How To Measure Wrist Size for Body Frame Measurement

[MissNathalieVintage]

I stumbled on this while reading the September 1940s issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. I tried looking for the article again but can not find the magazine at the library at the moment. I did take took a couple of notes and in the article they mention Ida Jean Kain, her way does not have one measuring your wrist. Ida's method goes by height to find your correct weight. My public library does not own any of her books.

I did find Ida Jean Kain's book Slim For Life on Internet Archives https://archive.org/details/stayslimforlifed00kain you can borrow the book for free if you sign up to the website which it's also free to do so.

There is also another book by Ida Jean Kain that was mentioned in the article Prescription For Slimming, which is also super out of print.

Researching online a bit more I found this article.
https://www.livestrong.com/article/175491-how-to-measure-wrist-size-for-body-frame-measurement/ and it pretty much has all the information from the Good Housekeeping article and then some more really great info too.


I would really like to get Ida Jean Kain's Get In Shape book only its super out of print.






And I also found this newspaper clipping.

I took my measurements from my wrist and my wrist is 7 inches and according to the Good Housekeeping magazine article. My waist should be 41/2 times my wrist, which means my ideal waist measurement should be 28 1/2 inches, 7x8=28 and my hips should measure 6 1/2 times that of my wrist. Which comes out to 7x6=42 which will make my ideal hip measurements 42 1/2 inches.

Right now what I am doing to lose a couple of inches is just not eating or drinking anything pass 8 pm. I got this info from a 1930s beauty book and it seems to be working. My intention is not to drop weight fast that is not healthy for any one and since I am 44 years old, my skin will also need time to snap back into shape as well, since older skin is not as quick to snap back as someone who is much younger. Plus I have a job where I am on my feet a lot, I walk, bend and stretch as well. And I eat vegan/vegetarian foods.

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

Oh and as mentioned in the news paper clipping I am also not drinking any thing with my meals. I drink something before eating and if I am thirsty I will drink something after I've eaten. During the day its a little harder to drink something due to having to be at work. What I do is I will bring a water bottle and drink water through out the day, a couple of sips here and there.

And when I do not bring a water bottle I will be sure to drink water after I've gone to the powder room from the water fountain. And I learned that when I do drink water it does not help me feel hydrated. I learned from the doctors Bob and Brad over on Youtube. That one of the doctors has this very same issue so he says he adds nuun tablets to his water to help keep him hydrated. I tried this and it really does work. The great thing about nunn is its only 1 gram of sugar per tablet, I get the caffeine free sport tablets.

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

While reading a 1940s newspaper article I read that if one feels hungry in between meals to snack on dried fruit, and the 1930s beauty book said to have lots of dried fruit around such as figs or dates.

And in Ida Jean Kain's Slim For Life I read that if one feels hunger between meals drink water or unsweetened fruit juice. I do do these things and I do notice how the waist in my skirts fit. There are a few skirts that I own that are a little tight in the waist and a few that are not as tight. My tighter waist skirts are getting less tighter, and I lost two inches on my waist the last time I measured my waist, 34 and now I am a 32.

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

Hooray!!! I was finally able to fine the September 1940s Good Housekeeping article.

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

correction:
According to the GH article, my waist measurement is 4 1/2 times that of my wrist 7 x 4=28 1/2 inches.

And I have some excellent news thanks to AbeBooks.Com, I was able to track down and purchase a copy of Ida Jean Kain's book Get In Shape. Once I have a chance I will share some information from Ida Jean's book with you all.

 

[LolitaHaze]

I have the Ida Jean book Rx for Slimming. It was gifted to me years ago. This post makes me want to thumb through it again considering I am a little off on those perfect measurements from GoodHouseKeeping! :-D

 

[Aerielle Max]

Determining frame size: To determine the body frame size, measure the wrist with a tape measure and use the following chart to determine whether the person is small, medium, or large boned.

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

I was able to get a copy of Ida Jean Kain's book Get In Shape. And so far Ida offers some very sound advice.

For all her scientific training, her style is warm and humorous. Instead of trying to scare women about their diet deficiencies and exercise allergies, she is more apt to start off by voicing one of their private thoughts such as, what is it Hildegarde or somebody has they haven’t got, and to go on quite logically from there. By the time she finishes, you are convinced that good nutrition and a dash of exercise pay off. You will enjoy getting in shape.


And the suggested menus are easy to follow even for those of us who do not eat meat or dairy. She says one can add beans if you do not want to add meat. And theses days there is a variety of plant base cheeses and milks to choose from. And she says one should have a leafy green veggie, yellow veggie of some kind, fruit or juice ( if you do not want to eat the fruit, which I do not like to eat fruit any fruit other then tomatoes regularly), and a salad everyday.

I myself make a super simple salad:
cherry tomatoes as many as you like
Spinach leaves torn
Chopped Onion
And dairy free plant base salad dressing

I eat this salad at dinner time.


So far what I have been doing this for almost a week, drinking 6-8 ounce glass of juice in the morning when I wake up, then get ready for the day have breakfast, which has not changed, oatmeal with peanut butter and two pieces of wheat toast with plant base butter. After that I brush my teeth and come back and take my raw vegan vitamins C, D3, and Zinc with water. And I follow Ida Jean's advice on drinking water, which does make me feel bloated when I drink to much of it and especially after a meal. So when I do drink water I now do as Ida says to drink water in between meals. And if I do have a drink with my meal ,no more then 6 ounces at meal times of anything else but no water. For my self I can not drink anything during meal times, it just makes me feel better. And to eat slowly.

And to drink at least 3 glasses of milk a day ( plant base for those of use who cant drink cows milk), and if you cant have cheese with your meal.

For myself I have a slice of plant base cheese with my dinner and every night after eating, I wait for 15 minutes I drink an 8 ounce glass of plant base milk . And if I am still thirsty I have one mug of tea (herbal).

As for exercise Ida says to exercise every day, and never before a meal and never before bedtime, it will keep you up at night.

I myself do a lot of walking everyday, and when I do come home after work I eat a meal. Relax and its time for bed, what I'm going to do is only do Ida Jean's exercise routine on my days off this way I will have plenty of time to exercise. And I know it will work out even though I can not exercise every single day. Plus I read in Joe Bonomo's book that exercise every day is not good for anybody. His books allow everyone Sunday off from exercise and he says to take one week or two off so your body does not get use to doing the same exercise routine. Which is true, doing the same exercise everyday and not taking a rest period you'll end up gaining weight, and no one wants that.

The wrist measurement's in Ida's book only go up to a 6 inch wrist, and that does not work for me due to my wrist being 7 inches. Which means according to Ida Jean I am large framed, at 5'2 and my ideal weight is 128-143

This is not from Ida Jean's book, I'm adding this here since Ida Jean's wrist measurement does not match my 7 inch wrist.
Below is the body frame measurement guide from Ida Jean Kain's book Get In Shape.

So far I am liking the results, a lot of bloating has gone down and I am not as thirsty as I use to be. And I am losing a lot of water weight, which means I have to power my nose a bit more often these days, LOL.

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

Here are the suggested menus, if you are on the larger framed side you will require more calories which Ida Jean Kain states in the book. You should not try to look like the other woman who may look lean and have a nice figure, what maybe working for her will not work for you. And Ida Jean said you are more then welcome to take vitamins too but do not rely on these vitamins to get your fill.

Back then vitamins were called concentrate.

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

Oh, since the Get In Shape book was written during WWII and rationing was still going on. One would've easily followed Ida Jean's book without any problems due to rationed foods.