Which Scale is More Accurate

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nicola8989
nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
And I know you will say it doesn't matter ;)

But there are 2 scales at my gym - one of those big ones where you put £1 and stand on it, then you grip the handles and it measures your height, body fat etc.

They also have a set of digital bathroom scales. When they weigh me on the digital bathroom scales my weight is 3lbs higher (and I always weigh at a similar time of day, same clothes etc) and my body fat % is about 5% higher.

So which is more accurate?

Replies

  • cw106
    cw106 Posts: 952 Member
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    it does matter!
    sod paying a quid to get weighed.
    use the other scales,weight loss will show over a period of time.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    Obviously the big scale because you have to pay for that one dont you?
  • PokeyBug
    PokeyBug Posts: 482 Member
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    Save some money, use the free scale. Either scale will register the same loss. It's just the starting number that's in question. Is the starting number really important to you?
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
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    Probably neither is accurate. Just use the same scale each time to find a trend up or down.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    I wouldn't be paying to get weighed. Consistency is what's important here, same time, place and bat channel.
  • Local_Atlantis
    Local_Atlantis Posts: 262 Member
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    FredDoyle wrote: »
    Probably neither is accurate. Just use the same scale each time to find a trend up or down.

    Exactly - so use the free one!! :smile:
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    FredDoyle wrote: »
    Probably neither is accurate. Just use the same scale each time to find a trend up or down.
    This. They could both be wrong. Youd hope the pay one was more accurate but you have no way of knowing.
  • lillyrose2020
    lillyrose2020 Posts: 178 Member
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    I feel your pain! I got myself in a real muddle with the scales a few months ago, three different scales were telling me three different things. It is really difficult to get motivated when you don't even know what your starting weight is.

    For me, the digital scales were putting me a few pounds heavier, the gym analogue scales put me about 7 pounds lighter, I knew the gym scales were lying to me even though I wanted them to be true.

    Anyway, I ended up using the WiiFit as my weigh-in scale as it seemed a reliable source and it gave me a number that was in between the other numbers. So when the number goes down on that scale, I know I am definitely losing.

    Now I never weigh-in on anything other than the WiiFit scales and I use that as my accurate scale. Whatever one you choose, just stick with it and ignore any other scales. I'd probably go with the free one :smile:
  • nicola8989
    nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
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    I want to go with the pay one because it weighs me in a couple of pounds lighter :s hahaha!

    I know you're all right in what you're saying though, and there's all kinds of things that make a difference - I can move my scales at home around the room and get wildly different readings because the floorboards are uneven!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    neither...just use one scale and track the trends. Nobody weighs exactly XXX Lbs. on any scale. And those scales the "measure" body fat are pretty much worthless...they can't tell the difference between fat and water.
  • lillyrose2020
    lillyrose2020 Posts: 178 Member
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    nicola8989 wrote: »
    I want to go with the pay one because it weighs me in a couple of pounds lighter :s hahaha!

    I know you're all right in what you're saying though, and there's all kinds of things that make a difference - I can move my scales at home around the room and get wildly different readings because the floorboards are uneven!

    Yeah, no harm in it, whichever one you choose just keep using that one!
  • NatalieLJ
    NatalieLJ Posts: 158 Member
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    Is holding the handles causing you to not quite put your entire weight on the scale properly? I ask because my weighing scales are in front of my bathroom sink, and when I hold it to steady myself on a morning, the scales show less until I remove my hands from the sink, then give the true reading. Might be wrong, but just a thought anyway :)
  • nicola8989
    nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
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    I know what you mean I've noticed that on my scales too, but you don't hold the handles at first while it takes your weight, just afterwards when it takes your body fat x

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