How to Track Your Skinny Fat Progress in 4 Simple Steps

The tricky part of fixing the skinny fat physique is knowing that you’re making progress.

Too many people train diligently and follow a nutritional plan but feel disheartened because they seem stuck, unable to see any improvements. As a result, folks who are making decent progress give and return to square one.

To avoid this from happening to you, I’ve laid out the four best tactics to track your skinny fat progress with practical ideas on how to apply each.

Let’s dive in.

But First, A Few Words On Proper Skinny Fat Progress Tracking

Tracking your progress is among the easier fitness-related things you should do. But, the approach still takes skill and the right mindset for you to capture data accurately and succeed. Here are five things to keep in mind:

1. The Value of Individual Readings

One of the most important things you need to remember is that no single reading determines your worth or effort. Too many people obsess over individual readings and feel bad if they don’t weigh less than before. The truth is, fluctuations will always occur. What matters more is that you look at trends and how your body changes from week to week and month to month.

2. Consistency is Crucial

Consistency will play a massive role in how accurately you can track progress. If you only use the below tactics sporadically, expect skewed results. Instead, you should be diligent with your approach. I’ll provide you with specific recommendations for each tactic below.

3. Be Diligent

An important element in proper skinny fat progress tracking is attention to detail, which refers to two things:

1. How thoroughly you record data
2. How careful you are with tracking your progress

You should always record individual metrics the same way and track even the slightest improvements. For example, when weighing yourself, do it the same way each time. Then, record values to the 0.1 of an lb or kilo.

4. Use Multiple Tactics

Each of the four tactics below works well, but the true magic happens when you combine them. Each tactic has its drawbacks, but combining them provides a more thorough picture of how things are going. As a result, even if one method doesn’t show progress for weeks, another might suggest that you’re still moving in the right direction.

For example, your weigh-ins might stall, leading you to believe that you’re stuck. But, your progress photos and training efforts might reveal that you’ve made progress recently.

5. Do It Yourself

Two of the tactics below might work well if you ask someone close to help. I recommend against that because that person might not always be available to help you track progress. Relying on yourself is the best policy because it gives you the freedom to track progress more quickly without waiting for someone.

Related article: My Skinny Fat Transformation: How I Got Fit (And I Learned)

What Tracking Tactics I Recommend Avoiding

Before diving into the tactics for proper skinny fat progress tracking, I’d like to discuss some more popular methods and why you should avoid them.

1. Gauging Progress In The Mirror

Looking at yourself in the mirror to gauge progress might seem like a great tactic. The problem is, we see ourselves daily, and it can often be difficult to notice progress unless it is significant. As a result, you might overlook minor signs of improvement, get frustrated, and give up.

2. Using a Body Fat Percentage Tool

Tracking your body fat percentage might seem like the best tactic, but I disagree. For one, most methods aren’t accurate enough. A DEXA scan is relatively accurate, but most other methods are way off, and variables like hydration status can skew the results.

Second, knowing your body fat percentage doesn’t hold much value. How your body looks and functions are far more critical indicators of skinny fat progress.

3. Using Various Activity Trackers

Activity trackers have become popular in recent years, and many people use them to gauge their caloric expenditure. The problem with such tools is that many people take the values and use them as an excuse to adjust their diet from day to day. If your Apple Watch says you’ve burned 500 calories from walking one day, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should eat an extra 500 calories.

For one, activity trackers aren’t as accurate as most people believe. They can be close, but the technology is relatively new and still has a long way to go before it can genuinely display your daily energy expenditure. Second, changing your nutrition from day to day can make it more challenging to track your calorie intake, which can present issues down the road.

The Four Tactics for Tracking Your Skinny Fat Progress Like a Pro

Tactic 1: Take Progress Photos Monthly

Taking progress photos is essential for tracking good and bad visual changes. Photos are necessary because, as discussed above, we see ourselves in the mirror daily, which makes it nearly impossible to notice changes unless they are significant.

I recommend taking three photos:

• Front
• Side
• Back

You can take these in a flexed or relaxed state, but be consistent with it from month to month. I recommend a relaxed state, as it is more natural and accurately represents how your body looks.

Stand in front of a light source – ideally, a window. Have your phone or camera at chest height or slightly lower. Don’t take mirror selfies. Just as with your poses, you should also be consistent with the time of day, location, and camera angle when taking photos. I recommend doing so in the morning.

Once you’ve shot your photos, add them to a folder and write the date. Repeat the process every four weeks and compare.

Tactic 2: Take Circumference Measurements Every Two Weeks

Circumference measurements, also known as body measurements, are the second tactic that works great for skinny fat folks. When combined with the other tactics, measurements give you more insight into how your body might be changing.

I recommend measuring the following areas:

• Chest
• One bicep
• Navel
• Hips
• One thigh

You can also measure your forearms and calves if you care about developing these areas.

Like progress photos, take your measurements in the same conditions and at the same time of day, preferably in the morning. Write down each value to 0.1 of a centimeter or inch to ensure greater accuracy.

Aside from that, you might want to invest in a self-tightening tape. These make measuring easier and ensure the same level of tightness each time. In any case, don’t tighten the tape too much, as that can compress fat tissue and show an inaccurately low reading. When bringing the tape behind your back, make sure it doesn’t get twisted, as that can impact your reading.

Tactic 3: Track Each Workout And Your Adherence

Keeping a detailed workout log (including cardio sessions) is essential for tracking your long-term skinny fat progress, especially if you focus more on performance than appearance. Luckily, doing so isn’t that challenging, and you can record your workouts little by little between sets.

One option for tracking workouts is to use an app. You can use a fitness app or a simple note-taking program like Evernote. Alternatively, get yourself a simple notebook or log and write your workouts in an old-fashioned way. Both options have their advantages, and you should pick the one you find more convenient.

Regardless of what method you use, record the following:

• Date of each workout
• Movements you’re doing
• How many sets you’re doing
• How many reps you get per set
• What loads you’re using

Aside from your workouts, you should also track your adherence and mark each workout you have to miss. Progress stalls can occur for many reasons, but if you fail to adhere to at least 90 percent of your sessions, the first thing you should do is improve your consistency.

Tracking adherence monthly would be your best bet. For example, let’s say that you have to do four workouts per week, and your adherence looks like the following:

Week 1 - 4 workouts
Week 2 - 3 workouts
Week 3 - 4 workouts
Week 4 - 2 workouts

Total workouts: 13 of 16
Adherence percentage: 81 percent

In that case, you have to improve your adherence before making any tweaks to your training.

Tactic 4: Weigh Yourself At Least Four Times Per Week

Weighing yourself is the fourth important tactic you should use, but there is a right and wrong way to do it. The wrong way to weigh yourself would be to do so sporadically, at different times of day, and often weighing yourself multiple times in a single day. Doing so provides you with many numbers that don’t have any real value.

The right way to weigh yourself is to limit it to once per day and weigh yourself at least four times per week. You should then calculate your weekly average and compare from week to week.

For example:

Monday - 183.3 lbs
Tuesday - 183.0 lbs
Wednesday - N/A
Thursday - 183.2 lbs
Friday - 182.9 lbs
Saturday - N/A
Sunday - 183.0 lbs

Average: 183 lbs

To ensure consistently accurate weigh-ins, I recommend stepping on the scale in the morning, before eating, and after going to the bathroom. That way, you’ll limit the risk of bloating and other similar things skewing your results.

It’s important to note that weigh-ins aren’t always accurate because factors like hydration status, stress, sodium intake, alcohol, menstrual cycles, and similar can skew your numbers. So, aside from tracking weekly averages, you should also measure your body weight along with progress photos, circumference measurements, and gym performance.

Conclusion

There you have it. Four simple tactics you can use to gather valuable information on how you’re improving down the road. Each of these techniques works well in isolation, but combining them would bring the most comprehensive data.

Which of these have you used to track your skinny fat progress?