Scale weigh-ins accuracy

kimbelle_vie

Wondering how u guys track weight loss. for example This am my readings were back to back 159,160.2,160.2. Which do you choose?

TavistockToad

kimbelle_vie wrote: »

Wondering how u guys track weight loss. for example This am my readings were back to back 159,160.2,160.2. Which do you choose?

160.2

LAWoman72

Back to back how...do you mean, just literally one right after another? If that were the case I'd probably get a new scale - I would just wonder whether my scale was going wonky.

If you mean throughout, say, one day, I'd take the reading that was closest to my normal time of day.

sodakat

160.2, but know that you'll see 159 real soon if you stay on track -- that's how it works for me anyway.

I saw 175 this morning, was happily surprised to see another loss following the 2 day losing streak which followed a 2 week stall. I stepped off, stepped on again to see it once more and it said 175.2 (twice) so that's what I logged here on MFP and in the Libra app I use to log daily.

When I first see a higher number than where it settles, I know I need to buckle down.

Mycophilia

I weigh myself every morning before drinking or eating, and then calculate my weekly average.

kimbelle_vie

LAWoman72 wrote: »

Back to back how...do you mean, just literally one right after another? If that were the case I'd probably get a new scale - I would just wonder whether my scale was going wonky.

If you mean throughout, say, one day, I'd take the reading that was closest to my normal time of day.

Right after each other is what I meant

lorib642

LAWoman72 wrote: »

Back to back how...do you mean, just literally one right after another? If that were the case I'd probably get a new scale - I would just wonder whether my scale was going wonky.

If you mean throughout, say, one day, I'd take the reading that was closest to my normal time of day.

Really, my scale fluctuates a lot. I don't usually weigh back to back., though. But it goes up and down during the day or week. I think I do need a new one, but I thought some variation is normal.

GaleHawkins

kimbelle_vie wrote: »

Wondering how u guys track weight loss. for example This am my readings were back to back 159,160.2,160.2. Which do you choose?

Just take the first trip results. The numbers vary more than that just due to body water content from day to day.

TimothyFish

159.8

malibu927

TavistockToad wrote: »

kimbelle_vie wrote: »

Wondering how u guys track weight loss. for example This am my readings were back to back 159,160.2,160.2. Which do you choose?

160.2

Me too, though the only time I'll get on more than once is if I have a major swing (at least 1.5 pounds up/down, since I weigh every day), and I go with the first one to show twice

bwogilvie

lorib642 wrote: »

Really, my scale fluctuates a lot. I don't usually weigh back to back., though. But it goes up and down during the day or week. I think I do need a new one, but I thought some variation is normal.

I may be wrong, but it looks like you're confusing two things: variation in the scale's reported weight (its precision) and variation in your body weight over the course of the day or the week.

Most household scales will vary by a few tenths of a pound, with repeated measurements. That's the limit of precision of the technology in them. Note that precision is not the same as accuracy; if I stepped on my scale three times in a row and it read 212.0, 212.1, and 211.9, it would be fairly precise, but not at all accurate, since my current weight is around 152.

But people's weight varies by up to 5 pounds, or even more, as the day goes on and they take in or eliminate liquids and solids. Drink a cup of water and you'll weigh 8 ounces more than you did before. That's why the best time to weigh yourself is first thing in the morning, after your overnight fast, but after emptying your bladder. It's a fairly consistent state, though even there you'll see variation.

julzwild

First thing I did when I began was I bought a new scale because my old scale gave me different numbers like that. Before I had my new one, I would step on until I got the same number twice and go with that number. I say just get a new scale. There are pretty good ones that aren't very expensive. I paid about $40 for mine from amazon after reading lots of good reviews.

Kalikel

I'd have logged the 159 because I wouldn't have stepped back on the scale to see the 160.2

Since you got two at 160.2, you may as well go with that number.

47Jacqueline

My scale was jumping up and down about 5 pounds, but that was when I had just broken my leg and was on Percoset. So, I took the lowest weight (I'm an optimist) and am not weighing until next month.