I had an appt today at 2pm. I was wearing my wet tennis shoes, pants, and 2 ****s. I took my coat off and put my purse down.
Why does the Dr scale weigh me 8 pounds more than my scale at home!
Yes I weigh first thing in the AM, wearing only the birthday suit !
I hadn't eaten hardly anything prior to the appt, and in fact I shoveled snow, thus the wet shoes.
I am so upset, because here I am thinking I've lost weight (according to my home scale) and then I go there and see THEIR numbers.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Hey there,

Body weight changes during the day, and it changes with clothes, shoes, etc. If you are tracking your weight for weight loss, then always try to go by one scale (yours at home) and weigh at the same time of day, wearing the same clothes (or none at all).

If you had weighed at the doctor's office when you first began, your start weight would have been eight pounds higher as well--which means that you have STILL lost weight!

Remember, it's the difference that counts!

Jay

I don't trust the dr office scales. I had 2 appts in one day. I weighed less after lunch at the second dr office. They don't calibrate them often. I personally feel they should be required to do so.

Your shoes and clothes can add more than you think. Did you weigh yourself while wearing the same thing after you came home? That may answer quite a bit of your question.

What Jay said.

Let's say that your scale WAS wrong (which I don't think is true - I can gain 8 lbs with putting on clothes, shoes, wet boots, a sweatshirt...EASILY. Every 2 cups of liquid you drink is a pound, also). It would have been wrong all along, right? So you've STILL lost the same amount of weight as you always had.

If you wanted to test your scale's accuracy, try putting two 5 lb weights on it and seeing what it says. Most likely, it is entirely accurate.

Lots of doctors also fail to calibrate their scales as often as they should...do NOT assume that the doc's scale is more correct.

every scale is set a bit different so it will read a bit different.
If your home scale says you lost weight, then you really did. I know it sucks to have another scale put the weight back on you, that's why you stick to just one scale and one scale only.

Even your home scale can give you "off" readings. If you get on and get a weight - try getting off and then back on in a few minutes. Chances are its different. Thats why you go for an overall pattern. I weigh but truly I think it can be one of the most inaccurate measures of how you are doing. I know that some weeks when the scale doesn't budge I can feel changes in how clothes fit.

First, it can depend on the scale. My docs is calibrated every 3 months, not all docs office do this. Second, one tends to take ones shoes off when being weighed. Wet shoes probably weigh a lot. So do other wet clothes. I know I can weigh 1/2 lb more if I wear jeans instead of light cotton pants. That could account for some of it. I make sure I wear the same outfit every two weeks when I go in for a weigh in. That way I know clothes aren't making a difference.

I was fairly sure my scale at home is correct based on putting my kids on it, compared to what they weight at the doctors (same scale).
I wasn't going to get on my scale at home with all the clothes on, because honestly I never wanted to see that high number stare back at me.
Oh well, I will focus on my home scale, and close my eyes next time I'm on the one at the doctors !
thanks !!!

I can weigh 5-6 lbs more when fully clothed in comparison to nude. You don't realize how much clothes weigh until you weigh them!

I close my eyes when I'm on the doctor's scale because it's always so different. Last time I was at the doctor she was trying to tell me about good nutrition and lifestyle, and I was like...lady, I could write a book on weight loss, but that doesn't make it any easier!

Oh, 2bthinagain, you obviously made a typo on the word "shirts"!

Seriously, clothes can weigh A LOT. I conducted an experiment and put my jeans, t-shirt, shoes, studded belt, wallet, chain, and all other accessories I was wearing (on that day, it was a choker, three rings, and a few bracelet type things) on the scale because I was curious.

It all weighed 7 pounds. And I wasn't even wet or wearing boots!

Also, as cbmare and mandalinn said, doctors offices, strangely enough, do not frequently calibrate their scales. I have found that they ARE more accurate than, say, supermarket scales, though. Test your scale with the hand weights - you probably do not have those 8 extra pounds the doctor's office scale told you that you had.