With any weight loss things sometimes aren't always as they appear. Many times we hear patients who are concerned because their weight on the scale is staying the same but they also say "but I'm down two shirt sizes." This can be for a number of reasons but the main one is that they could be adding muscle, which weighs more than the fat they have lost. Keeping track of your measurements is also another way to see your success because you may still be losing, but in a different way.
1. Do NOT weight yourself daily. It will just drive you crazy in the end. We suggest a weekly schedule. Yes, one of the charts has a place to track your weight loss daily but that doesn't mean we suggest it.
2. Weigh yourself at approximately the same time of day. Your weight can fluctuate from morning to evening. So pick a standard time when you plan to do your weight loss tracking. We suggest in the morning when you wake up.
3. MEASURE yourself! Get a sewing tape measure and keep track. You may not see it on the scale but you'll see it in the inches lost.
4. Take a picture! One other thing that you can do is take a photo of yourself. You may not be able to "see" your weight loss initially, but once you start seeing yourself in your mind differently it really becomes apparent. On the left is my photos that I had taken every few months so you can see a sample. Even though people were telling me that they saw my weight loss, I seriously could not "see" what they were until later when I lined up the photos.
Here are some charts we made so you can keep track of your weight loss. The files are downloadable and are in a Adobe PDF (.pdf) format. If you don't have Adobe Reader it's free and you can get it HERE.
The sample images have the watermark & typing across the image but the printable files don't, so you can print a clean copy.
This first chart is for tracking weight loss and clothing size:
Download it by clicking the link below and saving it to your computer OR depending on your browser, right click and choose "save target as".
Weight Loss Tracking Chart Download – Adobe PDF Format
The second chart is for keeping track of your measurements and weight loss weekly.
Body Measurement and Weight Loss Tracking Chart – Adobe PDF Format
Feel free to share these with anyone, even if they are not a weight loss surgery patient. They can come in handy for people just trying to lose an extra 25 pounds or so.
