Weight Scale Differences

wynn217
wynn217 Posts: 53 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My weights

Same Dr.'s Scale:

Dec 10 230
Mar 15 220
I was stunned!


Another Dr.'s Scale:

Apr 05 213 - but I saw 218 I think (I should have reweighed myself
That's a 7# difference in less than a month.

I came home and weighed on my scale and it was 220?

I'm so confused!

Replies

  • rsrocker
    rsrocker Posts: 12
    Take it from someone who is constantly seeing his weight change from medical conditions, the scales are all very different. The doctor scale will say I'm 230, but my home scale say 225. They very rarely calibrate those digital scales.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Even if it was the same accurate scale in the same place, you're likely to fluctuate by a bit. I can fluctuate by about 5 to 10 lbs within a day when I'm still losing weight if I'm exercising. And even when I'm not I expect to be up about 5 lbs during the day. Our weight is not constant, it fluctuates. People need to start realizing this and stop concentrating on it so hard. It's normal (and healthy), even during weight loss to go up in the scale every now and then.
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
    Do not forget that the weight fluctuates during the day and you can gain up to 6+lbs by night, only to disappear again in the morning. It is not so much the exact weight but how much you have lost based on the same scale and under the same conditions each time. Track the weight loss on your home scale and weigh yourself the same time, best when you wake up, before breakfast, after you visited the restroom, and naked/underwear. You can do it once a week, same day each time, or daily so you can see how the weight fluctuates based on period, exercise, change in exercise, sodium, type of food consumed the previous day etc.
  • acbabbitt
    acbabbitt Posts: 50
    Pediatric clinics calibrate their scales, but I'd bet money most adult medicine providers don't.

    I think weighing yourself on the same scale/same location will give more consistent data.
  • ClassicStyles
    ClassicStyles Posts: 49
    :laugh: I'm thinking, I might bring my scale along with me to see my nutritionist next time. I don't know what difference it really makes, other than maybe calibrating my scale to the doctors... if mine said I weighed less and theirs more... I'd be sad.. but the other way... mine saying that I weigh more than I really do... now that would be fantastic.

    Truth be told.. it was spot on the last time.

    So now, I don't know after all that thinking....lol.
  • iquiltoo
    iquiltoo Posts: 246 Member
    Four scales at two different gyms all gave me a different answer! I think the old style were the most out of whack, though one gave me the best answer - 14 lbs lower than I knew I was! I have decided on the gym I will be going to and have chosen one of the scales (it's electronic) and will just go with that one for now. If I want to know really exactly, then I can go to the health centre and use the scale in the area that they do weigh the babies on (I assume they weigh the baby in the mother's arms, then put the baby down in the crib and weigh the mom again, cuz it's not a baby scale!) One of the instructors stepped on the one scale that said I was 14 lbs less, and she said it was close to what she weighed, so it seems to be the higher your weight the more out it was.

    So I would say just pick one and stick with it, unless you can find a way to calibrate it or test its accuracy.
  • likeschocolate
    likeschocolate Posts: 368 Member
    Since one is primarily concerned about the "weight lost", as long as you use the same scale and are consistent (e.g., measure yourself once a week - Saturday morning before breakfast), you should be able to track your progress.
  • janetg830
    janetg830 Posts: 17 Member
    I did a test one day and weighted myself three times at different times of the day, and in the morning I weighted 231, in the afternoon it said 226, then in the evening it said 235. I was shocked how my weight fluctuweights all the time. I have learned to hate the scale. But I went and bought a new one that deos every thing and its still the same. So I only weigh in when I go to my DR'S office to get my weight loss meds. But they say to weigh ur self in the morning first thing for most acurate. I'M CONFUSED TOO!!!!!!
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
    I did a test one day and weighted myself three times at different times of the day, and in the morning I weighted 231, in the afternoon it said 226, then in the evening it said 235. I was shocked how my weight fluctuweights all the time. I have learned to hate the scale. But I went and bought a new one that deos every thing and its still the same. So I only weigh in when I go to my DR'S office to get my weight loss meds. But they say to weigh ur self in the morning first thing for most acurate. I'M CONFUSED TOO!!!!!!

    It does not matter the exact weight that you are but how much weight you have lost based on the SAME scale, under the same conditions. As you have seen, the daily weight fluctuates a lot based on what you ate, drunk, poop, exercise, clothes etc. I weigh myself at my home scale, every day, after I wake up and finish with bathroom visit, just in my panties (because even the wire in different bras can tip the scale). I also weigh myself just for fun sometimes during the day just to learn how my body adjusts but I do not freak out about it. From yesterday to this morning, my weight went from 176 to 179. Did I gain 3lb overnight? No. I actually exercised a lot, drank 2 cups of tea after 11pm, and ate the last 300 calories after 11pm. I will also get my period in 2 days. I learned all these by observing how my weight fluctuates every day. I am also having dental work done and for a few days after each procedure I could only drink liquids. Even though my intake for those days were under 1000, or even 700, the scale showed that I had been gaining a 2-3 lb every day, which was probably the water retention from the sodium in the chicken broth and the gas in the sparkling water. As soon as I resumed my normal caloric level, the weight disappeared.
  • janetg830
    janetg830 Posts: 17 Member
    Iunderstand that a person can't gain so much weight over night, I have chilled out and only use my DR'S scale now. Then I come home and weigh myself.
    I did a test one day and weighted myself three times at different times of the day, and in the morning I weighted 231, in the afternoon it said 226, then in the evening it said 235. I was shocked how my weight fluctuweights all the time. I have learned to hate the scale. But I went and bought a new one that deos every thing and its still the same. So I only weigh in when I go to my DR'S office to get my weight loss meds. But they say to weigh ur self in the morning first thing for most acurate. I'M CONFUSED TOO!!!!!!

    It does not matter the exact weight that you are but how much weight you have lost based on the SAME scale, under the same conditions. As you have seen, the daily weight fluctuates a lot based on what you ate, drunk, poop, exercise, clothes etc. I weigh myself at my home scale, every day, after I wake up and finish with bathroom visit, just in my panties (because even the wire in different bras can tip the scale). I also weigh myself just for fun sometimes during the day just to learn how my body adjusts but I do not freak out about it. From yesterday to this morning, my weight went from 176 to 179. Did I gain 3lb overnight? No. I actually exercised a lot, drank 2 cups of tea after 11pm, and ate the last 300 calories after 11pm. I will also get my period in 2 days. I learned all these by observing how my weight fluctuates every day. I am also having dental work done and for a few days after each procedure I could only drink liquids. Even though my intake for those days were under 1000, or even 700, the scale showed that I had been gaining a 2-3 lb every day, which was probably the water retention from the sodium in the chicken broth and the gas in the sparkling water. As soon as I resumed my normal caloric level, the weight disappeared.
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
    Iunderstand that a person can't gain so much weight over night, I have chilled out and only use my DR'S scale now. Then I come home and weigh myself.

    But do not forget just by walking around due to hormones, undigested food, etc, you can appear to weigh more during the day. That's why, the first thing in the morning after you empty your bladder is ideal because you came from a complete, non-activity rest and relaxation period. My current weight is 175 lb, but have been 181lb today. Since I weigh myself everyday, I did notice that I go through the same spike cycle every month so I do not panic anymore. It also helped me determine how much I needed to eat in calories in order to maintain my weight and how much to lose.

    BTW, looking on your comments, I can tell you that stress can play an important role in not losing weight. That's how I gained my weight, stress and lack of sleep, vicious cycle.

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