Leg Measurement Diary: Track Leg Swelling for Lipedema and Lymphedema

Built by the LymphaticLeggingsGuide editorial team, checked against the cited sources on 7 October 2026. Informational only; not medical advice. The diary doesn't diagnose anything.

Measure the widest point of your ankle, calf and thigh on both legs, ideally at the same time of day each time. Your entries stay in this browser on this device; nothing is sent to us.

Use a soft tape measure, like a sewing tape, and measure at the same time of day whenever you can (Source: AAFP / familydoctor.org). Morning is best: legs swell as the day goes on, so morning numbers are the most comparable from week to week.

Take the widest circumference of the thigh, the calf and the ankle, the same three points lymphoedema services ask patients to record on their self-measurement charts (Source: Arthur Rank Hospice). Keep the tape snug but not tight, and measure each leg separately.

To find the same spot each time, write down how far above the floor you measured the calf and the thigh; the diary has optional fields for this. Tick any conditions that apply, such as after a flight or before putting on compression, so you can compare like with like later.

A change of about 2 cm. A patient guide published by the American Academy of Family Physicians advises contacting your doctor if you notice increasing swelling or a change of about 2 cm or more (Source: AAFP / familydoctor.org). The diary highlights any point that moves by 2 cm between entries or since your first entry. Treat it as a prompt to look more closely, not a diagnosis: what a change means depends on where, when and how you measured.

One leg fuller than the other. Legs are rarely identical, and swelling can affect one side more than the other. When you buy ready-made compression, follow the manufacturer's sizing method. For brands that size by leg circumference, use the fuller leg; if your legs differ a lot, check the brand's chart or ask your fitter or lymphedema therapist.

Morning versus evening. An evening reading will usually be higher than a morning one. Compare like with like before drawing conclusions.

• Your leg or foot becomes red, hot or increasingly swollen and you feel unwell: this may be a sign of cellulitis and needs your doctor (Source: Arthur Rank Hospice).
• Your compression garment causes pain, numbness, tingling or changes in skin colour: take it off and contact your lymphoedema specialist as soon as possible (Source: Cancer Research UK).
• Swelling keeps increasing, or a measurement changes by about 2 cm or more (Source: AAFP / familydoctor.org).

Throbbing pain and swelling in one leg, usually in the calf or thigh, can be a sign of a blood clot (DVT): get an urgent doctor's appointment, and call emergency services if you are also short of breath or have chest pain (Source: NHS). Don't wait for your next diary entry.

Compression garments lose shape with washing, which changes how much pressure they give, so they are usually replaced about every 6 months; specialists also tend to re-measure about every 6 months at first, more or less often depending on your needs (Source: Cancer Research UK). Add the date you started your current garment and the diary will remind you when it reaches about 6 months.

If your measurements have changed, check your size again before you reorder. Our sister site's compression leggings size finder compares five brands' charts from one set of measurements, and our guide to plus-size compression leggings for lipedema explains when ready-made sizes stop working.

The diary stores your entries only in your browser's local storage on this device. They are not sent to us or anyone else, and they don't sync between devices. Clearing your browser data or using a private window deletes them, so export your log regularly. You can delete everything at any time with "Delete all data".

• American Academy of Family Physicians, familydoctor.org: Lymphedema patient resource, checked 7 October 2026
• Cancer Research UK: Compression treatment for lymphoedema, checked 7 October 2026
• Arthur Rank Hospice Lymphoedema Service: Self-measurement chart for legs, checked 7 October 2026
• NHS: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), checked 7 October 2026