Feeling disheartened:(

LiveLoveProgress

So I made the dire mistake of popping onto the scales at my doctor's (when she left the room!) And these scales weighed me in almost 20lbs heavier than the pay for ones I normally use in the pharmacy ... I feel like such a failure.
I know I've still lost the same amount of weight but therefore my start weight was a lot higher but now I have so much more to loose when I was beginning to think I was just about a stone or so from target.

quiksylver296

Every scale weighs differently. Stick to only one. As long as the weight is going down on that one scale, you're good!

tinkerbellang83

It definitely does not negate your progress, worst case, so you're not as close to your target, it tends to be a moving target anyway. The scale doesn't define how much healthier and fit you're becoming.

If your doc wasn't in the room are you sure they were calibrated correctly, most scales only tend to differ by a few pounds not 20. Could be they were wrong.

L1zardQueen

Here's kind of a cool article on bodyweight scales. Don't get discouraged. It could be factor of many things.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/how-to-weigh-yourself-accurately/

wizzybeth

So many things come in to play:

The shoes you were wearing (clunky sneakers vs. lightweight flats)
The clothes you were wearing (jeans vs. yoga pants)
The food and drink you had consumed & how close it was to the time you weighed yourself
The last time you went to the bathroom
The calibration & accuracy of the scales themselves.
The time of day.
How much water you may be retaining due to eating high sodium foods, the time of the month for you if you are female, or from exercise

Granted, none of these single things in and of themselves would account for a 20lb difference - but combined - they could certainly come close!!!

Stick to one scale. Weigh yourself at roughly the same time every day, wearing the same clothing (no shoes, and best in your underwear or even in the nude). If you have to use a public scale, be sure to wear the same clothes each time and try to do it at the same time of day. (But seriously - it's worth it to splurge and buy your own scale, they're NOT that expensive!)

I prefer to weigh myself first thing in the morning, after going to the bathroom, before getting dressed and before having anything to eat or drink. If I weigh myself again at 3pm, I would probably weigh six to eight pounds higher, even if I am in the nude, because of the food and water I'd consumed.

batorkin

Scales weigh slightly differently but not 20 pounds differently. One of those scales is broken, or you were wearing shoes, coat, etc when you normally weigh naked. Even then... it's a stretch.

Spend $25 and buy your own scale and use only that one. This is the scale I use and it's very consistent: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HLSKYAY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

flippy1234

Don't weigh yourself. Go by how your clothes fit. It's not the pounds you lose but how you feel.

LivingtheLeanDream

Every scale is different, also the weight of your clothes today could be heavier than the last time you weighed in..also if its a different time of day, more food in your body undigested etc.

lorrpb

I wouldn't trust a pay scale at the drug store! It's probably calibrated on the low side so people keep paying to use it. Few people will pay to see a higher weight . Why not take all the money and buy a scale at a thrift store?

adambrown01

LiveLoveProgress wrote: »

So I made the dire mistake of popping onto the scales at my doctor's (when she left the room!) And these scales weighed me in almost 20lbs heavier than the pay for ones I normally use in the pharmacy ... I feel like such a failure.
I know I've still lost the same amount of weight but therefore my start weight was a lot higher but now I have so much more to loose when I was beginning to think I was just about a stone or so from target.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Use the same scale to monitor your weight. Or for a different perspective measure your body fat % on a handheld bioelectric impedence device and see a different set of numbers. (I recommend a BIA device because they are relatively cheap and discreet. Pls don't pinch my fat ok?)

LiveLoveProgress

Thanks guys - I do understand that weight is just a figure and that clothes and time of day make a difference I just felt a bit poop that there was such a big difference!

@Lorrpb - I never thought about how the pay for ones could weigh me less kinda like vanity sizing I guess

I do have a set of scales at home but they vary by about 3 or 4 lbs even if you get off and then straight back on again but still across what the pharmacy scales say

I guess I feel so bad because I've recently dropped my weight loss goal down to a 1lb a week as "I was doing so well, and getting so close to goal" but I feel like I've got to up it back to 1.5 or 2lbs because I'm so much farther away than I thought. Plus I feel a bit silly as I've started to feel a bit more confident now that I was at a healthy weight, but this other weight ( be it a fluke or not) pops me back into the overweight category:,(

LiveLoveProgress

tinkerbellang83 wrote: »

If your doc wasn't in the room are you sure they were calibrated correctly, most scales only tend to differ by a few pounds not 20. Could be they were wrong.

That's very insightful ! My toddler had moved them about the room a bit and been playing with them!

4EverHealthyNFit

Weight can fluctuate by 5 to 10 lbs depending on sleep, diet, water intake and exercise. Don't get discouraged by one data point. Always weigh yourself at the same time during the day. I do it everyday in the morning when I get up before hitting the shower. Stay strong!

lorrpb

You're drawing a false conclusion by comparing different scales at different times of day. You're basing your concerns on a scale you don't even how to use correctly.! Why get disheartened over that result? Re-read the posts above about the correct way to track your weight on one set of scales. Try changing the battery on your at home scale. Then stick with that one for all your weights.

Tedo201

Weight is just a number, Stay disciplined in your exercise, diet and calorie intake and you'll get results. Judge yourself by how you feel and look. Not by the number on the scale.

wizzybeth

Definitely change the battery in your home scale or just buy a new one.

brenn24179

i know how you feel, my old scales died and I had to buy new ones, 10 lbs off and I had gained 6 over holidays on top of that. I weighed at the gym and new scales were right. Oh well here I go again, makes me mad as he#l but try again.