Digital Scale Vs Analog Scale!!!!

weightlossgrind
weightlossgrind Posts: 14 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
:sad: Hi Everyone!!! just wondering which type of scale people use and which ones they recommend. I have always had an analog scale, its always hard to tell where the dial is actually pointng so i decided to get a digital. Well, the digital says im 4 pounds heavier than what i though :cry: :sad: :cry: :sad: :cry: :sad: :cry: :sad: should have stayed with the analog!!!! oh well, guess this will push me harder to lower that number..thanks for listening :)
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Replies

  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
    i found that as well when i made a switch a few years ago.
  • redhotmel12
    redhotmel12 Posts: 18
    That happened to me too! I decided to switch after my first weigh in, and then I was up a few pounds.
  • lisapooh1
    lisapooh1 Posts: 90
    I use a digital, but no scale is acurate only the doctors.:sad:
  • brittanymonster
    brittanymonster Posts: 58
    I know I should switch, but I don't want to break my own heart...
  • Liz75
    Liz75 Posts: 80 Member
    I was happily 5 lbs lighter on my analogue scales, they never seemed to move!! then I got the digital scales out and I had a nasty fright too, but the numbers are coming back down ;-), the trouble with digital scales is they are sooo sensitive, and if it works in your favour that's great, but if not..it can get you down!! They're not good for daily weighing either..:-/
  • CarolynnW
    CarolynnW Posts: 35 Member
    I always used a analog scale, switched to a digital and same thing as everyone else it said I was heavier! Went for a doctors appt. his scale was the same as my analog. I switched back :bigsmile:
  • willimh
    willimh Posts: 227 Member
    That has happened to me as well and it is very disappointing. There was a 6 lb difference. I still use my analog scale.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    I use a digital one. Incidentally, the one at the doctors is digital too, and they have two and they are 4 lbs different from each other!
  • weightlossgrind
    weightlossgrind Posts: 14 Member
    thank you everyone!!! i feel much better :)
  • MaKisMom
    MaKisMom Posts: 65 Member
    My digital scale will give me different numbers every time I get on it. I can try it 3 times in a row and gain or lose 2.5lbs in less than a minute. I'm not sure I believe that mine is all that accurate...
  • yalisa0424
    yalisa0424 Posts: 173 Member
    I was happily 5 lbs lighter on my analogue scales, they never seemed to move!! then I got the digital scales out and I had a nasty fright too, but the numbers are coming back down ;-), the trouble with digital scales is they are sooo sensitive, and if it works in your favour that's great, but if not..it can get you down!! They're not good for daily weighing either..:-/

    I weigh myself in the same spot at about the same time in the morning in my birthday suit. I think this is what is usually recommended (the same place and time that is). The only reason I have been weighing in everyday is b/c I am on the Shakeology cleanse. This is my last day though.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    I use a digital, but no scale is acurate only the doctors.:sad:

    Except that half the day has passed, I've eaten and exercised, I'm wearing clothes (and most of the time a hoodie). As long as you use the same machine to weigh yourself each day, I'd guess that is the best bet.
  • NOLAdy
    NOLAdy Posts: 133 Member
    I just bought a digital one tonight. It tells me other things like body fat, and how many calories I should be eating for my goal weight. Who knows if it's any good or not. It also hold the information for 4 people so I added my oldest son and I'll be adding my husband as well.

    I had been going to GNC to use their scale once a month but, I've done that twice so far and my height was higher the second time and my weight was 4 pounds heavier. Those scales are $1 to use so I figured I'd just buy one for home. At least that way I have the same scale each time. I'm not as concerned about the weight as the body fat. I'm trying to lose about 3 or 4 %.
  • Dom80
    Dom80 Posts: 146 Member
    I dont use a scale. I weigh myself on the wii balance board. I tested it and it is within a half pound from my doctors scale. Much more accurate than the digital scale I had before.
  • jackienicole72
    jackienicole72 Posts: 6 Member
    If you have some weights at home put a set amount on your scale (20 lbs-50 lbs) This should tell you if there is a discrepancy or not. I did it with my old digital scale and found that it was out by about 2 lbs or so, but that my wii board (which is used in a carpeted room) was bang on.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 Member
    You can check your scale whether analog or digital for its overall accuracy with a known weight, grab a 10lb bag of potatoes and step on the scale, weigh on the same scale without the potatoes and if its a 10lb bag you should see 10lb difference, if its not then your scale is off anyway.
  • zatsdeb
    zatsdeb Posts: 20 Member
    I have a weight watchers digital scale, and it was accurate to the ones at weight watchers when I would weigh in, I think you get what you pay for usually. my scale was not cheap but was not expensive also.. think about 20 bucks, and it works great!
  • ebgbjo
    ebgbjo Posts: 821 Member
    I just bought a digital one tonight. It tells me other things like body fat, and how many calories I should be eating for my goal weight. Who knows if it's any good or not. It also hold the information for 4 people so I added my oldest son and I'll be adding my husband as well.

    I had been going to GNC to use their scale once a month but, I've done that twice so far and my height was higher the second time and my weight was 4 pounds heavier. Those scales are $1 to use so I figured I'd just buy one for home. At least that way I have the same scale each time. I'm not as concerned about the weight as the body fat. I'm trying to lose about 3 or 4 %.

    Can you tell us what kind of scale you got? Thanks
  • Jain
    Jain Posts: 861 Member
    You can check your scale whether analog or digital for its overall accuracy with a known weight, grab a 10lb bag of potatoes and step on the scale, weigh on the same scale without the potatoes and if its a 10lb bag you should see 10lb difference, if its not then your scale is off anyway.

    The trouble is, a 10lb bag of potatoes never weighs exactly 10lb. Any bag of veggies with a weight on the bag will weigh slightly differently, usually slightly higher.

    When I swapped from mechanical scales to digital I had the same problem, the digital weighed 2lb more. But no household scale is totally accurate unless it is calibrated regularly. So I just adjusted my head instead!:laugh:
    At least I can see the digital display!
  • JeninBelgium
    JeninBelgium Posts: 804 Member
    I use a digital, but no scale is acurate only the doctors.:sad:

    well that depends upon when the doctor's office scale was last calibrated-yep they do have to be calibrated occasionally- in the labs I have worked in where we have very accurate, precise scales we calibrate every day but we needed to measure very small quanitites so this was very important

    the type of scale you use is not so important but rather consistently use the same scale - what's important is that the scale is going down overall, whichever scale
  • jnicole018
    jnicole018 Posts: 9 Member
    I had the same problem, I thought I was about five pounds lighter but the digital scale said I was heavier! Discouraging at first, but now im obsessed with the digital scale :)
  • jnicole018
    jnicole018 Posts: 9 Member
    I had the same problem, I thought I was about five pounds lighter but the digital scale said I was heavier! Discouraging at first, but now im obsessed with the digital scale :)
  • ramseyrose
    ramseyrose Posts: 421 Member
    Only very expensive analogue scales are usually correct and they need to be calibrated regularly. I also weigh myself first thing in the morning in the nude. i wish i could say once a week but I have to admit I do it daily - I know I shouldnt cause water retention can make it higher than one day than the next, but i cant help it.

    I have a digital scale but it is also a fat monitor so I take more notice of the % fat reading more than the weight - I am now less than HALF FAT and look forward to when I am LOW FAT. :laugh:

    As long as you feel better in yourself and your clothes feel looser, dont worry too much about the scales.
  • superninjatam
    superninjatam Posts: 44 Member
    Get digital ones with body fat % measurements. Part of successful weight loss involves building fat-burning muscle while losing fat. This means your weight alone is not a good indicator of progress. Either way, the scale doesn't matter, the progress on using that scale does.
  • LIswimmer51
    LIswimmer51 Posts: 96
    ha i just made the switch, my digital scale has had me on a plateau for like couple of weeks now, and my analog scale is moving down slowly, and there is a good 4.5 pound difference in the two now.
  • photojunk
    photojunk Posts: 135 Member
    My digital scale fluctuates as much as 10lbs depending on which part of my bathroom floor i have it on. I use a traditional one for accuracy and only use digital for water, fat and muscle info
  • red_road
    red_road Posts: 761 Member
    make sure that you are recalibrating your scale whenever it is moved ( turn it on, dont step on, let it turn off, then step on). Also obviously that it is on a hard surface. I leave my scale in my room then move it to the bathroom and recalibrate when i want to weight it doesnt take very long, i was just concerned what all the moisture and humidity would do to the consistency of the scale.
  • Sweeetdesiderata
    Sweeetdesiderata Posts: 20
    I think it depends on the scale itself as well. I have had a few digital scales and I didnt like any of them. They were definatly not accurate, as I would step on them 3 times and I would get a totally different reading every time. So I tossed them. I use my mom's now, its digital, but I can get the same reading all 3 times. She said the last time she went to the doc, her scale was only off by 2 lbs from the doc's. So I am sticking with it :D
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