One of the best ways to stay motivated in your workout is to know that you are getting results. In some cases, however, change is not always noticeable in the first month or so.

The scale may show a slight improvement, and you may feel more vigor in your daily routine, but your body may unfortunately still looks the same. But looks can be deceiving, especially when it comes to body fat. That's where a simple, two dollar measuring tape can make all the difference.

Measure the circumference of your waist at the belly button. If the number you're looking at is smaller than it was last month, that probably means that you've already changed pants size by lowering your amount of body fat. Check your arms, chest, legs, and back, and you'll likely find similar results. Because you lose fat from all over (rather than in individual areas of the body), it can sometimes be difficult to observe change with your eyes, but the tape doesn't miss an inch.