Which scale to trust?

Jay9201

Hi all ! So I have a digital bathroom scale that forever tells me I'm not losing weight and I'm stuck at 82kg which I thought was true. I went to the Doctors she weighed me with clothes and shoes on and I was 80kg exactly. My doctor doesn't have a digital scale.

I was told that's my weight and my BMI has come down to 29 ( from 33.3 hooray!!! ) and I've been referred to a dietician for further help.

But I stepped onto my digital scale and it's telling me I'm 82kg again I was weighed 4 days ago where I was 80kg at the doctors.

Is my scale broken? ( I hope so it's the devil incarnate

Jay9201

Jay9201 wrote: »

Hi all ! So I have a digital bathroom scale that forever tells me I'm not losing weight and I'm stuck at 82kg which I thought was true. I went to the Doctors she weighed me with clothes and shoes on and I was 80kg exactly. My doctor doesn't have a digital scale.

I was told that's my weight and my BMI has come down to 29 ( from 33.3 hooray!!! ) and I've been referred to a dietician for further help.

But I stepped onto my digital scale and it's telling me I'm 82kg again I was weighed 4 days ago where I was 80kg at the doctors.

Is my scale broken? ( I hope so it's the devil incarnate

To add : I'm 5'4 and 25 years old female.

rheddmobile

Your doctor's scale is probably more accurate in absolute terms. However, the scale you weigh on daily should still be accurate to itself - even if it's 2kg higher, when you lose 1 kg it should be lower by that much than the previous weight it displayed. Unless it's completely broken!

How long has it been that your scale has been "stuck"? Are you weighing at the same time of day, after the same food, clothes or lack of, using the toilet? High sodium meals, schedule changes? Time of month? There are many reasons weight can stay the same or fluctuate in small amounts.

LynnJ9

Hold a ten pound weight, does it go up 10 pounds?

Jay9201

J9LynnHelton wrote: »

Hold a ten pound weight, does it go up 10 pounds?

I don't have weights at home I'll try with something heavy though and see if it goes up. If it doesn't definitely broken.

rheddmobile

Jay9201 wrote: »

J9LynnHelton wrote: »

Hold a ten pound weight, does it go up 10 pounds?

I don't have weights at home I'll try with something heavy though and see if it goes up. If it doesn't definitely broken.

One pint of water equals one pound.

Edit: or, you know, metric - same deal, 1 litre of water is 1 kilogram.

Maxxitt

Does your scale need a new battery? Being stuck at the same exact weight day in/day out doesn't seem right given normal weight variation~

Jay9201

rheddmobile wrote: »

Your doctor's scale is probably more accurate in absolute terms. However, the scale you weigh on daily should still be accurate to itself - even if it's 2kg higher, when you lose 1 kg it should be lower by that much than the previous weight it displayed. Unless it's completely broken!

How long has it been that your scale has been "stuck"? Are you weighing at the same time of day, after the same food, clothes or lack of, using the toilet? High sodium meals, schedule changes? Time of month? There are many reasons weight can stay the same or fluctuate in small amounts.

rheddmobile wrote: »

Your doctor's scale is probably more accurate in absolute terms. However, the scale you weigh on daily should still be accurate to itself - even if it's 2kg higher, when you lose 1 kg it should be lower by that much than the previous weight it displayed. Unless it's completely broken!

How long has it been that your scale has been "stuck"? Are you weighing at the same time of day, after the same food, clothes or lack of, using the toilet? High sodium meals, schedule changes? Time of month? There are many reasons weight can stay the same or fluctuate in small amounts.

My scale has been showing I'm 82kg for a month which made me go to the doctors as I had thought my weight loss slowed down completely. I weigh myself every Saturday morning first thing in the morning with no clothes so I was surprised to see I weighed less at the doctors with clothes on.

Currently on TOM and I told my doctor I usually gain quite a bit roughly around 5lbs and she said you're not 82kg your 80kg which is roughly 4.5lbs less than what I usually gain and what my scale is showing.

I may do what the other user said use something heavy and see if my scale changes if not then it's broken.

Jay9201

Definitely not broken went on the scale with a wooden stand and it went up by 12lbs. But I think I'm going to go with the doctors scale as my scale has been showing I'm 4.5lbs + and only 4 days ago doctors told me I'm actually losing weight.

Jay9201

Jay9201 wrote: »

Hi all ! So I have a digital bathroom scale that forever tells me I'm not losing weight and I'm stuck at 82kg which I thought was true. I went to the Doctors she weighed me with clothes and shoes on and I was 80kg exactly. My doctor doesn't have a digital scale.

I was told that's my weight and my BMI has come down to 29 ( from 33.3 hooray!!! ) and I've been referred to a dietician for further help.

But I stepped onto my digital scale and it's telling me I'm 82kg again I was weighed 4 days ago where I was 80kg at the doctors.

Is my scale broken? ( I hope so it's the devil incarnate

Update: my digital scale is showing me I'm 5lbs heavier than what my doctors dial scale showed. My doctors dial scale shows I'm 80kg 12.5 stones. But my digital scale isn't broken I weighed it with heavy weights and the number changed but every weekend I step on it shows I'm gaining. Doctor is saying I'm losing according to her scale.

So confused! I've been referred to a dietitian so fingers crossed.

savithny

Its simple: Scales need to be calibrated to be accurate, and many scales that you can buy to keep at home aren't particularly accurate.

Think about a fabric measuring tape like dressmakers use. They actually warn that over time, the fabric can stretch out and make a difference in measurements. LIkewise, a fabric measuring tape could shrink slightly and be smaller than expected.

The *tape* has the same measurements marked on it -- but two tapes MAY measure the same person differently if they have stretched or shrunk.

Your scale is the same. So they recommend that you pick ONE scale and measure your PROGRESS with it. Your scale may say 82 and your doctors scale may say 80 -- but what you're trying to measure is CHANGE.

So unless your scale is really "stuck" on 82 (and it isn't) -- it is probably CORRECT that you have not lost any weight in weeks. Your doctors scale, weeks ago, would probably have still read 80. The difference between them doesn't mean you lost 2 kgs, it just means that they're measuring differently. When you see a change on your home scale you should also see a change on the doctors scale.

Morgaen73

Scales need to be calibrated. My digital scale says it needs to be reset every time I move it. That being said, I picked up 3kg in 3 days and that's using just 1 scale that is calibrated.

Rule 1: Scales hate you.
Rule 2: As a result of rule 1, they will *kitten* with your head as much as possible until you go insane.

Use the scale that you always use for more consistency. Possibly ask someone else to get onto it to see if it is not stuck on 82kg.

They really are evil little devices.

Jay9201

Thank you both! My scale has been showing for a month I'm 82kg and only last week at the doctors it has shown I'm 80kg. I usually measure by my digital scale so to disheartening to see a week ago on a different scale I'm 5lbs lighter. I've been eating well this month I've not seen any change on my digital scale it always says I've gained. Even after I've calibrated it. Body comp wise I feel my body is shrinking I'm fitting in smaller clothes I look leaner.

Hopefully with the dietitians help I can lose weight consistently. I will be having weigh ins at the dietitians which will either show me lighter or heavier than my digital scale.

It's weird my doctor is convinced I am losing weight because of how low my weight is there.

savithny

Jay9201 wrote: »

It's weird my doctor is convinced I am losing weight because of how low my weight is there.

Well, what was your weight last time you went to the doctor? Was it the same doctor? The same scale?

If you weigh less than you did on your last visit, then you have lost that much weight since your last visit.

You may have lost it earlier though. If your home scale hasn't shown a loss in weeks, but it changes when you get on holding a bag of flour or a weight, then you haven't lost weight during that time.

Jay9201

savithny wrote: »

Jay9201 wrote: »

It's weird my doctor is convinced I am losing weight because of how low my weight is there.

Well, what was your weight last time you went to the doctor? Was it the same doctor? The same scale?

If you weigh less than you did on your last visit, then you have lost that much weight since your last visit.

You may have lost it earlier though. If your home scale hasn't shown a loss in weeks, but it changes when you get on holding a bag of flour or a weight, then you haven't lost weight during that time.

Same doctor and it was a dial scale that showed I'm 80kg last week. However I weighed myself on the weekend and it's showing the same weight (82kg) for the last month. I've weighed myself holding weights and the scale number changed.

It's just showing I'm constantly gaining and not losing so I'm really confused.

midlomel1971

Do you have any free weights laying around? I don't weigh myself very often, but when I do, I always take an 8 pound weight and test out our bathroom scale, which is digital. I make sure it reads exactly 8 pounds. And it's the only scale I use or pay attention to.

shaunshaikh

One liter of water is a KG. Step on and off the scale with a KG of water and see how it moves. If it goes up and down one KG then it's likely just a difference in calibration between doctor and home scale and you really aren't losing weight. If the scale doesn't move then there's an issue with the scale itself.

Caralarma

Scales shouldn't be taken too seriously they can fluctuate from the smallest thing. Also, as mentioned above, you need to track your progress on one scale only. My scale at home is always different to the scale At gym so therefore I only weigh myself on the gym scale and use that to measure progress.

Tacklewasher

2 KG difference between home and doctors scale is kinda within the tolerance of the home scale. But I doubt you last went to the doctor within the month, so did you lose since your prior doctors visit, but just stalled a bit the last month? It happens, even when you are doing everything right. I see you stepped on your scale holding something and it gave you a higher weight, so the scale seems fine.

Keep using the scale and don't be surprised if it goes down in a whoosh soon.

Jay9201

midlomel1971 wrote: »

Do you have any free weights laying around? I don't weigh myself very often, but when I do, I always take an 8 pound weight and test out our bathroom scale, which is digital. I make sure it reads exactly 8 pounds. And it's the only scale I use or pay attention to.

midlomel1971 wrote: »

Do you have any free weights laying around? I don't weigh myself very often, but when I do, I always take an 8 pound weight and test out our bathroom scale, which is digital. I make sure it reads exactly 8 pounds. And it's the only scale I use or pay attention to.

I used a weight and the number on the scale went up.

Jay9201

Tacklewasher wrote: »

2 KG difference between home and doctors scale is kinda within the tolerance of the home scale. But I doubt you last went to the doctor within the month, so did you lose since your prior doctors visit, but just stalled a bit the last month? It happens, even when you are doing everything right. I see you stepped on your scale holding something and it gave you a higher weight, so the scale seems fine.

Keep using the scale and don't be surprised if it goes down in a whoosh soon.

I thought I stalled as I've been 82kg for over a month every weekend when I weighed myself so going last week to the doctors and finding out I'm 2kg lighter I was happy. Step back on my home scale and it shows I'm gaining.

I always weigh myself on my home scale but my doctor weighed me before referring me to a dietitian and she told me no my BMI has dropped to 29 and she's happy for a dietitian to work with me.

I've weighed myself with free weights and the numbers changed but when I weigh myself first thing in the morning after being to the loo the scale does not say I've dropped.

There's nothing medically wrong with me doctor just said my body burns fat slowly but I know when my dietitian sees me he/she will be weighing me on every visit which will show a difference to my home scale.