How to take your body measurements at home

Before our first consultation, I ask for a few simple measurements. They help me understand your starting point and track progress in a way that goes beyond the number on the scale.

You don't need anything fancy. Here's exactly how to do it.

What you'll need

• A soft (cloth or plastic) tape measure
• A bathroom scale on a hard, flat floor
• A wall, a hardcover book and a pencil
• Your phone, to note the numbers down

When to measure

Measure first thing in the morning, after using the toilet and before eating or drinking. Wear light clothing or measure directly on the skin. Use the same scale and the same time of day each time, so your numbers are comparable.

Once every 1 to 2 weeks is plenty. Weight naturally changes by 1 to 2 kg from day to day because of water, salt, hormones and digestion, so daily weighing mostly measures noise.

Height

1. Take your shoes off and stand with your back against a wall, feet together.
2. Your heels, bottom, shoulders and the back of your head should touch the wall. Look straight ahead.
3. Place a hardcover book flat on your head, pressed against the wall, and mark the wall underneath it with a pencil.
4. Measure from the floor to the mark.

Weight

Step on the scale with both feet in the centre, stand still and look straight ahead. If your weight jumps around, step off and on again and use the reading that repeats.

Waist

This is the most useful measurement, because fat stored around the middle is most closely linked to diabetes and heart disease.

1. Stand up straight and find the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone.
2. Place the tape measure halfway between the two. For most people this is roughly at the level of the belly button.
3. Keep the tape level all the way round and snug, without squeezing the skin.
4. Breathe out normally and measure at the end of the breath. Don't suck your stomach in!
5. Measure twice and use the average.

Prefer to watch? Diabetes UK has a short video showing how to measure your waist, and the NHS has a clear step-by-step guide.

Hips (optional)

Stand with your feet together and measure around the widest part of your bottom, keeping the tape level.

What the numbers tell you

Waist-to-height ratio. Divide your waist by your height, using the same units. A result under 0.5, meaning your waist is less than half your height, is a healthy target for most adults.

Waist size for South Asian adults. Health risks start to rise at a smaller waist size than in many other groups. The International Diabetes Federation uses 80 cm (31.5 in) for women and 90 cm (35.5 in) for men as the point to take action.

Numbers are information, not a judgement. They're one part of the picture, alongside your energy, sleep, digestion, blood tests and how you feel.

Other ways to track progress

• How your clothes fit
• Progress photos taken in the same spot and lighting every 4 weeks
• Energy levels, sleep and mood
• Strength and fitness, like climbing stairs without getting breathless
• Blood results such as HbA1c, cholesterol and iron

A gentle note: if measuring your body feels stressful, or you have a history of disordered eating, you can skip this part of the form. Just let me know, and we'll track progress in other ways.