Found out my scale has been wrong for 3 weeks.

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half_moon
half_moon Posts: 807 Member
in Motivation and Support
I am so upset. Three weeks I started weighing myself, because I began to get really curious of my progress. I started 6.5 weeks ago.

I know nobody will find reason to comment on this threat, but I just had to get it off my chest and complain and feel sorry for myself.

I found out this weekend, during a very hard weekend to eat "cleanly" (staying with the family, niece's birthday party, etc) that my scale has been 8 pounds off this whole time.

I'm here thinking I've lost 18 pounds, and horray!! I'm doing great!! I'll be in the 150s in a few weeks! But, no. I'm back at 170, where I thought I was weeks ago, and it is so hard. I know that I've gone down a size, and I look better, and I should be more proud of what I've achieved (10 pounds in 6 weeks isn't awful.. not the best, but isn't awful). But I just can't get past the fact that every time I close out MFP for the day and it used to say ".. in 5 weeks you'll be 149-155 pounds!" that now it says "165 pounds". I thought I was 161 already! It just feels like such a setback. I'm not doing as great as I thought I should be.

Has this happened to anyone else? You feel like you've done so much.. then you find out you've not done half of what you did. It's so discouraging. Luckily I have a good, supportive husband. It's just so &#%ing frustrating!!

Replies

  • johnsjes
    johnsjes Posts: 20 Member
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    I've had similar problems when the batteries ran low and when I had an old fashion scale - I think the springs wore out.
    Don't get too discouraged, just remember you're doing this for the way the clothes fit and the way you feel - not for the number on the scale. (Even though the # does seem the be the only evidence we believe some days!)
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    How did you find this out?
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
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    I've been using my scale for weeks, until I was curious at my gym and didn't want to wait until I got home. I saw that it was much heavier, and couldn't figure out why. I even drove to CVS to try out their scale, but I couldn't get it to work. I grabbed my sister's this weekend and found out. I then went to my mom's and confirmed-- my scale has been wrong this entire time. Erugh! *dies*
  • Eureka175
    Eureka175 Posts: 77 Member
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    Which scale did you use to record your "starting weight"? If your own scale, could you have lost 18lbs after all?
  • SingeSange
    SingeSange Posts: 98 Member
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    That sucks!! I would be upset too!!
  • Iamkim73
    Iamkim73 Posts: 924 Member
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    Does that mean you starting weight was wrong too?
  • Pomoch325
    Pomoch325 Posts: 63 Member
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    If you have been using the same scale since the beginning, then you HAVE lost the weight (you would just have been 8 lbs heavier at your high weight). Don't fret on it, you have made amazing progress and can continue to do so. Weight is just a number, how you feel is everything.
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
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    Well, when I started, I knew that I was between 178-183ish. I stayed away from scales, always knowing how much I'd be. When we moved, a friend gave us her old scale to weigh our bags to make sure we could take them as carry-ons on the plane.. Not to actually weigh our bodies. Bahaha.

    After two months of dieting and three weeks of working out, I saw that I then weighed 168 on my scale. I was thrilled! Then I went to 161 after six weeks. Just found out I actually weigh 170 now, and I've only lost about 10 pounds-- not 18+.
  • hollyNhollywood
    hollyNhollywood Posts: 426 Member
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    OMG, this could be me writing this post! I've confirmed my scale is off today too.
    First my weight has been jumping around a bit (I do get on it everyday but log it once a week). But ultimately, I had went from 170 to 160.5 in 35 days. Not the best results for all my hard work, but I'll take it! Last night, I jumped on the scale and it said 139.5. Say what!? So today I set 8 lbs of weights on there. It said 3.5 lbs?!!? I then jumped on with the weights. And it only went up by ONE pount. Put the weights down and jumped back. Still up by ONE pound. !?! Oh no! Who knows what I really weigh. So I just ordered a new scale. And once received, I guess I have to go back and edit all my weigh ins. So frustrating & disappointing. I'm nervous! I just need to try and focus on my measurements.
    So I'm right there with you! You're not alone in this frustration :-)
  • jayliospecky
    jayliospecky Posts: 25,022 Member
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    Well, my first thought is that losing 18 pounds in 6.5 weeks is a LOT for someone your size. 10 pounds in 6.5 weeks is still quite a bit, and is probably a more healthy rate of weight loss. I know it's not what you'd probably like to hear, but really, 1.5 pounds per week is probably the most you would want to lose per week. Any faster (at your size) and you're possibly denying your body the nutrition it requires, or you may find it too drastic and too difficult to stick with, that kind of thing.

    I'm also still a little confused as to how you know your scale is wrong. Different scales are often quite different from each other. Also, how often are you weighing yourself? Personally my weight can fluctuate a lot for a variety of reasons, like a 4-5 pound fluctuation based on water retention, etc.
  • Funsoaps
    Funsoaps Posts: 514 Member
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    Very frustrating. You should be very proud of your 10 lb weightloss in 6 weeks, that's almost 2 lbs per week, that's amazing. That's not staying still and that's not going up, it's losing, so great job! And for someone under 180, 10lbs is a lot more than someone 250 or 300 lbs, so be proud, head up!
  • Scubanana7
    Scubanana7 Posts: 361 Member
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    down is down is down. if you used the scale at the beginning and throughout your loss, then you lost. don't get caught up on the numbers. you said you lost a dress size. FIND THE CELEBRATION. and smile....down is down is down.
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
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    Any faster (at your size) and you're possibly denying your body the nutrition it requires, or you may find it too drastic and too difficult to stick with, that kind of thing.


    I'm having no problems with my diet or working out, or feeling weak. I just thought I'd done a lot more than I thought I had. 2 pounds a week is my goal.
    OMG, this could be me writing this post! I've confirmed my scale is off today too.
    First my weight has been jumping around a bit (I do get on it everyday but log it once a week). But ultimately, I had went from 170 to 160.5 in 35 days. Not the best results for all my hard work, but I'll take it! Last night, I jumped on the scale and it said 139.5. Say what!? So today I set 8 lbs of weights on there. It said 3.5 lbs?!!? I then jumped on with the weights. And it only went up by ONE pount. Put the weights down and jumped back. Still up by ONE pound. !?! Oh no! Who knows what I really weigh. So I just ordered a new scale. And once received, I guess I have to go back and edit all my weigh ins. So frustrating & disappointing. I'm nervous! I just need to try and focus on my measurements.
    So I'm right there with you! You're not alone in this frustration :-)

    If I had a scale that read 139.5, I would hug it and sleep with it and never let it go. Bahahaha.
  • hollyNhollywood
    hollyNhollywood Posts: 426 Member
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    Any faster (at your size) and you're possibly denying your body the nutrition it requires, or you may find it too drastic and too difficult to stick with, that kind of thing.


    I'm having no problems with my diet or working out, or feeling weak. I just thought I'd done a lot more than I thought I had. 2 pounds a week is my goal.
    OMG, this could be me writing this post! I've confirmed my scale is off today too.
    First my weight has been jumping around a bit (I do get on it everyday but log it once a week). But ultimately, I had went from 170 to 160.5 in 35 days. Not the best results for all my hard work, but I'll take it! Last night, I jumped on the scale and it said 139.5. Say what!? So today I set 8 lbs of weights on there. It said 3.5 lbs?!!? I then jumped on with the weights. And it only went up by ONE pount. Put the weights down and jumped back. Still up by ONE pound. !?! Oh no! Who knows what I really weigh. So I just ordered a new scale. And once received, I guess I have to go back and edit all my weigh ins. So frustrating & disappointing. I'm nervous! I just need to try and focus on my measurements.
    So I'm right there with you! You're not alone in this frustration :-)

    If I had a scale that read 139.5, I would hug it and sleep with it and never let it go. Bahahaha.

    hahahaha.. i know right? I had to jump back on there and see it again. Even though I knew it was clearly delusional. Its been about 8 years since I've really seen those numbers. But give me a few months, and it'll be reality again. :-)

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