Where to place your scale?

dointhis4me
dointhis4me Posts: 52 Member
edited October 5 in Health and Weight Loss
I got a nicer digital scale and had it in my closet of a bathroom. I was content weighing myself to the left of my sink, behind the door until I moved it over by the tub while cleaning. I was nearly a pound and a half lighter a mere three feet away! I became obsessed, fixated on moving the scale around the bathroom trying to figure out how this skinnier vortex had planted itself inside my bathroom. Finally I gave up and moved the scale into the kitchen in an empty corner and there it will stay. Until I'm convinced there's a lighter me lurking in the family room...lmao.

So what dictates a digital scale read anyway? Is it better to have it near a wall? And none of this 'weighing yourself is a waste of time' nonsense. I'm OCD, get over it.
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Replies

  • PeaceLuvVeggies
    PeaceLuvVeggies Posts: 375 Member
    bump.
  • kp_88
    kp_88 Posts: 53 Member
    Haha this made me laugh!! I have the same problem, I was weighing myself in the same place everyday and one day I moved it and I was heavier! So then I went in the kitchen and I was another half pound heavier from the first move!! So now I'm obsessed with moving it around to find the correct weight lol
  • KaleidoscopeEyes1056
    KaleidoscopeEyes1056 Posts: 2,996 Member
    I have a friend who says that the placement can matter, especially if you live on a slant or if it's on carpet. I think it has something to do with the magnetism of the earth. Was magnetism the correct word? I don't know. I'm too tired to find out. I'm going back to sleep.
  • Laura_Ivy
    Laura_Ivy Posts: 555 Member
    Hmmm,that's really strange! I have no clue what could caused a shift in the weight like that. Is your floor unlevel in that spot maybe? I usually weigh myself in the bathroom as well and never even thought a wall could affect it.
  • KaleidoscopeEyes1056
    KaleidoscopeEyes1056 Posts: 2,996 Member
    by the way, your hamster is cute.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    the levelness of your floor will have more to do with it than anything.

    Another thing that will affect you weight on a digital scale is your body position (e.g., do you tend to lean back or forward or to the side when you step on the scale?) If you have it up against a wall, I would suspect you'd be more likely to lean.

    I have a furniture-style sink cabinet that has legs (e.g., doesn't go all the way to the floor.) I keep my scale under the cabinet, and then slide it out using my toes to precisely the same tile on the floor every morning.
  • PeeTeePee
    PeeTeePee Posts: 235 Member
    I guess the answer is consistency. I weigh myself once a week, in the morning, just out of the shower. The scales are put in the same place on the bathroom floor. That way nothing changes, except the weight!
  • tmm01
    tmm01 Posts: 137
    My scales are the same. I can move them to different places in the same room & gain / lose anything upto 4kg, depending where they go. I have now settled on 1 tile in the kitchen. This seems to be the most consistent place. I also take off 1.5kg from the scale weight each time, as when I started this I was weighed in hospital and was 1.5kg lighter than my scales at home. The weight itself my not be truely accurate but at least the amount of weight reduction is. Waiting until my next consultants appointment to weigh in again.
  • trybefan
    trybefan Posts: 488 Member
    I have a friend who says that the placement can matter, especially if you live on a slant or if it's on carpet. I think it has something to do with the magnetism of the earth. Was magnetism the correct word? I don't know. I'm too tired to find out. I'm going back to sleep.

    This I would agree is the difference. I have to move it around, I have a 93yr old house with wood floors so have to try and find the best place
  • jbeauchamp1
    jbeauchamp1 Posts: 195 Member
    HAHA love the OCD comment! I have the same exact problem with my stupid one. I have ceramic tile in my bathroom so I sit the scale inside the tile square so it is flat and weigh in. I have to be facing the bathroom door and not the shower or they read differently. It drove me crazy having the different weights so now I just have the exact spot I put it and weigh otherwise I would be in a looney bin trying to find the right spot! :laugh:
  • wendyannie1976
    wendyannie1976 Posts: 205 Member
    i have mine on the most level kitchen floor tile i have found in my uneven house, solid surface and it gives consistent readings, on a softer surface you can easily influence the results by up to 5lb lighter or heavier i found
  • kittycarson
    kittycarson Posts: 109
    Mine does this..I am convinced it has something to do with the floor not being level. Place it where you know the floor is on a flat plane.
  • 2012Kristin
    2012Kristin Posts: 222 Member
    Now I'm probably going to go home and move my scale around!!

    I have no idea why this happens, but I would definitely suggest keeping it in the same spot for all your weigh-ins.
  • prettyfitchick
    prettyfitchick Posts: 502 Member
    the floor might been uneven giving you a lighter reading one time weighted my self on the carpet rug on the bathroom floor and was almost 9 pounds less must have a scale on even hard floor
  • JaimeBrown5
    JaimeBrown5 Posts: 324
    I wondered this too - my boyfriend suggested that I put it somewhere and never move it so that the flexing/shifting of the floor couldn't be a factor. The spot it's in now is definitely meaner than where it was before, but I figure it's more accurate now.
  • JaimeBrown5
    JaimeBrown5 Posts: 324
    Someone should get an actual level out and compare good spots to bad and see which is more level. Just to know...
  • dointhis4me
    dointhis4me Posts: 52 Member
    @JamieBrown5
    Done and done. I'm calling in sick to work and raiding the bf's tool bag!

    @ everyone else so far...
    I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one! I do rent an older house so I'm sure level flooring is an issue although I did know not to place it on carpeting. That's why I was figuring a wall might give a better read... because it's supported and less chance of sagging? Given my past two day's food related transgressions... I should be placing it directly in front of the fridge. *le sigh*
  • KaleidoscopeEyes1056
    KaleidoscopeEyes1056 Posts: 2,996 Member
    @JamieBrown5
    Done and done. I'm calling in sick to work and raiding the bf's tool bag!

    @ everyone else so far...
    I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one! I do rent an older house so I'm sure level flooring is an issue although I did know not to place it on carpeting. That's why I was figuring a wall might give a better read... because it's supported and less chance of sagging? Given my past two day's food related transgressions... I should be placing it directly in front of the fridge. *le sigh*

    in front of the fridge is brilliant. then I can look down when I'm reaching for the chocolate pudding and it will be a harsh reminder of what the chocolate pudding did for me in the past. Then I'll just eat grapes. Grapes taste better anyway. I really don't like chocolate pudding... rambling? yep. too tired to be posting.
  • jen_davenport
    jen_davenport Posts: 4 Member
    This had me ROFL!! has anyone noticed that if you lean slightly forward it's a bit lighter than if you lean a bit more back? The thigs Ive done!
  • wifeyy
    wifeyy Posts: 481 Member
    @JamieBrown5
    Done and done. I'm calling in sick to work and raiding the bf's tool bag!

    @ everyone else so far...
    I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one! I do rent an older house so I'm sure level flooring is an issue although I did know not to place it on carpeting. That's why I was figuring a wall might give a better read... because it's supported and less chance of sagging? Given my past two day's food related transgressions... I should be placing it directly in front of the fridge. *le sigh*

    in front of the fridge is brilliant. then I can look down when I'm reaching for the chocolate pudding and it will be a harsh reminder of what the chocolate pudding did for me in the past. Then I'll just eat grapes. Grapes taste better anyway. I really don't like chocolate pudding... rambling? yep. too tired to be posting.


    LOL
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
    lol! I got to try this... I can see me weighing myself all over house now for Friday's weigh-in to see where I'm the lightest!! :laugh:

    If it's the same everywhere what does that mean?.. my house is completely level? my flooring is same all way though.. like a waterproof vinyl (wood floor effect) so its easier to clean tyre marks through house when its wet and muddy! .. bathroom floor is harder though (walk in wet room).
  • glossybl3
    glossybl3 Posts: 24
    @JamieBrown5
    Done and done. I'm calling in sick to work and raiding the bf's tool bag!

    @ everyone else so far...
    I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one! I do rent an older house so I'm sure level flooring is an issue although I did know not to place it on carpeting. That's why I was figuring a wall might give a better read... because it's supported and less chance of sagging? Given my past two day's food related transgressions... I should be placing it directly in front of the fridge. *le sigh*

    in front of the fridge is brilliant. then I can look down when I'm reaching for the chocolate pudding and it will be a harsh reminder of what the chocolate pudding did for me in the past. Then I'll just eat grapes. Grapes taste better anyway. I really don't like chocolate pudding... rambling? yep. too tired to be posting.


    hahahhaha :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: good one :bigsmile:
  • dointhis4me
    dointhis4me Posts: 52 Member
    This had me ROFL!! has anyone noticed that if you lean slightly forward it's a bit lighter than if you lean a bit more back? The thigs Ive done!

    OCD self-weighing checklist:
    1) first thing in the morning (no food yet... brilliant!)
    2) use the restroom (cause the bladder can hold like half a lb. of liquid... lmao, I've compared)
    3) before shower (you don't even wanna know how much water thick hair to the middle of your back can hold!)
    4) completely naked (cause the .2 lbs that undies, socks and sports bra adds means the world some mornings...)

    I've consulted the manual and true desperation on a morning following a buffet supper calls for a nail clipping and head shaving. Not made it to that point yet...
  • can_tastic
    can_tastic Posts: 28 Member
    I'm kind of crazy about my weigh-in ritual, and I noticed the same thing. Now I just drag the scale around to various places until I get the same number twice.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    Your floor isn't perfectly flat. The angle is throwing off the weight. The good news is, the difference should remain relatively constant.
  • mayjen85
    mayjen85 Posts: 6
    Same issue in my apartment. I keep my scale in my bedroom and when I weigh I do in the door frame. It may sound stupid but I figure that is probably one of the most level places in the house cause otherwise the door wouldn't close and it's a consistent place for me to remember to measure.

    As if losing the weight wasn't hard enough, now I have to worry about the scale lying to me, lol.
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
    I am convinced that my new DIGITAL scale has a demon in it.......and I'm thinking I need to go back to my old 'other kind 'of scale (if it's not digital, what's it called? Analog? hmmmm) At least on that one, I can turn that little dialy thingee and weigh less when I'm feeling blue ;)

    You shouldn't put a scale on carpet (unless that's where you ALWAYS put it, and are happy with a false reading that's lighter......hmmmmmmm, maybe I need to do that??) Mine says not to move it too much, or it could go off kilter! Hey, maybe I WANT it to go off kilter?

    What I hate about the digital is I'll get on, and it'll say something like "164", and as I stand for just another SECOND, it will jump up to 166! Wait just a damned second.................then I try again, and it's 166 always.

    grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr............................
  • tridling
    tridling Posts: 12 Member
    Mine is on the shelf above my toilet, with towels. I pull it down just after waking, before eating, after "going", just before a shower and naked. :)
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
    This had me ROFL!! has anyone noticed that if you lean slightly forward it's a bit lighter than if you lean a bit more back? The things Ive done!

    OMG! I'm only 10st 8 if I lean forwards! .. instant 5lb loss!! woo hoo! :laugh:
  • shannonjadeycakes
    shannonjadeycakes Posts: 1
    I have the same problem now I'm at uni. When I moved in, I weighed myself behind my bedroom door - my bedroom is all carpet. Until this morning when I saw I hadn't lost as weight this week and I was concerned and quite upset because I worked really hard for it. So I moved the scale into our kitchen where the floor is hard and I weighed 5lbs less than in my bedroom.
    Which is my actual weight? Would it be wrong to take the 5lbs lighter weight because it went down or am I just being silly?
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