Electronic scales
 

Hi everyone!
I was wondering... Having a pretty stressful time with my electronic weighing scale... I weigh every morning on an empty stomach, and each time I step on it, it says I weigh 1 lbs more than the previous day. Despite eating the same amount of calories!!! It completely puzzles me as how this is even possible and worries me... I really don't think it's my food/exercise... Does anyone have this trouble with their electronic scale?

My current intake is 1000 to 1200 calories a day and 30-40 minutes aerobic exercise at least 5 days a week.

Please help!

If it's any help, my brand of scales are Silveroot.

Thanks

Try placing various free weights on the scale.

If you don't have any free weights, try placing things in which you know the exact weight.

If you don't have any of those, step on the scale before using the bathroom in the morning (or any time where you really, really need to pee), then after.

If a small difference isn't shown THEN, your scale must be broken ;)

Are you comparing only weights taken first thing in the morning, wearing about the same clothes (or just undies), no food or drink yet, after using the toilet, on only one scale, in the same place on the floor?

NightengaleShane: With my scale, I have to step on it once with my foot to activate it. Then when it goes to 0lbs/kg then I step on it. Otherwise it doesn't detect any other weight. I'll try to put something on it

JulieJ08: Yes no food or drink same clothes.

Yes I just tried, it doesn't detect anything but human weight on the scale for some reason??

You're gaining a pound a day for how many days?

How long have you been weighing? How many days is it showing a gain? Is it your TOM? Are you ovulating? Are you eating lots of salt?

As an aside - 1000 calories is too low. You need to eat a minimum of 1200 HEALTHY calories per day. And if you weigh more, then you need even more calories. It's possible that your body might be rebelling ... too few calories and it's hoarding fat and weight.

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No it's not my time of the month. Everytime I use this scale this seems to be the pattern of the increase.. it's showed an average 1lb increase in over the past 4 days.

Yes I realise that 1000 may be too low... I have a small frame and from this constant increase shown on the scale, I am terrified to increase my calories because I might gain even more!

So you're up 4 pounds now in 4 days? Sorry, I'm just not quite getting what's happening here.

If that's the case (up 4 pounds in 4 days), it's not fat. You can't gain fat that fast, certainly not on 1000-1200 calories a day. How long have you been eating that level? Time after time after time after time - a 3FC'er has been terribly afraid to increase calories, and finally did under MUCH encouragement, and had good results.

Yes, that's right according to my scale, 4lbs in 4 days. I've been at this level for a while now, couple of months...

I know this might sound funny....but take the scale somewhere to compare it. A doctor's office, a home goods store where you can test their scales, a fitness gym, etc.

Also, I agree with the other posters...1000 cals is too low and it would be physically impossible for you to gain even a pound in 4 days at that calorie level. A pound is 3500 calories....something that takes you almost 4 days to consume.

eat more and test your scale - there is a possibility that it might be broken or not calibrated properly.

Are those regular "old fashioned' scales with the dial better? I was getting frustrated with my digital scale (its 10+ years old)...really didn't think it was possible to be 175 and 5'6" and a size 10...so i checked the scale in my mothers bathroom (spinny dial kind), and i was 165, which makes a lot more sense to me...

Scorpio, you probably already realize this, but maybe not if you've been using a digital scale for 10 years - the dial ones have to be zero'ed out too - there's a dial to make sure it's at zero before you step on. But it seems like if it were 10 pounds off you'd notice.

And from what I've heard, I'd totally believe a size 10 at 165-175 if you were the apple shape. As a pear I wasn't a 10 until I was under 150.

I had it at zero. I always make sure it's at zero; if not, i adjust it. And I'm pear shaped. Defined waist, extremely curvy hips, thighs, and butt! I have a jiggly tummy, but i definitelyhave a smaller top half/waist.

Since others already commented that your calorie intake is too low, I will leave that alone. You said you do cardio 5x a week - do you sweat? Are you drinking enough water? Your body may be retaining water if you don't drink enough.
I have the same scale as you (well, a different brand) but I have to tap it, too, to "wake it up". Small fluctuations are normal. For some normal, my weight shot up by 2 lbs a few days ago and stayed on that number until it returned to what it should have been this morning. Normally, I would not weigh myself that often but I was somewhat alarmed by the 2 lbs jump up so I decided a bit of monitoring was in order.

Weird things can happen. Last week I had 4 days of:
145.5
143.5
145.5
143.5

Evince - I don't know the specific name brand of your scale, but if it is like mine and does water % and body fat % you have to put bare feet on the metal contact points to get it to weight anything. So, weigh yourself, then grab the free weights that Nightingale Shane mentioned and weigh yourself again, see what happens.

I think too if you are finding it only weighs humans, does it give another number afterward? is it a body fat scale as well? These run a little electical current to measure body fat. But mine works either way.
I do encourage you to increase calories, (even by taking one or two fish oil capsules a day) to help you lose weight better.
Give yourself a metabolic kick!

I think it isn't the scale, I might be retaining water... I can only suspect that it's because my body's holding onto every ounce of food it's getting because I'm only getting 1000 cals a day. What do you all think?

I think you are right about that, evince.

Don't be afraid to add calories. You have to eat enough to fuel your workouts and daily activities or, yes, your body is going to bonk and not only will you not be able to achieve your weight goals, you'll feel terrible.

Just maybe add a couple hundred at a time to see how it goes.

And, yea, it probably is not the scale. Scales are pretty accurate these days.

It sounds like your body is in self preservation (ie starvation) mode. It is saving every calorie you put into it because you aren't getting enough to run your body.

I don't know what your 1000 calories consist of, but if they are healthy food options, just try upping that. Such as if you're only eating 1/2 a sandwich for lunch eat a whole one. Add in an apple. You cannot progress on 1000 calories and I bet working out is exhausting because you don't have the energy needed for it.

Up your calories, drink plenty of water and see how it goes for a few days. I wouldn't stress over the weight gain thing because you are already "gaining" with what you are doing now. I bet the scale will go down in a few days after you get some more fuel in that tank of yours!

I used to have an electronic scale that used to say a different number EVER SINGLE time I stepped on it. It didn't matter if it was 1 second between attemts, it was always different. Once it even said I weighted .5 lbs more after I used the bathroom!! How is that possible!? I finally got so f-ing sick of the thing I threw it way and got an old fashion scale with the needle. That one works great for me.

I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who replied.
Eating has been a struggle for me my entire life, I was overweight for so long that keeping the weight down has become such a major part of my life. I know that logically it's not good to be eating this little calories and that it must be my body's repsonse to re-fueling (as I used to consume much less). I just hope that somehow I'll get out of this... wish me luck :^:

You'll get it handled, evince! You have a great attitude and that's better than luck! :)

Even for short people, 1000 calories is really low. I was on 1,200 calories for awhile, lost a bunch of weight, then just stopped. I tried eating less, exercising more.. the ONLY thing that got the scale to move down was when I started eating around 1500-1600 a day. There have been several other 3fc members that have experienced this as well, not eating enough can slow your metabolism and cause you to gain weight!

Also, what you eat the night before can effect the scale. If I eat anything carb-heavy or dairy, even several hours before bed, I always weight 1-2lbs more than I did the other day. The next day my weight is back to normal.