You may have guessed, but the topic of this thread is the dreaded scale. Ugh.
So currently I have a terrible bathroom scale, that depending on how you shift your body weight (even a millimeter) it reads +/- 15lbs.
I figure this is pretty bad since I will never get an accurate reading (even if it is wrong!)
I was considering investing in a scale, because the last time I went to the doctor a few days ago (before I started on here), I was too nervous to let them tell me my weight. However, now I'm itching to know, because I want a way to see results, even if they are minuscule. Also, when it comes time for me to have a ticker, I want things to be accurate.
Additionally, I need to face the fact that I weigh too much. I suppose I'm afraid of that real number, and I've only been approximating since I've gained the weight. I don't know if I should not weigh myself, as so not to be discouraged, or fight through it, suck it up, get a real number, and go from there.
A few questions:
Are some scales actually better than others?
How about dial vs. digital?
How often should I weigh in?
How consistent do I need to be with time of day/how recently I've eaten/day that I weigh in?
Are some better than others?: I don't really have an answer for brand or price range or anything like that, but I too had a dial scale that misread like yours, and switched to a digital scale that cost more (but still around $20, the dial one was on sale for $5, hence the crappiness of it probably). So the one I replaced the crummy one with was much better.
Dial vs. Digital: From what I can understand, there isn't much in which one is better (although I have very little knowledge of course). The reason I like digi better is because when I look down, I can't see the little ticks in a dial, so I just have to say, "Oh I'm between 170 and 175" which is not good enough for me personally and when I crouch down to read, of course it throws off the dial. So I go digi just for convenience.
How often to weigh: is a very personal decision and you will hear every single answer with very sound reasoning behind it. So ultimately it is up to you. I have done everything from weighing multiple times a day, to weighing once a week and found what works best for me and my weight loss/healthy life journey.
I don't think there's a huge difference in quality... or at least, I think the cheap ones ($20-30) are perfectly adequate. There are lots of scales now that measure your body fat, but they tend to be really inaccurate so probably not worth paying extra for.
I prefer digital for ease of reading but I don't think it's BETTER than analog. Some digital scales measure in half-pound increments, some in 0.2 lb increments (that's what I have), and some are even more precise than that. So consider whether that matters to you.
I like to weigh once a day because then I can average out all the "noise" from fluctuations in my mind. But if you're the type who will take the fluctuations personally ("oh no, I gained a tenth of a pound!" ) then I think once a week or less often is good.
I think it helps to be as consistent as your schedule allows. I weigh every morning, before eating, naked, after peeing. On weekdays this even ends up being the same time every day, on weekends it varies.
You may have guessed, but the topic of this thread is the dreaded scale. Ugh.
So currently I have a terrible bathroom scale, that depending on how you shift your body weight (even a millimeter) it reads +/- 15lbs.
I figure this is pretty bad since I will never get an accurate reading (even if it is wrong!)
I was considering investing in a scale, because the last time I went to the doctor a few days ago (before I started on here), I was too nervous to let them tell me my weight. However, now I'm itching to know, because I want a way to see results, even if they are minuscule. Also, when it comes time for me to have a ticker, I want things to be accurate.
Additionally, I need to face the fact that I weigh too much. I suppose I'm afraid of that real number, and I've only been approximating since I've gained the weight. I don't know if I should not weigh myself, as so not to be discouraged, or fight through it, suck it up, get a real number, and go from there.
A few questions:
Are some scales actually better than others?
How about dial vs. digital?
How often should I weigh in?
How consistent do I need to be with time of day/how recently I've eaten/day that I weigh in?
Any other tidbits are appreciated!
i bought a scale that reads up to 350 pounds from fred meyers and it is really accurate and sticks with a number no matter how you move (i tried that lol)....i bought it for DH and it cost about $35 but i use it too
i chose digital because the little ticks on the dial one are too small for me to see without bending down, and bending hurts the damage in my lower back
i weigh first thing in the morning after i go potty with just my t-shirt on...thats the number i use to track with and is nearly always the lowest number i'll see that day...my weight fluctuates tremendously throughout the day and, although i weigh quite often throughout the day, i cant let those other numbers mess with my head...i used to let it do that, but for some reason now it doesnt...i just use those numbers to see how my body fluctuates, often by at least 5 pounds or more depending on what i eat, what i wear, how hot it is, and if i exercised lol
if you cant handle seeing the numbers go up or down, DONT weigh every day...it used to mess with my head SO BAD lol
I have a Health-O-Meter dial scale. Have had it for mroe than a decade and still perfectly accurate. NO batteries to change, no weird numbers if I shift my weight, always just dials up and points to a number. Easy to see, love it!
I swear...the one I have now is simply horrendous. I can't believe it's that terrible.
And yes... I may have to work up to weighing every day. Right now I want to see big change (i.e. at least whole pounds). When I am satisfied in my weight, I hopefully then can weigh every day for tweaking and maintenance.
I have a digital Tanita that works magnificantly. I paid about $100 for it 2 yrs ago, but you can get the same one at Amazon.com for about $60-65 bucks! It's Tanita model number BC-533...best investment I ever made.
Last edited by joyfulloser; 07-21-2011 at 01:02 PM.
Yeah, that's pretty bad! Most scales I've used have a tiny bit of variation depending on how you stand, but nothing like that.
I have a Tanita digital scale. It's pretty consistent. It has a BFP meter, but I don't think it's essential.
I weight daily, but that means I often see fluctuations that are occasionally frustrating. I weigh first thing in the morning, naked, after using the bathroom, before showering. I do think having a set routine is important, because your clothes, what you've had to eat and drink, etc. all affect the number. There are a lot of variables that go into what you weigh at any particular time, so I like to eliminate as many of them as possible. That said, you can't eliminate them all, so if seeing the scale go up is going to upset you, don't weigh daily. Even weekly might be be too often.
If you're interested in tracking your progress without a scale, taking your measurements is one way, although they can move pretty slowly, as can clothes sizes, which is another way.
I have a digital Tanita that works magnificantly. I paid about $100 for it 2 yrs ago, but you can get the same one at Amazon.com for about $60-65 bucks! It's Tanita model number BC-533...best investment I ever made.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoodoo613
Yeah, that's pretty bad! Most scales I've used have a tiny bit of variation depending on how you stand, but nothing like that.
I have a Tanita digital scale. It's pretty consistent. It has a BFP meter, but I don't think it's essential.
I weight daily, but that means I often see fluctuations that are occasionally frustrating. I weigh first thing in the morning, naked, after using the bathroom, before showering. I do think having a set routine is important, because your clothes, what you've had to eat and drink, etc. all affect the number. There are a lot of variables that go into what you weigh at any particular time, so I like to eliminate as many of them as possible. That said, you can't eliminate them all, so if seeing the scale go up is going to upset you, don't weigh daily. Even weekly might be be too often.
If you're interested in tracking your progress without a scale, taking your measurements is one way, although they can move pretty slowly, as can clothes sizes, which is another way.
Maybe I'll shoot for every two weeks to start...
I'm definitely going digital though...but I don't have 100 bucks... hehe. I may have to go with something a little less awesome.
I've weighed myself on several different scales and I've determined that the scale I have (an old, analog one) is fairly accurate, so I use it.
I weigh daily. I know some people say you shouldn't, but I find it keeps me accountable for every little change in my body. I record every day's weigh-ins when I can in an Excel spreadsheet and it makes it easy to make this nice little line graph that shows my weight going doooowwwwnnnn
I have a digital scale that I bought at walmart for $15-$20, and it works great. It measures in pounds and tenths. As for when to weigh, I've always heard that your morning weight is your actual weight. So I weigh then. And I usually weigh at night before bed also. I'm usually 1 lb less in the morning from what I weigh at night.
I dont know that one brand of scale is any better than another. I have a cheaper digi from walmart that i use. I did just read an article (I think in health mag) that said digital is more accurate and less likely to go out of balance. A doctor's scale is best,according to the article, but I'm not about the shell out that kind of money. I weigh everyday, multiple times a day, but that's only because I'm fascinated by how much it can fluctuate in any given day. I can easily be 192 in the morning and 197 before I go to bed. I only count my weight on Tuesday mornings, naked, before eating, and after peeing. That's when update my blog, I do get a little POed when it's time to update on Tuesday and I'm up a pound from Monday
The other day on Dr.Oz he showed the Quantum Scale. You start with your original weight and when you weigh in it does not give you your weight as a number but simply if you have gained or loss and how much you have gained or loss. He said this was good for people who overly obcess over the number on the scale.
Please weigh in...
) then I think once a week or less often is good.
It's Tanita model number BC-533...best investment I ever made.
