default scale?
 

I've noticed that if I move my scale, the weight changes. For example, the other day I weighed myself & it said 251 pounds. I turned the scale around & moved it up a couple of inches. I stepped on the scale again and it said 253.8 lbs. I moved it again and it said 255.3 lbs.

Do ya'll think I've got a default scale or should I just stop weighing myself more than once?

Depending on what type of scale you have and its quality, moving your scale can throw off its balance mechanism, just like moving a piano can throw it out of tune. Try resetting it to 0 (zeroing it out) after you move it, that should help.

However, it could just be that your scale just isn't that consistent. I had one of those once. One of the tests for buying a good scale is consistency, so move it around and step on and off a few times. A good scale will give you the same reading each time.

But if you think your scale is a decent one and zeroing it out doesn't help, or you just don't want to buy a new one, I would suggest not worrying about the specific number quite so much. Yes, it's great to be able to say "Hey, I lost 4.7 pounds!" but really, does the actual number matter all that much? Just about any scale, unless it's *really* out of whack, can tell you if you're going up or down. If it says 251-255 today and it says 240-243 a couple of weeks from now, chances are you're losing weight.

Besides that, you know if you're doing well no matter what the scale says. There will be scale fluctuations on a daily basis whether you move the scale or not, and I, as an admitted scale addict, can personally attest to that. ;) Lots of things can affect your weight at any given moment--water, sodium, glucose, the food still in your stomach, the last time you used the bathroom, etc. But you know if you've been eating healthily, exercising, and drinking your water. If you're being healthy, that's what counts, not some silly little number.

Hope this helps!
~Elisha

I'm kind of cheap by nature, but I did invest in a good scale, just so I didn't discourage myself. I got a Tanita (I think that's what it's called). I periodically weigh one of my 10 pound dumbells on it just to be sure it's calibrated and it's never been off.

Another possibility: sometimes scales weigh differently on the carpet and on tile. I know mine says to make sure it is on tile before you weigh. Don't know the reason? :shrug:

The reason is because carpet can cause the scale to not rest level on the floor, especially if you are standing on it. :)
Scales should always be on tile, vinyl, wood, or other hard flooring, and you should try to put them in a place where the floor is level. And then, lastly, keep the scale in the same spot-so you can weigh yourself each week using the same "place". If your scale shows a difference in different spots on the floor, then you need to use the same spot if you want an accurate guage of your scale losses.

Thanks for the great advice. I will zero it out today plus test it with a 5 or 10 pound weight (whichever one I can find) lol.