Printable Weight Loss Chart
A printable weight loss chart in many cases is simply a means of printing off a chart so you can record you weight. This allows you to track how much weight you are losing and see your progress. A good printable weight loss tracker however will give you a bit more. After all, losing weight is only one way to measure your progress.
When trying to lose weight a person goes through many ups and downs. During these times you may see no progress (or very little progress) in terms of pounds lost. However, what you may not know is that you may be losing inches or body fat. Often times when this happens a person does not know that even though the scale is not budging, they are in fact making progress towards their goal.
Therefore, to stay motivated and to see the full progress you are making, you want a printable weight loss chart that tracks it all _ weight loss, inches lost and body fat lost. Although tracking every measurement is not needed, you will want to track more than just how much you lose in terms of weight. You should also track inches in a few areas of the body like the waist, arms and thighs. You can also track the hips and chest areas.
Additionally, using a weight loss chart to track your body fat percent is a great way to see the progress you are making. Losing excess body fat is important not only for weight loss but for your overall health. Excess body fat, especially belly fat, can lead to several medical risks such as heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes just to name a few. So your goal should not only be in terms of weight loss but also in a reduction of body fat percent.
When tracking your progress, you should weigh and measure at least once a week. More than this is not necessary as you can fluctuate by 2 to 4 pounds in a given day due to water weight. You will get a more accurate reading if you weight and measure yourself on the same day of each week at the same time of day. So pick a time when you can easily measure and record your progress.
Measuring body fat percentage is a bit more difficult than simply weighing yourself. You can purchase specialized equipment to measure skin folds in order to calculate your body fat percent. If you belong to a gym, have an instructor help you measure for body fat or ask your doctor. Another method is to use an online body fat calculator. Although these are not as exact as a skin fold measurement, it will give you a good basis to help measure your progress.
Of course tracking your progress is only one step towards reaching your goals. A printable weight loss chart is simply a tool to measure progress _ it is up to you to do the work to reach your goal. Eating healthy and exercising are the two best methods to losing weight, reducing body fat and losing inches. So set up a meal plan and workout routine so that you can start to track and measure your progress and reach your goal.