Weigh yourself at the same time: To get a consistent reading when using any scale, it’s important to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you’ve drunk or eaten anything. “You should weigh yourself without clothes, or minimal clothing, and if you do so, try to wear the same clothing each time you weigh yourself,” said Stella Lucia Volpe, professor and head of the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise at Virginia Tech.

Volpe recommends weighing yourself no more than once a week. “If you weigh yourself more than that, you will see fluctuations in your body weight, and it may be frustrating if you are trying to lose weight,” she said.

Choose an even surface: You want to make sure your scale is on an even surface otherwise that imbalance will throw off the reading. Make sure to weigh yourself in the same place each time.

Keep in mind that the smart scale can be flawed: Remember that just because a smart scale can offer more data than an analog scale doesn’t always mean it’s better. “Smart scales have not been shown to have high accuracy and cannot be compared to the ‘gold standard’ measures of assessing bone mineral density and body composition as it relates to body fat and lean body mass, which is via using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry,” said Volpe.

Most people don’t have access to a Dexa scan, so the next best thing is a smart scale. “The smart scale can provide an estimation of body fat and total body water; but note that the ‘gold standard’ ways to measure these would provide the more accurate data,” Volpe explains.

Make sure it’s set to zero: As with any scale, you want to make sure that it’s set to zero so you get an accurate reading.

Remember your weight fluctuates: It’s easy to get caught up in a number, but remember your weight is a range instead of an exact number and will fluctuate throughout the day. Fluctuations can be affected if you work out, eat more than normal, go to the bathroom or even if your muscles are sore and retaining fluid.

Know that the data are estimations: Smart scales include data on your heart rate, bone mineral density, total body water, body fat and more. Keep in mind these are estimations based on your age, sex and body weight. Therefore, these scales are not completely accurate. “Knowing that these scales are providing an estimation — but without the highest of accuracy — is important, but can help provide some guidance to the user of these products, especially when many individuals may not have the ability to have their bone mineral density and body composition evaluated by DXA,” said Volpe.