Dial vs. Digital Scale

vblair77
vblair77 Posts: 180 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, when I first started my diet I was using my dial scale at home. I weighed in (about 5 weeks ago) and it said 270 lbs. In that time i've lost some weight and that scale now measures me at 258 lbs.

WELL, I started a "Biggest Loser Challange" at my gym. And its a DIGITAL scale. And IT weighed me in at 268 last week. I guess this means I was ACTUALLY 280 lbs to start? Since according to my DIAL scale i've lost 12 lbs...Not sure. Anyway, I have a digital scale at work and I weighed in today and it said 267 lbs.
Should I go back and "edit" my starting weight to 280 and track my weight per the digital scale? Or just not track it at all until the digital gets down to where my dial currently has me?

I hate to "lose progress" but I also need to be honest with myself (and all of my MFP friends). What should I do???

Replies

  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
    If it were me, I would adjust for the difference and then stick with the digital scale from here on out. You obviously have progress, so I wouldn't discount that.
  • worpete
    worpete Posts: 1 Member
    I had a similar issue, when I bought a digital scale, the weight was different from the dial one. What is most important is where you want to end up. You aren't losing any progress at all, you are just being more accurate. Stick with the digital one and work from there.
  • vblair77
    vblair77 Posts: 180 Member
    So if I log my weight it'll show a 10 lbs increase...but its for the better good? UGH. I guess its a step in keeping myself honest. But I cant say I'm not SAD about it!
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    Whatever scale you're using, place a dumbbell on it. I was curious as to how accurate my digital scale was. I put a 5lb dumbbell on it and the weight came exactly to 5.0 pounds.
  • vblair77
    vblair77 Posts: 180 Member
    great idea! Thanks!
  • loopingcaterpillar
    loopingcaterpillar Posts: 156 Member
    if you wont get discouraged, you could always keep it at the lower weight until you catch up?
  • bigblu89
    bigblu89 Posts: 41 Member
    The dumbell thig is the easiest what to figure out if you scale is accurate, but bottome line is don't obsess on the number.

    As long as you weigh in on the same scale, at the same time, every weigh in, you should get an accurate reading on pounds/kg lost.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Different scales will register different numbers. Not sure why, they just do.

    Dial scale, IME, are also affected based on how/where you stand on them. Farther up on the scale and you weigh more than if you stand a bit further back.

    They are different scales... weighing yourself on different scales is one of the worst things you can do. Pick 1 scale and use it for your official number. Use the other one only for progress (not what the number says, but how the number has changed).

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