New scale weigh different to old ones :(

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melonmoo91
melonmoo91 Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Had to get new scales as old ones broke but the new ones weigh me 8lbs heavier than the old ones! I weighed myself at same time of day wearing same amount of clothes as I always do so now I don't know which weight to believe. If I'm going by the new ones then all my weight entries on mfp are wrong :/
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  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
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    So take off 8lbs to keep it consistent. Or, just know that from now on you're weighing on a different scale that is calibrated differently.

    You are not a number. Don't get upset!
  • racingislife97
    racingislife97 Posts: 40 Member
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    If the old one broke, I would suspect it was wrong. On the bright side, you get more calories.

    Scales for home use are unlikely to be accurate, just go to one of your local big box stores and put a bunch of different scales (even scales of the same brand) on the floor and step from one to the next. If the only difference you see is eight pounds, I'd be surprised.

    As said, you are not a number, the number is just a measure of day to day (or week to week, or month to month) changes. The actual number means little, just the difference between measurements over time, on the same scale.

    Yes, it sucks because it messes up the graphs and messes with your mind. Just either start using the scale and ignore previous data, or return the scale and find one that has the number on it you want to see. Either way, it's all the same.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    Bummer! Did you not ever weigh yourself anywhere else other than your old/new scales at home as a comparison? I weigh myself at the Y and it's within range of my home scales; a few pounds more because I've eaten and put on clothes and shoes since weighing myself at home first thing in the morning after using the bathroom and nekkid. Get dressed, weigh yourself at home, then immediately go to your doctor's office and weigh (don't eat or drink anything!). Then you can see if it is your new scales or your old ones which are wrong.
  • IvanOcampo
    IvanOcampo Posts: 226 Member
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    Does it really matter?
    Weight is arbitrary. Just go by the number you see. Your real weight and body shape is still the same regardless of what scale you use to measure it.
    If you want to lose weight be in a deficit, if you want to gain weight be at a surplus.
    It doesn't matter if your scale says the number 150 or 12. If you're one number one day and the following week that number changes in relation to your goals, you're doing the right thing.

  • melonmoo91
    melonmoo91 Posts: 19 Member
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    No I didn't. Wish I had now. I never believed that they were really accurate as they were cheap home scales but my plan was that even if my actual weigh wasn't correct the amount I was losing was if I was always using the same scale
  • pope705
    pope705 Posts: 109 Member
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    Or weigh something with a pre-determined weight. Like a 5lb weight or a box of cat litter or a bag of dog food. See if it accurate ( or close anyway). If it is then adjust your weight in your weigh in history. If not then get a new Scale and return this one
  • lipinskij
    lipinskij Posts: 4 Member
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    I have had this problem as well. Go find a hand weight, say a 10lb dumbbell and check its accuracy (I would use a digital scale personally). Then you will know for sure if it is correct. Also, always weigh yourself in the same state and at the same time of day! Good luck.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    edited April 2015
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    IvanOcampo wrote: »
    Does it really matter?
    Weight is arbitrary. Just go by the number you see. Your real weight and body shape is still the same regardless of what scale you use to measure it.
    If you want to lose weight be in a deficit, if you want to gain weight be at a surplus.
    It doesn't matter if your scale says the number 150 or 12. If you're one number one day and the following week that number changes in relation to your goals, you're doing the right thing.

    No, it doesn't really matter, but it sure messes up your MFP stats.
  • melonmoo91
    melonmoo91 Posts: 19 Member
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    Yes that's what I'm most annoyed about I'm really relying on my mfp at the moment it's the only thing I've found that works for me so far
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    And it will keep working for you. Suck it up to life experience and don't let it discourage you. In fact, it might encourage you to get back to the weight you thought you were. But still, make sure the new scales aren't the culprit. Doesn't sound like they are, but ya never know.
  • NicoleMcQuillen
    NicoleMcQuillen Posts: 43
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    melonmoo91 wrote: »
    Had to get new scales as old ones broke but the new ones weigh me 8lbs heavier than the old ones! I weighed myself at same time of day wearing same amount of clothes as I always do so now I don't know which weight to believe. If I'm going by the new ones then all my weight entries on mfp are wrong :/

    If you want to know how accurate your scale is, take a weight you have at home (if you have one) and put it on the scale.. See how far off it is. Home scales are not very reliable. I can move mine around on the floor and get a 3-5 pound difference depending on where it sits.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    NicoleMcQuillen wrote: »
    melonmoo91 wrote: »
    Had to get new scales as old ones broke but the new ones weigh me 8lbs heavier than the old ones! I weighed myself at same time of day wearing same amount of clothes as I always do so now I don't know which weight to believe. If I'm going by the new ones then all my weight entries on mfp are wrong :/

    If you want to know how accurate your scale is, take a weight you have at home (if you have one) and put it on the scale.. See how far off it is. Home scales are not very reliable. I can move mine around on the floor and get a 3-5 pound difference depending on where it sits.

    I just moved mine around on the floor in six different places. Same weight. Tried with two five pound barbells as well. Same ten pounds in all six different places. Perhaps you should invest in a good digital scale as well.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    That happened to me midway through my weight loss. I remember it felt like a huge setback. But remember that nothing has really changed. You have made the same amount of progress. Scales just often don't agree with each other exactly, which is why we say they are trending tools only.
  • KatieMusselwhite92113
    KatieMusselwhite92113 Posts: 98 Member
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    Just remember that even if it was weighing you lighter than reality, it was still measuring your loss. You've still lost the same amount most likely, but your starting weight and current weight might each be 8 lbs heavier. I have already put some thought into this because I bought a new scale and it's coming Monday and I am worried about this same thing!
  • melonmoo91
    melonmoo91 Posts: 19 Member
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    I have now weighed a bag of cat litter on the scale and it was slightly out. About a pound nothing like the 8lbs weight change so old ones must of just been way out. I am still happy with how much I have lost doesn't stop me feeling really disappointed about being 8lbs heavier than I thought
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    Again, weigh yourself on your new scales, then without eating or drinking anything, go to your doctor's office and weigh. A bag of cat litter is just an estimated weight.
  • melonmoo91
    melonmoo91 Posts: 19 Member
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    Yeah I will do next week when I get a chance to get there
  • NicoleMcQuillen
    NicoleMcQuillen Posts: 43
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    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    NicoleMcQuillen wrote: »
    melonmoo91 wrote: »
    Had to get new scales as old ones broke but the new ones weigh me 8lbs heavier than the old ones! I weighed myself at same time of day wearing same amount of clothes as I always do so now I don't know which weight to believe. If I'm going by the new ones then all my weight entries on mfp are wrong :/

    If you want to know how accurate your scale is, take a weight you have at home (if you have one) and put it on the scale.. See how far off it is. Home scales are not very reliable. I can move mine around on the floor and get a 3-5 pound difference depending on where it sits.

    I just moved mine around on the floor in six different places. Same weight. Tried with two five pound barbells as well. Same ten pounds in all six different places. Perhaps you should invest in a good digital scale as well.

    I have a good scale it's just the apartment I live did not settle the best and I assume the floor is slightly uneven, which will make the scale inaccurate. I have it in a spot where my scale says my 5 lb dumbbell is 5.1 lbs, so that's good enough for me.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    I truly feel your pain. If I were to find out that my scales were saying I was eight pounds less than I really was, then I would really be ticked off. If I were in your situation, I would probably wean the pounds off on MFP; for example, if my old weight was 150, and my new weight 158, and my new scales showed that I am now 156, instead of subtracting two pounds from the existing 150, I would just subtract one. So basically, for the next sixteen pounds, you can just subtract one pound until you get to your real weight, and then start logging in normally. Hope that makes sense.
  • melonmoo91
    melonmoo91 Posts: 19 Member
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    Yes that's makes sense xx

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