist:

         46 ½ inches

Abdomen:

         57 inches

Hips:

         55 inches

Thigh:

         30 ½ inches

Calf:

         16 ¾ inches 

Well, those are my embarrassing stats. I will weigh and measure once a month. I know some people weigh every week or every day, but for me that’s too often. It will be hard to see changes from day to day, and weight naturally fluctuates. I am afraid if I see a half a pound weight loss in one week, that will just look like a fluctuation, but if I see a couple of pounds over the course of a month, I will know it is actual loss (I hope). Also, seeing a larger loss at one time will be more rewarding. 

I am not a doctor, and this is just information I am figuring out for myself, so I would suggest talking to your doctor before starting any program.