Bathroom scales

ReenieHJ
ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I weigh myself a couple times a week. It's getting discouraging because sometimes I've gained a couple pounds for no good reason. I'm not sure how accurate my scale is anymore; I've had it for years. My question to you is, do you have an accurate scale that you'd recommend?
Thanks!

Replies

  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,147 Member
    When your bodyweight goes up it's not usually for "no good reason" but more often than not also not fat.

    Your bodyweight fluctuates constantly, so it's likely there's nothing wrong with your scales at all.

    The following are some of the reasons your weight may go up a couple of pounds:
    • More waste in your digestive system, if you haven't had a bowel movement at the same time as you normally do.
    • More food/water eaten prior to weighing than usual.
    • Water retention as a result of any of the following or more:
      1. Different macro intake than normal
      2. Increased sodium intake
      3. Medication
      4. Injury
      5. New exercise/increased intensity of exercise
      6. Hormonal changes (not limited to during period)
      7. Hydration level
      8. Alcohol Intake

    These things can cause fluctuations constantly and a couple of pounds is well within the expected range of these fluctuations.

    It's the long term trend that's important.

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  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    I weigh myself a couple times a week. It's getting discouraging because sometimes I've gained a couple pounds for no good reason. I'm not sure how accurate my scale is anymore; I've had it for years. My question to you is, do you have an accurate scale that you'd recommend?
    Thanks!

    Not one that won't give the same results. Just about everyone's scale goes up. Seems like it is time for you to read this:

    https://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/
  • drmwc
    drmwc Posts: 1,053 Member
    I use the app Libra to track my weight - it draws a simple trend line to smooth out fluctuations. I weight daily, and don't take too much note of an individual reading. As others have said, the trend is more important than a particular value.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    ND, thank you for that link. While I know that in my brain, my mind tells me it needs to show up on the scale. :/ Sometimes I use the scale as too rigid of an indicator. Must stop doing that. :) Thanks for the reminder everyone; you just saved me some money and taught me patience.
  • rdthoms
    rdthoms Posts: 61 Member
    I've found that it's best to just weigh weekly. And to do it same day/same time each week. Used to be Friday's but switching to Monday's made the weekend eating more responsible! :smiley:

    I also log on myshape.fitness (google it) it builds a 3D body avatar and lets you define a goal shape and track toward that.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    ND, thank you for that link. While I know that in my brain, my mind tells me it needs to show up on the scale. :/ Sometimes I use the scale as too rigid of an indicator. Must stop doing that. :) Thanks for the reminder everyone; you just saved me some money and taught me patience.

    I didn't have the link when I had a problem but eventually I kept doing the math. For me to gain a pound of fat I have to eat at least 3500 calories above my maintenance for a day. My log may not be 100 percent. Things can be forgotten or recorded wrong. It would never be off by that much though.
  • lgfrie
    lgfrie Posts: 1,449 Member
    A scale is not a great indicator of diet progress in anything but the long term (3+ months imho). The best indicator of diet progress is logging the calories precisely and hitting your caloric target. If you do that, the scale will follow, eventually. In the interim, scales are fickle and annoying beasts, kind of like cats but without the soft fur and charm.
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