With fat loss as your goal, you should be taking measurements to track your progress. Here are some of your options. The important thing is not to rely on just one, instead use all four.

Bodyweight - This is the one that most people focus on but by itself it tells you very little. The scale has a major limitation in that it doesn’t tell you if you are gaining or loosing muscle or bodyfat. Definitely don’t rely on bodyweight alone as your progress measure. I recommend that you weight yourself first thing in the morning, once or twice a week. Mike Roussell, author of The Naked Nutrition Guide, on the other hand suggests that you weigh yourself daily.

Girth Measurements - Simply measure and record the circumference of your chest, upper arm, waist, hip and thigh every 3-4 weeks.

Bodyfat Measurements - The first thing you need to do is get a set of bodyfat callipers and use them every 3-4 weeks. You should record the actual site measurements as well as the bodyfat percentage. This will allow you to track the changes in different areas of the body.

Photos - Every 3-4 weeks take a photo while standing relaxed from the front, back and side. Take the photos while standing in the same place and with the same lighting. For males I recommend wearing a pair of sports shorts and for females I recommend a sports bra and shorts.

I think the most valuable tools are the photos and the calliper measurements. The bottom line is how you look and using these will give you a great idea of where you stand.

For fat loss, unless you are replacing a meal with a liquid meal replacement, don’t drink your calories. It is estimated that Americans drink on average 450 calories per day. Even if you are eating well, that would be enough calories to put on almost 1 lb of fat in a week. Move to drinking water and green tea and make a difference to to daily calorie intake.

When you are trying to loose weight, not everything will go to plan. Don’t worry about it, as Mike Roussell, author of Your Naked Nutrition Guide says in a recent post, “The real key is making strides (even if it is just one) everyday to be better and more compliant than the day before. If you do that then you’ll get the body you always wanted.” Don’t get frustrated with yourself, you’re on the way to where you want to be.