I was right to blame my scales!

kelsmcdowall

Hey guys just a quick update...

I was right to blame the scales on yesterday's post as I went & got a new set which can also measure your body fat % as well. Who would believe that my manual scales didn't work?!?! :noway: no wonder I was feeling heavier but the scales were still telling me that I was 9.5 stone!! Turns out I am 9.9 & a quarter.... so I don't even what I was when I started. Frustrating.. Never mind just means I have to work that little bit harder and I'm ready!!

Kx

emilyisbonkers

Scales can be crazy things.. I was 137lbs one day, and then 132lbs the next!
Take it all with a pinch of salt in my opinion

kelsmcdowall

I couldn't believe my eyes!! ha ha. Now for the extra hard work to start!!

TavistockToad

2 different sets of scales will usually give you 2 different weights... it doesnt matter which you use, as long as you are consistant. the best way to check they're working is to weigh yourself, then do it again holding a 10kg weight.

HappyStack

I don't know what your other post was about, but manual scales are the best, in my opinion. They should have a knob or a dial you can turn to "zero" it before you step on it.

I always give it a quick push with my foot and allow it to settle, then make any adjustments, before I step on.

MarkTown

TYpically most scales will give you different results. They key is to notice the amount of weight difference within a period.

jeansuza

My scale is digital. Bought it 2 years ago. Must get on it several times to get it right. Sometimes, it tells me 3 pounds heavier than a few minutes later.... Drives me crazy!

Jkn921

What scale did you have before?

I have Salters' Body Analyser Scale and it seems pretty good. I do check it regularly with my dumbbells, it works in that range.

10manda86

My scale is digital. Bought it 2 years ago. Must get on it several times to get it right. Sometimes, it tells me 3 pounds heavier than a few minutes later.... Drives me crazy!

mine were doing this too... was driving me nuts, I put on 3kg (6lb) within 30 seconds lol... so I changed the battery... they were still "off" and then today, bam good again... i was considering buying a ne set, mine are 2 yrs old too.... but now they love me and im happy :P hehe

_Zardoz_

Hey guys just a quick update...

I was right to blame the scales on yesterday's post as I went & got a new set which can also measure your body fat % as well. Who would believe that my manual scales didn't work?!?! :noway: no wonder I was feeling heavier but the scales were still telling me that I was 9.5 stone!! Turns out I am 9.9 & a quarter.... so I don't even what I was when I started. Frustrating.. Never mind just means I have to work that little bit harder and I'm ready!!

Kx

all scales will give slightly different results. If you bought another set you'd get another different answer.don't get to obsessed over the individual numbers it's the trend that matters

CattOfTheGarage

I have a digital scale, fairly basic but it's a Salter, so a good brand. Through my work (doing stability calculations for ships) I've become painfully aware how hard it is to weigh things accurately. Unless you calibrate it very frequently or before each use, any weighing device gets inaccurate over time. That's why bathroom scales are always out - even if they were accurate when you bought them (which a cheap one probably wasn't), they creep over time.

This is just the way life is. short of buying a scale that can be calibrated, like Weight Watchers reps and doctors' surgeries do, there is nothing you can do about it but accept that weighing yourself is an inexact science. your weight can fluctuate hugely from day to day anyway, so a few pounds here or there isn't a big issue.

As for digital scales and zeroing, mine has an issue with that too, it used to give me two different weights if I stood on it twice in a row. Now I zero it (by pressing with my foot) 3 times, then weigh three times. It's usually fine; rarely it still gives me different weights, so I keep going til I get three reading the same, and then log that.

Limitations of technology!


Eta actually, even a good scale was only accurate when it left the factory. With all the jiggling and banging in transit, it probably got decalibrated before it even reached the store. Like I said, not an exact science.

lmd_1979

You can also use a tape measure as well.

mumblemagic

You can also use a tape measure as well.

Funnily enough I've found that tape measures differ too.... some are slightly stretchier than others, or have wider markings, or are just plain wrong. Guess there's not really any truely accurate and precise ways to weigh yourself.

jeffpettis

With any scale you shouldn't really pay attention to the actual "weight" but the fact that it is moving in the right direction for your goal. If you go step on a different scale it is going to be different from the one you just purchased. A mechanical scale will be more accurate than most all digital scales that are out there, but again all you should be concerned about is the actual trend of what is happening not the number it gives you.

lmd_1979

You can also use a tape measure as well.

Funnily enough I've found that tape measures differ too.... some are slightly stretchier than others, or have wider markings, or are just plain wrong. Guess there's not really any truely accurate and precise ways to weigh yourself.

Yes, but it does sometime show more on the tape measure than on the scale particularly if you have a lot of belly fat like I have/had.