How quickly will you lose weight? The volunteers reduced their waist sizes by an average of 1 inch for every 4lb (1.81kg) they lost. So if you lose 1lb (0.45kg) a week you could hope to reduce your waistline by an inch after four weeks.
How many pounds to lose an inch? In general, it takes about 8 pounds to lose your first inch.
There were all sorts of ranges that did differ from this because people store fat differently than others and in different places. But, the general average was 1 inch = 8 lbs.
Reducing your waist size can give you more energy and lessen your risk of certain health conditions, including heart disease and diabetes. Carrying weight around your midsection is also linked to higher mortality rates.
"It is possible to lose inches from your waistline within two weeks of beginning a diet and exercise program, with the caveat that those with more abdominal fat will see larger decreases more quickly."
The American Council on Exercise says a 1 percent body fat loss per month is safe and achievable. Given that math, it could take a woman with average body fat about 20 to 26 months to achieve the appropriate amount of fat loss for six-pack abs. The average man would need about 15 to 21 months.
On average, every 10 lbs of weight a person loses will equate to 1 pant size smaller.
Then, if you are man, you add or subtract 5 pounds for every inch you are taller or shorter than 5 feet, 9 inches. Women add or subtract 4.5 pounds for each inch they differ from the baseline height of 5-feet tall. These Maximum Weight Limits correspond very closely to BMIs of 25.5 for men and 24.5 for women.
In general if you're a woman, you want a measurement that's less than 34.5 inches. If you're a man, a number below 40 inches is ideal. A measurement that's higher than those isn't a death sentence, but it has been strongly linked with a higher risk of several serious diseases including type 2 diabetes.
Ideal Body Weight (IBW) – Hamwi method
Ideal body weight is an estimation of a healthy weight based on height. 6 pounds for every inch thereafter.
It's possible to gain muscle and reduce body fat without actually seeing a change in your weight. This happens when you lose body fat while gaining muscle. Your weight may stay the same, even as you lose inches, a sign that you're moving in the right direction.
Whether the scale moves or not, losing inches is definitely a step in the right direction. It means the fat is burning. It means our body size is shrinking. And when we're on a quest to lose weight, this is really the ultimate goal -- to change our body composition for the better.
Thus a man who is 6ft or 72 inches tall (183 cm), should keep his waist under 36 inches (91 cm), and a woman who is 5ft 4 in or 64 inches tall (163 cm), should keep her waist measurement under 32 inches (81 cm).
Averages for U.S. women
Averages for women in the United States: Waist size: 38.7 inches. Height: 63.6 inches, or 5 feet 3 inches.
According to the Heart Foundation, a healthy waistline size is: 37 inches or less for men. 31.5 inches or less for women.
According to Density - The Physics Hypertextbook both body fat and olive oil have a density of . 918 g/cm3. So a pound, 453.592 g, occupies 494.1 cm3, or a cube about 7.9 cm (3.11 inches) on a side.
The difference between the same waist measurement taken 10 minutes after a meal, 2 hours after a meal, and with an empty stomach reaches 0.7″ (1.7 cm) for women and 0.6″ (1.4 cm) for men.
"By the time you hit 10 pounds, your jeans will feel differently, absolutely," Blum says. "Just a little looser. Theoretically, 10 pounds is considered one size." Once you get past that first couple pounds where you might not be able to tell, Blum says, you really do start to lose body fat.
If majority rules, a size 10 has a 36″ bust, 28″ waist and a 40″ hip. She's five foot five or six inches tall and weighs 140 pounds.
Multiple regression tells us that on average, for every 8.5 pounds lost, people dropped an inch off their waist. (And for every 1.5 kilograms lost, people dropped a centimeter off their waist.) Every 10 pounds lost was accompanied by 1.18 inches of waistline reduction.
The rule of thumb, Fernstrom says, is that losing 8 to 10 pounds translates to going down one size.
The specific proportions of 36–24–36 inches (90-60-90 centimeters) have frequently been given as the "ideal", or "hourglass" proportions for women since at least the 1960s (these measurements are, for example, the title of a hit instrumental by The Shadows).