Questions about weighing in "stone"

orangegato
orangegato Posts: 6,572 Member
edited November 25 in Health and Weight Loss
This is a totally innocent and honest question. I live in the US and am not familiar w/ "stone" as a measure of weight. It seems that many MFP users from Great Britain, Ireland and Australia (I think?) use this measurement. Just wondering if it is used for other things or only for human body weight? Would you use it to describe the weight of your dog, or would you use it to describe how much weight you are bench pressing?
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Replies

  • thegeordielass
    thegeordielass Posts: 208 Member
    If I recall right, the vets have only ever weighed my uncle's dog in kg. I don't think anyone would use it weight lifting (happy to be proven wrong, it's not something I do). I think it's pretty much just people.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Stones are used for animal measurements I believe. 14 pounds is a stone when it comes to a living animal (human, dog, etc.). I'm fairly certain everything else is the metric system.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Here you go.

    http://www.weightconversions.org/imperial-imperial.htm


    Cheers, h.
  • jrochest
    jrochest Posts: 119 Member
    Stone and pounds is kind of analogous to feet and inches, although Brits are the only people who use it, I think: Canadians think in pounds for body weight, but I'm not sure about Australia and New Zealand (or India, for that matter).
  • Fionella
    Fionella Posts: 17 Member
    Australia is in kilograms.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,688 Member
    In both Australia and Canada we measure in kilograms. :)
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,303 Member
    edited March 2018
    Machka9 wrote: »
    12 x 14 = 168 lbs + 1 = 169 lbs. :)

    And there you have proof positive of an epic out of fingers add fail!!!! I will blame the stones, or just call it water weight due to high sodium and that will be my final answer!!!
  • mazcor536
    mazcor536 Posts: 115 Member
    It’s like learning a new language. You hear the word but need to mentally translate it before you understand.
  • crabbybrianna
    crabbybrianna Posts: 344 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    In both Australia and Canada we measure in kilograms. :)

    Not in Canada. Canadians use lbs for body weight. I’ve never come across anyone who uses kilograms here, except they will convert lbs to kgs on drivers licences.
  • Bedazzled35
    Bedazzled35 Posts: 50 Member
    A stone is an archaic measurement, originally used to trade goods although this is no longer legal in the UK.

    However it remains most British people's goto measurement for bodyweight. I can visualise a 10 stone woman and with a quick run through my 14 times table I can easily equate that to 140 pounds. I'd struggle to do that with 68kg although the conversion isn't difficult.

    The same thing exists with height, I'm 5'7 not 1.7m
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Yeah a stone is still referred to by us in the UK even though we actually are metric for measurements/weights now. Most of us understand both.
    I think in stones and pounds but also convert easily to kgs.
    I like that my weight sounds lighter in kgs - 57kgs instead of 8 stone 13lbs or 125lbs
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,688 Member
    crabbybrianna wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    In both Australia and Canada we measure in kilograms. :)

    Not in Canada. Canadians use lbs for body weight. I’ve never come across anyone who uses kilograms here, except they will convert lbs to kgs on drivers licences.

    Really? I did. When I lived in Canada, we switched to metric when at some point in the 1970s and I used metric from that point on. Did Canada switch back to imperial since 2009? I haven't had that impression each time I've visited .........
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    crabbybrianna wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    In both Australia and Canada we measure in kilograms. :)

    Not in Canada. Canadians use lbs for body weight. I’ve never come across anyone who uses kilograms here, except they will convert lbs to kgs on drivers licences.

    Really? I did. When I lived in Canada, we switched to metric when at some point in the 1970s and I used metric from that point on. Did Canada switch back to imperial since 2009? I haven't had that impression each time I've visited .........

    we definitely use pounds for bodyweight in Canada, other than for surgery I notice they've always made note of my weight in kg - other than that, everything and everything else I see discussed in pounds.
  • ap1972
    ap1972 Posts: 214 Member
    Confusion is only because it's not what you are used to. I have to convert pounds into Stones in order to visualize how much someone weighs although I have a general idea from 200 onwards.

    It's no different than Feet and Inches just that no one goes around saying they are 70 inches rather than 5' 10"
  • crabbybrianna
    crabbybrianna Posts: 344 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    crabbybrianna wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    In both Australia and Canada we measure in kilograms. :)

    Not in Canada. Canadians use lbs for body weight. I’ve never come across anyone who uses kilograms here, except they will convert lbs to kgs on drivers licences.

    Really? I did. When I lived in Canada, we switched to metric when at some point in the 1970s and I used metric from that point on. Did Canada switch back to imperial since 2009? I haven't had that impression each time I've visited .........

    Yes, we switched to metric, but no one uses kgs for body weight. The only place I’ve ever seen it is drivers licences, they will convert your weight and height to metric, but no one actually uses those for measurements. For height we use feet and inches and weight is lbs. Even doctors offices weigh you in lbs, at least all of the doctors my husband and I have gone to. I couldn’t even tell you my height and weight in metric. I have no idea. Everything else is metric, though. Well, most things.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,688 Member
    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    crabbybrianna wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    In both Australia and Canada we measure in kilograms. :)

    Not in Canada. Canadians use lbs for body weight. I’ve never come across anyone who uses kilograms here, except they will convert lbs to kgs on drivers licences.

    Really? I did. When I lived in Canada, we switched to metric when at some point in the 1970s and I used metric from that point on. Did Canada switch back to imperial since 2009? I haven't had that impression each time I've visited .........

    we definitely use pounds for bodyweight in Canada, other than for surgery I notice they've always made note of my weight in kg - other than that, everything and everything else I see discussed in pounds.

    Hmmm ... maybe you live in a different part of Canada than I did.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    The only really confusing part is if you see

    14.2 stone determining whether the person meant 14.2 stone or 14 stone 2(pounds).

    I recall that issue came up with a digital scale some months back.
  • mazcor536
    mazcor536 Posts: 115 Member
    stanmann571 wrote: »
    The only really confusing part is if you see

    14.2 stone determining whether the person meant 14.2 stone or 14 stone 2(pounds).

    I recall that issue came up with a digital scale some months back.
    Exactly this!! Is there a way to shorthand this? Like feet and inches (“ ‘)?
  • rjdubock0609
    rjdubock0609 Posts: 19 Member
    I think usually people would just write 14st 2 (or maybe 2lb). I don't think I've ever seen symbols to indicate it like feet and inches.
  • ap1972
    ap1972 Posts: 214 Member
    rjdubock0609 wrote: »
    I think usually people would just write 14st 2 (or maybe 2lb). I don't think I've ever seen symbols to indicate it like feet and inches.
    rjdubock0609 wrote: »
    I think usually people would just write 14st 2 (or maybe 2lb). I don't think I've ever seen symbols to indicate it like feet and inches.

    In written form that is correct but digital scales don't have that ability, mine say 14.2 for 14 st 2lbs even though that is not correct based on decimal system

  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    edited March 2018
    ap1972 wrote: »
    rjdubock0609 wrote: »
    I think usually people would just write 14st 2 (or maybe 2lb). I don't think I've ever seen symbols to indicate it like feet and inches.
    rjdubock0609 wrote: »
    I think usually people would just write 14st 2 (or maybe 2lb). I don't think I've ever seen symbols to indicate it like feet and inches.

    In written form that is correct but digital scales don't have that ability, mine say 14.2 for 14 st 2lbs even though that is not correct based on decimal system

    One would think(incorrectly) that a digital scale intended to display stone would have a subscript S available instead of a decimal, as most modern LCD are not limited to particular patterns
    xxxxxxxxx
x       x
x   xxxxx
xxx   xxx
x       x
xxxxxxxxx
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    crabbybrianna wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    In both Australia and Canada we measure in kilograms. :)

    Not in Canada. Canadians use lbs for body weight. I’ve never come across anyone who uses kilograms here, except they will convert lbs to kgs on drivers licences.

    Really? I did. When I lived in Canada, we switched to metric when at some point in the 1970s and I used metric from that point on. Did Canada switch back to imperial since 2009? I haven't had that impression each time I've visited .........

    we definitely use pounds for bodyweight in Canada, other than for surgery I notice they've always made note of my weight in kg - other than that, everything and everything else I see discussed in pounds.

    Hmmm ... maybe you live in a different part of Canada than I did.

    I'm out west and the only place I see KG is my license (and it's way wrong) and Garmin, because it won't do a mix and I want my distance in KM.

    Even the gym the weights are in lbs.

  • Froggyh
    Froggyh Posts: 81 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    I've only rarely heard people use stones for big dogs - just to give a comparison between a particular dog and a human "Wow - my Great Dane weighs 10 stone!".
    A vet would weigh animals in kilos. A Doctor would weigh a person in kilos but might convert to stones & pounds for clarity to the patient.

    I quite like the use of stones for body weight. Apart from being what I've grown up with as it's a gross measurement it can take away some of the obsession around small weight fluctuations and be a bit more realistic in that we don't weigh to the same pound every day. If someone wanted to know my weight I would say "12 stone" and people would (I hope!) interpret that as around 12 stone. Ditto twelve and a half stone for example.

    In the gym dumbbells and free weights are in kilos. The equivalent to your 45 plates would be 20 kilos plates (44lbs). I don't mentally convert kilos to pounds when I lift, I'm benching 100kg not 220lbs.

    The shift to metric measurements is faster in official use than in everyday language, a lot is age-related of course. We buy the fuel for our cars in litres but in my mind I work out fuel consumption in miles per gallon.

    The closest thing to universal use of weights and measurements in Britain is a pint of beer.
    But remember our pints are bigger (20 fl oz) compared to a US pint (16 fl oz).

    I'm the same. I know I weigh around 10st right now, and ultimately I'd like to be closer to 9st, and that's enough for me.

    This is, incidentally, why I weigh myself in kilos. I have a general idea of where a given number might tie into my past weight and/or my goal, but it doesn't have the same emotional connotations as pounds. I think this is because I grew up with a lot of American media, and there seems to be this unspoken rule on TV that 120lb is the "ideal" weight for women (I swear, every main character ever has 120lb listed on her driver's licence :tongue: ), so I have subconscious ideas about various weights in pounds that I don't have with the same weights in kg.
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