Want a more accurate weight reading? Don't step on the scale at just any old time. (Getty)
If losing weight ahead of the summer months is on your bucket list, you're probably already on track with planning your diet and workout regimen. But I have one recommendation: don't hop on the scale multiple times a day to see if it's budged any. While weighing yourself is one way to see whether you're meeting your health goals, there are several good reasons to avoid stepping on the scale every day.
According to experts, you should only weigh yourself at a set time. Not only can this help prevent an unhealthy relationship with the scale, but it's a better way to gauge your progress. So make this the month you stop obsessing over the number on the scale.
To help you meet your goals, we've also evaluated the best healthy meal delivery services to ensure you're eating well-balanced meals and put together a guide for walking to lose weight.
Most experts — including pros at the Cleveland Clinic, Consumer Reports and Noom, an online weight-loss and coaching platform — agree that hopping on the scale first thing in the morning will reveal your most accurate weight. You should do this after you use the bathroom and before you eat or drink anything.
Morning is best because your body digests all the food and drinks you consumed throughout the previous day overnight, according to the Cleveland Clinic. If you weighed in right before bed, the scale would likely show a higher number. This could be due to several reasons, including how hydrated you are and how much salt you eat. The experts at Noom told me that gaining a pound requires you to take in 3,500 extra calories, so if the scale zooms up a few pounds in a day, it's most likely natural fluctuations instead of true weight gain.
If you're tempted to weigh yourself every time you're in the bathroom, consider hiding your scale. While it may be fun to see if you've "lost" a pound in the last few hours, it can lead to a negative relationship with the scale, especially if it hasn't tipped in your favor. Plus, it's not accurate anyway thanks to those aforementioned fluctuations.
An International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity study found that weighing yourself just once a day leads to "greater adoption of weight control behaviors" and produces greater weight loss. However, if a daily weigh-in makes you anxious, weigh in once per week instead.
If you haven't lost any weight in a week, don't get discouraged. If you're consistently working out, sluggish weight loss (or even a bit of weight gain) might mean you're gaining muscle mass. Muscle is denser than fat, so it takes up less space.
How do you know whether it's muscle or fat causing the scale to stagnate? Check in with yourself. Are your clothes looser? Do you have more energy? Are your muscles becoming more defined? Answering yes to these questions means you're probably gaining muscle mass. If the answer is no, you may need to make some adjustments to your diet or fitness routine.
If you weigh yourself once a week, sticking to the same day will be the most beneficial. But according to experts, one day might be more accurate than others.
If possible, schedule your weigh-ins for Fridays and avoid Mondays. Friday is the best day to weigh yourself — and Monday the worst — because you're more likely to stick to your workout and diet routine during the week. A weekend cheat day might artificially inflate your Monday scale reading.
Yahoo Health Editor Laura Williams recommends looking for a scale that estimates body fat percentage and body composition, not just weight or body mass index (BMI). If there are multiple people in your household, you may want a scale that allows for different profiles and auto-detects which person is using the scale.
Many scales can automatically connect to your phone via an app (the Renpho smart scale listed below is a good option) to help you track results. However, Williams says this feature is not a must-have, especially if the scale provides profile-specific data and tracks changes over time.
Here are some scales Williams recommends:
Weight is just one metric that can help you see where you are with your fitness goals. This scale can also track your body's water percentage, muscle mass and visceral fat over time.
If you're in the market for something that stacks up to a medical-grade analyzer, this scale is pretty close. It can tell you your weight without fat, body fat percentage, muscle mass and bone mass.
This is a good budget smart scale that tracks your weight, muscle mass, metabolic age and body fat percentage.
This Omron scale measures body fat percentage, skeletal muscle mass, BMI, resting metabolism, visceral fat and weight.
When you step onto the scale in the morning, do it right after you've used the bathroom. Make sure your scale is on a flat, hard surface like tile flooring, not carpet. Remove extra layers of clothing (being naked will of course give you the most accurate reading, but a light set of pajamas shouldn't inflate the number too much). Step on the scale with your weight equally on both feet and on the scale itself — don't stand on one side or the other.
Remember that the number you see on the scale shouldn't be the only factor you consider when you're tracking your weight-loss progress. Taking measurements with a tape measure of your waist, hips, thighs and arms can give you a more accurate picture and help you see where and how your body is changing.
If you begin to have negative thoughts each time you weigh in, put the scale away and focus on your mental health. The number you see on the scale will never encapsulate the work you're putting in to make yourself a healthier person.
It'll include connected bikes, rowers and treadmills.
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