How to Check Weight Without a Weighing Machine?

Weighing machines have been around for decades and are believed to be the best method to find out your weight. But science has been advancing and it is claiming that weighing machine does not differentiate between your fat mass and fat-free mass. bone, organs, and skin mass, thus, it might not be much reliable. In that case, are there alternatives to weighing machines? Can you check your weight without a weighing machine? Let’s have a look.

How to check weight without a weighing machine?

Normally the easiest way to measure body weight is considered by stepping on a weight scale either digital or analog. But there are certainly other methods by which you can check your body weight without a weighing machine.

Wanna know how you can find your body weight without a weighing machine? Here is the answer.

Methods to check weight without a weighing machine

1- Measuring Tape

The old and traditional method of measuring weight is by measuring tape. Sounds cliche but it is a good alternative and gives accurate results as it uses waist and hip circumference, which are good indicators of body fat. So if you are in a  weight loss regime, this is a more accurate method to measure fat loss.

2- Skin Fold Method (using a caliper)

The skin fold method is used to determine the skin fold thickness using a caliper at 3-7 different sites of the body that estimates body fat, which is converted into body weight percentage. The tester pinches the area of the skin at the correct site to raise a double layer of skin and any adipose tissue that is underlying.

The caliper is then placed 1cm below at the right angle and a reading in mm is measured after two seconds. It measures these skinfold areas:

• Biceps (front middle upper arm)

This skinfold measurement is taken by marking on the foregoing/front surface of the arm and between the acromion and radius.

• Triceps (back of middle upper arm)

It is measured on the rear/back arm surface, right on the midline of the triceps, and between the acromion and radius.

• Subscapular skinfold (below the low point of the shoulder blade)

This skinfold measurement is done by marking 2cm below the inferior angle of the subscapular skinfold site of the scapula.

• Suprailiac skinfold (above portion of the upper bone of hip)

It is measured just above the upper bone of the hip, the iliac crest. The thumb should be placed over the iliac crest and then the skinfold should be measured

3- Comparision of old clothes with new

Fitting into your old clothes or buying a new smaller size always feels amazing. To fit in your old clothes is always the best motivation to lose weight and this is also a useful way to know if are you losing weight or not. In this way, you could track the changes in your weight based on how perfectly the clothes fit.

4- Visual Difference/ Before/After pictures

The before and after picture technique is flooding the internet these days. The pictures clicked before the weight loss process is a good way to see the weight transformation as it allows us to see the body’s changes. Moreover, the visual difference or comparison makes it simpler to see all these body changes that happen over time.

5- Bio-Electric Impedance Analysis (BIA)

Bioelectrical impedance estimates body composition by measuring the fat-free mass, percent fat mass, body cell mass, and total body water- intracellular water and extracellular water. In BIA analysis, a light electric current flows throughout the body and through the voltage measurement, the impedance is calculated.

The electrodes are connected to your body from which one electrode sends the current in the body and the other receives the signal. The body fat causes greater resistance than the lean mass which means current moves in an easier way through muscle than the fat because of high water content.

6- Electrical Impedance Myography

This is a method in which the device is placed and the small electrical current is passed through different parts of your body directly by which your body’s response is calculated to those electrical currents. It is similar to BIA but in this EIM, the current is sent through small regions of the body.

7- DEXA

Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) is used to assess the bone density and composition of the body. It estimates the lean muscle mass and fat tissues in the body. Two types of x-rays are used with low-dose radiation to calculate and differentiate between muscle, fat, and bone mass. This test takes about 12 minutes and gives accurate results but this test could be expensive.

8- Bod Pot Test

The Bod Pot includes an Air Displacement Plethysmograph (ADP) to calculate the body composition with a ratio of fat. to lean mass. This uses whole-body densitometry to calculate fat and fat-free mass of the body and gives results in 10 minutes. This measure the changes in the pressure when you are inside the chamber and compares it to the empty chamber.

By all these methods you can find and have an idea of your body weight without a weighing machine.

Conclusion

You can check your weight without jumping on the weighing scale. There are alternative methods that are used to assess your body weight and gives you even a bit more specific result if you are concerned about weight gain or loss than the standard weight machine. So, you can choose any of these methods to assess your body weight by knowing your fat and fat-free mass as the weight machine only provides you with the overall weight of the body comprising of everything included.