Scales

scarla67

Geez Louise, anybody have a suggestion for a reliable scale? I have 2 expensive digital ones and finally gave up as I could not calibrate either. I bought a analog one at bed bath body for only $20 tonight!

L1zardQueen

Just pick one and use only that one. Read this

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

scarla67

Tks for the link, I thought I was crazy. Will stick to the new old fashion one!

briscogun

I found with my digital scale that it sort of had a "memory" to it. So if I weighed one day, then the next day it would be like, "Oh, you again? Yep, you're about the same so here's the figure I gave you yesterday. Thanks for stopping by!".

So I take out the batteries, it re-sets and then I weight myself. Seems to work better. Pain to do it but cheaper than buying a new scale!

MishMashMisha

briscogun wrote: »

I found with my digital scale that it sort of had a "memory" to it. So if I weighed one day, then the next day it would be like, "Oh, you again? Yep, you're about the same so here's the figure I gave you yesterday. Thanks for stopping by!".

So I take out the batteries, it re-sets and then I weight myself. Seems to work better. Pain to do it but cheaper than buying a new scale!

Yeah I realized recently that my scale does the same. It seems that if today's weight is within a pound of yesterday's, then it'll just give me the old weight. I have started weighing myself while holding something heavy or weighing just my foot, in between weigh-ins, which wipes out the memory. With <10lbs to lose it's helpful to see the small ups and downs, and I have weight trending app to keep me on track.

CarvedTones

Mine often gives me a low weight, ~1.5 low, when I first step on it. Step off, wait for it to go dark, step on again. Repeat a third time. Second and third are always consistent; sometimes the first is also. It's rare that two weigh ins on different days in a row are exactly the same (though it just happened today) and because of the common oddball first weight, I don't think it has a memory issue, though I am going to have to try that "weight just my foot" between the second and third and see what happens. I have been almost suspiciously good at maintenance for the last couple of weeks. I do think it is staying inside a pretty tight window because i saw the variance before while losing and while having trouble staying at the same weight.

hikingatoz

My scale does the same memory thing. Have tested it several times by weighing myself, then adding a little weight like shampoo bottles and weight never changes. So now, I grab something heavy to weigh myself first to reset it. Seems to do the trick. Very annoying to have an inaccurate scale when trying to figure out maintenance calories.

CarvedTones

So I just did some testing and mine isn't terrible, I guess. The range it gives seems to be 0.4 pounds. My scale only does even tenths, so I knew it was only accurate to 1/5 lb at most. I weighed a couple of times and got the same number. I weighed with an extra 1.5 pounds (weighed on food scale) and it only showed it as being 1.2 lbs higher. Repeated the experiment a few times and I did get weights that varied both with and without the extra weight, but they only varied by up to 0.4 from lowest to highest. One of my kids joined in and got similar results and having the weight vary by a lot didn't seem to affect the accuracy. It is weird how it will be consistent if I weigh multiple times in a row. I am not counting the low weight it often gives on the very first weigh in after it hasn't been used for a day or two.

hesn92

How interesting. I had some cheap scale I got from wal mart for many years and it worked and got the job done. However it finally broke (well my toddler broke it by splashing water all over it) so I’ve been without a scale for several weeks. I was just planning on hitting up wal mart and getting some cheap one again.

hroderick

i got one of the old fashion dr office scales with the sliding weights off ebay and love it, So accurate and great for heavyweights

lorrpb

Most digital scales are supposed to be reset especially if you move them

sbrownallison

I received a Fitindex Smart Scale for my birthday last month ($25 on Amazon) and really like it. It syncs to my iPad AND to my Fitbit and My Fitness Pal apps. You can, of course, sync with your phone, which most people might prefer. I just weigh in the morning with my iPad nearby and then everything posts to the other apps. In addition to one's weight, it also displays values for body fat, water %, BMI, and several other measures. I had no problems setting it up, and it seems to be working just fine, despite some negative reviews I saw online. I've been struggling to lose a few pounds I've gained in the last year, so the new toy has boosted my motivation!

SummerSkier

I found the article in the second post interesting. However I have found that my scale weighs a lot LESS in very cold and dry weather. The article experiment says you weigh heavier on a cold scale. I think honestly it doesn't matter too much as long as you use one scale and stick to it without moving it around. Weighing the same time etc....

jrwms714

I have two scales ... one at my vacation place and one at home. They are both the cheap-y ones at about $20 at Bed Bath and Beyond. One weighs one thing, one weighs a pound lighter. I just go with whatever it says when I get to either place and then make sure I remain within my range while there. I just think what @SummerSkier says is true: you get a scale, weigh the same time each day, and that's about it.

PAV8888

CarvedTones wrote: »

It is weird how it will be consistent if I weigh multiple times in a row.

The phenomenon is called "fake consistency" and is implemented by the scale manufacturers because people perceive a scale that gives the same answer two times in a row more accurate than one that doesn't.

Basically most scales use flexible force sensors that convert the pressure your weight places on the feet of the scale into a voltage that gets sensed by the scale. (hence why you really should place the scale on a piece of stable and un-yielding floor)

The number changes continuously, among other reasons, because you're on the scale and no mater how still you are there is SOME degree of movement that differentially compresses the paper thin sensors.

As the voltage that is generated because of the force you apply changes continuously in an analogue fashion (think old style strain gauge scales that have a quivering needle you can never get to stay still so you can read it), the stream of information has to be captured (sampled) so that it can be converted into a number that can then be displayed to the user.

So the scale very quickly averages the "weight" it is sensing over a time period, and when the numbers appear to be within a manufacturer selected small range for a pre-set period of time the scale averages an x number of recent "stable" readings and says: "this is your weight".

Most scales remember that number and when someone close to that number weighs themselves a second time the scale says to itself: "what are the chances this is a different person? Nah, it's the same dude. IF I tell him he is up 0.1lbs from a few minutes ago he will start yelling that I suck and that I am not accurate. So i'll just give him the previous number--it's not as if his weight has really changed that much--and that should keep him happy!" <-- there you go: fake consistency.

The number only changes when the next series of averaged samples is far enough from the previous set of averaged samples that the scale decides to risk your ire with a new number!

lorrpb

If someone steps on the scale 3 x in a row, the scale doesn't know if it's the same person 3x or 3 different people. If my husband weighs immediately after me, he gets his weight , not mine!
I am astounded by the constant spinning on the subject of scales.

CarvedTones

lorrpb wrote: »

If someone steps on the scale 3 x in a row, the scale doesn't know if it's the same person 3x or 3 different people. If my husband weighs immediately after me, he gets his weight , not mine!
I am astounded by the constant spinning on the subject of scales.

PAV888 was talking about very similar weights. Mine changes if I weigh with a 2 liter bottle; a 2 pound difference isn't close enough for it to use the same number again. But I get what he is saying; if it is really close, it will re-use the number. I have some experience with chip level components and know what he is talking about with analog to digital (A/D) components not giving a stable reading. I did more experimenting. If I weigh a few times in a row, I get the same weight. If I then weigh a few times in a row with the 2 liter I will get a weight about 2 pounds higher (may be off .2 either way) and I will get it over and over. If I then weigh without it again, I may get a weight .2 to .4 pounds lighter or heavier than I got weighing earlier and if I keep weighing over and over, I will keep getting the new number.

WilmaValley

Great info, thanks!!!!!

PAV8888

lorrpb wrote: »

If someone steps on the scale 3 x in a row, the scale doesn't know if it's the same person 3x or 3 different people. If my husband weighs immediately after me, he gets his weight , not mine!
I am astounded by the constant spinning on the subject of scales.

If your husband weighed within 0.1lbs or 0.2lbs of your weight chances are really good that on a recent model scale he would get the exact same number as you.

Find something that weighs 80 to 100g and weigh yourself with and without the item.

If your scale is accurate to 0.1lbs then it should detect the almost 0.2 change and reflect that.