Scales vs Sanity

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faithxox
faithxox Posts: 20 Member
in Getting Started
When I decided to be serious about this weight loss/healthy living life change just over a month ago, one of the first thing I did was to go out and buy myself a scales. I know from past experience that I work better when I can see the results in a decrease in numbers form. My house already has a mechanical scales belonging to a housemate, but its hard to see tiny decreases so I decided to buy an electric one, as weight loss for me tends to be a slow process and seeing a little decrease does my willpower the world of good. So I popped down to the local shop and decided to buy the Weight Watchers scales that was on sale- the Weight Watchers Ultra Slim Glass Body Analyser Scales. This, in hindsight, might have been a mistake.

There are now two scales sitting in our bathroom. I'll pop onto the electric one first. It will give me a reading. I will step off and step on again. The chances of it giving me the same reading are 50/50. Moving the scales can also result in a different result, sometimes up and sometimes down, even though its on a completely flat surface both times. Some days it can jump by nearly a kg. I'm sure everyone here can imagine how shocking that increase can be. Which leads to me stepping on the mechanical scales, to compare. In short, my weigh-in's are driving me nuts.

Has anyone had a similar experience with scales? Do I need to just dump the bargain and buy a better scales? If so, whats a good buy? I know that the numbers are not that important but they really help to keep me motivated.
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Replies

  • 12pillows
    12pillows Posts: 81 Member
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    It will change day to day. Your body weight will change a lot through the day, I can put on a few pounds after I eat breakfast!
    Your body will hold water and that affects your weigh ins.
    I weigh myself everyday and get ridiculously different results, but I take them with a pinch of salt.
    I have a proper weigh in on monday morning, after I've gone potty, before I eat or drink everything.
    That's the one I record on here.

    It's weird your scale changes if you step off and step on again, but mine will change if I move it around. I found that happened with the old scales I had in my family home too though.
    I feel mine is accurate enough for me, and mine was just a cheap unbranded one, so I doubt you need to spend more money on it.
    I think there's different ways of logging weight loss that might be helpful for you. I've seen stuff that tracks the trend, so if you used it you can see the downward progress clearly, even with your weigh ins being all over.
  • KikeP
    KikeP Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi Faith, I ll be fast and simple with my answer.

    This was my weight this week:
    157zyba.jpg

    As you can see I have ups and downs, just like you. That's perfectly normal...
    If you drink 1L of water you weight 1kg more, if you eat you get the food's weight too, if you wear heavy clothes the same happens. And If you go to the bathroom you ll dump your weight, liquid or solid :). Also if you run you ll sweat and that's water weight that you're losing, not fat.

    So, fluctuations are normal, and if you weight yourself everyday you will see those fluctuations clearly.

    Solutions:
    The best one is simply weighting one time a week, and in the end of the month you ll se some results.
    Or use some website like Withings, that calculates your average weight.

    Good luck
  • alexandraatkinson87
    alexandraatkinson87 Posts: 2 Member
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    Try to only weight yourself once a week, like 12pillows does and I do, after the the toilet and before you've eaten! My weight fluctates from morning to evening by about 3 lbs. Just pick a day and have that as your weigh in day, you'll probably be happier with the results!
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    My esperience with the scales is it's easy to obsess -

    As the others have said - wigh less frequently - expect variation up and down - try to set a singe time of day and day of week

    i would also add - get rid of the second scale you don't need it
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    If you want to see numbers go down slowly, take measurements of your waist, hips and upper thigh. As you lose fat, these numbers will slowly go down. Yes it takes time, you have to be patient. But focusing on scale weight as the only thing you look to for success is a recipe for tying yourself in knots mentally. Fat loss happens slowly. Day to day changes in scale weight are from water weight. And weighing yourself on two scales each day and stressing about the differences between them in addition to stressing about day to day water weight fluctuations is akin to gaslighting yourself. Just don't do it. Throw away the old scales, and put the new ones on a high shelf where you get them down only once a week, and weigh yourself in the same circumstances each time (before breakfast, after using the bathroom, on the same day of the week, with the scale in the same spot each time, and you wearing the same amount of clothing each time). Then look for the trend over time, i.e. over the last 3-4 weeks, has the overall trend been in a downward direction. If so, you're doing it right, carry on. If it's stalled on average over 3-4 weeks then maybe eat 100 cals less or do a little bit more activity each day on the same number of calories.

    Also look in the mirror and at how your clothes fit. And focus on what you can DO, e.g. getting fitter because of your exercise routine, e.g. running further, lifting heavier weights, being able to walk up more stairs before you get out of breath etc.
  • Honeycat89
    Honeycat89 Posts: 149
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    Oh god the SCALES. I hate them. :( I have 2 at home and i occasionally weigh myself on those confusing sliding ones at the gym and they're always different. Now i'm starting to put on muscle I need to stop weighing myself as the readings aren't going to show me anything! aah, scales are the worst!
  • SunKissed1989
    SunKissed1989 Posts: 1,314 Member
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    Ohhh, the scales can easily be my best friend or my worst enemy - it's a love-hate relationship really. I've learned to take readings with a pinch of salt and focus on how my body feels. I can feel it changing all the time which I know is progress.

    Recently, I've been monitoring my weight daily trying out new calorie and macro intakes. I weigh myself first thing after going to the loo...the weight I write down for the day is the one that comes up 5 times in a row. Obsessive much? Probably. I've also got a bad habit of stepping on the scales in the middle of the day and it can go up to 5lbs more than what I was in the morning!

    At the end of the day, however, I know my body is changing because I can FEEL it changing. I do still want to lose an extra 6-7lbs though and it is frustrating when the scale says they're still sticking there...
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    Get rid of the mechanical scales.

    I have a set of fairly expensive scales which do the same thing as yours. In fact, every scale I've ever owned has done that too. Weigh yourself once a week, at the same time of day, while nekked, and take that number. No jumping on and off and moving the scale.

    Also, don't forget to take pictures and measurements. The scale is a big dirty liar.
  • dfsteven
    dfsteven Posts: 1 Member
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    I have found that my digital scale gives different numbers when the battery gets low. Otherwise too it does sometimes then I just I step on it like 4 times and take the average.
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    how expensive your scale is - or what functionality is has - is less important, i feel, than using hte same scale in hte same place at the same time

    I have a cheap old set of scales - I know they're not perfect, but I also don't want to obsess about the reading, as I know i would if i had a posh-electronic-wifi linked- auto loggin scale

    what's important to me is that over time - on my scale - after using the loo and before getting dressed - the numbers are getting consistently smaller

    i know that i will get a different number on another scale, at another time, in a diffeerent place - but that those numbers will also be getting smaller

    i like to focus on hte progress rather tan the absolute :)
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Scales are good for assessing trends. And that's about it. Set the scale in one spot (just one of them), weigh at the same time of day. Once. The weighing and moving and weighing again and comparing the two . . . that way lies madness.

    Also, take measurements and pictures. The scale is one way to track progress, but it's not the only or even most important way.
  • billhilly1968
    billhilly1968 Posts: 75 Member
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    I hate weighing but do so several times a week because I am hoping to move past the 123lb. mark clothed. To make things worse is weighing at home and then having a doctor's appointment and then finding that you might weigh anywhere from 8-10 lbs. more. My doctor has digital scales and I have mechanical (dial type) scales. It is very disappointing.
  • felonebeats
    felonebeats Posts: 433
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    Don't obsess too much about the scales.Weigh yourself once a week as soon as you wake up either in the buff or with minimal clothing.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Is your bathroom floor carpeted? Scales have to stand on at solid surface to give a correct reading.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Put your scales in the closet and just bring them out once a month. Permanent weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. Focus on better habits instead of your body weight.
  • luckypony71
    luckypony71 Posts: 399 Member
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    You may need to re-calibrate the digital scale. Contact the manufacturer. Once that is done stop moving the scale around. It makes things go off and you will have to re-calibrate again.

    I bought one from Amazon.com I think it is the eat smart digital scale. Works great. I put it in one spot and have not moved it.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    You may need to re-calibrate the digital scale. Contact the manufacturer. Once that is done stop moving the scale around. It makes things go off and you will have to re-calibrate again.

    I bought one from Amazon.com I think it is the eat smart digital scale. Works great. I put it in one spot and have not moved it.

    I also have an eat smart scale and like it. If I get on and off several times in a row it always gives the same reading. It also has a feature that measures BF% that seems pretty accurate, as it was pretty close to what my DEXA showed.
  • NareenaTheGypsy
    NareenaTheGypsy Posts: 475 Member
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    Simply put.... be consistent. This is what I as well as many others have suggested to me, have done:

    Put the scale in the same place (or leave it there). Mark the floor with small bits of tape if you need to.
    Weigh in after you wake.. naked, after the toilet, before a workout, shower or food/drinks.

    Personally I weigh daily, but only record once a week. I watch my weight fluctuate a little all week but on Friday is the day that matters. Do I weigh a little less or more than last Fri? I record and go by that day alone. I need to see my weight daily so I can track the trends.. if I ate a sodium heavy meal on Tue night, it shows up Thur am just about.. or ate clean on Mon, it will reflect around Wed.

    Consistency is key. As others say, even if your scale is "wrong".... if it's consistently wrong by x lbs/kgs, you're still losing. If my scale says 186 and tomorrow it shows 184, I know I'm still losing. Watch the trends and remember... it's not all about the numbers. Use your measurements too. :)
  • luschy60
    luschy60 Posts: 6
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    My digital scale does that too! like a pp I also get on he scale a few times and the number that pops up more than 3 times is the one I go by. I also have water retention so that is one reason my scale gives different results on one day - yes I have an obsession hehe..:ohwell:
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    You may need to re-calibrate the digital scale. Contact the manufacturer. Once that is done stop moving the scale around. It makes things go off and you will have to re-calibrate again.

    I bought one from Amazon.com I think it is the eat smart digital scale. Works great. I put it in one spot and have not moved it.

    I also have an eat smart scale and like it. If I get on and off several times in a row it always gives the same reading. It also has a feature that measures BF% that seems pretty accurate, as it was pretty close to what my DEXA showed.

    Is "Eat Smart" the brand name?

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