[my2cats]

So this may seem an odd question, but it seems to make some difference - I've had my scale a few years and it seems pretty accurate in that if I get off and get back on I get the same weight. If I use the restroom and get back on I'll have lost .6-1.0 pounds.

However if I stand leaning forward with my weight on my toes typically the registered weight goes up about a pound. If I stand centered, it's a pound lower.

Because I wasn't sure if this was an inaccuracy of the scale (so maybe leaning back was "cheating"), I've always leaned forward pretty hard assuming I would just get the highest possible weight and then I was definitely that weight, or lower.

But now I'm wondering - is this a standard thing across scales? Am I actually about a pound lighter and should be standing in the center? It's only a pound.. but I am curious.

[JohnP]

Every scale is different and unless you've got a really good scale it could easily be off by a small percentage.

Actual weight varies by the hour - so - what difference would. .5 - 1lb make as to how you stand on yours?

As long as you stand the same way when you weigh yourself on YOUR scale then it doesn't matter if you lean foward or lean back.

[ennay]

Accuracy within reason is irrelevant. Repeatability is more relevant and scales are meant to be used standing centered and balanced on the scale.

[hpnodat]

When I weigh, I do it first thing in the morning after I've wake up and after I use the bathroom. I just stand on it and make sure my feet are centered, I stand still while looking down. I usually step on it twice to make sure it's not a false reading and usually it's the same. I don't really worry too much about it, I go more by how my clothes fit and how I feel rather than what the scale says. Sometimes for fun I get on it in the evening to see how much I've gained during the day and then compare it the next morning to see how much it drops. It can vary as much as 8 lbs! My weight loss pattern is usually 2 steps forward & 2 steps back, I'll see a 2 lb drop and a 1 lb gain. I don't really care just as long as I continue to see the downward trend.

[my2cats]

Thanks all - I agree the pound doesn't really matter (like I said, it goes down that much after I pee) but I got a bit worried that I might be damaging the scale by using it wrong.

I think I'm just a little paranoid after reading on here about failing scale batteries that caused a scale not to show a loss for months - until the batteries were replaced and the reading dropped 50 pounds instantly. I have this recurring fear I'm not actually losing weight, it's just my scale slowly dying. Or something. I know that doesn't actually make sense since I've been wearing smaller pants too...

I'll probably keep using it leaning forward... just because I've gotten used to it and I feel a little better about putting the highest weight it shows.

[ennay]

fwiw when my scale died it showed me gaining 140 lbs overnight. It wasnt something I was likely to think was real.

[MariaMaria]

The scale measures. It doesn't make you bigger or smaller. Stand how you want.

[indiblue]

The whole "a pound doesn't matter" mentality doesn't work for me. I need the scale for motivation. I found this the hard way- when my scale broke and I didn't replace it for 5 months I didn't lose, I didn't stay on plan. Some people need 3FC for motivation, some need measurements, I need a scale. I can't go by how clothes fit- jeans stretch out after wearing a few times, shirts shrink a little after washing. Bloating happens. I can't go by how I "feel" about the way I look- it's wholly dictated by whether or not I am losing weight.

All that to say I need the most accurate weight possible- a hard-and-fast number on the scale flashing- to motivate me. So I understand if/when others do too.

For me, I stand normally, feet directly under hips, knees slightly bent. I weight 2-3 times in the morning within a 15 minute period to account for slight variations in the way I stand, the way the scale is positioned, etc. Usually I end up with the same number several times and I "know" (to whatever degree you can actually "know" how much you weigh) what my daily weight is.

It's funny, most people on these boards say "Ignore the scale!" or "Weigh once a week!" I just can't do that. I need that instant feedback to keep me on track.