According to a study published by Katherine M. Flegal, Ph.D., et al. in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" in January 2010, more than 30 percent of the adults in most age and sex groups in the United States are obese. If you suffer from obesity and excess weight, one of the best ways to motivate yourself to keep losing weight is to monitor your percentage of weight loss as you eat a healthy, balanced diet, get plenty of sleep and engage in regular exercise.
Step 1
Weigh yourself with the most accurate scale available to you at the outset of your weight-loss program. Go to the bathroom just before weighing in and wear clothing and footwear that you'll be able to wear for every weigh-in session; this eliminates any small differences that might result from heavy clothes or shoes. This weight will be the "initial weight" for your first calculation.
Step 2
Weigh yourself again after at least one week, using the same scale and wearing the same clothing and footwear. As before, go to the bathroom just before weighing in. This weight is your "actual weight" for the first weight-loss calculation.
Step 3
Subtract your actual weight from your initial weight to get the amount of weight you lost. For example, if you weighed 255 pounds when you first weighed in and now weigh 250 pounds, you lost 5 pounds (255 - 250).
Step 4
Divide the amount of weight lost by your initial weight. To continue our example, that would be 5/255 = .0196. If you use a calculator to figure this amount, drop all but three digits to the right of the decimal point.
Step 5
Multiply the resulting number by 100 to get your percentage of weight loss for this time period. To conclude our example, the 255-pound person who lost 5 pounds will have lost .0196 * 100 = 1.96 percent of his weight during the time period between his "initial weight" weigh-in and his "actual weight" weigh-in.
Step 6
Record your weight loss, including your initial weight, actual weight, dates of weigh-in times and weight loss percentage, either on a notepad or in a computer spreadsheet program like Excel.
Tips and Warnings
- The "actual weight" from each weigh-in becomes the "initial weight" for the next weigh-in calculation. Calculating this way means that you'll get the percentage of weight loss since your last weigh-in (when you measured the last "actual weight," which became your current "initial weight"). If you want to calculate your total percentage of weight loss since you began monitoring, substitute your original "initial weight" back into the formula along with the current "actual weight." Weighing in at intervals of one week or more helps ensure that you'll achieve noticeable results; depending on how much you weigh, how you're eating, how you're exercising and your physical condition, you may occasionally see dramatic weight loss results or you may see slow, consistent results over time.
- Always consult a doctor before beginning a new fitness and exercise program.
Things You'll Need
- Accurate scale
- Calculator or spreadsheet program
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