The Scale in a Doctor's Office

marmarlaw
marmarlaw Posts: 19
edited 10:45AM in Health and Weight Loss
Why, oh why does the doctor office scale show me weigh more at their office than at home?
Today I weighed before I went and there was a 2.2 lb increase.
:mad:
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Replies

  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
    it might depend on time of day and also what you are wearing.
  • Shakila87
    Shakila87 Posts: 70
    I went the other day and mine did the same thing. Don't trip they don't calibrate those things...well some don't
  • mcpherson4
    mcpherson4 Posts: 287 Member
    they are of the debil.
  • jenniferether
    jenniferether Posts: 15
    Well, if you normally weigh yourself naked, it could just be the weight of your clothes at the doctor's office adding the extra pounds.
  • ebenso1
    ebenso1 Posts: 39 Member
    I work in a doctors office. My patients always say that our scale weighs about 4lbs heavier. My only explanation is...you probably weigh in at home before you eat or drink anything and you are probably naked. At our office you may have eaten or drank coffee or water and you are dressed. Clothes weigh more than you think. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just go off of what your home scale says since that is the one you weighed in on in the beginning.
  • purpleroses1021
    purpleroses1021 Posts: 46 Member
    I don't think they get calibrated often enough. My husband and I went a few months ago and the scale at the Dr. office was about ten pounds heavier for both of us.
  • Beth_Gorman
    Beth_Gorman Posts: 35 Member
    When you weigh yourself first thing in the morning your always lighter. Getting dressed and drinking or eating will cause your weight to fluctuate. Scales also can be different. Are you using the same type of scale as the doctor office? Don’t let it get you down because two pounds don’t make a big difference. I lost two pounds overnight.
  • Guitarjon
    Guitarjon Posts: 204 Member
    I weigh my self without any cloths and clothing can easily add on a few pounds. As long as you weight less the last time you were on the same doctors scales I wouldn't threat.

    :)
  • JSheehy1965
    JSheehy1965 Posts: 404
    I had the opposite - I went to the doc's and I was 2lb lighter than at home! Result!
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
    my cardiologist's scale is a good 10lbs off.
  • underw64
    underw64 Posts: 26 Member
    Clothes + anything you eat/drink before visiting office = weight gain by the time you get there, especially if you're like me and weigh yourself first thing in the morning, after going to the bathroom but right before hopping in the shower :)
  • rmalford
    rmalford Posts: 58
    I have to assume the beam balance is more accurate. Also they frown on my stripping naked in the hallway :( I certainly trust the change in weight; I have been careful to wear the same boots etc. I have also changed scales recently at home, and they were off by about 5#.

    The spring balance scales and the electronic strain gauge scales are necessarily built cheaply and are likely inaccurate in the absolute values but probably fairly accurate for the changes in weight.
  • bahnscutie
    bahnscutie Posts: 17 Member
    How funny! Because mine was exactly 2.2 lbs increase as well. I don't let it get to me because I trust ONLY my scale. :smile:
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    They don't care. THey are looking for trends, big changes. The one in my Doc's office, they haven't had calibrated in years. Plus, I weigh myself naked, I'm always fully clothed with shoes on in the DR office, so I usually weigh about 10lbs more there than in real life. It doesn't matter at all.

    If it was important, they would have you strip. They don't care.
  • marmarlaw
    marmarlaw Posts: 19
    Thanks everyone! Yes, I did weigh sans clothing at home but had nothing to eat or drink... my guess is, it is a combination of clothes/calibration.

    It is just so annoying.

    The end result was still the same. I was down overall 11 lbs according to her calculations and she was pleased as punch.... I was just annoyed that it should have been down 13! :)
  • amicodiablo
    amicodiablo Posts: 5
    A lot of doctors' offices unfortunately do not get their scales recalibrated often enough. I would stick to your home scale and weigh at the same time everyday for more accurate results.
  • invisibubble
    invisibubble Posts: 662 Member
    Beh, normal fluctuations easily fall within that amount, as as it's been said, time of day, clothing etc have an impact too. And yup, trends are what matter.
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    I think their rigged. That ALWAYS happens to me, too!
  • JennMarieFitz
    JennMarieFitz Posts: 73 Member
    My doctor's office actually just ASKS my weight, with the scale in the room. I don't own a scale, so I never have a clue!
  • Valera0466
    Valera0466 Posts: 319 Member
    I had a recent check for body fat and they said they remove two pounds for clothing with shoes off. So take your shoes off at doctor and add two lbs for clothing.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,328 Member
    Forget what the Dr.'s scale said. Go by your own scale. Either way it doesnt matter. The scale is only ONE gauge for weight loss. I tend to rely more on how my clothes fit.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Dr office said 140lbs two weeks ago, I'm actually 136-137. I hadn't eaten anything when I went, but yeah it's the calibration factor plus clothes.
  • Romans624
    Romans624 Posts: 822
    Same for me.

    I weigh in undies before breakfast or drinking anything.

    So I'd put on clothes, eat some food and drink water, coffee.

    That adds up to a few pounds! But if the difference were really big like 7 lbs I'd be looking for a new scale unless I had an enormous bkfst or heavy clothes.
  • phitless
    phitless Posts: 9
    We recently purchased a digital scale to place our old analog one. The first time I stepped on, I was 5 lbs heavier. Not knowing which was more accurate to my actual weight, I decided to measure the precision (yes, I geek out on numbers). So for a week, I measured myself with both and consistently there was a 5 lb difference even as my weight fluctuated normally. So while I may not know my "true weight", I can still see trends. Am I losing, gaining, or maintaining?
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    My winter clothes weigh 2 to 2.5 lbs. My summer outfits up to 1.5 lbs. I don't stand naked at the Doctor's office like I do at home LOL. And it's usually afternoon instead of first thing in the am when I go to the doctor's. But, I do think my scale is less accurate then theirs by probably 2 lbs. My visits usually have me 4 to 5 lbs. heavier at the Doctor's.
  • natvanessa
    natvanessa Posts: 230 Member
    I had my annual recently, and I was in a paper gown no shoes (so basically naked), it was early morning and I hadn't eaten or drank.
    The scale was 10 pounds over my scale at home!!

    I was kinda freaked because I wondered if maybe my scale at home is wrong, and the doctor's is maybe correct. But whatever, I'm just gonna stick to the scale at hiome cause I can see gains/losses on that one consistently. This thread makes me feel a little better though!
  • lil_bit_crazy
    lil_bit_crazy Posts: 161 Member
    I think I need a new scale. Got on mine yesterday and it spun around and said "to be continued" .....
  • Ashatack
    Ashatack Posts: 41
    Maybe your home scale is the one thas off.... ?
  • vltaylor35
    vltaylor35 Posts: 72
    all of my patients say that my scales weight them differently to their scales at home. my work scales weigh lighter (about 3 pounds)even though i am fully dressed and would have eaten. therefore they are my favourite scales to stand on!
  • epmck11
    epmck11 Posts: 159 Member
    When I get weighed at the doctor's office, they have me keep my shoes on. Obviously I will weigh probably about 2 pounds more with my shoes on than without.
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