I weigh less on my Doctors scale then I do on my scale at home! Which scale should I believe?

jaz0316
jaz0316 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone! I've been working out and dieting for a little over a month now and my home scale hasn't changed. I went to the doctors to start a weight management course and the scale says I've lost 3lbs! yay! But when I weigh myself on my home scale, it still hasn't changed? I hadn't eaten anything before going to the doctor (I had labs done) and I also don't eat anything before weighing myself at home. I got weighed at the doctors fully clothed and in the morning, but when I weigh myself at home i'm nude and it is in the morning as well.

Could there be something wrong with my home scale? Should I just stick with what my doctors scale says? I've honestly never had this problem before, usually the doctors office has me being heavier!

Replies

  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    stick to the scale you consistently weigh on, it's 3lbs... hardly life changing difference in terms of your health if you were to accidentally be 3lbs under or overweight. Unless you plan to visit your doctor weekly just go by the home one.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
    I think you should stick with the home scale since it's going to be a much more consistent weigh-in. The clothes you wear, etc, may change at various doctor appointments. I've never heard of the doctor's office being less! It's always more in all the other threads, lol.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Maybe the doctor's scale is wrong. Is this a weight loss clinic?
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
    edited May 2017
    you can validate you home scale by putting something that is a known weight on it and see how it shakes out.

    On a second note, it doesn't really matter which number you use. select one and keep tract and trend your weight to see that it is going in the right direction. weight is just a number, nothing magical about it.

    there are apps for your phone that can trend your weight for you. maybe check them out.
  • jaz0316
    jaz0316 Posts: 2 Member
    I'll be visiting the Doctor monthly so I will have access to it. This is not a weight loss clinic it is an actual doctors office. I'll try to validate my homescale when I arrive home. Maybe it just needs to be calibrated again.
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    I've got the opposite problem, I weigh more 8 lbs more at the docs office! It irritates me cuz I use two scales at home and I weigh 140-145 but at the docs its 153 pisses me off and I dunno what I really weigh
  • caryll4
    caryll4 Posts: 21 Member
    I found out that if you have a digital scale, I read it on my scale instructions, I weigh myself with 5 lb weights, first then step off and when it goes to zero ,I weigh myself and get an accurate reading. The scales if there isn,t a 2 lb difference it will record last reading. I threw a pair of scales away ,because I thought they were wrong. Then got on google and saw that. So weigh yourself with something over 2 lbs ,then weigh yourself you should see a difference hope this helps, or go to google and it will explain .
  • hickchic67
    hickchic67 Posts: 802 Member
    I have same problem. Multiple doctor office scales weigh me lighter than scale at home. I think it is just the scale itself. I go by it for consistency but at the same time, I definitely dont beat myself up if weight shows in wrong direction knowing that the scales could be wrong. We tried calibrating them using the additional 5lb weight method and according to that , its within 8oz. However, its still about 4-5lb heavier than my doctors' offices scales.
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
    Time for an accuracy check. Try dumbell weights or stacking unopened bags of dried rice, pasta, cereal, whatever on it (so long as the total is greater than the minimum weight threshold for the scales) and see if the scales give the correct results
  • qpmomma1
    qpmomma1 Posts: 220 Member
    Also, for accuracy weight yourself at the same time every day. Even a few hours can make a difference. I can fluctuate 5lbs from morning to night.

    If it bothers you, you can get on the doctor's scale backwards and tell the nurse not to tell you your weight. That's what I do.
  • Tried30UserNames
    Tried30UserNames Posts: 561 Member
    Does your scale need new batteries?
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
    whitpauly wrote: »
    I've got the opposite problem, I weigh more 8 lbs more at the docs office! It irritates me cuz I use two scales at home and I weigh 140-145 but at the docs its 153 pisses me off and I dunno what I really weigh

    but your naked at home and clothed at the drs?
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    I'd go with the scale you usually use regularly. Clinics and offices usually have their equipment and scales calibrated and maintained by the manufacturer, so theirs might technically be the most accurate.
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  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    whitpauly wrote: »
    I've got the opposite problem, I weigh more 8 lbs more at the docs office! It irritates me cuz I use two scales at home and I weigh 140-145 but at the docs its 153 pisses me off and I dunno what I really weigh

    but your naked at home and clothed at the drs?

    True+ its usually after I've eaten and drank water so that's most likely the reason
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