A body measurement tracker is anything that helps you to measure your body measurements. Common examples of basic trackers include scales and measuring tapes. However, these methods of tracking have some pretty big drawbacks. For this reason, many people are turning to the ZOZOFIT app for more accurate measurements.

Since every individual's body is different, using a tracker to keep up-to-date body measurements can be an important component of any diet and exercise program. Accurate tracking can help you know if what you’re doing is actually working for you. If you discover that something isn’t working the way you want, you can make changes to find the exact diet or exercise program that is the best fit for your body’s needs.

Tips for Getting the Best Results From a Body Measurement Tracker

There are a variety of body measurement trackers you can use. Some are technologically advanced, such as the ZOZOSUIT and the ZOZOFIT app. Others are quite rudimentary, such as a tape measure or body weight scale. The main problem with the latter two methods is that it’s hard to get accurate results.

With a tape measure, it’s difficult to measure in the exact same spot every time. Plus, if you measure your upper waist or chest, you could get different measurements depending on how much air is in your lungs at the precise time you measure. With a body weight scale, you don’t get an accurate idea of how your body composition is changing. You may be losing fat and gaining muscle without your scale budging an inch.

For these reasons, a more precise tracker such as the ZOZOFIT app is recommended for those who are serious about getting the most accurate information regarding their body composition. Regardless of what body measurement tracker you opt for, though, here are seven tips for using tracking most effectively.

1. Set Small Targets

When you’re first setting weight loss and fitness goals, it's easy to get a little too optimistic. The problem with setting goals that are too great is that it takes a long time to reach them. The longer it takes to reach a goal, the easier it is to become discouraged and give up.

To boost your success, it’s advisable to create many small targets instead of one large target. For example, you might make a goal to lose half an inch in your waist by a certain calendar date. Use a body measurement tracker like ZOZOFIT to follow your progress, as it has goal setting functions in the app. And once you reach that goal, you can make a goal to lose another half an inch, and so on.

These small goals will help you stick to your healthy eating and exercise plan because you’ll get a rush of dopamine each time you reach a goal. Each dopamine rush helps you feel good about your accomplishments and gives you an extra burst of motivation to strive for the next goal. This is your body’s natural way of helping you continue on a path that’s physically, mentally and emotionally rewarding.

2. Measure on an Empty Stomach

When you eat or drink, your belly automatically expands to accommodate what you’re consuming. Therefore, if you want to get the most accurate body measurements, always measure on an empty stomach. No matter what type of body measurement tracker you use, this advice will give you the most accurate snapshot of the progress you’ve made.

Some people mistakenly think it’s OK to measure after only eating or drinking a bit. While it’s true that a small amount of food or liquid probably won’t change your measurements that much, they can still have a measurable impact on your waist circumference. Plus, some types of foods can cause your stomach to bloat even in small quantities, which could have a major impact on your measurements.

If you’re prone to get discouraged when you don’t see any progress or when you see very little progress, it’s wise to always use your body measurement tracker on an empty stomach. Failing to do so could yield inaccurate results and cause you to feel discouraged. Discouragement could, in turn, make it harder for you to feel excited and motivated to reach your fitness goals. It could even cause you to put on more weight if it leads you to give up on your current diet and workout routine.

3. Measure at the Same Time Every Day

Another important piece of advice is to measure your body at the same time every day. Most experts recommend measuring first thing in the morning, after going to the restroom. Using a body measurement tracker later in the afternoon or evening isn’t advisable because the things you eat and drink throughout the day will impact your results.

Throughout the day, the human body goes through many temporary weight changes due to water retention. The water your body retains can impact not only the number you see on the scale but your body measurements as well. Do yourself a favor and make sure you’re always taking your measurements in the morning so you get the most accurate results.

4. Write Down Your Numbers

If you have a pretty good memory, you may think it’s unnecessary to write down your body measurement results every week. However, you may be surprised to discover how difficult it is for the mind to keep track of multiple body measurements and how much they change over time. Writing down your measurements or using a body measurement tracker that records them for you will help you clearly see your progress over time.

ZOZOFIT is a great option because it comes with an app that not only shows you what your body looks like right now, but also keeps track of your previous measurements so you don't even need to write anything down - it does it for you! It’s one of the most precise ways to see exactly what’s going on with your body in terms of both measurements and composition. While measurements alone won’t tell you whether you’re gaining muscle while losing fat, ZOZOFIT can help provide visual proof of how your body is changing.

5. Join Competitions To Boost Motivation

If you’re a naturally competitive person, you’ll probably reach your goals faster if you join some sort of competition. Some communities have local weight loss competitions you may consider joining. You can also look for an online weight loss or fitness competition to help you stay on track. Use an accurate body measurement tracker to make sure you’re not lagging behind in these events and you can even share your results on the ZOZOFIT app with others as well.

If you’re the type of person who gets discouraged when you can’t outperform someone else, joining a competition may not be as beneficial for you. You may find that the best competition is yourself, in which case you can "compete" with your past self to lower your own measurement numbers over time. However, many people tend to do very well when they’re part of a friendly competition (preferably with a nice reward at the end). Even if you don’t lose enough weight to get the reward, you haven’t “failed”: You’ve made it that much closer to your fitness goals, which is a reward in and of itself.

6. Be Kind to Yourself

When using a body measurement tracker, be kind to yourself. The human body can be unpredictable, so try not to be hard on yourself if you don’t quite reach a goal or deadline. Any positive step forward is worth celebrating, no matter how small.

Too many people have an unhealthy habit of engaging in negative self-talk when they don’t think they’ve performed well enough. However, this type of talk can kill health and weight loss goals and make it harder to see good results with your body measurement tracker. There are many different kinds of negative self-talk, including:

• Filtering: This is the type of self-talk that involves actively searching for the negative instead of the positive. When you look in the mirror and see only your imperfections instead of viewing your body as a beautiful miracle, you’re filtering.
• Catastrophizing: If you always think of the worst possible outcome, this is catastrophizing. Some people don’t even get started on a weight-loss or health routine because they imagine that they’ll fail and put all the weight back on (or even more!). If you let yourself catastrophize rather than trying to be optimistic, you’ll have a much more difficult time reaching your health goals.
• Perfectionism: You may struggle from perfectionism if your body measurement tracker shows changes, but you’re still unhappy because you don’t think you’ve made enough progress fast enough. It's perfectionism if you consider yourself to be a total failure even when you have achieved positive but imperfect results.
• Rationalization: This form of negative self-talk occurs when you blame everything and everyone else around you for your shortcomings. This can make it almost impossible to lose weight and keep it off because you do not account for your own behaviors.

If you ever get stuck in one of these common ways of negative thinking, it’s possible to pull out of it. The first step is to recognize the behavior. Once you’ve done that, replace negative self-talk with positive self-talk. Become your own best cheerleader and you’ll be much more likely to reach your health and fitness goals. As the old saying goes, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. In a similar way, positive self-talk will go much further toward helping you stay determined and reach your end goals.

7. Reward Yourself

Punishing yourself for not reaching your desired measurement on a body measurement tracker won’t do anything to help you reach your fitness goals. Instead, it will make you more likely to get discouraged and give up. If you’re serious about changing your body and your life, it’s better to reward yourself for every small effort and minor achievement in the right direction. 

For example, you could buy yourself a small gift, take a vacation or do something else that’s highly motivating. Many people who are on weight-loss journeys find success in rewarding themselves with a lump sum of cash every time they lose 5 pounds. Once they get to their goal weight, they can spend that cash on whatever they want. So whatever your goal may be, reward yourself accordingly! 

Get a Precise Body Measurement Tracker

If you want to maximize your motivation and get closer to reaching your fitness goals, you need to be able to track your body’s changes in real-time. The ZOZOFIT app and the ZOZOSUIT are the best options because not only does the app provide users with accurate measurements but it also shows you what your body looks like in actuality. That’s why ZOZOFIT is so motivating and so effective at helping people take control of their fitness journeys. Discover for yourself how motivating a body measurement tracker like ZOZOFIT can be when you can watch exactly what’s happening to your body in response to your different regimen.