Scale Accuracy?

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Johnson1012
Johnson1012 Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey! I am not sure what to do. I recently bought a scale from CVS- like a drugstore, and bought their brand scale. It was 10.00 dollars and the reviews online were pretty good.

I came home and tried it on 4 different surfaces, all tile. The first reading today was 123.4 lbs. the second was 120.3 these readings were back to back but I am just not sure what to do! And if I should return it. I tried it again, I picked up the scale, turned it over, let it lay on its side and then tried again... again, 123.4. I then let the scale clear and turn off, I then turned it on and let it clear to zero, I hopped on again... 120.4 AHHHH. Literally driving me crazy!

What should I do? What is accurate?

Replies

  • mrso97
    mrso97 Posts: 147 Member
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    i have had really good luck with the "thinner" scale from bed bath and beyond..its been pretty accurate...and way too honest...lol
  • Johnson1012
    Johnson1012 Posts: 5
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    How much did that cost?
  • czmmom
    czmmom Posts: 236 Member
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    To see which is accurate maybe try weighing a 5 pound weight or something that you know the weight of. Make sure that the scale is level. Sometimes mine reads off when I have something ever so slight under it. I have a weight watchers scale - I think it was 20 ish dollars a few years back. It is pretty accurate. Usually with in a pound or 2 of the doctor's scale.
  • JustRenea
    JustRenea Posts: 82 Member
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    Mine does that too....usually we let it set to zero before we step on it...sometimes we put weights on it to check if its being accurate
  • skeeter2584
    skeeter2584 Posts: 34 Member
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    My mom recently got me a digital scale that's accurate to within 2 tenths of a pound. It can also display a person's weight in kilos and it even talks! I had to "eyeball" how much weight I'd previously lost on a non-digital scale and it was REALLY FRUSTRATING!
  • MPJCRUZ
    MPJCRUZ Posts: 23 Member
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    Great idea! I am going to try this on my scale when I get home. thanks.
  • MPJCRUZ
    MPJCRUZ Posts: 23 Member
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    To see which is accurate maybe try weighing a 5 pound weight or something that you know the weight of. Make sure that the scale is level. Sometimes mine reads off when I have something ever so slight under it. I have a weight watchers scale - I think it was 20 ish dollars a few years back. It is pretty accurate. Usually with in a pound or 2 of the doctor's scale.

    Great idea, I am going to try this when I get home! Thanks!
  • shewearsfunnyhat
    shewearsfunnyhat Posts: 24 Member
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    Are all of the surfaces truly level? I know that this can make a huge difference in the readings. If one surface tilts one way, then you will weigh less. If it tilts another way then you will way more.

    In any case, you should be fine if you keep it in the same place at all times. I have mine on a specific tile on the bathroom floor. It always goes back to that tile after I mop.
  • LPCoder
    LPCoder Posts: 404 Member
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    I just ordered an Omron. It will measure BF%, Lean Muscle Mass and tell you your BMI. It is on sale at Walgreens, but you can only order it through the website. I am approaching my goal weight and I think at this point I am losing inches, but not weight, so I wanted a scale that will measure my BF% so I know what is going on inside.
  • lollyish
    lollyish Posts: 75 Member
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    I have a cheap scale I got for like 5 bucks at Kmart. I keep a 10 kilo weight next to it and before I weigh myself, I weigh the weight and then adjust. Seems to be the best way to do it, and then I try to stay away from other scales, because I just can't help myself.
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    my scale suxs also so now I weigh once weekly, sunday am naked after I pee. It agrees with me better.....
  • LINIA
    LINIA Posts: 1,046 Member
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    My mom recently got me a digital scale that's accurate to within 2 tenths of a pound. It can also display a person's weight in kilos and it even talks! I had to "eyeball" how much weight I'd previously lost on a non-digital scale and it was REALLY FRUSTRATING!


    After you use that scale for a month or so, please let us know here the make and model. I have 3 scales, different brands and to me they are all " off ". My method is to weight myself each day on each of them and then kinda " split the differerce" . IWould love to buy an accurate scale for $100 or less.
  • happythermia
    happythermia Posts: 374
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    I have a fitbit aria scale and don't get me wrong - I LOVE IT! but if I don't have it in the exact same spot my weight will be different.
    It's just a matter of having a level surface and sometimes that can be really difficult. Especially if you live in an old house. Hopefully I can get the bathroom re-done with LEVEL floors haha

    My scale reports about 5lbs lighter than the scale at the dr., so at least I know it's consistent in it's wrongness!
  • skeeter2584
    skeeter2584 Posts: 34 Member
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    My scale is an XL-550 by My Weigh. My mom was able to choose from a variety of free gifts because she's worked 30 or so years for her company. She was originally going to make it a Christmas present, but I'm glad I received it earlier. I try to keep my scale as level as possible when I weigh myself, and I too do so in the buff. :embarassed:
  • trixiemou
    trixiemou Posts: 554 Member
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    My scales was not particularly expensive but the instructions do say that when first on it ways the glass first then resets to 0 and that can way about 4lbs. Different surfaces will make a noticeable difference so it so best to keep the scale in the same place for weighing. The weight loss will remain the same which ever number you take.
  • emmeylou
    emmeylou Posts: 175 Member
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    I think in the end it is not so much the number you are, but the DIFFERENCE. So as long as you keep the scale in one spot, and measure with the same conditions (time/day/clothing/etc) then you can track it fairly accurately. Whether you go from 210 to 200, or 190 to 180, that is still ten pounds lost. For ten dollars I would say that is about the best you are going to get!

    Also, if it isn't digital it could just be that you are looking at it from a slightly different perspective. Even when you "zero it out" by adjusting the knob and then standing up and looking down it is different! It drove me nuts and I thew mine out when I got a wii fit...
  • MidsummerNightsDream
    MidsummerNightsDream Posts: 25
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    I have a scale from Costco, and I keep it as accurate as possible by weighing myself at the infusion center every week when I am there with my husband who is on chemo. I weigh fully clothed and with shoes, and when I get back home weigh on my scale to see they are the same. My scale is not digital and there have been times it becomes unbalanced for some reason or another so I balance it out until it shows the same weight I had on the hospital scale. I do not count this weight as my weekly weigh-in, but rather refer to this weight as scale maintenance. Monday is my weigh-in day, and I am not fully clothed, including shoes, and this time of year a coat too.

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