How to properly measure waist

[ChadTheMeatBeast]

You suggest not only tracking scale weight, but also taking pictures and measurements.

This might be a stupid question, but what's the proper way to measure your waist for this purpose?

At the navel, an inch above the navel, at the navel but above the hips, do you merely stand up straight and relax your stomach or do you kind of bloat your stomach out?

Measuring the waist sounds easy, but when you think about it, it's pretty easy to skew the measurement by a few inches just by not paying attention to this stuff.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

If you're a guy measure at the umbilicus using (preferably) a spring-loaded tape measure.

For a female, do the waist and the hips at the largest part around.

[Rezart Erindi]

You suggest not only tracking scale weight, but also taking pictures and measurements.

This might be a stupid question, but what's the proper way to measure your waist for this purpose?

At the navel, an inch above the navel, at the navel but above the hips, do you merely stand up straight and relax your stomach or do you kind of bloat your stomach out?

Measuring the waist sounds easy, but when you think about it, it's pretty easy to skew the measurement by a few inches just by not paying attention to this stuff.

With Jordan's permission, I'd like to add my 2 cents. I measure at the navel, every Monday morning, on an empty stomach, and with the stomach fully relaxed. It's important to be consistent in the readings, and try not to cheat by keeping the stomach in.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

What he said.

[gtl]

I typically measure about 1/2-3/4" below my belly button.. which is the widest point for me, and typically where I store fat. I also have a long torso. The difference is almost an inch. Anything wrong w/ this approach?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Not as long as the point where you're taking the measurement is the same each time.

[Lion]

Is body fat percentage a better way to check your fat?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Is body fat percentage a better way to check your fat?

It's just another tool in the toolbox. If the goal is a certain body fat number due to preconceived notions of health benefits, performance, or aesthetic value then we have a mental issue to work on. In the other hand, if we take body fat fluctuations in the context of weight changes, pics, and measurements, we have a fairly accurate set of data to go off of.

[spacediver]

kinda related:

what looks to be a very informative four part series on body fat measurement. I've not read it yet, but it looks good:

http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=146