Which Scale is More Accurate

nicola8989

And I know you will say it doesn't matter

But there are 2 scales at my gym - one of those big ones where you put £1 and stand on it, then you grip the handles and it measures your height, body fat etc.

They also have a set of digital bathroom scales. When they weigh me on the digital bathroom scales my weight is 3lbs higher (and I always weigh at a similar time of day, same clothes etc) and my body fat % is about 5% higher.

So which is more accurate?

cw106

it does matter!
sod paying a quid to get weighed.
use the other scales,weight loss will show over a period of time.

eldamiano

Obviously the big scale because you have to pay for that one dont you?

PokeyBug

Save some money, use the free scale. Either scale will register the same loss. It's just the starting number that's in question. Is the starting number really important to you?

FredDoyle

Probably neither is accurate. Just use the same scale each time to find a trend up or down.

Liftng4Lis

I wouldn't be paying to get weighed. Consistency is what's important here, same time, place and bat channel.

Local_Atlantis

FredDoyle wrote: »

Probably neither is accurate. Just use the same scale each time to find a trend up or down.

Exactly - so use the free one!!

999tigger

FredDoyle wrote: »

Probably neither is accurate. Just use the same scale each time to find a trend up or down.

This. They could both be wrong. Youd hope the pay one was more accurate but you have no way of knowing.

lillyrose2020

I feel your pain! I got myself in a real muddle with the scales a few months ago, three different scales were telling me three different things. It is really difficult to get motivated when you don't even know what your starting weight is.

For me, the digital scales were putting me a few pounds heavier, the gym analogue scales put me about 7 pounds lighter, I knew the gym scales were lying to me even though I wanted them to be true.

Anyway, I ended up using the WiiFit as my weigh-in scale as it seemed a reliable source and it gave me a number that was in between the other numbers. So when the number goes down on that scale, I know I am definitely losing.

Now I never weigh-in on anything other than the WiiFit scales and I use that as my accurate scale. Whatever one you choose, just stick with it and ignore any other scales. I'd probably go with the free one

nicola8989

I want to go with the pay one because it weighs me in a couple of pounds lighter hahaha!

I know you're all right in what you're saying though, and there's all kinds of things that make a difference - I can move my scales at home around the room and get wildly different readings because the floorboards are uneven!

cwolfman13

neither...just use one scale and track the trends. Nobody weighs exactly XXX Lbs. on any scale. And those scales the "measure" body fat are pretty much worthless...they can't tell the difference between fat and water.

lillyrose2020

nicola8989 wrote: »

I want to go with the pay one because it weighs me in a couple of pounds lighter hahaha!

I know you're all right in what you're saying though, and there's all kinds of things that make a difference - I can move my scales at home around the room and get wildly different readings because the floorboards are uneven!

Yeah, no harm in it, whichever one you choose just keep using that one!

NatalieLJ

Is holding the handles causing you to not quite put your entire weight on the scale properly? I ask because my weighing scales are in front of my bathroom sink, and when I hold it to steady myself on a morning, the scales show less until I remove my hands from the sink, then give the true reading. Might be wrong, but just a thought anyway

nicola8989

I know what you mean I've noticed that on my scales too, but you don't hold the handles at first while it takes your weight, just afterwards when it takes your body fat x