Scale Discrepancies

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Katiebug0925
Katiebug0925 Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So my roommates and I have a digital scale and it says I weigh around 195 (about lbs heavier than when I started) , but when I use another friends digital scale, it says I'm 186.5(about 5 lbs lighter) (note: there was less than 5 minutes between weighings). When I went and used a manual scale at a 24 hr fitness the day before (but at the same time of day), it said I was around 187.8. I'm not really sure which to believe, if any. Could anyone provide any insight as to why the scales are giving me such different weights?

Replies

  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    Take a 5 lbs weight, put it on the scales and see which one of them is ok and which one is not.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Scales will always have discrepancies and there is no way of knowing which one is the most accurate. The scale is just a tool to measure progress. You don't need to know your accurate and exact weight for them to do that. The trick is to always use the same scale, preferably in the morning. What scale did you use to measure your starting weight? Always use that. Best of all, buy your own scale so you could weigh in consistently.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    Do about 4 measurements one after each other and take an average
  • rayrayfitz
    rayrayfitz Posts: 80 Member
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    I agree with amusedmonkey it doesn't matter which you use as long as you use the same one consistently when counting weight loss. For actual weight for target etc, use the gym one.
  • MelanieBallantino
    MelanieBallantino Posts: 16 Member
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    Scales can vary from each scale. They can even vary if you use them on different spot on the floor (due to leveling). Every scale though usually does a decent job of measuring weight loss.
  • orlandodenise
    orlandodenise Posts: 54 Member
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    I feel your pain ! I had a set of scales that i used to lose a lot of weight - then my son trod on them and broke them. I bought a new set and was instantly 5 pounds heavier ! I know its all relative to the scales but Im still gutted about losing my " lighter " scales lol :)
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    edited March 2015
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    It doesn't matter which you use providing you use only one consistently. The journey is all about progress, not a particular number. Each of them will show the same progress if used exclusively.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    The thing about scales is consistency. Same time, place and bat channel.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    None of them/all of them are accurate. If you were to check 10 different clocks, you'd probably find that none of them matched exactly but all had similar 'times'.

    Weight loss is about change in weight over time. So pick a scale, the one you'll use most often, and use it. Your weighins should be consistent. So scale in the same place, similar time of day, similar routine.

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