Posted by Mike Stickel on Thursday, April 16, 2009

I haven't owned a scale in over three years. During those three years, I've weighed myself twice. In my opinion, basing a diet or exercise routine on weight is the worst possible way to judge your progress. Not everyone has the same opinion however, so here are some tips to keep in mind next time you weigh yourself.

Earlier this month, Pat Dryburgh ignored my advice. After a disheartening weigh in, I offered some pointers to get better results weighing himself. This is an expansion of those thoughts.

Body weight fluctuates

Throughout the day your body weight changes. It goes up and down each time we eat, drink, or perform any activity. Here are a few things that can affect the numbers on your scale.

Water

Liquids have weight. Some people don't realize that even water can affect their weight. It can and it does. Liquids have weight and the weight of those liquids have to go somewhere.

Coffee

Coffee is a mild diuretic and appetite suppressor. Drinking a few cups of joe throughout the day will likely send you to the bathroom more often. It will probably stop you from snacking too. Both effects will decrease your weight when you step on the scale.

Salt

A salt heavy diet can increase your weight by several pounds. Salt causes our bodies to retain water in order to dilute the excess sodium. If you're disappointed in the numbers on your scale, think back to your last meal. Was it heavy in salt?

Alcohol

Similar to coffee, alcohol can irritate the digestive system causing "interesting" trips to the bathroom the morning after. Another major side effect of alcohol is dehydration. This is also the cause of cotton mouth. Dehydration can reduce your weight by several pounds if you drink a lot.

Getting the best result

Here are a few tips to help you get the best result if you decide to weigh yourself:

• weigh yourself in the morning, before you start eating and drinking
• eat a low sodium, high fiber meal the night before
• go to the bathroom before stepping on the scale
• weigh yourself naked (clothes can add up to 6 pounds)

A final bit of advice

If you do like to weigh yourself, do it as seldom as possible. As a worst case scenario, weigh yourself once a week. Checking your weight too often can be discouraging if the numbers don't change enough. I'd suggest waiting doing it once every two weeks or once a month. Instead of seeing small decreases you'll see a larger change from your previous weigh-in.

The best way to gauge your progress is to take measurements and progress photos. Measuring areas of your body gives you a more accurate idea of how your body is improving. Monthly progress photos let you easily see the difference. Both of these methods give you better feedback and are more motivating than watching numbers on a scale.