Measuring waist problems

[Snowbat]

Ok this is gonna sound like a somewhat bizarre question, but here goes anyway: I often have a bloated tummy because of excessive gas production (yeah I know, it's kinda embarassing to talk about it but ehh). it's genetic: my mom has it, my grandfather has it, etc. Can't do much about it.

Anyways, whenever I want to measure my waist to make sure it's not getting too fat, I can't get a correct result since a part of the circumference is caused by the bloating. This makes my waist measure larger than it actually is.
How can I get a "correct" measurement of my waist? Should I flex my abs (not tucking in my tummy, just flexing the abs lightly)? This would cancel the effect of tha bloating while still making me measure the extra volume created by the fat.

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but it's annoying not being able to make a correct measurement. I want to make sure I keep my bodyfat in check.
Perhaps I should buy one of these scales that measure bodyfat too with the electrical impulse...

 

[MidasMulligan]

There's an old blues standard:

Is you is, or is you ain't?

To me it seems like a little gas bloat is a part of who you are, and trying to measure yourself without it is like you trying to measure someone else. If you are very concerned, I don't think it will hurt anything to measure with the abs lightly flexed.

On a more general note, I'd like to point out that waist size is not particularly useful when measuring body fat percentage. I've always been under the impression that the most accurate measurement you can get at home is through multi-site measurements using skinfold calipers... but I defer to those with greater knowledge on the subject.