Does a digital scale need recalibration?

ladyofivy
ladyofivy Posts: 648
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Our scale is pretty old--we got it in 2005. It's a digital scale, and we went a very long time without using it. It zeroes out before we get on it. I should actually at least put new batteries into it, because it does say "Lo" sometimes.

Anyway, my husband and I have been sliding right along, going mostly down in weight or staying at the same. I'm a scale addict, and I weigh myself every day. (I know, I know, I don't need to hear about that.)

I was down to 196.6 at one point, although admittedly only the once, and then generally was still reading upper 196 and lower 197. Yesterday I was at the lower 197 during the day.

The scale is right next to the toilet and while I was there my feet were on the scale with it off.

I finished my *cough* "business" and got on the scale and it said I weighed 200.2! :sad:

I got off and weighed a couple more times, and still I was 200. (I was DONE weighing 200!!! :sad: )

I checked again this morning, and it said 198.8.

Yesterday, if you didn't read my thread about it last night, was a weird day where I ended up missing lunch and a snack (which I usually don't do--I'm pretty scheduled about food) I ended up with 900 cals left at the end of the day, and then I ate some lowfat tortilla chips, fat free refried beans, salsa, lowfat cheese and a chocolate milk, leaving me at 200+ cals left for the day. Then I had an iced tea with Splenda.

I was hoping the extra weight was just because I still had heavy food in my belly last night.

I asked my husband this morning if he would step on the scale, and he's 2 lbs heavier this morning than he was last time he weighed himself, too.

Sooo.... long story short (I know, too late), is it possible that the scale needs new batteries or recalibration? Did I ruin it by using it as a footstool? :embarassed:

Edited to Add the question: Or is it that I totally messed up with my food intake yesterday???

Replies

  • ladyofivy
    ladyofivy Posts: 648
    Our scale is pretty old--we got it in 2005. It's a digital scale, and we went a very long time without using it. It zeroes out before we get on it. I should actually at least put new batteries into it, because it does say "Lo" sometimes.

    Anyway, my husband and I have been sliding right along, going mostly down in weight or staying at the same. I'm a scale addict, and I weigh myself every day. (I know, I know, I don't need to hear about that.)

    I was down to 196.6 at one point, although admittedly only the once, and then generally was still reading upper 196 and lower 197. Yesterday I was at the lower 197 during the day.

    The scale is right next to the toilet and while I was there my feet were on the scale with it off.

    I finished my *cough* "business" and got on the scale and it said I weighed 200.2! :sad:

    I got off and weighed a couple more times, and still I was 200. (I was DONE weighing 200!!! :sad: )

    I checked again this morning, and it said 198.8.

    Yesterday, if you didn't read my thread about it last night, was a weird day where I ended up missing lunch and a snack (which I usually don't do--I'm pretty scheduled about food) I ended up with 900 cals left at the end of the day, and then I ate some lowfat tortilla chips, fat free refried beans, salsa, lowfat cheese and a chocolate milk, leaving me at 200+ cals left for the day. Then I had an iced tea with Splenda.

    I was hoping the extra weight was just because I still had heavy food in my belly last night.

    I asked my husband this morning if he would step on the scale, and he's 2 lbs heavier this morning than he was last time he weighed himself, too.

    Sooo.... long story short (I know, too late), is it possible that the scale needs new batteries or recalibration? Did I ruin it by using it as a footstool? :embarassed:

    Edited to Add the question: Or is it that I totally messed up with my food intake yesterday???
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    it's possible I guess. But a 2 lb "gain" isn't really unusal, even presenting in BOTH of you. You guys eat together right? High sodium foods cause water retention, which APPEARS as weight gain on the scale.
  • GIBride01
    GIBride01 Posts: 328 Member
    It could be you need a new scale or water weight gain. My scale is old, don't even remember when I got it. It generally works ok, but my weight really fluctuates based on what I have eaten, time of the month, time of the day etc. I weighed myself friday, then today, and I am 2.5 pounds heavier than I was 2 mornings ago....:noway: All hail the queen of water retention!! The scale will give you an idea of your success in weight loss, but as in my case, you can't rely on it. I would just hold onto the scale for a few more weeks of weight checks, if its still acting goofy..trash it. :flowerforyou:
  • dclarsh
    dclarsh Posts: 364
    Your scale should still be fine, but definitely put a new battery in it. Mine gets really funny when the battery is low, and it's about as old as yours. But once I put in a fresh one, it's all good again.
  • ladyofivy
    ladyofivy Posts: 648
    Thanks everyone.

    I guess it could be a sodium intake... but Friday afternoon I weighed 196.6 and Saturday night I weighed 200.2....

    That seems excessive to me for water retention. Am I right? Or no?
  • Annika
    Annika Posts: 55
    I have a similar problem: my digital scale is usually 2lbs heavier than my trainer's non digital, but very accurate scale. Sometimes my scale is 2 lbs less. I paid about $50 Cdn for it 3 years ago...maybe it is just not accurate because it's cheap?
  • thejarviclan
    thejarviclan Posts: 465 Member
    I think I may have the same scale and it *is* persnickety. Definitely put in fresh batteries, and make SURE you have it on a level surface! I have tiled floor so I even align the sides of the scale with certain tiles where I know the floor is level.

    Get on the scale, then step off, then step on again. I do this twice, letting it reset to 0 and then go blank again. Step on, step off, step on again. Sometimes my readings are a pound apart and this how the scale registers half a pound.
  • Stacey82
    Stacey82 Posts: 69
    I bought a new digital scale about 2 months ago when I decided it was time to get serious about losing weight (mine was about ten years old and sometimes said I only weighed about 140 lbs...very inaccurate!). Even with a new scale, my weight can vary by about 4 lbs a day. Yesterday morning when I got on the scale it finally said I was below 220...I got so excited and was having a hard time believing it so I got back on the scale several times yesterday. By the time I went to bed last night the scale was reading 222, 4.2 lbs more than it had said that morning!

    If the battery is low I would start with that, then just give it a few days to see if your weight goes back down. If not it could be the scale is ready to be junked.
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