If you’re going to be measuring your body fat percentage, you certainly want to do so accurately, otherwise what’s the point. You can use the best equipment and techniques possible, but there are still some tricks that you need to know to get the best possible results. Here are five tricks that will help. They’re primarily for people using a scale or handheld gizmo that uses bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to measure the percentage, but are worth being aware of even if you use one of the other possible techniques.

The five tricks you should know are:

1. Keep your water consumption consistent

2. Measure first thing in the morning

3. Measure before you eat

4. Use an accurate scale (for handheld device users)

5. Average the results

1. Keep Your Water Consumption Consistent

The results you get from BIA devices like the ones you get from Tanita or Omron depend on the differing percentages of water in fatty and lean tissue. The amount of water in your body varies somewhat depending on how much water you drank recently. To get the most accurate results, you want to be fairly consistent with the amount of water you drink each day.

2. Measure First Thing In The Morning

What you eat or drink in the hours before measuring your body fat percentage can affect the results of those measurements. You can minimize those effects by measuring first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything.

3. Measure Before You Eat

If you can’t measure your body fat percentage first thing in the morning, try to do so shortly before a meal, instead of shortly after one. This won’t make a major difference, but it will minimize the effects of your last meal on the results.

4. Use An Accurate Scale

If you use a hand-held device to measure you body fat percentage, you will need to enter your current weight each time you measure. You’ll want to enter an accurate weight, which means you need a good scale. Using an inaccurate scale with a high-quality body fat measuring device just makes no sense.

5. Average The Results

While the body fat percentage measuring devices you can buy today are pretty accurate, they’re certainly not perfect. Measuring twice in a row will sometimes give you different results. I suggest you test your device by taking multiple measurements in a row the first few days to see if the results are consistent. If they vary, the trick is simply to measure three times each morning and average the results. That average will likely be a pretty accurate representation of your true body fat percentage.

Measuring your body fat percentage is easy, and a really good indication of your overall fitness. The five tricks presented here will help you get the most accurate results from those measurements and give you an even clearer picture of your fitness and progress toward your goals.