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    Doctor's office scale vs. mine

    Posts: 11 Member
    edited February 22 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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    • Posts: 1,547 Member
      LOL my scale at home says I'm 4 lbs lighter than my doctors. He said to go by mine.
    • Posts: 3,265 Member
      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.
    • Posts: 1,795 Member
      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
    • Posts: 624 Member
      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.
    • Posts: 7,122 Member
      "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.
    • Posts: 1,326 Member
      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
    • Posts: 7,122 Member
      show previous quotes
      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.
    • Posts: 698 Member
      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.
    • Posts: 383 Member
      I doubt either scale is perfect. Don't worry about the number difference, just watch your overall trend.
    • Posts: 125 Member
      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.
    • Posts: 41,865 Member
      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.
    • Posts: 1,066 Member
      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:
    • Posts: 235 Member
      This can't be a real post. I mean, well, never mind.
    • Posts: 1,335 Member
      I always weigh more at the doctor's office because I'm weighed down by the stress of being at the doctor's office.
    • Posts: 357 Member
      It does not matter... if you gain/lose 5 lbs on your scale you gained/lost 5 on the Dr.'s too...
    • Posts: 6 Member
      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.
    • Posts: 1,349 Member
      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.
    • Posts: 980 Member
      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.
    • Posts: 17,857 Member
      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?
    • Posts: 1,530 Member
      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.
    • Posts: 1,131 Member
      "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.

      Because the number will go up and down to a large degree .. this is totally the right approach. The number is really not important .. but the trend of upwards or down that is important.
    • Posts: 7,334 Member
      It is 1.7 pounds different.


      Use the one at home.
    • Posts: 22 Member
      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 had the same a few weeks ago - except weighed myself just before I left, ate/drank nothing, walked a mile to the doctor's office... and gained 8lb by their scales by the time I got there! I tried to argue but they said it had been calibrated the day before and was 'really accurate'. Was a real downer, but I decided to ignore it and just go by my scale at home anyway.
      I only record a weight if it's below my former lowest weight.

      I'm glad I'm not the only one who does this!
    • Posts: 4,059 Member
      I go by my own. Since my doctor uses the manual one where you pull the numbers over(and not a digital one), I feel it's not entirely accurate. Theirs recently said I was about 5lbs over what my scale at home logged just a few hours previous. I can gain an extra few lbs of water weight during the day...but never 5, and especially not within a few hours. I've noticed more luck with the accuracy of my digital scale (CVS, less than $20), than the manual ones at the doctor and at the gym.
    • Posts: 91
      show previous quotes

      Because the number will go up and down to a large degree .. this is totally the right approach. The number is really not important .. but the trend of upwards or down that is important.

      TREND is the key word there as well. I try not to let the little ups / downs bother me or even just the repeat numbers.

      You won't be weighing at the doctors every day... so I'd just use my own scale... or just consistently the same scale... same time of day... same state. I always weight after I get outta bed, pee, weigh, log it, shower, etc. Because after that it will change.
    • Posts: 219 Member
      Every scale is a little different. Stick to one scale. Also remember that the scale is not a true test of fitness after a certain point. I would recommend getting a pair of body fat calipers (they are pretty cheap) and track your progress with that and girth measurements instead. far more accurate.
    • Posts: 915 Member
      Does not matter. Use one scale as reference and follow that :) Thats what i do
    • Posts: 11 Member
      show previous quotes
      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?

      i weighed myself on my scale right before i left for the doc office. Same clothes and everything. Did not have anything to drink. My scale was higher than the doc office scale
    • Posts: 7,122 Member
      OP what in your opinion is the definition of your "correct" weight?
    • Posts: 11 Member
      Weighed myself again at the doc and my scale is off by 1.7 so I am going to keep subtracting 1.7. I will try to see if putting new batteries in it fixes the problem. Thank you for your responses!
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