One of the most important parts of losing weight is monitoring your weight regularly and making sure you’re still on track with your goals. You should weigh yourself often, whether it’s once per week or once per day. If you’re having trouble losing weight, consider weighing yourself first thing in the morning so that you can avoid fluctuations from eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom before you step on the scale. Once you reach your goal weight, aim to weigh yourself once per week to make sure you stay there. Here are ten tips for weighing yourself often without completely ruining your life!

1. Get a scale

If you don’t already have a scale, it’s time to go buy one. Pick one up in your local drugstore or grocery store and make sure it reads in pounds and kilograms. You should weigh yourself at least once a week and as often as three times a week. The amount of weight you should expect to lose will vary depending on your current weight, body fat percentage, activity level, diet, and supplements/drugs you take. For example, if you weigh 175 pounds (80 kg) with 15% body fat and can only get down to 150 pounds (68 kg), there isn’t much more weight for your body fat percentage to reduce so that last 15 pounds are going to be harder than losing 25 was when you started!

2. Always weigh yourself in the same spot

If you’re trying to keep track of your weight, pick a spot on your bathroom floor and weigh yourself there every day. This will help you get a better idea of how much your body fluctuates based on food intake, water retention, and other factors that can skew weight-loss results. Always weigh yourself at roughly the same time: Your bodyweight is highest in the morning and lowest in the evening, so it’s smart to try weighing yourself around these times (see next point). Always wear similar clothing: Whether you’re wearing sweatpants or skinny jeans, make sure you wear similar clothes when weighing yourself. When your clothes are of different weights, they can dramatically change your scale reading. Always weigh yourself with no shoes on: Shoes add extra weight!

3. Set reminders on your phone

When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, how often you weigh yourself is just as important as what you weigh. Often, people fall into one of two camps: Those who weigh themselves all too infrequently, if at all; and those who whip out their scale every day without fail. Research has shown that weighing yourself daily can be very beneficial in helping people lose weight, while infrequent or non-existent weigh-ins may be associated with less than optimal outcomes. One study found that individuals who weighed themselves daily lost more weight over three months than those who only weighed in monthly. The takeaway? Make sure you’re weighing yourself often—ideally every day if you have a fluctuating weight—to avoid any unnecessary gains or losses.

4. Try weighing yourself once daily

We all know that weighing yourself is important for monitoring your progress, but what about those days when it just seems like you're stuck? You don't see any weight loss and you feel discouraged. What should you do? Well, one idea is simply to weigh yourself more often. For example, if once a week is how you've been tracking your weight loss journey, try weighing yourself every day instead. By doing so, you may notice slight fluctuations in your weight every day that wasn't noticeable when only looking at weekly or monthly averages.

5. Log your weight online

Most scales allow you to weigh yourself in one of two ways: manually or by logging your weight into an online database. If you’re using a scale that doesn’t have an online option, keep a running record of your weight manually—whether it’s on a spreadsheet, in your smartphone, or just written down in pen and paper. Consider doing it every day at roughly the same time so you don’t miss any days. The more data points you collect, the better picture you can get of how your weight fluctuates over time.

6. Use that knowledge to adjust your goals

If you realize you’re not gaining or losing weight as quickly as you want, adjust your goals accordingly. As we mentioned above, short-term weight loss is often more realistic than longer-term weight loss, so don’t beat yourself up over it. Simply review your numbers and make sure they’re on target with your goals. Remember that achieving a goal is always worth celebrating!

7. Take measurements too!

In addition to weighing yourself, taking measurements can give you an even better picture of how your body is changing. Measure yourself at various places on your body (neck, arms, waist) and over time these numbers will give you insight into where you’re losing fat or gaining muscle. For example, if you find that your waist measurement is shrinking faster than another measurement that means a lot of fat loss may be happening in that area. If you notice something unusual in these areas make sure to contact your doctor and let them know what's going on. They might want to get blood work done as well just so they have some information. So don't wait till it gets too late! Make sure your health stays in check at all times!

8. Keep other trackers handy too

A healthy weight loss plan also means you need to be paying attention to more than just your scale. Use calipers and tape measures as often as possible, so you can know for sure how you’re progressing. Remember, losing one inch off your waist might not always mean a pound is coming off your total weight. So don’t get discouraged if that number on your scale doesn’t drop each week. Just keep measuring yourself at home (and maybe even weekly or monthly) and make sure you have good trackers with you everywhere else (like Fitbit). That way, it’s almost impossible not to weigh yourself often!

9. Keep tabs on your success

Keeping tabs on your progress with regular weigh-ins can help keep you motivated. For example, if you’re trying to drop a few pounds before an upcoming beach vacation, weighing yourself weekly is helpful. Since weight fluctuates day-to-day due to water retention and other factors such as digestion and glycogen storage, it doesn’t make sense to weigh yourself more often than once a week (or even less than that) during times when your body is naturally retaining fluid. Water weight can mask fat loss.

10. Remember, it's just one metric!

While it's tempting to get wrapped up in your weight, try not to forget that there are other health metrics worth monitoring. Body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), and resting metabolic rate (RMR) can all help determine whether or not you're at a healthy weight. Using more than one measurement is like getting multiple data points: Each number is unique, each gives a slightly different picture of where you stand health-wise, and together they paint a clearer picture. It may take some time—and possibly several weigh-ins—to see changes that matter for these particular numbers. But given enough time and attention, these changes will eventually materialize. Use an app like Fitocracy or LoseIt!