Track my body measurements? I don’t think so is what you may be thinking to yourself.
You’d probably rather cover yourself in honey and lie down on a hill of fire ants. Heck, ripping off your fingernails one by one may sound more pleasant than keeping track of things such as your body weight, waist size, thighs, etc.
Even stubbing your toes two dozen times on a concrete block may sound less painful than constantly reminding yourself that you don’t have the body of your dreams.
And to rub salt in the wound, some fitness gurus cause even more confusion, which leads to indecisiveness.
Some of them suggest tracking all fitness-related activities, while others say that it’s not necessary.
To a certain extent, both groups are right.
If you become in tune with your body, you’ll naturally consume enough of the correct nutrients to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
On the other hand, not tracking things such as your body measurement metrics could lead you to guess.
Regardless of who’s point of view you agree with, no one should argue about the power of tracking physical metrics, because the numbers tell you whether or not what you’re doing is working.
For example; if you look at your body measurement tracker and notice you’ve gained 10 pounds of mainly fat in the last 2 months, would indicate a change in your diet and exercise routine is needed.
Tracking allows you to make adjustments that could help you shed those extra pounds.
The good news is that keeping track of your body measurements is pretty easy, and the payoff could be huge in terms of transforming your body.
Let’s go ahead and quickly discuss the five ways to track your physical metrics…
WAY 1: Mobile Body Measurement Apps
In this high-tech era we live in, there’s no surprise that there are thousands of mobile body measurement apps available at our fingertips.
These neat little apps are amazing and can track a wide range of metrics conveniently on your mobile devices.
Besides the common body measurements, some of them also include features such as a pedometer, exercise log, heart rate log, sharing options, etc.
If you’re into high-tech, then mobile body measurement apps may be for you.
WAY 2: Desktop Body Measurement Trackers
Desktop body measurement trackers provide many of the same features as a mobile app.
However, it’s not the most convenient way to access your physical metrics, because who wants to haul around a laptop?
The biggest benefit of using a desktop as opposed to a mobile app is having more screen real estate, which makes it easier on the eyes and increases useability.
If you don’t mind not having instant access to your data, then by all means try out some of the most popular desktop body measurement trackers to find one you like.
WAY 3: Online Body Measurement Trackers
These trackers combine the best of the mobile and desktop applications all in one place.
Like with mobile apps, you can access online body measurement trackers on your cell phone, which provides convenience.
These online trackers can also be accessed on a desktop computer, therefore giving you all that screen real estate, which enhances usability.
Body measurement trackers regardless of whether they’re online or mobile app-based, typically offer the same features, more or less.
Your decision on which to choose comes down to personal preference.
WAY 4: Body Measurement Tracker Journals
Before the advent of mobile, desktop, and online apps, there were classic physical tracker journals.
Believe it or not, physical journals to this day are more popular than ever and show no signs of slowing down.
Millions of people prefer to manually track their measurements using a pen or pencil.
They enjoy the tactlessness of being able to feel a physical journal because it’s tangible.
Like digital trackers, journals allow you to record the same basic metrics.
If you prefer the old-school method of tracking your body measurements, then physical journals are for you.
TIP: We recommend that you store your used journals in a dry cool place so that you can go back and look at your progress over time.
WAY 5: Printable Body Measurement Trackers
This type of tracker is one of my favorites because you pay once, download, and print as many times as you’d like.
These trackers are digital versions of physical journals but are less expensive.
Another cool thing about printable body measurement trackers is the ability to instantly download them, which means no waiting or shipping cost.
Whenever you need another copy, simply print it out, and put it into a 3-ring binder.
Example Of What You Should Measure And Track:
- Body Weight
- Height
- Neck
- Chest
- Upper Arms
- Forearms
- Waist
- Thighs
- Hip
- Calves
- BMR
- % Body Fat
- % Lean Mass
- Shirt size
- Pant Size
- Underwear Size
If you track those metrics consistently and adjust your exercise and diet regimen to keep yourself making physical progress, there’s no reason you shouldn’t lose weight.
Conclusion
You just learned 5 ways to track your body measurements for weight loss success.
You don’t have to go overboard with tracking everything that you eat, work out, and so on unless you want to.
However, recording the simple things before you get started with any exercise program such as your body weight, the size of your clothing, your reasons WHY you must lose weight, developing the proper mindset, and determining what will motivate you to push through barriers to keep going, and so forth will give you momentum.
Remember, it’s difficult to manage what you don’t measure.
If your goal is to melt off those unwanted pounds and get toned, the simple act of tracking your body measurements can help keep you motivated to accomplish your fitness goals.
All of the tracking methods that we covered today are good and it comes down to choosing the method that resonates with you.
We personally like the printable body measurement trackers because they are low-tech, instantly downloadable, inexpensive, and I’m able to print an unlimited number of copies.
Whatever you do, pick at least one method because you’ll be happy you did when you witnessed your weight loss transformation!
