What bathroom scale am I better off owning?

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AnaisInard
AnaisInard Posts: 23 Member
edited February 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
I want to buy a digital bathroom scale to replace my old scale because it's missing the needle (there's a line drawn in the middle of the scale, but it's thick so if I look to the left or right it looks like either a 0.5 kg or 1kg increase to my eyes) so I have to adjust the scale myself, but it's a really annoying, inaccurate and discouraging way to weigh myself.

My weight has been going back and forth by 1kg for almost my entire weight loss journey (more than a month) despite weighing everything with a food scale and exercising well.

It could be because of my small deficit (0.5 kg per week goal, 4 (plan to increase it to 5) days of dieting, 250 deficit and I'm still hungry with 1350 calories), or maybe I'm gaining back my miniscule weight loss on my eating days (my name for cheat days).

I could accept my setbacks and slow progress better and it might put my mind at ease if I bought a fully functioning digital scale, but the problem is that when I do my research online there's either one star reviews for the scales or none at all and I don't want to go in blind when I buy a scale.

A lot of scales also have inconsistent readings, so I don't want to waste my money on an inaccurate scale that differs by 1kg. I could just do that for free with my old scale!

So do I just stay with my old scale or take a risk with a new scale?
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Replies

  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    Pick one. Doesn't matter if it is new and fancy or old and has a line drawn on it, because they ALL will have inconsistencies. The trick is to minimize the inconsistencies as much as you can - weigh at the same time of day each time you weigh in, wearing the same clothing - or lack of it, in the same conditions (so most people pick first thing in the morning, naked, after using the restroom). As long as you're seeing an overall downward trend, that's what matters, nothing else. If you're struggling with seeing the minuscule losses as frustrating, you could switch to weighing only once a week or once a month so that the minuscule losses have a chance to build on each other and what you see is a more significant and visibly lower # on the scale. Might help.
  • KeepTheFaith9
    KeepTheFaith9 Posts: 80 Member
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    I'm in the market for one too. I'm going digital but I want to avoid ones that have the type of "memory" that will give you the same weight as your last weight if you're within a certain range. So for example, if you weighted 100.4 last time, and weighed 101.1 today, it would read 100.4 because it's within that range. I think some have up to a 2 pound range. My current scale does that, so if I want 2 readings I have to step off, weigh something else or put half weight on it to get a reading, and then weigh myself again to get my 2nd valid readings. Not a huge deal but an annoyance - and it could cause a situation that you don't recognize a loss or gain until it reaches 2 pounds. They do it to give the illusion of consistency.
  • echmainfit619
    echmainfit619 Posts: 333 Member
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    You might consider getting a professional beam scale, like they use in doctors' offices and you have to slide the counter weights back and forth. An entry level model is around $175. They're made by Detecto or Heath-O-Meter.
  • AnaisInard
    AnaisInard Posts: 23 Member
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    Thanks for the help everyone, for now I'll stick with my old scale. After positioning the scale as best as I could by using a known weight (a dumbell) and increasing my calories a bit and doing a bit more exercise this week, I was finally able to see a new number on the scale today.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I'm looking for a digital scale too. I have one of the old school dial scales which I have had since the dark ages!!
    Am i right in thinking those body fat scales are inaccurate and a waste of money? ? As they're a lot more expensive than the regular digital scales.
  • Khukhullatus
    Khukhullatus Posts: 361 Member
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    I'd just hit up Bed, Bath & Beyond and grab the one that appeals to you the most. Unless you are looking for one of the ones that automatically updates your phone or fitbit via Bluetooth, they're a pretty simple piece of tech, so any of them should work great.
  • Khukhullatus
    Khukhullatus Posts: 361 Member
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    I keep threatening to build this thing when I have a free weekend.

    http://lifehacker.com/build-a-motivational-bathroom-scale-with-a-raspberry-pi-1660862546
  • soidade
    soidade Posts: 116 Member
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    My weight can fluctuate by 7 pounds in a day. A month isn't long enough to say that it's "going back and forth." Weigh yourself once a week under the same conditions.
  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,276 Member
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    I hate the scale we have. Gonna toss that piece of trash! It has a syrupy sweet voice, that tells me my weight.
  • ogmomma2012
    ogmomma2012 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    We have a great scale that's coming to us soon that I bought off Groupon. It's mainly for my hubbys peace of mind that the weight limit is 440lbs. He's nearly 400lbs himself.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    this is the one i bought recently and love it. no, it doesnt talk. no it doesnt tell me body fat. it tells me my weight. it has a light. its not fancy. it is accurate. http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KXZ808/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  • happygalah
    happygalah Posts: 343 Member
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    I have a Fitbit Aria for more than a year and I love it. Best scale I've ever had.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    Am i right in thinking those body fat scales are inaccurate and a waste of money? ? As they're a lot more expensive than the regular digital scales.

    Yep. Pretty much.
    Are they accurate? No. They give an estimate and studies have concluded that body fat scales do not give precise readings. Consumer Reports tested body fat scales and found them all to be inaccurate. Factors such as body type, body temperature, hydration, and recent exercise can have a noteworthy impact on the number you see on the scale. Even wet or sweaty feet can skew the results.

    fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/body-fat-scales-do-they-really-work.html
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Thanks for that @segacs‌ :smile:
  • KeepTheFaith9
    KeepTheFaith9 Posts: 80 Member
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    @callsitlikeiseesit - thanks for the link. I'm going with that one. Basic and good reviews.
  • jessiethe3rd
    jessiethe3rd Posts: 239 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Love my Aria. With my Microsoft Band and MFP I have a end to end, automated fitness solution.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    None, hate a scale. I go by how my clothes fit and how I feel. A # on the scale makes me crazy and can set me up for a lousy day. :p
  • bigd66218
    bigd66218 Posts: 376 Member
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    echmainfit619 wrote: »
    You might consider getting a professional beam scale, like they use in doctors' offices and you have to slide the counter weights back and forth. An entry level model is around $175. They're made by Detecto or Heath-O-Meter.

    I own a Health o meter I purchased in 2001 for around $200 and still works great. If space is a concern, I had a Tania digital body fat scale entry level that I bought at Walgreens. I returned is after a few weeks when I realized wow I am obsessed with weighing myself. The numbers on both scales were exactly the same.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    AnaisInard wrote: »
    My weight has been going back and forth by 1kg for almost my entire weight loss journey (more than a month) despite weighing everything with a food scale and exercising well.

    It could be because of my small deficit (0.5 kg per week goal, 4 (plan to increase it to 5) days of dieting, 250 deficit and I'm still hungry with 1350 calories), or maybe I'm gaining back my miniscule weight loss on my eating days (my name for cheat days).

    I don't think a new scale will help much. Aiming for a 250 calorie deficit 4 days per week and eating all you want 3 days wouldn't result in weight loss for the vast majority of people. Even if you didn't overeat on your 'eating days' and if your logging was perfect, it'd take you about a month to lose .5kg at that deficit level. If you're exercising more, you're probably retaining water, too. It could take 6-12 months to really see measurable progress under your conditions.

    Though an inaccurate scale can also contribute to a lack of motivation.

  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    The one that weighs you the most accurately....

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