Taylor digital scale inconsistencies- please help

cherdan · February 2012

So after months of using an "inherited" older digital scale with an old/on the brink battery I got a new Taylor digital scale a few weeks ago. The old scale measured to .5 of a lb, and this one is to the exact decimal, with saved profiles, body fat, water percentage, the whole nine. I was very dismayed to find out, evidently, my old scale was way off and I am 5 lbs heavier than previous thought! I've been eating very consistently at either weight loss cals or maintenance, so I know I haven't gained, especially such a large amount.
Since purchasing this scale I have fallen into a real depressive funk in regards to my weight and I dread weighing myself, wheres I once anticipated it. It has really thrown a loop into my motivation. So, here's the problem I'm having, and I would prefer the opinion of owners of longtime Taylor or these type of digital scales, or people who are particularly knowledgable of the functions of these types of scales.
I weigh myself right when I wake up, after using the bathroom, before eating or drinking, sans clothes, etc. I know it's said to find the firmest surface possible. I had been using my bathroom floor, but then I took my scale to the kitchen floor, and it was about 3 lbs heavier. The ground feels firmer there. I then took it outside, and it was also 3 lbs heavier than the bathroom. Then I took it to the garage, of which the surface is pavement. This one gives me the lowest weight of them all, 3 lbs lower. However, about a minute later after resetting the scale, I hop on again and it jumps up again. On all these surfaces, the weight varies each successive time I jump on. I am getting so frustrated and confused!! Why is this?? I feel like I practically have to have the knowledge of a geologist/home flooring expert/etc to know which is my correct weight! My old scale was generally consistent each successive time I hopped on in a session. My most pressing question above all is, which weight do I take as the correct one, the very first one I get, no matter what the surface (3 lbs higher) or the subsequent ones, on the very same surface (3 lbs lower)??
Thanks

ryjar80 · February 2012

I had that happen to me too the first time I got it I was 5 lbs heavier than with my previous scale. I think we must have the exact same one. To tell you the truth I'm about to through it out the window or simply blow it up! I hate it and I'm gonna need to look for a new one soon. One week it told me I had dropped 3lbs. Yah! The next week gained 4? One morning it registered 8 lbs under my previous weight which I couldn't believe so I kept stepping off and in and it slowly ticked up until it got to my previous weight then stopped. Ugh. Seriously that's the kinda stuff that makes me wanna give up. I wanna see results. Don't struggle with like I have we both need to break down and get s new one. I hope you kept your receipt, I sure didn't :embarassed:

ElPumaMex · February 2012

Check the batteries.
If they are ok, Return the scale.
It is clearly defective, or wrong design.

As long as you are in a reasonably firm surface, that does not yield to your weight, the scale should measure consistently well within 0.2lbs.

jbosey · February 2012

I kept getting flucuations with a name brand digital scale that i purchased each time i stepped off of it and then back on it. I finally bought the old timey doctors scale with the weights that slide across the top and it is very consistant each time i step on it. Problem solved. I ordered it on line with free shipping, well worth the money!

CoderGal · February 2012

So after months of using an "inherited" older digital scale with an old/on the brink battery I got a new Taylor digital scale a few weeks ago. The old scale measured to .5 of a lb, and this one is to the exact decimal, with saved profiles, body fat, water percentage, the whole nine. I was very dismayed to find out, evidently, my old scale was way off and I am 5 lbs heavier than previous thought! I've been eating very consistently at either weight loss cals or maintenance, so I know I haven't gained, especially such a large amount.
Since purchasing this scale I have fallen into a real depressive funk in regards to my weight and I dread weighing myself, wheres I once anticipated it. It has really thrown a loop into my motivation. So, here's the problem I'm having, and I would prefer the opinion of owners of longtime Taylor or these type of digital scales, or people who are particularly knowledgable of the functions of these types of scales.
I weigh myself right when I wake up, after using the bathroom, before eating or drinking, sans clothes, etc. I know it's said to find the firmest surface possible. I had been using my bathroom floor, but then I took my scale to the kitchen floor, and it was about 3 lbs heavier. The ground feels firmer there. I then took it outside, and it was also 3 lbs heavier than the bathroom. Then I took it to the garage, of which the surface is pavement. This one gives me the lowest weight of them all, 3 lbs lower. However, about a minute later after resetting the scale, I hop on again and it jumps up again. On all these surfaces, the weight varies each successive time I jump on. I am getting so frustrated and confused!! Why is this?? I feel like I practically have to have the knowledge of a geologist/home flooring expert/etc to know which is my correct weight! My old scale was generally consistent each successive time I hopped on in a session. My most pressing question above all is, which weight do I take as the correct one, the very first one I get, no matter what the surface (3 lbs higher) or the subsequent ones, on the very same surface (3 lbs lower)??
Thanks

People can also gain a few pounds and loose a few pounds during the day, it may have been one of those days.

Or your battery might be wearing out in the new one. I just bought a weight scale and I'm having problems turning it on let alone getting it to work (might be a sensor problem also).

Also, there's a gym here that removed their scale because they ripped healthy people were getting depressed over it. It's a number, and doesn't necessarily reflect how you look or how hard you've worked.

What's your bathroom floor? If you put it in the same place your old one is and get on it slowly repeatedly it should weigh the same if your other one did. Weight scales do not actually measure mass they measure force which is equal to your mass times the distance you move per time (I'm hoping in this case it's on earth). Typically 9.81m/s^2 of that acceleration is gravity. If you have a padded floor that will also move the scale more distance in the same amount of time so your mass * acceleration will be heavier (if your scale is programmed that way). That's why you want it to be on a level hard floor. If you want to feel lighter, go to mars! The scale isn't important. People who look identical can weigh noticeably different weights.

It's silly when you think about it. People worry so much about how much distance their body travels per time. Another thing to note is if you brought your weight scale on top of a really high mountain, or to a different latitude (the centripetal force throwing us from the earth makes gravity a bit weaker at lower latitudes), you'd weigh differently again. Everyone should just bring their scale up a mountain near the equator. You'll feel great about yourself on so many levels later lol.

jmyrtle · June 2013

I have one two depending on which tile in what room it wares 2-3 lbs...I e en compared it to a weight watchers scale and that does it too.

paulydanyl · June 2013

This is why I like apps from sites like these that offer a weight tracker. Scales can be inconsistent, and so can your weight. As others said, if your scale seems way off each time you step on it, especially is you step on it, get one weight, then step off and get another, return it. In general though, don't worry about the number each time you step on the scale, just dutifully enter it into a tracker, then every few weeks check the graph plot of your results. If you're trying to lose, it should be a jagged downward trend, to maintain, look for the peaks and valleys to center around a straight line.

jasonbuckeye · March 2014

My Taylor 7516 on the first weigh is 201.6 lbs on the tile bathroom floor. I move it to the opposite end of the bathroom tile floor and it reads 196.0 lbs. So the difference is 5.6 lbs. Then I move it back and it reads 196.2 lbs. I continue to move it back and forth in the same room and give it a few seconds to clear itself and keep getting 196 numbers. So the first number must be off as I get pretty consistent numbers on succeeding tries in the same room on the same tile floor. The scale is only about $20 and is probably crap. I had a Tanita BF-625 digital scale that you could program your gender, height, age etc and it would handle two different people. The cost years ago was about $80 and it was well worth it as it would give your weight and % body fat. The electronics finally gave out after about 9 years. That is when I bought the Taylor at Costco.

Indiri13 · March 2014

I would say it's defective and you should exchange it if new batteries don't fix the problem.

I bought a Health Meter scale from Walmart for $27 and it works well for me. If I weigh myself twice then the 2 numbers will be pretty close to each other (within .4). When it starts to get inconsistent I know I need new batteries.

As for the scale saying you are 5 pounds heavier, well, oh well. Honestly, the point here is that you make progress towards being healthy. If the new scale says 5 pounds more it doesn't mean you didn't lose the last 5 pounds. It just means your starting weight might have been a bit higher than you originally thought. You still look like you, just like you did yesterday before you saw that number. I understand the feeling (I've had it!) but we have to let go of something that is really just a number. How your pants fit is a lot more important, in my opinion. I mean, I don't tell random strangers how much I weigh but they can see if my jeans fit or don't fit as well as I can. They don't see another 5 pounds on you just because the scale said so.

Taylor digital scale inconsistencies- please help

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