Is my scale accurate?

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panakattack
panakattack Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a digital scale that seems to give me different readings. When I initially get on, I get a number, then get off and get back on and I get a different number 3 pounds less. Sometimes my scale fluctuates plus or minus 5 pounds everyday (I was just testing it out, I know I'm not supposed to weigh myself everyday.) I have a bag of weights as a control that comes to about 10 pounds and I get a reading of 11 everytime. Should I believe the scale or should I get a new one?

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  • ittyXbittyXbritty
    ittyXbittyXbritty Posts: 73
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    What type of surface are you weighing on? Is your scale on a hard, flat surface? If not, this could be your problem. Also, are you doing it in the same spot every day?
    If none of these things are the problem, I'd say invest in a better scale.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I have a digital scale that seems to give me different readings. When I initially get on, I get a number, then get off and get back on and I get a different number 3 pounds less. Sometimes my scale fluctuates plus or minus 5 pounds everyday (I was just testing it out, I know I'm not supposed to weigh myself everyday.) I have a bag of weights as a control that comes to about 10 pounds and I get a reading of 11 everytime. Should I believe the scale or should I get a new one?

    If you are getting different readings every 5 minutes and it does not agree to the weights, I would say it was not accurate. Check the batteries and if that does not work, get a new one.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    Have you tried changing the batteries?
  • caNwa
    caNwa Posts: 26 Member
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    Sounds like it's finicky. I had one that did that and took it back..I'd get something else. I work at a medical facility and so I just weigh there.. Same scale (but I have checked against another one in a different department just to make sure they jive.) I want to get a new scale for home but I am afraid it will tempt me to weigh all the time. lol Good luck!
  • bigpaparome
    bigpaparome Posts: 2
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    Do you store the scale flat on the floor or upright against the wall? I had the exact same issue with mine (it would always come up exactly 3.6 lbs. high at first, then right on as soon as I got back on), which I had been leaning up against the wall, and I found that it stopped as soon as I started storing it flat on the ground.
  • Jkmumma
    Jkmumma Posts: 254
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    make sure your weight is balanced on the scale too. both feet about the same distance from the middle, and front to back. If more weight is on one side of the scale than the other, it notices and it screws up the reading. (I ended up drawing feet on mine, because I'm REALLY bad at eyeballing it.)

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