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What should you not do the day before a weigh in?

As a rule of thumb, it's still a good idea to avoid a large, salty restaurant meal the night before your weigh-in. When we eat carbs, we store them as glycogen in our muscles and liver—and every one gram of glycogen is also stashed away with about three grams of water.

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Anyone who’s ever tried to lose weight and tracked their progress knows that, sometimes, despite your best efforts, the number doesn’t budge. Super-frustrating. That said, some factors that are within your control can tip the scale in one direction or the other. And since weight fluctuates naturally, having a pre-scale routine helps ensure you get the most accurate, consistent readings possible. “First thing in morning and after dinner are not comparable,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, R.D., author of . "If you’re trying to track progress, your weighing circumstances need to be the same." Many nutritionists recommend weighing yourself once a week to avoid obsessing over day-to-day fluctuations caused by water weight, hormones, and other factors that are out of your control. But Harris-Pincus says that the right frequency is very personal, and if data is helpful to you, you can weigh yourself up to once per day, max. “If you’re not already engaging in healthy behaviors, like exercise, mindful eating, and portion control, the scale is an indicator of what’s going on. If you gained five pounds after a trip, you’ll make healthier choices with more urgency,” she says. For most people, weighing yourself once a week is ideal—and Pincus-Harris says Wednesdays are best. People tend to weigh the least on Friday, if they’ve been eating healthy all week, and the most on Monday morning after falling off their diets over the weekend, she explains. “Chances are you didn’t go on a bender Tuesday night. So Wednesday gets you the best average.” Sodium makes your body retain water, which can affect the number you see on the scale. “I call Chinese food a three-pounder because every time I eat it the sodium affects me significantly,” says Pincus-Harris. But bodies vary: Some people who are more sensitive to salt might gain two to three pounds from a sodium-packed meal the previous night; others might not. As a rule of thumb, it’s still a good idea to avoid a large, salty restaurant meal the night before your weigh-in.

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When we eat carbs, we store them as glycogen in our muscles and liver—and every one gram of glycogen is also stashed away with about three grams of water. That’s why people on a low-carb diet lose water weight quickly. That also means they see a bigger difference on the scale every time they eat carbs. “If you don't eat a lot of carbs, you might put on a couple extra pounds after you eat pasta from storing carbs and water,” says Pincus-Harris. So, it's best to skip carb-based meals the night before you jump on the scale. Ideally, you would weigh yourself naked right after you wake up and go to the bathroom (before anything goes into your body). Whatever you do, find a routine that works for you and stick to it. "Maybe every time you go to the gym, you weigh yourself before or after you work out," says Pincus-Harris. "As long as it’s consistent, that’s what’s important." (Speed up your progress towards your weight-loss goals with Women's Health's Look Better Naked DVD.)

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Hormone changes the week before your period can also cause your weight to increase by a pound or two, while traveling on plane can dehydrate you and cause it to drop. “But you shouldn’t see enormous shifts,” says Pincus-Harris. That said, consider these kinds of factors before you weigh yourself. “If you have physical PMS symptoms and know you’re going to weigh more, get off the scale.” If you ate a huge, salty, carb-filled meal the night before your weekly weigh-in, consider whether you can wait a day to step on the scale. “The last thing I want people to do is to say, ‘Oh, I blew it, so I might as well not as even try,’” she says. In other words, don't set yourself up for a failure if you know the scale isn't going to reflect the healthy changes you've been making. It's not worth ruining your day. Remember: Muscle is denser than fat. That means that sometimes you might not see progress in your weight even though your clothes fit better, and that’s okay. Indeed, there are many other indicators than just the scale that you’re getting healthier. Are you getting fitter and stronger? Are you eating more veggies than others? Is your blood sugar or blood pressure better? All these things are more important than making the scale read a smaller number. It’s about being the healthiest in the body we’re given. "Skinny people aren’t necessarily healthier, and heavier people aren’t necessarily unhealthier,” says Pincus-Harris. "So using the scale as the sole indicator is problematic." Make sure you're using it as a tool to get a general sense of how your eating and exercise habits are working—not as the only measure of your weight-loss efforts.

womenshealthmag.com - Follow This Pre-Scale Routine To Make Sure Your Weigh-Ins Are ...