Can scales UNDER weigh

emmab0902

I have my scales at home which are very good ie multiple weighs don't vary. I have hovered around the 52kg mark for ages, then hit 51.5 a few weeks ago then back up to 52kg yesterday (I usually only weigh once a month).

Had a day of very healthy eating, no exercise yesterday and today I am back down to 51.0.

My question is, I know weight fluctuates up with fluid retention, stomach contents etc, but can scales show an erroneous lower weight or is this not possible??

Hope that makes some sense!

UponThisRock

Never.

Every number you like is gospel, and every number you don't is water retention/gaining muscle/TOM/broken scale

secretlobster

Unless there is something mechanically wrong with the scale, no it cannot underweigh. Your actual weight is probably a bit less than 51.0kg.

Natihilator

Yes, I think so. The number on my scale never follows a downward straight line, it's full of zigzags. Every time I weigh-in at the doctors, I weigh at home first in the same clothing before going out the door, and the doctor's scale weighs me in slightly higher. The scale is not the word of God, I've come to realize.

Why don't you start weighing in every 2 weeks to check more closely?

lizard053

Um, my weight varies by the day. I can be up 5 in just one day. I can also be down 2 in just one day. These are the extent of my extremes, usually. Don't get too caught up in the numbers changing daily. It's totally natural. I'm usually up the day after a really hard workout, or a bad eating day. I'm down after a great yoga session. I'm down when bloating from food allergies finally releases. I'm up if I had more sodium or less water than usual. I weigh daily because I'm watching these trends. I'm not weighing daily to drive myself nuts, which it used to do. So don't fret the numbers. Go back to your normal weighing routine!

emmab0902

Yes, I think so. The number on my scale never follows a downward straight line, it's full of zigzags. Every time I weigh-in at the doctors, I weigh at home first in the same clothing before going out the door, and the doctor's scale weighs me in slightly higher. The scale is not the word of God, I've come to realize.

Why don't you start weighing in every 2 weeks to check more closely?

I am loathe to weigh more frequently as I used to be a scales addict and have kicked that habit.

Mine are usually pretty linear I am wondering if the previous weight was a bit skewed from er um lack of elimination! Am hoping the 51kg is accurate.

nwg74

I weigh myself 3 times over a few minutes and have had 3 different results before. If that happens, I take the middle one. I make sure the scales are in the same place and can even get different results just from putting my feet in a different position.

emmab0902

Mine never fluctuate on any given weigh session even if I hop on and off several times. So i'm hoping ystd was true weight and not a false low.

secretlobster

Mine never fluctuate on any given weigh session even if I hop on and off several times. So i'm hoping ystd was true weight and not a false low.

You can't have a "false low". Unless your scale is broken, or unless gravity has changed somehow, it's not possible for a scale to essentially report that you have less mass on your body than you actually have.