How to Chart Your Weight

Charting your weight is a great way to provide motivation and a record of your weight while trying to lose weight, maintain weight, or even gain weight or muscle in the case of a person interested in body building. Losing weight can be challenging and sometimes discouraging when it seems like weight is not falling off quickly. However, with a chart showing the starting point of your weight as well as the progress over time, the downward slope caused by losing weight can be very motivational and encouraging.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Printer
• Paper
• Pencil
• Colored markers

Instructions

1. Select the chart you want to use or draw your own chart. It can be printed from an online resource or made by drawing a right angle on a piece of paper--the horizontal line for the x axis representing the dates and the vertical line for the y axis representing the weights.

2. Select the frequency that you are going to use to chart your weight. Will it be daily? Weekly? Monthly? If you are making the chart yourself, make the horizontal line--the x axis--according to your decision. For instance, Jan. 1, Jan. 15, Feb. 1 and Feb. 15 for every other week.
   If you are making the chart yourself, make the vertical line--the y axis--have the weight range, broken down by intervals of 5 or 10 lbs. per line down the chart.

3. Write your weight starting point and goals on the chart. This is helpful for motivation. Goals can also be broken down into smaller ones, like weight loss goal in 2 months, 6 months and 1 year.

4. Mark your starting point on the chart, find the date on the bottom, and then follow the line up to your starting weight. Mark using a little dot, circle, square, or other symbol that you want to use. Using a color that is different from the chart colors can make reading the chart easier.

5. Weigh yourself at regular intervals, and mark your chart accordingly, whether it be daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly.

6. Connect the dots when each new weight is added, at the end of the chart, or not at all (connecting the dots on the line graph is optional).

7. Print or make more charts to use until the ideal weight or goal is achieved.

Tips & Warnings

• Mark your calendar or day planner to remind you to weigh yourself, and mark your chart accordingly. If the weight loss is going well, an ideal placement spot for the chart spot might be on the refrigerator or freezer door at eye level to act as an encouragement. Consider using a weight loss buddy, fitness coach, or life coach to assist with maintaining motivation while trying to lose weight, gain weight or add muscle. Remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you exercise or lift weights while dieting, then weight loss might appear slower on the chart but be visibly faster on your actual body frame and by how your clothing fits.

• Always seek the guidance and advice of a qualified physician before embarking on a new diet or weight loss plan. Research your ideal weight, taking into consideration age and optimum health. Do not try to lose weight too fast. This is harmful to the body, the heart, and can leave sagging skin. Lose weight slow and steady to allow the body to adjust. Keep expectations and goals in a realistic time frame so you are not discouraged.

References

• Glencoe Algebra : Concepts and Applications; McGraw-Hill, Jack Price, Kay McClain, Yvonne Mojica, Price; May 2003

Resources

• Free Weight Chart Software
• Excel Weight Chart and Other Charts
• Chart Your Weight with Skinnyr - Free Graph