Doctor's office scale vs. mine

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minusalatte
minusalatte Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I need some feedback... I went to the doctor about a month ago and before I went I weighed myself on my home scale. My home scale said I was 1.7 pounds heavier than the one at the doctor's office. Since then I have been subtracting 1.7 pounds from my morning weight on my home scale... is this right or wrong? What should I do? If I go by the weight on my scale then I need to re-enter my weights on MFP.
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  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
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    LOL my scale at home says I'm 4 lbs lighter than my doctors. He said to go by mine.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    It doesn't really matter as long as you track with the same one each time. I use my home scale even though it's 2 to 3 lbs. lighter than my Dr's office.
  • bizgirl26
    bizgirl26 Posts: 1,808 Member
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    I would just use your one at home to make it easier. I always find I am heavier at the Dr's lol. It is the overall weight loss that matters. Don't make it too much work doing the math
  • kaseyr1505
    kaseyr1505 Posts: 624 Member
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    I personally would either buy a new scale at home/replace the battery. If that didn't change anything, I would go by the home scale weight.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    "Weight" is a pretty arbitrary value, what matters is the trend not the number itself. I wouldn't worry about it and just go with what the scale you will be measuring yourself on says.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    So I need some feedback... I went to the doctor about a month ago and before I went I weighed myself on my home scale. My home scale said I was 1.7 pounds heavier than the one at the doctor's office. Since then I have been subtracting 1.7 pounds from my morning weight on my home scale... is this right or wrong? What should I do? If I go by the weight on my scale then I need to re-enter my weights on MFP.
    Eh.

    Personally I would go by the scale you most often use and have routine access to.

    If you want to always subtract that 1.7, then so be it. Hell..you can subtract or add 12 lbs it doesnt matter for if you track the progress it doesnt matter what it actuall says.

    I havefound that scales at the gym, dr offices, always are higher than at home.
    Mostly because at those places I dont strip down to nothing and almost always have eaten/drank more that day than I don on a weigh in day at home
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    So I need some feedback... I went to the doctor about a month ago and before I went I weighed myself on my home scale. My home scale said I was 1.7 pounds heavier than the one at the doctor's office. Since then I have been subtracting 1.7 pounds from my morning weight on my home scale... is this right or wrong? What should I do? If I go by the weight on my scale then I need to re-enter my weights on MFP.
    Eh.

    Personally I would go by the scale you most often use and have routine access to.

    If you want to always subtract that 1.7, then so be it. Hell..you can subtract or add 12 lbs it doesnt matter for if you track the progress it doesnt matter what it actuall says.

    Agree with this. Doesn't matter as long as you are consistent in what you do to measure.
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 701 Member
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    I agree consistency is key, use your own scale and weigh yourself under the same conditions (time of day, clothing, etc) to get the best accuracy. I wouldn't bother with additions/subtractions. When I went to the doctor last week I was 4 lbs heavier on their scale, but I was also fully dressed and hydrated in the afternoon (I weigh myself in the morning, naked, after peeing). Even then my weight will go up and down pound or two day to day. I only record a weight if it's below my former lowest weight.
  • conqueringsquidlette
    conqueringsquidlette Posts: 383 Member
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    I doubt either scale is perfect. Don't worry about the number difference, just watch your overall trend.
  • fay_pigu
    fay_pigu Posts: 125 Member
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    Mostly because at those places I dont strip down to nothing
    Next time I'm getting naked in that office. Partly in revenge for taking an inch off my height, I was only 5'8" to start with.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    You could step on 10 different scales and get 10 different weights. This is why simply using your body weight as the only measure of your success is rather asinine. Use your scale as a tool to help you track trends, not exact values...because there is no such thing as weighing exactly XXX Lbs.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
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    Only track with one scale, and you will see results. My doctors scale always is a little heavier for me...I am wearing clothes, it is afternoon normally and I have ate and drank. I just use my scale. I did ask this question when I started and her reply was " don't you know the one with the smallest number is the correct one!" at least she has humor :laugh:
  • PinkCupcakes84
    PinkCupcakes84 Posts: 235 Member
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    This can't be a real post. I mean, well, never mind.
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
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    I always weigh more at the doctor's office because I'm weighed down by the stress of being at the doctor's office.
  • cheripugh1
    cheripugh1 Posts: 357 Member
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    It does not matter... if you gain/lose 5 lbs on your scale you gained/lost 5 on the Dr.'s too...
  • klfaircloth
    klfaircloth Posts: 6 Member
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    I doubt either scale is perfect. Don't worry about the number difference, just watch your overall trend.

    This. Yes. The number that reflects your weight is not as important as your progress! It doesn't matter which scale you go with, consistency is the whole point.
  • RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle
    RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle Posts: 1,349 Member
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    The hospital scale said that I was five pounds lighter and they used that to determine how they medicated me. I go by my home scale though, because it's the one I use every day.
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
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    So I need some feedback... I went to the doctor about a month ago and before I went I weighed myself on my home scale. My home scale said I was 1.7 pounds heavier than the one at the doctor's office. Since then I have been subtracting 1.7 pounds from my morning weight on my home scale... is this right or wrong? What should I do? If I go by the weight on my scale then I need to re-enter my weights on MFP.

    Unless you want to ask your drs office to use their scale every time you want to weigh in, then just use your own and dont worry about the dr office scale where you may have had different shoes and clothes on that could easily account for a 1.5lb difference.

    Even with the same clothes on or off 1.5lb fluctuation is nothing to fret over.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    So I need some feedback... I went to the doctor about a month ago and before I went I weighed myself on my home scale. My home scale said I was 1.7 pounds heavier than the one at the doctor's office. Since then I have been subtracting 1.7 pounds from my morning weight on my home scale... is this right or wrong? What should I do? If I go by the weight on my scale then I need to re-enter my weights on MFP.
    Did you bring your scale to the doctor's office, or did you wear the same thing home and then weigh yourself without eating, drinking, peeing, or sweating between those weigh-ins?
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
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    My doctor looks at the trend more than the number for the most part. He said to go by my scale at home, because I can weigh first thing in the morning and naked. By the time I've arrived at his office, I've eaten and moved and he flat out told me that he doesn't assume for a second that my weight in-office is an accurate measurement of my actual weight.

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