Pick a scale, any scale! So frustrating!!!

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Acnwgirl
Acnwgirl Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I recently got back on track and started going back to the gym daily, eating better, and logging those efforts on MFP. The problem was at the gym one morning, the scale said I weighed 228. I was super stoked because the last time I weighed I was more than 230 so I thought, my efforts must be paying off! Then I started going to a different gym. I weighed in there last week and I was 236. I thought, this scale must be wrong. Then this morning I dug out one of my old faithful scales at home and I was 234. I'm so frustrated! Which number can I trust and how can I measure my progress if every scale I step on is completely different? I'm thinking I will go get a newer digital scale from the store for home use and use that scale and only that scale to track my progress. Has anyone else had this problem? Talk about a motivation killer!

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  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
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    in most cases different scales will yield different numbers, just use the same scale each time you weigh in so you can track your progress accurately

    and i wouldnt recommend using the gym scale. someone screws with the one at my goodlife, it started telling me i was 175 one day, the next it said 220, then it went back to 205 the week after (what i actually weigh)
  • emily889
    emily889 Posts: 296 Member
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    Yea it definitely is a motivation killer! My gym scales are a difference of about 10 lbs sometimes so I am sticking with just my home scales. Much easier to track even if it is wrong at least you will know accurately how much weight you are losing. Who cares about the number itself as long as it is dipping lower? :)
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    About a month into my journey I made the mistake of getting on a scale other than the one at home. I was devastated as it showed I was 3 pounds heavier than I had originally thought. I decided to keep that scale and I had to go into my stats and change them all. I have since learned just to use the one scale and stick with it.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    You may not even need to buy a new scale. The best thing to do is weigh in under the same conditions (same scale, same place on floor, same day of the week, same time of the day, etc.) and take measurements as well. Compare every 4 weeks or so. Look at the overall trend to see if you need to make adjustments to your plan. Do not get too boggle down over the small details.
  • wgaue
    wgaue Posts: 222 Member
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    It would whiz me off so much, to get a different reading from scales. And I'm not just talking a pound or two. Try 5-10 pounds! That's was happening to me, when I was doing Weight Watchers. WW's would weigh me 5-10 pounds heavier, each week, than my scale, and even the scales at the doctor's office.

    I went and invested in a Taylor Lithium Electronic scale. (Sorry if I'm sounding like an advertisement). It weighs me 2 pounds less than the doctors office. I keep that in mind, and am not as bummed when I weigh in there.
  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
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    You're right. Pick a scale. Any scale.

    And stick with it. :smile:
  • Acnwgirl
    Acnwgirl Posts: 14 Member
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    Thanks everyone! Those are great tips. I am going to get a new scale (the one at home is years old and hasn't been calibrated) and just stick to it from now on and not worry about weighing in at the gym. I like the idea of weighing in every 4 weeks and taking measurements.
  • michikade
    michikade Posts: 313 Member
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    This reminds me of the time I went to the doctor and weighed in at 10 lbs lower than I thought. I was stoked until I got home and weighed myself on my trusty scale and it showed I hadn't lost an ounce since the previous time I weighed on my home scale a couple weeks before. Heh.

    I understand how frustrating it is but I don't take any scale other than my scale at home as truth. Even if it's not 100% accurate, it's still how I'm gauging my progression so that's how it is. Once I get closer to goal it'll be less about the number and more about the mirror anyway.
  • amandawillard3551
    amandawillard3551 Posts: 19
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    How about weighing something of a known weight on your home scales and see how accurate they are? I'm thinking several bags of sugar perhaps or flour, although if you're like me, you'll only have 1 of each in the house and half empty!
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
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    in most cases different scales will yield different numbers, just use the same scale each time you weigh in so you can track your progress accurately

    and i wouldnt recommend using the gym scale. someone screws with the one at my goodlife, it started telling me i was 175 one day, the next it said 220, then it went back to 205 the week after (what i actually weigh)

    This...buy a scale and use it consistently. This gives you the best tracking.
  • runningagainstmyself
    runningagainstmyself Posts: 616 Member
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    in most cases different scales will yield different numbers, just use the same scale each time you weigh in so you can track your progress accurately

    and i wouldnt recommend using the gym scale. someone screws with the one at my goodlife, it started telling me i was 175 one day, the next it said 220, then it went back to 205 the week after (what i actually weigh)

    I agree with this. Get a digital scale for your home, make sure the batteries are fresh, and use it consistently. I wouldn't use the ones at the gym -- in my experience they've been tampered with one too many times and could stand to have been calibrated a year (or more) ago.
  • ZBuffBod
    ZBuffBod Posts: 297 Member
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    Just use the same scale under the same circumstances each time. I weigh consistently first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom.

    My daughter had two doctor's appointment in one day. I took her to her appointment with one doctor in the morning. A couple of hours later we were at another doctor and she had put on 7 lbs per the second doctor's scale even though she hadn't eaten anything in between. Go figure!
  • inhobbited
    inhobbited Posts: 11
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    I agree with everyone saying pick a scale and stick with it! :happy: I have a digital one at home that says the same as most other scales I occasionally use, so I'm comfortable enough that it's accurate. :smile: Oh! And don't forget to zero it out by stepping on it quickly and then stepping off. One time, before I figured that out, it gave me the reading from the last time I weighed! Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed. :laugh:
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Weighing yourself at different times on the same scale will get you different numbers. Start using different scales and all bets are off.

    Just use the same scale and weigh at the same time every day (or week or however often you weigh yourself.)

    Expect fluctuations. Scales bounce around.

    Log your weights and watch the trend. The squiggle line will go up and down, but over the course of a few months, you'll notice that the big picture is down.

    There are going to be ups and downs. Sometimes you'll do everything right and the scale will go up for no good reason.

    Watch the trends. Be patient. :)

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