I'm pretty sure the bathroom scale isn't accurate

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laratacita
laratacita Posts: 53 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've used my bathroom scale to record weights on My Fitness Pal, but it's been wildly inaccurate. It's weight can very by as much as 25 pounds depending on where you are standing on the scale. I've suspected the scale needed to be replaced the first time it told me I'd lost 15 pounds in a day. Now, my roommate seems to believe there is nothing wrong with the scale which is almost a decade old. Is there any reason why it might vary so much? Is my assumption about it being time to get a new scale the correct one?

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  • kcmcd
    kcmcd Posts: 239 Member
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    By all means, get a new one.
  • brynnsmom
    brynnsmom Posts: 945 Member
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    By all means, get a new one.

    Ditto.
  • latenitelucy
    latenitelucy Posts: 1,314 Member
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    Take something you know the weight of, like a dumbell, weigh it and adjust it accordingly.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Sounds like you might need a new one - but what type of scale is it? Brand? Digital or analog? If digital, does it need a new battery? Is the floor where you weigh in level? If the scale has feet, are they level?
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Take something you know the weight of, like a dumbell, weigh it and adjust it accordingly.

    Except that dumbbells can vary by a few pounds. A 15 pound dumbbell can range from 13 to 17 pounds pretty easy.

    I was having problems with mine. I changed the batteries and cleaned it (especially the feet) then made sure it was in the exact same spot on a level surface every time.
  • jenniami
    jenniami Posts: 1 Member
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    If it's not a digital scale, it may vary more depending on the surface or how you stand. Your roommate might stand more consistently and so it seems more accurate.

    Personally, I'd get a new one as encouragement for the hard work you're putting in!
  • sseqwnp
    sseqwnp Posts: 327 Member
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    Any chance the scale is on carpet or another soft surface?

    When you weigh, you;re just compressing some springs, turning some gears, and seeing the result on some kind of display. If the springs are worn, or the scale is not level, or you don't place your feet in the same place, then you will see variety in your weights.

    eta: Is your roomate significantly lighter than you? The more you weigh, the greater the variances from the conditions above. A 100lb person might not have enough weight to see those variances
  • Smilely3
    Smilely3 Posts: 21 Member
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    My bathroom scale started doing the same thippund differrnce.I weigh myself once a week the scale varies maybe 2-4lbs. This week. the scale says I gained 10 pounds. I also thought this was crazy since I increased. my. Workouts last week. Digital. Scale think I will change the batteries and try gym scale to be sure.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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    At 70 degrees F (21 degrees C) a gallon of water weighs 8.328676 lbs. Try weighing 1, 2, 3 at a time and see if it's giving you the correct number.
  • laratacita
    laratacita Posts: 53 Member
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    The one thing I've noticed about this house is that the floor is not flat despite the local terrain being as flat as a pancake. It's a digital scale whose batteries were replaced a while ago. For the more accurate log I'm keeping, I've been using the digital scale at the Y whenever I can. That has shown a loss of 31 pounds since I started.

    As far as the brand goes, it's Taylor. It's the only scale in the house that will weigh people over 300 pounds. In a few more weeks, I should be able to use the other scale, provided I can find a 9-volt battery. (I want to be back down to the weight I was when I came to Indiana by the end of July.)
  • heavydron
    heavydron Posts: 19 Member
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    Looks like you're on the right track. Just keep in mind that (with a functioning scale) you should be concerned with the difference/change in weight, not the number itself. So it doesn't matter too much whether the number is off or not if you continue using that same one.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I've used my bathroom scale to record weights on My Fitness Pal, but it's been wildly inaccurate. It's weight can very by as much as 25 pounds depending on where you are standing on the scale. I've suspected the scale needed to be replaced the first time it told me I'd lost 15 pounds in a day. Now, my roommate seems to believe there is nothing wrong with the scale which is almost a decade old. Is there any reason why it might vary so much? Is my assumption about it being time to get a new scale the correct one?

    If it varies by 25 pound depending on where you stand on it there could be two reasons.

    1) its broken and a piece of crap
    2) The surface you have placed it on is uneven or has some give to it so when you stand on it the floor underneath buckles a bit and changes the reading on the scale depending on what angle you stand on it.

    To test this out I would suggest taking the scale somewhere with a hard surface, like a sidewalk, and trying it out there.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    Take something you know the weight of, like a dumbell, weigh it and adjust it accordingly.

    Do this each time you weigh in... I think your roommate is messing with you (or at least your scale)
  • CarolinkaCjj
    CarolinkaCjj Posts: 622 Member
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    If the scale at the Y is consistent, stick with it. I go to my dr's office every Friday, knock on the door so I can weigh myself on the same scale. Once a week will track your progress.
  • laratacita
    laratacita Posts: 53 Member
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    Okay, I found a flat side walk and got it to weight consistently, but it was about 35 pounds lighter than it should have been. I'm not sure it is possible to calibrate this scale. It's time for a new one.

    As for the above suggestion, I'm a creature of habit. I've been keeping daily weights logged in a spreadsheet and making sure I weigh myself as close as possible to the same conditions. I don't worry too much about what the daily weights say but instead take a weekly average. That has gone down consistently since I started in April.

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