I know it's not all about the number on the scale- I've heard that forever. :

HOWEVER- I'd like to be able to weigh myself daily with some consistency and to be able to keep track of my progress. Seeing my number go down will help motivate me.

But the scale I have is a wretched beast whom I loathe.

I think my first mistake was buying a digital scale. The second was buying a digital scale when I live in a 100-year-old building where my apartment floors are not all even. So, when I weigh myself I want to pull out my hair, because no matter where I put it on the floor, I get a different reading every single time.

And while I know that my weight will fluctuate day by day, it should not fluctuate 5 to 10 pounds.

My scale is a liar and guilty of treason. I'm sentencing it to death.

Therefore, I need some advice and opinions on what scales work best for you. My scale is important to me, but I'd like to spend less than $50 if possible.

What are your thoughts?

Do you have an alternate place that you could weigh yourself..? Like if you left your scale at a friend's or relative's that you visit often? Or you could rig up a level plank to set it on.

Edit: I realized I also forgot to add my opinion on spring versus digital. When I was using spring I found it to be VERY unreliable (I've used a few), my weight could fluctuate up to 10 pounds on any given day, where as when I use my digital it's been pretty consistent, I use a weight watchers digital scale.

I have a digital scale, but it can be kind of annoying depending on where I put it on the floor. Which is why I only put it down on ONE spot and don't deviate from that spot. It's consistent there. So even if it were off universally by a few pounds, I am aware that I've still lost 5 pounds total or however much.

You might want to go to a walmart esque store and look at a few different types of scales. Heck, I'd probably even bring the OLD scale to compare on their floors.

Well, I weigh myself every morning using my current scale, and I also weigh myself at the gym on the doctor's office style scale. Depending on where I put my scale in my apartment, I'm generally around the 232 range, but when I'm at the gym, I'm usually 236 or so. Recently, I re-did my bedroom and had to move my scale and now it's reading randomly- 239, 227, 225. I don't know if the calibration mechanism is broken or what, but this is the first digital scale I've had and it makes me leery to buy another.

I tried doing that too, but I'm getting random measurements from it that aren't anywhere near my weight before moving it or my gym scale weight. That's a great idea to bring the scale with me- I'm definitely going to do that! I was hoping I could get away with getting a digital scale for $20, but it looks like I'll have to spend more for accuracy. I just wish I knew that beforehand!

Thank you ladies!

Check reviews on amazon too. I find that site to be a wealth of information, even when I'm not buying from them.

It might not be how level your apartment is then, because it sounds like it was initially working. Lovely is right in that you do need to try to leave it in one spot, mine's fairly accurate throughout my apartment (good floors?) with maybe a fluctuation of 1-2 pounds in different areas. I'd REALLY recommend reading some reviews on good digital scales, or even good spring scales so you have a brand in mind when you go to the store.

Interesting thread , because ive just changed to a digi & gone up 5lbs!
Still i think it is more accurate & closer to a weight i was on another scale.

Ive had to get a digi, as my eyesight is so s*it that i was having trouble reading the dial on the other scale! lol

My flat was built in the 1820s and there isn't a dead level surface or perfect right angle in the place. I just put my scale down on exactly the same tile of the bathroom floor every day and it's fine. You keep talking about "wherever I put it in the apartment": have you actually tried using it at exactly the same spot every day for a reasonable stretch of time?

I'm suspecting that it's just a faulty scale. Get a refund if it's new enough, and make sure that the next scale you buy is a reasonably reliable brand and that you can return it if it's faulty.

I have a Taylor digital scale that I got on sale at Kohl's and I like it a lot. But you do have to put it on a level surface. My bathroom and kitchen are the only rooms in the house without carpet. I don't want it in the kitchen and the BR is so tiny it would always be in the way. I actually weigh as much as 25 pounds less on the carpet in the guest bedroom - I guess it's the deepest carpet in the house!

I got a piece of plywood and had it cut just a little bigger than the size of the scale. Then I got 4 little wooden knobs like you'd put on your kitchen cabinets and screwed them to the corners like little feet. (Pay attention to where the feet on the scale are located so they don't end up on the screw that holds a knob in place.) Now the scale sits in the corner of my bedroom on the carpet and never gets moved. The feet allow the flat board to "float" above the carpet. I think this is fairly accurate and consistent.

I think all scales weigh a bit differently, but all should be consistent. I've never tried to get a comparison between my scale and the doctor's scale, but I guess I could weigh myself in clothes at home and then go straight to an appointment and compare with what I weigh there, but I often go from work hours later. That wouldn't be accurate, anyway.

You can check the accuracy of your scale somewhat by picking up something of a specific weight - like a pair of weights - and see if the difference is accurate. If it is, the scale is probably OK.

Lin

I did leave it in the same place for about a month, but it rarely registered any other number, while other scales would show weight loss. I need it to be in my room since my bathroom is too small and I'm getting a roommate, so I can't put it out in the living room anymore (that's going to be her bedroom). I've moved it around my room, leaving it in the same spot for a few days at a time, and even when it's in the same place, it will register bizarre shifts in numbers. Unfortunately, it's not new enough to get a refund on, but I will take it with me to the store when I get a new one to see how it compares. It does seem like it's just faulty.

That's why I was initially confused- it seemed like I had it in a good place and that it was working. But when I started losing weight and it didn't reflect that, I started thinking something was wrong. I'm definitely going to get some reviews before I get a new one.

Yes, that's an excellent idea! I think I'll do that!

Duh! Why didn't I think of that?! I'll definitely try that to see what's up. Regardless, though, I'm getting a new one!

Thank you ladies!