Scales Trouble

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mdivamuffin
mdivamuffin Posts: 164 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hopped on my scales this morning and it was giving me three different weights! All of which showed an increase, varying from .5kg-1.5kg!! My boyfriend had the scales all week stored sideways in the sitting room, could that make the scale wonky? Feeling disheartened because I've been eating well and expected a loss or at least to stay the same. Please say we're not supposed to store weighing scales sideways :tongue:

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  • jcorpern
    jcorpern Posts: 96 Member
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    What type of scale is it? Electronic or one of the older spring models? If it's an older model, then storing it sideways could potentially have caused it to become mis-adjusted. If it's an electronic model it shouldn't have made a difference.

    Also, how long ago did you last weigh in? If it was just yesterday, you very well could have a temporary fluctation of a kilo or so day-to-day. You're best off weighing yourself once a week, on the same day every week, preferably first thing in the morning after emptying your bladder.
  • mdivamuffin
    mdivamuffin Posts: 164 Member
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    It's an electronic scale. I only weigh myself once a week. First thing on a Friday morning. Just going to wait until next Friday and hope for the best!
  • jcorpern
    jcorpern Posts: 96 Member
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    All right,

    I wouldn't worry about it until next week. If it's an electronic scale, the way you store it isn't going to affect it, so you can consider it a data point. We all have weeks that represent abnormal data. I'll give you several things to consider next week if the result is the same...

    1. Are you near your monthly cycle? Women tend to retain water and it's not unusual to see 1 to 1.5 kilo increase leading up to and during your period. The good news is that there's usually a corresponding drop a week to 10 days after your cycle has ended.

    2. Do you have a digital scale and weigh your foods? Even if you're using measuring spoons and measuring cups, it's very easy to accidentally eat more than you think and take in hidden calories. Weighing every ingredient/portion you eat on a digital scale ensures total accuracy with your calories in.

    3. Are you eating back exercise calories (if any)? If you are, how are you estimating your calories burnt. The MFP general exercise values and even the values that you get from treadmills and other equipment in gyms can routinely overestimate your actual calorie burn. If you're eating those calories back, it's possible you've put yourself into a situation where you don't have a true calorie deficit to work with.

    Weigh yourself next week. If you've lost, GREAT! You're on the right track. If you haven't lost next week, then consider the points above.

    Good Luck!
  • mdivamuffin
    mdivamuffin Posts: 164 Member
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    Thanks so much for the great advice. Will keep doing what I'm doing for another week and see how it goes. :smile: :smile: :flowerforyou:
  • in_therain
    in_therain Posts: 37 Member
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    Sometimes electronic scales need to be re-zeroed after they're moved. With mine, you just "tap on" and wait until it turns off again. If you still have your manual, I'd check on this.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    To quote my favorite show....."have you tried turning it off and on again?"

    Jokes aside, I have an electronic scale that is so wonky that I have to take the batteries out and put them back in to get an accurate reading. It's annoying, but I endure it because I don't have the funds to get a new scale at the moment.

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