Is my scale correctly calibrated?

emilycramsey19
emilycramsey19 Posts: 15 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
My scale is saying I keep gaining weight. I havent seen these numbers since high school. My clothes fit fine. I don't see a difference in how I look. I work out but not enough to gain pounds of muscle. Is my scale right or wrong? Its rather old

Replies

  • emilycramsey19
    emilycramsey19 Posts: 15 Member
    My analog scale says I haven't gained weight
  • sueami1
    sueami1 Posts: 15 Member
    I got a new digital scale, after realizing that my very old analog was very off from my doctor's office scale and that the adjusting wheel kept getting bumped and nudged and I had to remember how far above zero to set it each morning.

    The new scale jives perfectly with my new doctor's office digital scale (I did not switch doctors because her scale weighed me high, but it was an added bonus to get a kinder scale :smiley: )

    https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/scales/buying-guide/index.htm
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    edited March 2018
    Do you need fresh batteries? You have two scales, I take it.
  • emilycramsey19
    emilycramsey19 Posts: 15 Member
    Yes. The analog scale is the old one that no one particularly uses anymore

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    You can test it with gallon milk jugs. Filled with water, they weighs 8.3lbs each. (Or, if you've ever bought hand weights, use them.) . Weigh a single jug (it's hard to weigh two). Weigh yourself with 0, 1 and 2 jugs.

    Or, just buy a new scale. I have this one from Amazon and it seems good enough for the purpose:

    http://a.co/fpyPRke
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,740 Member
    Next time you have a doctor's appointment, weigh yourself at home just before you go, dressed as you would be at the doctor's office. Or weigh yourself afterwards. That's how we found out our old scale was off by 7 pounds. Our new scale is correct.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Calibrate them and see if it still gives you the same number.
    Weight gain can creep up on us so we don't notice we have gained :/
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited March 2018
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    You can test it with gallon milk jugs. Filled with water, they weighs 8.3lbs each. (Or, if you've ever bought hand weights, use them.) . Weigh a single jug (it's hard to weigh two). Weigh yourself with 0, 1 and 2 jugs.

    Or, just buy a new scale. I have this one from Amazon and it seems good enough for the purpose:

    http://a.co/fpyPRke

    Scales calibrate differently at different weights. The accuracy of 5-10 lb object is not the same as 150-200 lbs.

    How much does your scale say you've gained over what period of time? How many times have you weighed yourself during this period? 2 lbs every week for 3 months or 0.1 lb per day for a week or 5 lb difference since last time you weighed 2 weeks ago?? Big difference between these scenarios.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    You can test it with gallon milk jugs. Filled with water, they weighs 8.3lbs each. (Or, if you've ever bought hand weights, use them.) . Weigh a single jug (it's hard to weigh two). Weigh yourself with 0, 1 and 2 jugs.

    Or, just buy a new scale. I have this one from Amazon and it seems good enough for the purpose:

    http://a.co/fpyPRke

    Scales calibrate differently at different weights. The accuracy of 5-10 lb object is not the same as 150-200 lbs.

    How much does your scale say you've gained over what period of time? How many times have you weighed yourself during this period? 2 lbs every week for 3 months or 0.1 lb per day for a week or 5 lb difference since last time you weighed 2 weeks ago?? Big difference between these scenarios.

    Yes, which is why you weigh with the jugs. So if the scale shows 205 without the jug and 215 with the jug you know that there's a calibration error.
  • emilycramsey19
    emilycramsey19 Posts: 15 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    You can test it with gallon milk jugs. Filled with water, they weighs 8.3lbs each. (Or, if you've ever bought hand weights, use them.) . Weigh a single jug (it's hard to weigh two). Weigh yourself with 0, 1 and 2 jugs.

    Or, just buy a new scale. I have this one from Amazon and it seems good enough for the purpose:

    http://a.co/fpyPRke

    Scales calibrate differently at different weights. The accuracy of 5-10 lb object is not the same as 150-200 lbs.

    How much does your scale say you've gained over what period of time? How many times have you weighed yourself during this period? 2 lbs every week for 3 months or 0.1 lb per day for a week or 5 lb difference since last time you weighed 2 weeks ago?? Big difference between these scenarios. [/quot

    From december to now it's creeped up from 109.5 to 112.5 off and on. Always a .5-2 pound difference. Ive been exercising and trying to eat healthy but there's no difference

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