accurate scale

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Replies

  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member

    I don't think you understand. It's a relative measure. So, it doesn't matter if YOUR scale is accurate against all other scales in the world. It only matters that you use the same one for your weight. Accuracy is not important at all. That is why doctors don't bother with it. They don't care. They just watch for trends. They don't even care what's in your pockets or if your shoes are on or off.

    Look, I don't care what you want to do. It's fine. But, I'm just trying to help you understand that it doesn't matter. But, if you don't want to believe that, then it's fine. Go find an accurate scale and be happy with your decision. But, I think it's wasted effort and money. That's all.

    BTW, I don't weigh everyday for accuracy, I weigh everyday to watch my slow downward trend. I think what you are losing sight of is the fact that it is accurate for me. I don't care how it compares to my scale at work, at a gym, or at my doctors office. If my doctors office says I'm 10 lbs heavier, I know a lot of people get upset, but I don't care. I don't go by that. I go by my scale only. My scale is my reality. Does that make sense? It is accurate for me. It doesn't have to be accurate to some NASA weight and standards measure. it's not important because it's relative to me.
    I understand relative weight very well and I understand your point. I'm not asking for a gun powder scale, I've got one of those. If I'm going to invest in a scale that is consistent why not also make it accurate? If its consistent then its only the matter of adjustment to make it accurate. People for thousands of years have been accurately weighing things.

    Edit: I'm not just looking for down ward trends. If my weight goes up I'd like to know that as well. If I drink 8 oz of water I expect the scale to show I went up half a pound. Waste of time or not, make sense or not. You get healthy your way and I'll get healthy mine. For some one that says they don't car your sure wasting a lot of time trying to convince me I'm wasting my time.
  • traceface71
    traceface71 Posts: 45 Member
    I recently got the same as Tidesong. I'm still coming to terms with the 5lb differance between that and my old one. But I knew the old one was crap. The eatsmart is great though!
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale... Amazon.com. GET ONE!
  • mem50
    mem50 Posts: 1,384 Member
    I have been using a weight watchers digital scale. I weigh the same whether I weigh in on a scale (balanced weekly) at a Weight Watchers meeting or the doctor's. All scales weighing me in the same. The one I use is the Weight Watchers Glass Memory Precision Scale. Model WW43D about $50 at Bed, Bath & Beyond. (Amazon also sells it).

    I have this one too. It is only .4 off the doctors office. My husband uses it, my niece uses it and I use it. It gives all of us our own weights.
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
    My digital scale is 5 pounds under my doctors scale so I just add 5 to my number because that is what my doc reads......
  • mommyrox05
    mommyrox05 Posts: 238
    I got mine at Target for $25 (cheaper Weight Watchers one) and it is spot on!
  • annwyatt69
    annwyatt69 Posts: 727 Member
    Where do I get a good accurate scale? I've tried a couple of the 30-50 dollar ones and I've been unimpressed with their accuracy. Where can I find an accurate scale?

    I usually only weigh myself at one of the 2 gyms I go to. 1 has a digital scale, the other a old school beam scale like a doctors office would have. They both seem to be accurate to each other.

    I have a $50 Health-O-Meter Scale from Walmart--Digital up to 450 pounds. Is right on target with my doctor's scales--both my PCP and my endocrinologist's. It also has settings to store weights for 4 people and work with loss, gain, and maintenance. Wouldn't trade it for anything.
  • annwyatt69
    annwyatt69 Posts: 727 Member

    I don't think you understand. It's a relative measure. So, it doesn't matter if YOUR scale is accurate against all other scales in the world. It only matters that you use the same one for your weight. Accuracy is not important at all. That is why doctors don't bother with it. They don't care. They just watch for trends. They don't even care what's in your pockets or if your shoes are on or off.

    Look, I don't care what you want to do. It's fine. But, I'm just trying to help you understand that it doesn't matter. But, if you don't want to believe that, then it's fine. Go find an accurate scale and be happy with your decision. But, I think it's wasted effort and money. That's all.

    BTW, I don't weigh everyday for accuracy, I weigh everyday to watch my slow downward trend. I think what you are losing sight of is the fact that it is accurate for me. I don't care how it compares to my scale at work, at a gym, or at my doctors office. If my doctors office says I'm 10 lbs heavier, I know a lot of people get upset, but I don't care. I don't go by that. I go by my scale only. My scale is my reality. Does that make sense? It is accurate for me. It doesn't have to be accurate to some NASA weight and standards measure. it's not important because it's relative to me.
    I understand relative weight very well and I understand your point. I'm not asking for a gun powder scale, I've got one of those. If I'm going to invest in a scale that is consistent why not also make it accurate? If its consistent then its only the matter of adjustment to make it accurate. People for thousands of years have been accurately weighing things.

    Edit: I'm not just looking for down ward trends. If my weight goes up I'd like to know that as well. If I drink 8 oz of water I expect the scale to show I went up half a pound. Waste of time or not, make sense or not. You get healthy your way and I'll get healthy mine. For some one that says they don't car your sure wasting a lot of time trying to convince me I'm wasting my time.

    That's not how the human body/metabolism works. Just because you drink 8 oz. of water does not mean the scale will go up a half a pound. That's completely inaccurate. Don't weigh yourself so often. Once a day, once a week. NOT several times a day.
  • momentsend
    momentsend Posts: 11
    Precision is key to body weight scales.

    Accuracy is a fuzzy measurement that is more a statistical finding than the simple measurement you are expecting bathroom scales to produce for you.

    A good bathroom scale should give you the same whole number each time you step on it. The tenth of a pound value is an unreliable value and is expected to fluctuate (this is probably what is you are referring to in terms of good/bad scales). DO NOT USE the tenth of a pound value (e.g. xxx.5) in your weight loss calculations UNLESS you have a scale that measures in the hundredths (xxx.x2) in that case don't use the hundredths of a pound value. You should use the unreliable number (the very last digit on the right) only to determine if you are going to round up to the next whole number.

    Measurements are not that simple as they seem to be. I remember learning the painful way in chemistry class.

    As for 'good' bathroom scales I use the Eat Smart Digital Bathroom Scale and I really like it:
    http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Digital-Bathroom-Technology/dp/B001KXZ808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353802672&sr=8-1&keywords=digital+bathroom+scale

    If you want more info on Accuracy check out Wikipedia's page on Accuracy & Precision.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accuracy
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Precision is key to body weight scales.

    Accuracy is a fuzzy measurement that is more a statistical finding than the simple measurement you are expecting bathroom scales to produce for you.

    A good bathroom scale should give you the same whole number each time you step on it. The tenth of a pound value is an unreliable value and is expected to fluctuate (this is probably what is you are referring to in terms of good/bad scales). DO NOT USE the tenth of a pound value (e.g. xxx.5) in your weight loss calculations UNLESS you have a scale that measures in the hundredths (xxx.x2) in that case don't use the hundredths of a pound value. You should use the unreliable number (the very last digit on the right) only to determine if you are going to round up to the next whole number.

    Measurements are not that simple as they seem to be. I remember learning the painful way in chemistry class.

    As for 'good' bathroom scales I use the Eat Smart Digital Bathroom Scale and I really like it:
    http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Digital-Bathroom-Technology/dp/B001KXZ808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353802672&sr=8-1&keywords=digital+bathroom+scale

    If you want more info on Accuracy check out Wikipedia's page on Accuracy & Precision.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accuracy

    Yes. This is what I was trying to say but didn't know how to express it. Thank you. It's so obvious to me, but I don't know how to say it properly and it comes off sounding wrong. People here on MFP worry about this so much so often and it's silly. And to those who measure to your doctors scales, why would you do that? Most doctor scales are off and not calibrated. And, you weigh in clothes and with shoes on. At least, every single doctor weighs me that way. They don't care what you weigh, per se. They are watching for alarming trends, a rapid weight loss or gain that might lead them to conclusions if you are also having other symptoms. People don't understand this. Oh well. it's not that complicated. Anyway, thanks again.
  • rachaelfisher1
    rachaelfisher1 Posts: 69
    I've been through a few scales (including Weight Watychers and other digital scales) because I was tired of the number changing everytime I would move it an inch. I just purchased a fitbit aria and it is the most precise so far. I tested it by moving it in different rooms and different spots/surfaces (I get a little OCD with these things) and the result was the exact same everytime. Wish I purchased one earlier! Definitely recommend. I've also heard good things about Withings, but their prices are a little higher.
  • mfp_1
    mfp_1 Posts: 516 Member
    Some scales show a trend graph such as:
    http://resources.sport-tiedje.com/bilder/soehnle/soehnle_trends_detail.jpg

    Here's just one example that does it:
    http://www.wayfair.com/Soehnle-Slim-F5-Bathroom-Scale-63721-QJ1023.html

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