To weigh or not to weigh: How often should you get on the scale?

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's a common question - how often should you weigh yourself?

According to a recent study from Cornell University, people who weighed themselves every day lost twice as much as those who weighed themselves less often.

Other experts say daily weigh-ins aren't a fair judge, because the average adult's weight can fluctuate by up to five or six pounds a day - depending on the time,, fluid retention, and other factors.

And they say the scale doesn't necessarily tell the whole story on your fitness.

"The scale, unfortunately, is a bad barometer of behavior change. You can do absolutely everything right and then you get on the scale and you're up two pounds," says Leslie Heinberg, PhD., a psychologist specializing in weight loss at the Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Heinberg says weighing yourself once or twice a week is usually enough.

But you want to do it at the same time, and on the same days of the week.

And you can also use other tools, such as measuring your waistline or just noticing how your clothes are fitting.