is it even possible for a scale to be out by that much?

bio01979
bio01979 Posts: 313
in Health and Weight Loss
So I had been using an old non digital scale (maybe 10-13 yrs old I think) it looks a bit beat up but it never seemed to be too bad - though I haven't used it in many years (but I did make sure to move the scale thing back to 0 when it was at rest because it had moved over the years)

it gave me my weight as 260-262lbs was 265 when I started and it went as low as 259 last week. (262 when I checked this morning)

I bought a new scale today and I stepped on it and it said 235.2 I laughed and said that can't be right. so I got off waited a min or 2 and got on again the dashes did their little dance and it said 235.2 again

is it possible for a scale to be that far off? Is this a bad scale? Is the old one a bad scale? I am not sure lol

Replies

  • sianquin
    sianquin Posts: 86 Member
    You prob need a second opinion to know which it is, borrow a friends scale or chemists usually have a machine that weights you and gives you your bmi ect.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    Try weighing on it again holding some dumb bells to see if you get the 235.2 + whatever the weights are then try it again on the old scale. I think it's possible for them to be that far apart especially if your original scale was old and a dial model.
  • bio01979
    bio01979 Posts: 313
    Try weighing on it again holding some dumb bells to see if you get the 235.2 + whatever the weights are then try it again on the old scale. I think it's possible for them to be that far apart especially if your original scale was old and a dial model.

    oooh or maybe just compare something I know the weight of on both scales?
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Get yourself weighed somewhat that you know to be accurate like a doctor's surgery or pharmacy. I would though guess your new one is more accurate
  • StArBeLLa87
    StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
    Measuring tapes never lie! Don't be a slave to a scale!
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    id trust the new one..... ive seen several old mechanical scales that dont work properly... ive never seen a digital scal off by much more than a few pounds
  • onefeistymama
    onefeistymama Posts: 6
    it is very possible! scales have to be calibrated and not all scales are calibrated the same so put something you know the weight of for sure on the new scale, if it is right then you will know for sure
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,958 Member
    Weigh a 5 kg bag of potatoes.
  • ravesroses
    ravesroses Posts: 7 Member
    this is so typically i hat scales they never tell you the truth my advice scale yourself on a few different scales or the same one a few times figure out the average hop it helps
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    Like others have said, weigh something that has a weight on it, potatoes, dog food, whatever, and then choose the most accurate scale and stick with that one.
  • Garlicmash
    Garlicmash Posts: 208
    all scales are different and you need to just stick to one scale to weigh you're self.
    I weighed my daughter at home on my digital scales and took her for her 2 yr check up a week later and was surprised she weighed less on the medical scales so when we got home i weighed her and there was 3 lbs difference.
    medical scales are really the only scales that will tell you the right weight next to the digital scales.
    I know i weigh less than my scales say because of the clothes i'm fitting into and i know what weight i need to be to get into them.
  • snowboardandasuitcase
    snowboardandasuitcase Posts: 222 Member
    Same thing happened to my mom recently. She was using the same scale that we had back in the day (MAYBE10-15 yrs old) and she recently bought a new digital one and said the weights were way diff.

    I think time does something wack to our poor old scales.. like mis-calibration due to atmospheric changes or maybe gravity stretches the springs on the dial-scales so they don't record weight properly. (I clearly have no clue but it's fun to guess! haha.)

    Moral of the story: We should all start our weight-loss journey on a rusty old scale... "what plateau? My new scale says I just lost 20 pounds!" How's that for motivation! :bigsmile:
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    All the scales at my doctors office (clinic) are about 10 pounds higher than my home scale :-( That was no fun to realize. But both scales are internally consistent. I went in thinking I'd lost 10 pounds, and the doctor agreed I'd lost 10 pounds.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I agree with trying in different places. Heck just at home my scale doesn't give me the same weight if I'm in the living room or the bathroom. But now it's in the bathroom and so far it's been pretty dead on with the gym and doctor scales (not gonna lie though, I was worried).

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