Stop hating the scale and beating yourself up! Stave off potentially permanent weight gain with these expert tips from Shape Magazine!

Although you know a number is just a number, it's hard not to worry when you see the scale jump a pound or two overnight or‚ worse, during the same day. But take a deep breath: most weight fluctuations are normal.

Since most of us can't eat enough in a day or two to actually gain five or 10 pounds, if you notice a dramatic increase on the scale, chances are it's due to water, says Anita Petruzzelli, MD, doctor for BodyLogicMD.

"Eating, drinking, urinating, having a bowel movement, and exercise can all impact your body's water composition and therefore weight," she says. For example, high-carb and high-salt foods can cause water retention and a boost in poundage, while exercise can lead to temporary water and weight loss.

So don't get too excited‚ or freaked‚ if you weigh yourself after a meal or workout. "Weight gain due to water fluctuation should normalize in a day or two when you resume exercising and eating a healthy diet that's low in salt, refined carbs, and simple sugars," Petruzzelli says.

However, if those extra pounds keep showing up on the scale after you've returned to your regular routine for about a week, it may be time to make some adjustments to your lifestyle. Five is the magic number, according to Joseph Colella, MD, a bariatric surgeon at Magee Women's Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Most people can recover five pounds rather quickly with minor tweaks to their calorie intake and physical activity.

And if the scale shows a seven-pound jump for longer than a day or two, more aggressive measures may be called for, such as eliminating alcohol. "Alcohol stimulates your appetite and wrecks your self-control regarding the amount of food that you consume," Colella explains.

Learn the best way to weigh yourself after the break!

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After diet, there's nothing more rampant with myths, half-truths, and downright falsehoods than exercise‚ especially its effect on weight loss. Follow any of this inaccurate advice, and you may wind up wasting time, energy, and money, or even injuring yourself.

No need to bust out a lie detector, though. Jason Greenspan, an ACE (American Council on Exercise)-certified personal trainer and founder of Practical Fitness & Wellness, identified the seven most common, persistent misunderstood notions about fitness‚ and offered the honest truth to help you build a strong, lean body.

1. Myth: Muscle weighs more than fat

Reality: A pound is a pound is a pound‚ unless you're defying the laws of physics. No substance weighs more than another one unless it actually weighs more. Simply put: One pound of fat weighs the same as one pound of muscle. The difference is that fat is bulkier than muscle tissue and takes up more space under the skin, Greenspan says. In fact, one pound of fat is roughly the size of a small grapefruit; one pound of muscle is about the size of a tangerine. But that tangerine is active tissue, meaning that it burns more calories at rest than fat does.

2. Myth: Weight training converts fat to muscle

Reality: This is physically impossible, Greenspan says. Fat and muscle tissue are two completely different substances. Exercise such as strength training will help to build muscle, which encourages fat loss by increasing your resting metabolism so you can burn more calories throughout the day. To get a lean look, you need to build muscle through weight training while simultaneously losing fat‚ but one doesn't magically become the other.

3. Myth: Heavy weights make women bulk up

Reality: We just don't produce enough testosterone, the male sex hormone that spurs muscle growth, to get big, meathead muscles. Lifting weights sometimes gets the blame for adding bulk because if you haven't yet shed extra body fat, it can give the illusion that you're getting larger, Greenspan says. But muscle boosts your metabolism, so don't be afraid of those 20-pound dumbbells (or at the very least, work your way up to them).

4. Myth: You can walk off extra pounds

Reality: Although walking is good exercise and most Americans don't do enough of it, if you want to lose a noticeable amount of weight, it's not the best method since it's low intensity and doesn't burn a lot of calories during or afterward. To substantially shrink your belly and keep it flat, Greenspan says you want an integrated approach of strength training, cardio (preferably intervals), and a calorie-controlled diet. Adding in a few extra miles on your feet daily as one part of an overall weight-loss plan is good and good for your health, but that alone probably won't lead to significant results on the scale.

See three more myths after the break!

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Q: What's the deal with dairy? I've heard so many different things!

A: Milk, despite being a dietary staple for a very long time, does have its controversial side: On the one hand, you hear that milk and dairy are good sources of calcium, so you should consume them; on the other, you're told that drinking milk is unnatural and that humans are the only mammals to drink milk from other mammals, plus it has hormones.

To the unnatural point, we are also the only species to build and drive cars, so the line of thinking that compares our behaviors to other mammals isn't that compelling. As for hormones, there isn't adequate, credible research to support that there are hormones in milk causing problems for people. Now let's take a closer look at what we do know about how healthy milk and dairy are.

Whey and casein: These are the two proteins found in dairy products. Whey is by far the most popular protein used in protein powders, and casein has been gaining popularity over the years as well. Both offer unique benefits regarding amino acid profiles and digestion rates. Whey contains an abundance of branched chain amino acids, which are key for supporting muscle growth while also helping fight soreness from your workouts.

Convenience: Whether you choose cheese, cottage cheese, or Greek yogurt, dairy is an easy way to get in a high-protein snack during the day when you're on the go — something many people struggle with.

Learn the cons of eating dairy after the break!

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Every other day it appears that food manufacturers are using a new buzzword to sell products. "Natural," "gluten-free," "low-fat," the list goes on and on. And lately it seems the new kid on the block is "protein.

RELATED: It can be challenging to get enough protein when following a specialty diet. Check out this list of 6 high-protein vegan meal ideas to stay fueled and satisfied.

I admit when nutrition counseling in my office, I promote that all meals and snacks include protein. Protein does help to keep you fuller longer and therefore my patients are less likely to overeat at their next meal. But does more mean better?

According to many health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the typical American consumes more protein than he or she needs. The U.S.D.A. recommends the average adult get 10 to 35 percent of his or her calories from protein. For example, a 125-pound, 5’5” woman needs only 46 grams of protein a day. (Keep in mind I not talking about the high-endurance athlete or someone else with special needs, I am talking about the average Jane.)

Learn how to get your fill of protein after the break.

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Who remembers what they ate the night before when they wake up in the morning? Or even what their breakfast was at lunchtime? You probably think it doesn’t matter, but according to new research, it may help you control your appetite.

In the British study, individuals who had vivid memories of what they ate were more likely to consume less at their following meal. Researchers are uncertain if this was due to the exact memory of the food eaten or the memory of the calories consumed, but both were associated with changes in the amount eaten overall.

From collecting 24-hour recalls from my patients, I have found too often that many people completely forget what they ate after finishing a meal. Perhaps it is because they are multi-tasking while dining, simply eating too rapidly, or even having foods that they don’t love. In any event, this lack of memory could be a reason they are overeating and not losing weight.

As a general rule, I ask my patients to food journal. Nine times out of ten, the person who journals 100 percent of the time is the one who loses weight. This daily accountability of all foods eaten and the ability to review it afterward seem to help keep extra calories at bay.

RELATED: Discover how your dinnerware can help you slim down. (Really!)

Honestly, I am not a big fan of actual calorie counting, but I am a huge advocate of being calorie-conscious, which a food journal can capture nicely. But journaling may not be for everyone, especially if you have the memory of an elephant or if you tend to think about what you are eating 24/7.

Learn more ways to remember what you ate after the break!

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I have heard it so many times. Whether it’s my female clientele or the many comments posted around the Internet, "I don't want to look like a man" is a popular statement. Women who say this then make a point to avoid workouts they perceive as masculine.

Related: Don't be afraid to lift heavy! It can actually help you slim down. Read on for 8 more compelling reasons to lift heavier weights.

With that, many females choose single-joint, linear movements — but a woman's body is meant to move, twist, turn, and even carry a child. Training your body in a linear, one-dimensional fashion will only make you more susceptible to injury as you attempt to live your life in a multidimensional world. Think about it: a mother carrying her child is squatting, lunging, lifting, twisting, turning, and picking him or her up out of the crib, all while rotating in multiple directions.

Training "like a man" can actually prepare your body for these actions. Performing highly beneficial compound, functional exercises can literally decrease the chances of suffering from osteoporosis, increase lean muscle mass, and reduce belly fat — all things women want to do! Selecting the proper compound exercises can also reduce your chances of injury, what I like to describe as "pre-hab" so you can avoid rehab.

Related: Keep your routine varied and effective with 22 men's exercises women should do.

Use the five moves below to train "like a man" and take your fitness to the next level — without looking like a meathead. Choose one or more of the protocols to add to your training program, or use all five as a multidimensional, functional workout.

See the exercises after the break!

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The new movie Oz: The Great and Powerful has me thinking about the famous phrase, "There's no place like home" and how it can apply to your exercise routine. Fact is, your house could be the best new fitness facility on the block if you know what to do. Your pillow, for example, is a great tool for proprioception training, and a kid's skateboard can be the ideal piece of equipment when it comes to trimming and toning your thighs. Try this routine and you'll see.

Directions
Two or three times a week, add one of the following protocols to your daily routine or complete the entire group as an independent workout. Perform each exercise in order without rest. Complete 1 to 3 circuits depending on your fitness level.

RELATED: Turn your DVD player into a major calorie-burner with these 15 boutique fitness classes available on video.

Magazine Workout
Old issues are keeping you in SHAPE (pun intended)! Turning the pages is a great way to build core strength, chisel your chest and arms, and serves as an excellent tool to prehab your forearms against carpel tunnel syndrome. 

1. Page-Turner: Begin in a traditional pushup position with the magazine directly under your face. Reach down with left hand and see how many pages you can turn in 30 seconds, making sure that the page is completely turned before you reach for another one. After 30 seconds, switch to right hand and see if you can turn back the same number of pages within 30 seconds.

2. Hand Walking: Begin in a traditional pushup position with the magazine positioned outside of right hand. Reach over the magazine with right hand, then left hand. Beginning with left hand, step hands back to starting position. Repeat this pattern as fast as possible for 30 seconds. 

3. Turn and Press: Begin in a traditional pushup position (beginners can lower both knees to the ground in modified pushup position) with the magazine directly under your face. Reach with left hand and fully turn one page. As soon as the page turns, complete a pushup. Repeat for 30 seconds turning with left hand. Break and repeat with right hand for an additional 30 seconds.

4. Roll and Crumble: Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the magazine with the spine parallel to the floor and fingers curled over the side opposite the spine. Keeping arms fully extended, raise the magazine to chest level so arms are parallel to the ground. Begin walking fingers down toward the spine of the magazine, rolling it into a tight tube as you would a brown paper bag. Pause, stretch the magazine back to its original position. Repeat as many times as possible for 30 seconds.

See the pillow workout after the break!

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Yoga is for everyone, athletes included. Yoga works on strength, flexibility, balance, agility, endurance, core, and overall strength, among other things. Any athlete could benefit hugely by adding yoga to her or his training regimen. Here’s more details on a few of the perks:

Strength: No amount of weight-lifting with free weights will give you the strength that consistently holding up your own body weight will.

Flexibility: Practicing yoga increases flexibility and ease of movement, therefore increasing range of motion. In particular, athletes in sports that require swinging action (tennis, golf, etc.) can benefit greatly. Flexibility in general also helps to prevent injury.

Balance: Balancing poses in yoga improve overall balance in everything you do, preventing falls and injury.  When you learn how to be soft and go with the flow, you can more easily bend and are less likely to break or fall over.

Endurance: The endurance that the ease of yoga gives you lends to endurance sports like running, triathlons, and Iron Mans. When you learn to tune into your body and mind, everything can be a meditation—sports included. Yoga also helps you learn how to pace yourself: slow and steady, in it for the long haul.

Core: Almost everything you do in yoga works on your core strength. Strong core equals a healthy back and a healthy body.

See which yoga poses work best for athletes after the break!

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Popping a multivitamin in the morning is like recycling a plastic bottle: no matter how small the task, it's a conscious-clearing baby step in the right direction — or so say some doctors.

It's been long believed that a daily multivitamin helps fill in gaps in your diet (whatever you're not getting in your food, you can get in this pill) and protect you from diseases. That's why 42 percent of American adults take multivitamins on a regular basis, according to the Council For Responsible Nutrition.

Problem is, just like with recycling, you don't see any immediate benefits, so it's hard to know if it's really working. And it may not be in the following four ways.

Learn how your multivitamin may be failing you after the break!

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Shape here on POPSUGAR Fitness. This week Shape turned to registered dietitian Michelle Dudash for some help.

A recent British survey found that women abandon their lofty diet goals after only five weeks, two days, and 43 minutes. The reason we can’t stick to healthy eating? Almost 60 percent of women said food cravings made diets difficult, while "simply loving food" was an obstacle for 42 percent.

One of the biggest dieting mistakes I see is people labeling their favorite foods as off limits. Like a young women sticking with a bad boyfriend or a toddler grappling at mom’s fragile designer sunglasses, as humans, we tend to seek out the forbidden fruit. That’s why I encourage clients to work with their cravings, not against them.

I’ve found that there are three camps when it comes to dieters: handlers, beaters, and bingers. Imagine that you’re at a party and spot a plate of freshly baked, chocolate chip cookies. How would you deal with it?

Keep reading to see the different scenarios after the break!

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It seems so simple: Eat right, exercise, get some rest, and you will lose weight. But maybe it’s not so simple. According to Jessica Bartfield, M.D., who specializes in nutrition and weight management at the Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery & Bariatric Care, diets fail for four reasons:
1. Underestimating calories consumed
2. Overestimating activity and the calories burned
3. Poor timing of meals
4. Inadequate Sleep

Now learn the secrets to weight-loss success after the break!

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Since Hurricane Sandy, the team behind Shape.com has had a variety of temporary offices, and our latest outpost in Brooklyn is bare bones. We were thrilled with the arrival of bottled water and a minifridge on Monday, but after four weeks at our new location, we only just received a microwave today.

I've just about had all the almond butter and banana sandwiches I can handle, so after the arrival of our new fridge, I headed straight to Pinterest to find a few no-heat healthy lunches to get out of my rut. While the microwave will expand my options even further, I still plan to make the delicious recipes below and enjoy them chilled.

Vegan Hummus Spiral Wrap

This quick sandwich is packed with spinach, edamame, avocado, and carrots. What more could a girl ask for? Prevent lunchtime boredom without any extra effort by using different-flavored hummus throughout the week.

See more no-heat recipes after the break!

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Q: Okay, I get it: I should sit less and stand more. But what about at mealtime — is it better to sit or stand while I eat?

A: You are correct that most people need to sit a lot less than they already do. And while we've been told to "move more," "stand while taking phone calls," "take the stairs instead of the elevator," and "stand up while you work at your desk," eating may be one of the few times it's better to take a load off.

Find out why you should always sit when eating after the break!

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

The word "cankle" was made popular in 2001 when Jason Alexander's character in the movie Shallow Hal used the term to criticize an overweight woman's lower leg saying, "It's like the calf merged with the foot, cut out the middleman."

30 Tips to Get Lean, Strong Legs Faster

Since the film was released, the term has been assimilated into our lexicon, making many women overly aware and insecure about this part of their bodies. And this increasing insecurity did not go unnoticed by plastic surgeons and personal trainers who claimed to be able to fix the problem. But can anything really eradicate the dreaded cankle? Here are three distinctively different types of cankles and what can and cannot be done for them.

Learn how to get rid of cankles after the break!

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Do you have a minute? How about 15 minutes? If you do, then you have all the time you need to accomplish something really huge.

8 Ways to Become and Stay a Morning Exerciser

Take, for example, a friend of mine who recently gave birth to her fifth child and who also has a full time job. To say she's busy is the understatement of the century. But even for someone as busy as she is, achieving a lifelong goal isn't impossible. A long while back she had a great idea for a young adult novel, but she'd pushed her goal of writing it to the back burner because of all the other responsibilities she had in her life. She certainly didn't have time to write a book. But then I asked her this: Do you have time to write a page? Most young adult novels are less than 365 pages. If my friend were to write one page a day, she'd be done in less than a year.

Learn easy ways to manage big goals after the break!

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to nutritional consultant Mike Roussell, PhD, for some help!

Q: Why do I crave comfort food more in the winter?

A: Seasonal changes in food cravings are a good example of the tight link between food and our hormones and emotions. If you notice a marked changed in your levels of desire for homemade baked macaroni and cheese (my No. 1 comfort food) as the weather turns colder and darker, it could be due to seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

This condition is characterized by increased anxiety, oversleeping, lethargy, and problems concentrating. Since comfort foods are generally high in fat and carbs, they can increase serotonin production and thus feelings of wellbeing, making them a natural pick for anyone feeling low.

See your doctor, and if it turns out you do have SAD, try some of these treatments to deal with your wintertime blues instead of heading to the kitchen.

Learn how to treat SAD after the break!

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to nutritional consultant Mike Roussell, PhD, for some help!

Q: My dietitian told me to cut back on carbs, but I'm confused about what counts as a grain and which vegetables are starches.

Carbs Without Cause: 8 Foods Worse than White Bread

A: When restricting your carbs, start with the most carbohydrate-dense foods in your diet: foods with added sugar. Then work your way to reducing grains and pastas, then potatoes and corn, then the remaining starchy vegetables.

9 Low-Carb Snacks to Eat on the Go

The exchange system from the American Diabetes Association groups different foods by similar nutritional characteristics. According to their list, the following are grains:

• Wheat and whole-wheat flour
• Oatmeal
• Cornmeal
• Popcorn
• Brown rice
• Whole rye
• Whole-grain barley
• Wild rice
• Buckwheat
• Millet
• Quinoa

Find out which vegetables count as carbs after the break!

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Revenge star Emily VanCamp is officially a Hollywood "It" Girl, thanks to her leading lady role on the hit ABC series, and she definitely wears it well! The 26-year-old femme fatale just so happens to be in the best shape of her life, due to regular workouts with celebrity trainer Lalo Fuentes, CSCS.

RELATED: 20 Crunch-Free Moves for Killer Abs

“I’ve always loved yoga and Pilates, but Lalo has taken my workouts to a different level. Combining work on land mixed with pool exercises, we have found an incredible routine that really works for my body and gets me into shape fast for upcoming projects,” VanCamp says.

We went one-on-one with the powerhouse fitness pro (who has worked with slew of other sexy stars from top models to famous actors), where he dished on VanCamp’s butt-blasting workout and more!

RELATED: No-Running Cardio Workout You Can Do at Home

SHAPE: Thanks for connecting with us! How long have you been working with Emily VanCamp? We’re such big fans!
Lalo Fuentes (LF): I’ve been working with her a little over a year. She always looks great on camera, but for Revenge, she wanted a dancer’s body and to be a little more toned with a stronger core.  She is such a hard-working young woman! She absolutely gives 100 percent during every workout.

SHAPE: What is your fitness technique?
LF: My technique that I use with all of my clients is the "freeze technique." It’s basically about stopping on each point of the move for a quick second, which permits your brain to connect with the muscles you want to work. For example, if you are doing a squat, you want to stop on the lower part of the move, focus on the muscle you want to emphasize (in this case your glutes), and stand up or finish the move, squeezing your muscles from there. When you're in a standing position, you'll want to keep squeezing your butt until you start the next repetition. The trick is not to finish "X" amount of repetitions, but instead to make the move more efficient, burn more calories in less time, get a burn with less weight, and get in shape faster!

See Emily's workout after the break!

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to dietitian Cynthia Sass.

If I told a client she wasn’t supposed to lose any weight for the first two months of a weight-loss program, she’d probably go find another nutritionist. But that may be the secret to not only dropping a dress size but also keeping those pounds off for life.

In a new study by Stanford scientists, more than 260 overweight to obese women were split into two groups: One immediately began a 20-week weight-loss plan that involved eating more fruits and veggies, being more active, keeping daily food journals, and attending weekly support meetings. Once this part of the program was completed, they spent eight more weeks focusing on weight maintenance tactics.

RELATED: Don’t let holiday indulgences derail your diet. Have your happiest and healthiest holiday’s yet with these handy kitchen gadgets.

The other group was asked to refrain from losing any weight the first eight weeks while they learned those maintenance lessons. Only after those two months did these women began the identical 20-week weight-loss program.

In the end, both groups lost about the same amount of weight—an average 17 pounds, roughly 9 percent of their starting weights. But there was a big difference a year later: Those who lost weight first regained seven pounds, more than twice as much as the women who started by mastering the maintenance tricks.

See what Cynthia thought of these results after the break!