I have a handful of clients who can’t stay away from the scale, weighing themselves daily, petrified of skipping a day. I suppose they experience that so called “love-hate relationship” with the scale: love knowing what they weigh, but hate when it registers heavier then the day before.

So what is the real use of the scale if its purpose is not to jump on it every morning? The proper use of the scale is to give a specific number at a specific time, but unfortunately it doesn’t tell us the whole story. Your weight is affected day-to-day by many things.

Your weight depends on:

• Specific time you weigh yourself

• Depends on diet, lean muscle mass, daily activity

• If you are hydrated or dehydrated-the number on the scale might be misleading causing you to think you have lost weight because you are dehydrated or lead you to believe you have gained weight if you are well hydrated

• What you ate last night-if you ate high sodium food it will cause you to retain water, resulting in a “false weight gain”

• Time you weigh yourself-if you weigh yourself immediately after a meal you might think you have gained weight, but the scale is only reflecting food weight

So what is the most effective way to use a scale?

• Weigh yourself once a week

• Weigh yourself the same time of the day first thing in the morning, with only your undergarments

• Before weighing yourself make sure you have urinated and not had anything to eat or drink

• Aim for 1-2 pounds per week

 Now get off that scale and get active!