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Where your fat is located can be just as important as how much you weigh. If you carry extra fat in your abdominal area then youre at a higher risk for weight-related health problems. If the fat is packed on your hips and thighs then the risk is much less.

One technique you can use to make sure your on the right track is the waist/hip ratio. You can easily find yours by measuring your waist at the smallest point and your hips at their widest point. Then divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement.

For example if your waist is 34 and your hips are 42 then your waist/hip ratio is 0.8.

For women, a waist/hip ratio over 0.8 indicates an increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

If your ratio is higher than 0.8, you may be at higher risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and possibly even breast cancer. Going from fat to toned and defined can help improve your waist/hip ratio and improve your over all health.

Diet, aerobic exercise, and strength training are all fundamental and necessary components to help burn the excess fat. Believe it or not one of the best ways to keep track of your progress is to use an old-fashioned tape measurer or the mirror in your bedroom.

But of course there are other body-fat measuring devices, such as the calipers and electronic testers that are available in many gyms, to chart your fat-burning progress.

I tell my clients that it's not worth checking unless they're simply interested.

The normal body fat range for a woman is 22 to 28 percent. But most measuring devices are not accurate enough to tell you if you've really changed, so it can be frustrating to check it after a few weeks or months. It's better just to look in the mirror - if it looks like fat then it probably is fat.

Is your weight increasing your risk for health problems?

To find out, don't just step onto the scale in your bathroom. Instead measure your waist and hips and use the following formula to determine your waist/hip ratio.

1. Measure your waist at its slimmest point.
2. Measure your hips at the widest point.
3. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement:

(waist in inches) (hips in inches) = (waist/hip ratio)

Marci Lall is a Womens Weight Loss & Body Sculpting Specialist. visit his website to get his FREE report "16 tips on how to get maximum weight loss and fitness results in minimum time"

http://www.lallpt.com