Scale Problem?

vbcp861
vbcp861 Posts: 7 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
So I've lost about 25-28 Ibs in the past few years. I weigh my self a few times a week to help me maintain my weight. Since August of this past year I have been in around 132-134. I have used the same scale but have an older scale in the closet. My scale I was using always said I was 132-134. Then one day, it said I was 135-136, even though I work out and count my calories almost daily, it kept saying I was heavier. When I went to use the older scale, it said I was 137. I've been having this issue for a few week now, despite counting calories and working out. The scales keep giving higher numbers which hasn't happened before.

Is it the scale? Is it an issue with batteries? If it is, why would the numbers all of a sudden start increasing? I know the weight isn't a big increase, but my concern comes from the fact I was in a lower weight range consistently since last summer. Any advice appreciated!

Replies

  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    It was one day it was off? placed in the same place as usual at the same time as you normally weigh yourself?

    checking the battery isn't a bad idea. Check that it is properly set at 0 when you are not on it. But it coudl just be a one day thing or a time of day thing. See if it changes next week.
  • vbcp861
    vbcp861 Posts: 7 Member
    No it wasn't one day off. It has been like this for a couple weeks now which is why I'm concerned. My diet and work outs have not changed either.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    You are lucky to not have fluctuated more than 2 lbs for a year! Most women fluctuate much more than that due their monthly cycle, sometimes at ovulation and others at TOM.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    I had that problem. I'm sorry, I don't think your scale is incorrect. It made no sense to me either. I upped my protein and dropped my carbs and the weight dropped again. I did not change my calories or my exercise. I had been maintaining 5 years at that point.
  • counting_kilojoules
    counting_kilojoules Posts: 170 Member
    Usually I'm not one to fluctuate much but once I just gained two kilos overnight. I actually went out and bought a new scale I was so shocked. Unfortunately the new one said the same thing. I was eating at a .5kg deficit at the time and it took four weeks to come off. I'm really not sure how I gained it.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    nxd10 wrote: »
    I had that problem. I'm sorry, I don't think your scale is incorrect. It made no sense to me either. I upped my protein and dropped my carbs and the weight dropped again. I did not change my calories or my exercise. I had been maintaining 5 years at that point.

    dropping carbs results in water loss and glycogen depletion thats why it dropped.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
    FWIW: The state of the batteries will not change the reading on a modern digital scale until they become insufficient to power the scale (which will usually be indicated by a BAT indicator or the LCD display fading). In other words, modern digital scales use circuits that are insensitive to the slow droop in battery voltage.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    FWIW: The state of the batteries will not change the reading on a modern digital scale until they become insufficient to power the scale (which will usually be indicated by a BAT indicator or the LCD display fading). In other words, modern digital scales use circuits that are insensitive to the slow droop in battery voltage.

    yep mine will tell me when the battery is low. even my digital food scale will show a battery icon and will flash if low or close to being dead
  • Glasscandle
    Glasscandle Posts: 134 Member
    counting_kilojoules wrote: »
    Usually I'm not one to fluctuate much but once I just gained two kilos overnight. I actually went out and bought a new scale I was so shocked. Unfortunately the new one said the same thing. I was eating at a .5kg deficit at the time and it took four weeks to come off. I'm really not sure how I gained it.

    I have this happen regularly!!!! It makes absolutely no sense. I thought I was the only one defying the laws of Physics (at least that is what my significant other tells me)!

    Hang in there. If you are counting calories, exercising, it does eventually go away (usually as a whoosh).
  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,135 Member
    I know my digital scale has a kind of "memory" to it, so if I get on one day and I get "X" for a reading, the next day it will say "Oh, you again? Here's your reading of X again." So even if there are fluctuations around a range it just gives me the weight it was at last time. Then my weight would change to the point that it was like, "Ok now we are pounds away from what I remember so here's your new weight of X." I got to the point that I was removing the batteries every time I wanted to weigh myself in order to get an accurate unbiased memory reading.

    So I guess what I'm saying is, your weight may have been slowly changing and your scale not accurately reflecting it until you went up a full pound or two and then it stayed there, if that makes sense?
  • Zodikosis
    Zodikosis Posts: 149 Member
    Another possible issue: if there is something underneath the scale making it not lay flat against the floor, or if the floor is not flat. My scale will act weird if my cat knocked a hair tie under there, or if part of it is laying against a loose tile.

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