Measuring Weight Or Inches? Which Weight-loss Tracking Method ...

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• Measuring weight or inches? Which weight-loss tracking method works best

TrendingValentine's Day MessagesKiss Day WishesBlood SugarHair DensityBaby NamesSnake Hiding SpotsParenting QuoteSanjeev KapoorKarthiMilk AdulterationValentine's Day MessagesKiss Day WishesBlood SugarHair DensityBaby NamesSnake Hiding SpotsParenting QuoteSanjeev KapoorKarthiMilk AdulterationValentine's Day MessagesKiss Day WishesBlood SugarHair DensityBaby NamesSnake Hiding SpotsParenting QuoteSanjeev KapoorKarthiMilk AdulterationMeasuring weight or inches? Which weight-loss tracking method works bestTIMESOFINDIA.COM / Jun 6, 2022, 7:00 ISTShareAA+Text Size

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​Weighing scale vs measuring tape

Today is the day you have decided to fit back into your favourite jeans, and for this you have got to lose some weight. So how will you measure if you are actually losing weight? By standing on a weighing scale, it's obvious right? But is this common weight-tracking tool also an effective measuring tool?

Whether you are obsessed with it or not, if you are trying to lose weight, you likely have an emotional relationship with your weighing scale. Seeing a drop after weeks of work at the gym can put you on cloud nine—and noticing the numbers shoot up after a cheat meal can bring you crashing right back down to earth.

On the other hand, many people who are not satisfied with their body size, such as their tummy or arms, use a measuring tape to track the process and find out if they are actually trimming down or not. Given the emotional roller coaster, you need the best method to measure your weight loss. Which one is it, let’s find out.

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Weighing scale

Stepping on the scale can be good for your weekly and monthly check-ins but just relying on the scale can cause you to lose sight of the other ways your body is changing. So sometimes even if you make some progress, it may not show on the weighing scale.

Plus, several factors, like your water intake or metabolism can impact your weight. If you’re on your period or ate a lot of salt recently, your weight is more likely to spike, despite your efforts to burn calories. While this fluctuation is completely normal, it can definitely freak you out if you depend on the scale for a feedback of your intense workout session.

If you are building muscles due to exercise (which is healthy), then this too may show a spike on your weight scale. Though muscle takes up less space than fat, it's much denser, so it weighs more. Because of that, your scale might not accurately reflect the awesome progress you're making—and can also really bum you out.

Read more: Weight loss: Detox drinks to have on an empty stomach to shed kilos

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​Measuring tape

If you've been doing all the right things and the number on the weighing scale still isn’t budging, it may be time to measure your progress differently. Keeping track of the inches of certain body parts, like your hips, thighs, and biceps, can give you a solid summary of your diet and fitness plan, as your body becomes more compact when you gain muscle and lose fat. If you are trying to fit better in your clothes, measuring tape can be a great way to track your progress. The drawback with measuring tape is that you are bound to get different results if you do not measure from the exact same spot every time, which is obviously difficult.

Read more: Fatty liver disease symptoms: Signs of liver damage from excess alcohol intake

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​Other measures of a fit and healthy body

Measuring your progression for a healthy and fit body can not be done with only numbers. You may lose many kgs with crash dieting and hamper your health in turn. Some other important ways to determine the success of your diet and fitness plan that have nothing to do with how you look are – increased energy, better sleep, healthy bowel movements, healthy skin, stronger immunity and improved strength. Infact, these factors may be way more important than any number.

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