Throwing away my crappy scale

rachelr0875

So I weigh everyday. I know, that's a little obsessive, but whatever. This morning my crappy scale told me 6 different weights. I was so mad. So when my mom woke up I borrowed her good scale and saw I had lost a pound since yesterday. Granted yesterday I worked my butt off exercising. I am thinking about getting one of those old fashioned scales, not a digital one. But I want some feedback as to what scale you all are using and if it's reliable,

Thanks!

MelodyandBarbells

My digital scale gave crappy readings, too. Turns out I'm supposed to recalibrate it every time I move it

Place the scale on a flat, hard surface. Anything with any kind of padding is not a good choice. Step on the scale for a quick second with one foot, enough to get the numbers moving. Then step off, let the scale zero out and wait for all the numbers and lights to go out. Now step back on and weigh yourself

N0VV

I just got a Withings smart scale, I am OBSESSED. I never even bothered to own a scale before this one.

It does your weight, and automatically updates that to MFP and other apps that you use
It does your fat %, however accurate that number may be I do not know
HR, which I have found to be accurate
C02 levels in your room, measuring air quality

It cost about $150, but worth it.

ang030867

have you measured your self you may have loss inches in stead of weight if you have been working out hard

Shropshire1959

So when my mom woke up I borrowed her good scale and saw I had lost a pound since yesterday.

You only lost a pound IF you used your moms scales yesterday too!!

rachelr0875

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I tried to reset my scale but its so dumb! I cant afford a super expensive scale right now. I am willing to spend $50.00. (I don't know what that will buy me, lol)

No,
I have not measured at all, even since the first start date. I am sure I have lost inches and my face looks smaller.

rachelr0875

So when my mom woke up I borrowed her good scale and saw I had lost a pound since yesterday.

You only lost a pound IF you used your moms scales yesterday too!!

What do you mean? My scale was working yesterday. Today it broke. So I used hers.

Shropshire1959

The problem is the home scales aren't dead accurate (and yours were on the last legs by the sound of it) - so they rarely give the same reading as each other ... so you 'could' have lost a pound ... or more ,,, or less .. there's no way of knowing for sure.

Which is why I only record my weight using the same scales and on the same surface (carpet - tends to make them read differently too) ...... It's a nightmare this weigh loss stuff

paulperryman

scales read differently they aren't all calibrated the same that's obvious, i had 3 a really old set the non digital type, a Weight Watchers Digital Bio Scale and most recently a Fitbit Aria. all three gave different readings in the same flat position of my room.

The weight watchers one was the one that went up and down the most and the body fat was always higher or lower then my Aria which is more consistant the two never had the same weight readings I've passed on the weight watchers scale to a friend that cant afford one and hers broke, so atleast it's gone to a good home haha only thing i miss is knowing roughly my water weight and the fact it doesn't wifi sync everytime you step on it which the Aria does so you can't just do a quick check without it updating your profile.

The old non digital scale seemed in line with the Aria but given it's manual adjustment everytime you step off the scale needs to be manually adjusted back to zero with the nob or it goes out by a fraction of a lb each time...

Weight isn't everything tho, clothing fit, fitness and well being is a far better judge of what's going on. Water weight and muscle/muscle repair will mess with you if you go by weight alone.

Just get a set of scales you trust plop it on a hard even surface leave it there forever and weigh yourself first thing after you wake up after a toilet break too preferably and with no clothing or just underwear, that will be your lowest weight throughout out the day guarenteed If the surface has a slight slant or you stand differently each time it will throw the numbers off. and lastly if it's a bioscale it's a good idea to dampen the feet before stepping on them and definately dont wear socks

keefmac

I was goint to buy one for home but think I'll stick with the calibrated digital scale at work (always between 0.1kg when I weigh twice for averaging).

JeralynSh

I have a bowflex digital which not only weighs you, but measures body fat%, water%, and muscle%.

I have a doctor's appointment every month, and get weighed there, as well, and the scale always agrees with my home scale.

essjay76

Just throw that crap away. I don't own one - never have, never will.

It only paints one small part of the picture. If your clothes are fitting fine, and you like what you see in the mirror, it's pointless to let 6 different numbers in the span of one weigh-in dictate how you feel about yourself. I just don't get the point of weighing every day.

darrensurrey

Oddly, perhaps, I don't own scales. I weigh myself whenever I happen to be in a hospital (dad had cancer, mum had problems). The weigh (honk!) I judge things is by looking in the mirror and how well my clothes fit.

icrushit

So I weigh everyday. I know, that's a little obsessive, but whatever.

Actually I wouldn't think so, unless you're weighing yourself multiple times a day. Daily is good I find, as it lets me understand the rhythm of my body and weight a little, as opposed to just seeing it as black magic when the number goes down, lol.

Can't help with the scales suggestion I'm afraid. I use an old manual one that seems to be consistent as I've used it for the last three years or so now. The consistency surprised me actually, as its one of the models that was obviously so cheap that my feet just about fit on it, lol.

I would like to have one of those ones where you move the weights/ slider manually until it balances and you have your reading, but they seem are both expensive and bulky enough, so I don't see one of those in my immediate future, lol.

clarkindee

Just throw that crap away. I don't own one - never have, never will.

It only paints one small part of the picture. If your clothes are fitting fine, and you like what you see in the mirror, it's pointless to let 6 different numbers in the span of one weigh-in dictate how you feel about yourself. I just don't get the point of weighing every day.


:flowerforyou: Love this, Essjay!

mchlsmit

If you need to weigh every day then just use your mother's scales...

1. Use a tape measure
2. Use body fat callipers
3. Take before/after pictures
4. Now and again use a good scale at the doctors/hospital/pharmacy, etc.

You will see some fluctuation day by day from water weight, etc. so daily weighing isn't that accurate.

dedflwrs

We have both a medical type scale (cardinal) and a fitbit Aria. When we first got the Aria we would obsessively weigh ourselves in our old scale after weighing in the Aria because we did not trust it and found that it was pretty spot on. So now the old scale is in the attic.

gail1961

I have an Eat Smart that I got from amazon. It got good reviews and it has been consistent for me. I keep it on the bathroom floor and weight 1X a week 1st thing in the morning. I wanted the fitbit scale (I have a fitbit), but didn't want to spend the money.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032TNPOE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

healthygreek

We have a Thinner digital scale from BB&B that we purchased 5 years ago for about 40 dollars.
It works great and very consistent. It also measures body fat (don't know if that's accurate), bone mass and hydration.
I'm not sure how accurate all that is, but for weight, it's fine.

logg1e

My digital scale gave crappy readings, too. Turns out I'm supposed to recalibrate it every time I move it

Place the scale on a flat, hard surface. Anything with any kind of padding is not a good choice. Step on the scale for a quick second with one foot, enough to get the numbers moving. Then step off, let the scale zero out and wait for all the numbers and lights to go out. Now step back on and weigh yourself

But, but, but... how else could you use some scales??

rachelr0875

Thanks for the feedback everyone. All I know is my starting weight and what the scale read today. I know weight isn't everything, but I really want to be out of the Obese BMI. The only way of knowing my progress towards that is by weighing myself. I am an anxious person so weighing 1x a week would send me over the edge. I know weight fluctuates daily as well. I am just trying to get a number and go with it. If its off by a pound or two either lost or gained, so be it. But what matters to me is that I see a number that is consistent every time I step on the scale (obviously within seconds not hours as you put on weight throughout the day from food and such). I doubt I have gained any weight. My doctor has me on a strict diet and I exercise 1-2x a day. I don't eat my exercise calories. It's hard for me to even make it to my goal calorie intake. I will be off to the store to purchase a new scale today. Hopefully it reads close to what my mom's read. The reason I don't want to share is I wake up before her and I like to weigh right away and I cant go in her room to her bathroom to weigh. I just like having my own scale.

littleancientheart

Someone mentioned about using your mother's scale -- what they're trying to say is that unless you weigh yourself on the same scale every time you weigh, its hard to know how accurate the weight loss of 1 pound is, since every scale is different.

Hypothetical: You may have been 150 on your scale yesterday and 149 on her scale today, but you also might have been 149 on her scale yesterday, if you had used it, which would mean you did not lose a pound. Its because home scales are so different model to model.

For what its worth, I say take the weight loss for granted as true. Motivation.

I hate my scale, but its not terribly varied. It's some Taylor digital body fat analyzer scale that I bought at Target a number of years ago. It doesn't read different weights if I take my weight a few times in a row. I don't know how accurate the body fat readings are...it is an interesting feature but in retrospect not worth the extra few dollars because if you're dehydrated that day, who knows how accurate the body fat reading is? It also give me suggestions about my basal metabolic rate, etc. based on height and age stats that are saved in a profile. I am sure they still have similar models available four around $40, which is what I think I paid.

I have used the analog scales in the past and they're definitely less expensive. I don't think you should spend a lot on an analog scale since they wear out (they use springs. Just like your digi one that's giving you trouble, they get to the end of their life and start doing readings all over the place.) And they do need to be calibrated often too, but its simple enough - just turn the little wheel until the scale gets to 0 before you step on. If its a really cheap scale it can be hard to get it calibrated to 0 :-/

stephgas

Thanks for the feedback everyone. All I know is my starting weight and what the scale read today. I know weight isn't everything, but I really want to be out of the Obese BMI. The only way of knowing my progress towards that is by weighing myself. I am an anxious person so weighing 1x a week would send me over the edge. I know weight fluctuates daily as well. I am just trying to get a number and go with it. If its off by a pound or two either lost or gained, so be it. But what matters to me is that I see a number that is consistent every time I step on the scale (obviously within seconds not hours as you put on weight throughout the day from food and such). I doubt I have gained any weight. My doctor has me on a strict diet and I exercise 1-2x a day. I don't eat my exercise calories. It's hard for me to even make it to my goal calorie intake. I will be off to the store to purchase a new scale today. Hopefully it reads close to what my mom's read. The reason I don't want to share is I wake up before her and I like to weigh right away and I cant go in her room to her bathroom to weigh. I just like having my own scale.

i have the same kind of scale your mom has - the old fashioned, non-digital type. i've never, ever, ever had luck with the fancy bells and whistles on the digital scales. i keep it in the bathroom and put it on the same part of the floor every time i weigh myself. i weigh myself probably four or five times in a row to make sure they're all reading about the same (eh, it wiggles back and forth a bit sometimes). the worst part about the non digital scale is that i can't 'lose' portions of a pound like others on the site do. i've really been considering getting a digital scale for that, but on the other hand i'm also obese so the portions of pounds probably don't make that much of a difference right now.

i also weigh myself daily, but i only record when i've lost a pound. and i always weigh in the morning at the same time (well, within a 20 minute window). i fight any urges to step on the scale outside of that time frame because it's pointless.

JGonzo82

I have a bowflex digital which not only weighs you, but measures body fat%, water%, and muscle%.

I have a doctor's appointment every month, and get weighed there, as well, and the scale always agrees with my home scale.

Even if the weight is extremely accurate, digital scales are NOT reliable when it comes to bodyfat %, etc; they typically put me anywhere from 26-32% bodyfat (which is WAY off base).

MelodyandBarbells

Thanks for the feedback everyone. All I know is my starting weight and what the scale read today. I know weight isn't everything, but I really want to be out of the Obese BMI. The only way of knowing my progress towards that is by weighing myself. I am an anxious person so weighing 1x a week would send me over the edge. I know weight fluctuates daily as well. I am just trying to get a number and go with it. If its off by a pound or two either lost or gained, so be it. But what matters to me is that I see a number that is consistent every time I step on the scale (obviously within seconds not hours as you put on weight throughout the day from food and such). I doubt I have gained any weight. My doctor has me on a strict diet and I exercise 1-2x a day. I don't eat my exercise calories. It's hard for me to even make it to my goal calorie intake. I will be off to the store to purchase a new scale today. Hopefully it reads close to what my mom's read. The reason I don't want to share is I wake up before her and I like to weigh right away and I cant go in her room to her bathroom to weigh. I just like having my own scale.

i have the same kind of scale your mom has - the old fashioned, non-digital type. i've never, ever, ever had luck with the fancy bells and whistles on the digital scales. i keep it in the bathroom and put it on the same part of the floor every time i weigh myself. i weigh myself probably four or five times in a row to make sure they're all reading about the same (eh, it wiggles back and forth a bit sometimes). the worst part about the non digital scale is that i can't 'lose' portions of a pound like others on the site do. i've really been considering getting a digital scale for that, but on the other hand i'm also obese so the portions of pounds probably don't make that much of a difference right now.

i also weigh myself daily, but i only record when i've lost a pound. and i always weigh in the morning at the same time (well, within a 20 minute window). i fight any urges to step on the scale outside of that time frame because it's pointless.

If portion of a pound will motivate you, the digital scales do to for about 25 bucks on Amazon, especially if you're not looking for bells and whistles. I just wanted a beautiful scale that measured my weight and almost makes me smile to step on it

Mine is a BalanceFrom:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8SLH8I?ie=UTF8&at=&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links

doctorregenerated

Haven't seen it recommended yet on the thread - digital scales start to get unpredictable when the batteries get low. Try changing them out.

skittle316

Stop weighing yourself!!!!! No offense but it already seems like you have an obsession. Weight is a **** factor for determining bosy mass. I gain 5lbs every morning from the food I eat, for the last month I have hovered 185lbs, but have dropped 2 pant sizes in the process. I bought goal jeans and shorts, a month ago they were tight and gave me major muffin top. Now I need a belt, I bought these XL jeans i got from Urban Outfiters, i tried when they couldn't fit past my upper knee, now they are loose on me. month ago my calves touched when i put my feet together, now they don't. I started the 2 week no scale challenge, I started on Wednesday and plan on going until the 20th of august. Don't rely on the scale, would you rather see a number and be happy, or look at your body and be happy.

rachelr0875

Stop weighing yourself!!!!! No offense but it already seems like you have an obsession. Weight is a **** factor for determining bosy mass. I gain 5lbs every morning from the food I eat, for the last month I have hovered 185lbs, but have dropped 2 pant sizes in the process. I bought goal jeans and shorts, a month ago they were tight and gave me major muffin top. Now I need a belt,a month ago my calves touched when i put my feet together, now they don't. I started the 2 week no scale challenge, I started on Wednesday and plan on going until the 20th of august. Don't rely on the scale, would you rather see a number and be happy, or look at your body and be happy.

Like I said before, I need the numbers so I can track my BMI. Plus it motivates me.

MelodyandBarbells

Stop weighing yourself!!!!! No offense but it already seems like you have an obsession. Weight is a **** factor for determining bosy mass. I gain 5lbs every morning from the food I eat, for the last month I have hovered 185lbs, but have dropped 2 pant sizes in the process. I bought goal jeans and shorts, a month ago they were tight and gave me major muffin top. Now I need a belt,a month ago my calves touched when i put my feet together, now they don't. I started the 2 week no scale challenge, I started on Wednesday and plan on going until the 20th of august. Don't rely on the scale, would you rather see a number and be happy, or look at your body and be happy.

Like I said before, I need the numbers so I can track my BMI. Plus it motivates me.

And the "Sexy Pants" author would agree with you:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

"4) Establishing Proper metrics:

I believe that multiple metrics should be established from day one so that you are creating the most opportunity to receive what hopefully is positive reinforcement because this can increase motivation and adherence.

a) The scale.

Weight is a great metric because you can basically get short term feedback on this metric whereas with photographs, bodyfat analysis, and body-part measurements, the changes occur at a slower pace and so you can't get this short-term feedback. The disadvantage is that weight is a sensitive metric that can bounce around a bit due to fluid variance, food volume, etc. "

howardheilweil

So when my mom woke up I borrowed her good scale and saw I had lost a pound since yesterday.

You only lost a pound IF you used your moms scales yesterday too!!

What do you mean? My scale was working yesterday. Today it broke. So I used hers.

You have no idea how much you lost because it is not likely that your scale and your moms are exactly in sync. If you want to continue using your moms, that's great, but it's important to weigh yourself on the same scale every time (and at the same time).

whovian67

I used the scale at my MD office. Its new and fancy smancy. I have a weight watchers scale at home but it fluctaute 4-6 # in 10 minutes (supposedly cuz my tile in unlevel). Have a Big Boy scale at my office...but its on carpet so not accurate.