Reading the Scale

Nidda_C

General question:

How do you guys read your scale weight?
When I stand on the scale and shift my weight a little bit (e.g. standing straight versus slumping, balancing my feet properly etc.) the weight on the scale shifts too. With just this 'shifting' I can get a reading of +/- 3-5 lbs, so I am not sure what weight I should record.

Right now I am purposely just recording the highest weight that the scale reads for me.

happysherri

My scale doesnt do that. Not sure about that.

Lynnmi07

Get a digital scale? If not an option I say just make sure you always do it the same way, either slouch every time or stand straight up then at least you will have a consistent trend.

slim4health56

Old analog scale? Mine did the same thing. Bought a new digital at Walmart for $25. Problem solved. In the interim, you can make sure your scale is on a hard surface, and the exact place every time you weigh. They usually have four little "feet" on the bottom and if they aren't compressed equally, you'll get a different weight.

OsricTheKnight

I'd say just stand still in roughly the same posture each day. Don't move because I think that could get you too much variation based on how energetically you do it.

However you get the weight values, I'd then chart them. The charting gets rid of a lot of worthless and demotivating noise. I like trendweight.com (free, not even any ads, my chart below).

Osric

sympha01

For what it's worth, my scale (a digital one, placed on a hard surface) does that too, though just by a matter of about 2 pounds. Just a matter of making sure I stand very still on it in the exact same position as much as possible every time for a consistent reading. It doesn't matter if the "heaviest" or the "lightest" position is the most accurate, just be consistent so your body weight changes will be consistently captured.