The scale is a dirty rotten filthy stinking liar!

Betty_Rubble

Hahah! This is so great and just what I needed to read today!

I have that mystery pop up weight that in my heart and mind I KNOW is just water retention/bloating/glycogen, but my goodness does it make this whole thing frustrating as hell.

My tape measure is never a liar. While I've only lost a couple pounds since the beginning of March, I am down a solid inch in my waist.

canadafats

My tape measure is never a liar. While I've only lost a couple pounds since the beginning of March, I am down a solid inch in my waist.

That's great! Good job.

jakethepurplesnake

Seriously, my scale almost lost it's life yesterday!! All of this HARD work, moderation and water, the damn thing does not budge!!
I bought a second scale just in case the first one was off!.............................GRR

mary2178

Such an awesome thread to make me laugh when my scale is going up and my daily calories are down with both cardio and strength training up. It's so frustrating, but.....

it's worth the fight.

krawhitham

Congratulations!

I *hope* my scale isn't a liar, because it's saying I'm down 12 lbs, and I'm happy about that

somefitsomefat

I'm 5'11" 239. I feel like the scale lied to me when I walk by a mirror and see myself. When I try to do a pull it seems like maybe the scale was telling the truth. Like most things it's all relative.

UtahWI

Today, my scale was a smug *kitten*. I got on it and I had gained back a pound. So it sat there, all silent with that look on it's face. *kitten*.

Mine and yours. Sigh. *kitten*, every one of them.

Phildog47

I can't call my scale a liar when my fat pants get tight again :sad:

424a57

My tape measure is never a liar. While I've only lost a couple pounds since the beginning of March, I am down a solid inch in my waist.

I am amazed. Both a tape measure and a scale are measurement tools. One measures mass (or rather the effects of gravity on a given mass), and one measures linear distance. Neither one can possibly "lie", however they can *both* be used incorrectly and inconsistently -- just like any tool. A quality tool will reduce the variability in the measurements, but cannot eliminate them. I bet, if you measured your waist five times a day, there would be some variation. But, of course, that isn't a lie. Right. (sigh)

Kevalicious99

I've been working my *kitten* off! Eating right. Working out hard four days per week. Strength training and heavy cardio. I'm feeling better than I have in probably a few years and my clothes are fitting so much better. People are noticing.

I hadn't weighed myself for about a week because I was out of town. I got up this morning, did my routine in the bathroom and looked at the scale. "Don't do it!" I thought to myself but when do I ever listen to myself? In one week of great exercise and eating well I lost...0.2 pounds!

After I threw my scale into my bathroom mirror I calmed down. "I'm going to see my personal trainer tonight, I'll get him to put me on the body composition analyzer." I got on this and got my printout during my first session with him. I got to my session and got on the analyzer. Wouldn't you know that after just under two weeks I went from a Fat% of 39.8 to 35.2. My FatMass went from 120.2 to 105.2! I think these numbers are amazing.

Moral of the story: Do not read too much into the scale. It does NOT tell the whole story of your progress.

90% of people here do not understand this. This might be a bit high but reading these forums .. it is a huge huge issue here. MFP unfortunately .. kinda works on the scale number and most people cannot handle it emotionally when it does go up. I personally only care about actual body fat % and muscle mass numbers. The scale really does suck at telling us something useful.

Aaron_K123

My tape measure is never a liar. While I've only lost a couple pounds since the beginning of March, I am down a solid inch in my waist.

I am amazed. Both a tape measure and a scale are measurement tools. One measures mass (or rather the effects of gravity on a given mass), and one measures linear distance. Neither one can possibly "lie", however they can *both* be used incorrectly and inconsistently -- just like any tool. A quality tool will reduce the variability in the measurements, but cannot eliminate them. I bet, if you measured your waist five times a day, there would be some variation. But, of course, that isn't a lie. Right. (sigh)

I think everyone understands that but to some it still has a real emotional effect

canadafats

My tape measure is never a liar. While I've only lost a couple pounds since the beginning of March, I am down a solid inch in my waist.

I am amazed. Both a tape measure and a scale are measurement tools. One measures mass (or rather the effects of gravity on a given mass), and one measures linear distance. Neither one can possibly "lie", however they can *both* be used incorrectly and inconsistently -- just like any tool. A quality tool will reduce the variability in the measurements, but cannot eliminate them. I bet, if you measured your waist five times a day, there would be some variation. But, of course, that isn't a lie. Right. (sigh)

I think everyone understands that but to some it still has a real emotional effect

Exactly @Aaron_K123. It is unfortunate but the number on the scale can certainly have a negative emotional effect on people. It did for me. People have been programmed for so long to use the scale as the be all and end all of weight management that people need to be educated on the different ways to measure success.

Lisa1971

I refer to my doctors scale as "that lying *kitten* scale"

:laugh: :laugh:

somegirlinlondon

Scales are like that annoying, lying jerk you dated years ago and should NEVER go back to!

Have had a similar experience today. Weigh myself each Monday and today's result said I have stayed the same BUT checked at the gym and my body fat percentage has dropped and muscle is up a tiny bit.

Evil scales!! Tricky tricksters!!

canadafats

Scales are like that annoying, lying jerk you dated years ago and should NEVER go back to!

Have had a similar experience today. Weigh myself each Monday and today's result said I have stayed the same BUT checked at the gym and my body fat percentage has dropped and muscle is up a tiny bit.

Evil scales!! Tricky tricksters!!

Nice. Welcome to the club!

lt3ag4s

unfortunately body WEIGHT only measures the effect of gravity on mass...

essentially, weight is your attractiveness to the earth.

Nedra19455

I love my scale. It doesn't lie, it just has limitations.

I weigh everyday, after I've nursed my daughter and used the restroom, but before I've eaten or drunk anything.

My weight fluctuates from day to day, but I only weigh for the data point. I put the weight into the WeightTrend+ app on my phone and it calculates my "trend weight" and that's what I pay attention to. My weight this morning was exactly the same as my weight yesterday morning, but the overall trend went down 0.2 lbs when I entered today's weight.

When I see a new number on the scale, it is exciting. But other than that, I give almost no credence to the weight itself. I don't assess my progress until I enter it into my app and can then see how it has affected the trend.

shewentwhoa

My scale is terrible too!!! I have noticed though when I weigh myself in the morning right when I get up that's when I weigh less. I heard that is your "true" weight. So i've been sticking to that lol. But, I have been noticing my clothes getting bigger and my friend noticed that I lost some weight..

ChoiceNotChance

The scale will tell you pretty lies to get you where it wants you (on top) then the first chance it gets, it will screw you over no matter how faithful you've been. Don't put too much faith in it. Your jeans won't lie to you.