As you get closer to your goal weight or once you reach your goal weight relying on the scale is probably one of the worst ways to maintain weight and stay on track with your weight, size, and fat goals.

A woman’s weight can fluctuate anywhere from 2-8 pounds per day depending on many factors. If you eat more carbs one day then you’ll retain more water, skip a meal or two and you’ll lose a few pounds. Some women can gain up to 8 pounds while on their periods and others can drop 3-4 pounds when stressed.

The scale is basically a good tool when you're dropping a lot of weight but it’s not the best tool to help you maintain a healthy weight, stay at the same size, or at a healthy body fat level. The best way to maintain results is to measure body fat from time to time. There are various ways to do this but the one most often recommended by experts and health clubs is the body fat caliper method.

So I tried a little experiment recently and used the weight scale, a tape measure, a handheld fat loss monitor, and calipers to see which method provided the best information and what I found was pretty interesting.

When I weighed myself I found that I weighed the same as I have for nearly 10 years now. So why are my clothes not fitting the way I like (loose vs. a bit snug)? On to the tape measure to see what those reading say. I measured the ribcage right below the chest (boobs excluded), the waist, and the hips and found a minimal change in waist only.

The scale and the tape measure are not really telling me that much has changed so what’s going on? On to the BIA fat loss monitor to see if that tells me anything. According to my Omron Fat Loss Monitor my bodyfat is 24.4%. Are you beginning to see the bigger picture? Just because you’re maintaining your weight or even if you gained a few pounds the scale and the tape measure tell you nothing!

Just to double check that my body fat had actually gone up 4% fat, I asked a friend and co-worker to use body fat calipers to measure my body fat. You can watch my measure body fat video and check out pics of my Omron at this link. According to his measurements I am 23.7%. Not that far off from the Omron.

This explains why my jeans are not fitting the way I like. They are not skin tight or hard to button but they are snug and I do look thicker in the waist area. According to the scale and tape measure not much has changed but the body fat readings tell the truth and it goes both ways. Sometimes people get very upset about scale weight when in reality the calipers show no fat gain. Your best bet when you’re close to your goal or at your goal is to lose the scale and only rely on body fat calipers or a body fat scale or monitor to stay on track.

Monitor your body fat to maintain your weight loss with the Omron HBF-306C Fat Loss Monitor