People are eating smarter, healthier and do not go to fast-food restaurants as often. Those are good key steps to take when you want to lose weight. However, to help get that extra weight off, you need to eat right and consistently with your workouts.
A weight loss chart is an excellent tool to track your progress. These charts will help you see how much weight you have lost over a given period of time. To learn how to create one, just continue to read our article.
What Is a Weight Loss Chart?
Weight loss tracker charts are designed to help you track the amount of weight you have lost over a set period of time. They also help you set realistic weight loss goals to not lose momentum, motivation, and give up.
These charts are divided into several categories. These categories help you record the amount of time you exercise, your calorie intake, your current weight, as well as any other information you want to keep track of.
Plus, they can go in small increments, so you can record even a 1 or 2-pound loss each week. Then, these charts can be mapped in pounds or kilograms, whichever measurement you feel comfortable in using. And you can have one for you and one for your spouse.
The set time period you want to track is ultimately up to you, but generally, you may see them outlined in 9 week periods.
Weight Loss Tracker Charts and Templates
How to Create a Weight Loss Chart
This is not as difficult as it may seem. You can draw your own if you prefer the old school route, or you can use your Microsoft Excel. The latter option is probably easier as your columns are already drawn for you.
After opening a new Excel document, put in the first line of rectangles the following words: Date, Weight. You can add more names in additional categories if you want to track more than those two items.
Once you are done, you fill in your current date, weight, and other statistics you want to monitor in the first line underneath those words. Other categories can be made for blood pressure, heart rate, mood, and body measurements in inches.
The easiest way to create a weight loss chart is to download one of the many printable versions you can find on the internet. The toughest part of doing that is finding the one that fits what you want to monitor during your exercise time.
How to Track Your Weight Loss Progress
- The first thing to do is fill in each category after you have gotten the results. You need to keep accurate records if the chart is going to be good for you.
- Second, you will need to save your work. If you print out your chart, this is not going to be hard to do. But if you keep the stats online where no one else can see them, then you need to remind yourself to fill out the chart and hit save.
- Use a website that helps you track your weight loss. There are some good ones online. They will have pages you can customize to fit your plan.
- Use an app on your cell phone. iTunes, Google, and other online stores should have weight loss apps you can download and help you monitor your program.
- Monitor your weight loss by how to lose your clothes fit.
- Take body measurements in key locations, including your bust, waist, calves, and so on.
What Not to Use in Tracking
While you can use a regular weigh scale to track your weight, it is not the best tool to use, nor should it be the only one you use. The reason you do not want to go by the scale alone is that it is a general weight monitoring tool.
It weighs everything, fat, bones, muscles, and organs. You get one weight and cannot see how much progress you have made in other areas. To help keep you motivated, you need to learn how to use a body fat indicator so you can see your body fat index.
That measurement will show improvement where a regular scale will not. Weight will fluctuate, so the scale only gives a general idea of where you stand in your weight loss program
Final Thoughts
Keeping an accurate weight loss chart will help inspire you to continue on your weight loss program. You will see that your program is working, and you are making it to your goal. It may be slow progress, but at least you are headed in the right direction.
