Can anybody recommend a very accurate scale?

vaindioux

Hi

I have been through 3 scales and am unhappy. Upon weighting myself, either the weight will change drastically as I am on the scale or I step on and off I get a different weight every time.
2 were digital and 1 analog.
I m willing to spend up to $150 if worth it.
I would prefer digital.
Yes I have been on Amazon and read reviews.
They all score 4.5-5 out of 5
I do not believe Amazon on these ratings.
Most reviews are great for each scales but then the negatives always say “Not accurate”.

Thxs

Pat

L1zardQueen

Why does it have to be accurate? Just use the one you have now. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cYMNPP2ZR1U

claireychn074

Before you get another set - have you tried different locations in the house? Even a slightly uneven floor can affect the reading ie it’s better to put them on a flat uncarpeted floor. I know my scales will vary so I use exactly the same bit of floor for consistency.

yirara

There is no accurate scale. Every scale is accurate and not accurate under completely different conditions. scales that show exactly the same weight two times after another likely have a memory function that simply brings up the first weight again. Temperature variation can influence the scale, the floor: never use carpet. Always put the scale on a totally flat and hard floor. Make sure the feet are clean and not wet. And accept there will be variations. Not small changes are important but the overall trend from day to day.

kshama2001

I'm with the VA and got this scale from them. It's currently only $19.99 on Amazon:

https://smile.amazon.com/LifeSource-UC-324-Precision-Weight-Scale/dp/B01CUHZTKG/

Some scales have technology so that you will not get different readings when you step back on it. I have no idea how that works. I think this might be one of them, because on the rare occasion I step back on after my initial morning weigh, I always get the identical result.

I've had it since 2016 and am happy with it.

When I'm weighed at the doctor's after breakfast and dressed I'm the predictable 4-5 pounds heavier.

SheDiabetic2

My doctor's office uses a Health o meter scale so this is the same brand that I use at home that is accurate with the doctor's office scale.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Health-O-Meter-Digital-Bathroom-Scale-350-lb-Capacity/10264542

strangeanimal55

I just have a $20 Walmart one and keep it in the same place on a hard floor and it's very accurate, or at least consistent (despite how many times I lean my weight trying to change it slightly 😂)

vaindioux

Hi

Well I have learned a lot in 5mn from your answers but this bring more. Lizardqueen thxs for the video, it's very informative.

Now the questions:

-How in the world do I know if I am losing weight? I have lost the first 15lbs quickly and I know at first it drops fast, but after that, how do I know if let's say I manage to lose 1lb a week at least?
Yes I put my scale on flat surfaces, I had it in the bathroom and yesterday I went anywhere from 190lbs to 195lbs trying 5 times. Worse as I am on it the weigh fluctuates and I try to be as steady as possible.
I just tried the scale on my flat kitchen floor, wearing nothing but my wedding ring, tried 6 times and I went anywhere from 192lbs to 198lbs.
Shall I instead use a ruler and measure my stomach where all my extra weigh is?
How in a world do you know if a diet is working?

Thxs to all for the answers

Pat

penguinmama87

What you want is to observe the trend over time, which requires patience, which can be intensely frustrating.

Your actual weight can fluctuate by quite a lot due to water retention, hormones, etc, so when you start a new eating plan or exercise regimen it makes sense to stick with it for a month-ish so you can actually tell if it's working or not. I weigh once a week under the same conditions, usually stepping on the scale twice (which might be a mind trick but I tell myself it's better that way). Some people weigh every day and use an app to tell them the trend. I might do that eventually as I get closer to goal weight but I'm happy with how I do things now. Some weeks the scale only drops a little. Other weeks it drops a lot. I log my food accurately and am honest about exercise. When I look at the trend over time, it's what I expect it to be, even if the individual data points are not.

I do tape measurements also every other week. Usually only one or two of the measurements will change and often it's not by much, maybe a quarter of an inch or so. But I can compare me now to me in March or the beginning of the year and I can see how several things have changed. I can also tell by the fact that I have clothes that are now too large (and I take regular progress photos too.) I don't measure just my waist - I actually do my neck, upper arm, forearm, wrist, chest, waist, hips, thigh, calf, and ankle. I use a flexible measuring tape - mine came with a sewing kit I owned already, but they are easy to find. Not everyone experiences this but I seem to be losing weight from the outside in. I didn't think I had exceptionally large ankles or wrists before but they're skinnier than they used to be!

Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. The nice thing is, if you do it well you're learning the same skills you need to maintain the loss afterwards.

lmf1012

I have a Welch Allyn that I use along with their app for tracking. I got it because I was already using their blood pressure cuff and the app tracks both for me.

I have had the scale over 3 years now and have had zero issues with it. I love it. It is available on Amazon.

Beautyofdreams

That is a lot of variability if you are getting on and off your scale in rapid succession. When was the last time you changed the batteries? Are the scales feet level and unbroken with no dust around them? Are you weighing at the same time of the day in the same clothes (in the morning after using the bathroom, e.g.)? Are your feet dry and not lotioned?

I don't believe that there is an entirely accurate scale but if you lessen the variables your scale will show a consistent trend over time. I weigh daily, in the morning after using the bathroom in the same clothes, on the same spot. I also take measurements monthly(bust, waist, hips, thighs, calves, biceps) once a month and take progress pictures at 20 pound intervals.

The scale is just one tool of many you can use to measure progress. I went a month with no weight changes once but measurements showed that I lost 3 inches from each thigh. I never would have known if I only relied on the scale.

PAV8888

You need a hard UNYIELDING flat surface.
All sensors (feet of the scale) need to be clean.
The scale needs to be structurally stable (i.e. not have flex).

MOST scales on sale right now, including the ones well reviewed on Amazon, including the one I now use after having given up on trying to ferret out the information, most of them, have a memory function where you get to see the same number no matter what the scale measures in order to promote the idea that it is an accurate scale!

Usually you can do a battery pull and calibration to get a clean measurement. Or you can add a >1lb weight, weight yourself, and then weight yourself again without it. Unless it has multi-person memory!

In any case... it doesn't really matter. What you do is you jump on the scale and you enter your daily weigh in into your weight trend app (I tend to use trendweight.com in conjunction with the freely available without a device fitbit app; you could use weightgrapher.com, libra for android, happy scale for iphone and multiple others I am sure...heck you could even use excel or google sheets and plot a moving/trailing average trend line using 10 or so data points).

claireychn074

@vaindioux to answer your question about how you know if you are losing: it’s always a good idea to track your weight loss in different ways (to help combat things like water weight and fluctuating scales). So weigh yourself regularly (weekly or daily), record that on a spreadsheet or MFP so that you’ve can track and start to recognise normal fluctuations (water retention at times of the months etc). Also take measurements with a tape measure and record them - they can often show you progress more than the scale. Take pictures, front, back and sides and again keep a record so that you can see your progress. You can also track loss using how your clothes fit and how easy you find certain activities. Using all of those methods can help you 👍

yirara

Another thing to note: a scale doesn't differentiate between body fat, water weight and poop weight. Especially for women water weight can fluctuate widely from one day to another without any reason at all. Say you were losing weight nicely for a week. And then menstruation comes and you hold onto more water weight, step on the scale, and nothing seems to have happened. Or it might even look like you've gained weight. The same with food in your digestive tract. Whatever you've eaten doesn't lose it's weight all of a sudden. It slowly gets digested and eventually expelled. Some food needs a bit longer than other. Sometimes your body might decide to take it slow. And there's nothing you can do about it other than just accepting it and practicing patience.

vaindioux

Thanks a lot everybody, getting ruler, camera, scale and the rest ready. If anyone also needs a few extra pounds, I got 20 for you free of charge

Pat

kshama2001

vaindioux wrote: »

Hi

Well I have learned a lot in 5mn from your answers but this bring more. Lizardqueen thxs for the video, it's very informative.

Now the questions:

-How in the world do I know if I am losing weight? I have lost the first 15lbs quickly and I know at first it drops fast, but after that, how do I know if let's say I manage to lose 1lb a week at least?
Yes I put my scale on flat surfaces, I had it in the bathroom and yesterday I went anywhere from 190lbs to 195lbs trying 5 times. Worse as I am on it the weigh fluctuates and I try to be as steady as possible.
I just tried the scale on my flat kitchen floor, wearing nothing but my wedding ring, tried 6 times and I went anywhere from 192lbs to 198lbs.
Shall I instead use a ruler and measure my stomach where all my extra weigh is?
How in a world do you know if a diet is working?

Thxs to all for the answers

Pat

So like I said, my scale doesn't do that. (Brand and link above.)

But if it did, I would just weigh once and that is it.

For me weighing daily and logging this into Happy Scale helps me deal with the expected water weight fluctuations. When you weigh weekly it takes much longer to create an accurate trend.

TX_Bluebonnet

The scale I got last month from the VA is made by the A&D Medical company. The model I have doesn't look like it's available to the general public, however A&D does have a similar style home model available for $69.99 on Amazon (link below). What I really like about these scales is they're accuracy is certified through the Continua Certified program and the ease of use. You just step on it, wait for the beep and hold until you get the notification to step off, then it displays your weight. I weigh myself daily and watch the overall trend. The bluetooth works fine to send data to the tablet the VA provided. Looks like the negative reviews have to do with bluetooth connection issues to Samsung phones, not the accuracy of the scale.

https://amazon.com/Medical-Wireless-Connected-Weight-UC-352BLE/dp/B00MXTDWUG?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

PAV8888

I can't comment on the above mentioned certification. Or as to how good or bad their scale is. Or whether all the scale models that the company markets are equally good or certified. The same company does offer a less expensive model on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JQRR7Q2/

wunderkindking

My weight has always, by function of being alive, bounced around a few pounds. All that actually happens is that the highs and lows eventually both get lower.

Less frequent weighing may help your brain.