1. Always Weigh Yourself at the Same Time Each Day -right after waking up, if your sleeping schedule is relatively the same all the time.
2. Always Weigh Yourself Naked, on an Empty Stomach, After a Bowel Movement (If Possible)
3. When You Have Too Much Salt, Wait 2-3 Days to Readjust (So after a football watching party is probably not a good time!)
4. If You Overindulge, Give Yourself 3-5 Days to Come to Baseline (...hmm, may never get on a scale on a Monday ever again!)
5. Record Your Weight In A Visible Place (-Whoa, getting serious here!) They recommend on the bathroom mirror with a dry erase marker, as a way of motivating us. (Motivating me to never let ANYONE use my bathroom!)
6. Always Use The Same Scale.
7. The Doctor’s Scale Probably is More Accurate, But Go With Yours Instead. (Warning that doctor's scale may make you cry...or at least I did.)
8. Re-calibrate Your Scale Often- with an analog scale, set the scale on a flat surface and tap the side of the scale lightly to get the needle to zero. If its not at EXACTLY zero when you do this, turn the dial on the scale to get it to zero, while tapping simultaneously. (resist the urge to whack it really hard.) An expensive digital scale probably doesn't need it but, you can remove the batteries and put them back in. Then you step on the scale and step off (disregarding all measurements you’ve seen up until this point). Then step back on and wait for it to give you your reading.
9. New Workout Routines Can Change the Numbers-in essence, it is true that muscle weighs more than fat. It is leaner but denser so you could be going in the right direction even though your scale is going up. This is where a tape measure can come in very useful.