When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to track your progress. Something that is measureable is much more attainable. Measuring your progress and noting it down can also be very motivating!

Of course, one of the major stats that you should track is your actual weight. Try to use a digital scale that shows your weight up to at least one decimal point. Keep in mind that there are a few things that can cause fluctuations in your weight, including water retention levels, how recently you’ve eaten a meal, and how much muscle percentage you have.

Weight is not the only thing you should monitor when you’re trying to reduce fat – there are other important bodily statistics that your should monitor in order to track your progress. These include things like blood pressure, percentage of body fat and cholesterol. You need to monitor these things because the scale often does not show the whole picture! For instance, a woman who engages in a lot of strength training may lose fat and build muscle, but the scale would indicate that her weight is the same. However, if she measures her waist, she would most likely find that she dropped a few inches.

You can get a better idea of how much fat you really need to lose by finding out your body fat percentage. Even better, this stat can indicate how much progress you’ve made in your fat loss endeavours.

There are many methods of body fat testing, including bioelectrical impedance scales, callipers, DEXA, online calculators and hydrostatic weighing. A healthy body fat percentage for women is between 25 and 30%. Some health clubs and gyms also offer body fat measurements.

While tracking your progress, you should also measure your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in order to understand how healthy you are. You will need a stethoscope and a sphygmomanometer in order to measure your blood pressure. In addition, you should measure your cholesterol levels – this can give your more insight about your overall health and help you plan your diet. A test of cholesterol levels can easily be done by your doctor during a regular check-up. Just make sure that you fast for 12 hours before the cholesterol test.

In addition to measuring these bodily stats, you should also take measurements at certain areas of your body. This can give you an idea of where you are losing fat, and where you are not – so that you can put more focus (in the form of strength training exercises) at your problem areas. Taking measurements can also reassure you that things are happening – especially if the scales and other tools don’t show much difference.

Measure these vital stats on a regular basis, maybe once a week or so, and note them in your journal. This way, you can track your progress over time.