Are you unsure if you are losing body fat consistently? If so, you are not alone.
Fat loss is a very common goal people have but it is often met by guesswork and no ways of judging if progress is being made. As a result, people second guess themselves and either try something different or give up altogether.
So, how can you prevent this? What are the best ways of measuring if you are losing fat at the weight you want?
Photos
The first is through visual proof. When you start your journey, you will probably be reluctant to take photos of your current physique due to being unhappy with the way you look. However, it is vital that you take these starting photos as they will be proof of how far you have come with your fat loss.
Aim to take clear photos of your front, back and side and keep them in an album or folder to organise them. It is then advised that you take weekly or bi-weekly photos of the same standard so you can clearly see how much fat you have lost.
Body Measurements
Another great way of judging fat loss progress is through taking your own body measurements. This will give you an indication that you may have both lost body fat and gained muscle, depending on the area of the body you are measuring.
The best area to measure for fat loss would be around the stomach and waist, as this is the area people care about the most when it comes to fat loss and also you will likely be adding muscle in other areas, such as your arms, legs and shoulders.
Clothes Sizes
Perhaps an underrated method by many, seeing how well your clothes fit is an excellent way of measuring fat loss progress. This is why it is important to note what sizes you were when you first started, so that you can then see the difference when you make progress further down the line. It is an accurate measure of progress because it means you will have lost fat in key areas of your body such as midsection, legs and chest.
It is also exciting to notice. Everyone wants to fit into their clothes as well as possible, especially if they have not been worn in a long time. Not only does if improve your self-confidence, but also reduces how much you will have to spend on new clothes and gives you options for social events
Scale Weight
Weighing yourself is arguably the most popular way of measuring fat loss. However, it should not be the only one. This is because many variables go into your weight such as muscle mass, water retention, stress levels, recovery from training, sleep quality and quantity, time of the month for females and levels of sodium in your body, as well as body fat.
Yet your body weight should be tracked regardless, as the more fat you lose, the lower your overall body weight will be over time, even if it fluctuates on certain occasions. So, either weigh yourself once per week or once every day and go off the average of each day. Aim to do this with limited food in your system so that you have the most accurate reading/
How You Feel
Finally, another great measurement of progress is simply how you feel. Do you feel slimmer, fitter, more energetic? These are all key indicators. More often than not, you will know if you are losing body fat, simply because of the way you feel.
Of course, other measurements are important for spotting small changes, but in the initial stages, you will notice big differences, such as less bloating, less water retention and less softness around the midsection.
Summary
So, there are several ways to measure your level of progress for fat loss. These include, photos, body measurements, clothes sizes, scale weight and how you feel. Make sure you consistently track these areas to have an accurate reading of whether or not you are on the way to a slimmer, leaner physique.
Photo Credit: Envato Elements