I am once again heading out to Walmart to buy another scale. For some reason this scale hasn't budged from the last time I weighed myself. Now are the digital ones better?
Any advice? Also, I don't want to pay an arm and a leg (well, I could lose the fat on it..) lol
Something my Dad taught me when looking for a scale. Choose the one you like and put 3 or 4 of them on the floor, weigh on each one, you should get the same weight on all of them. If not don't buy that kind. Scales from one company are likely made on the same day and calibrated by the same machine so they should be accurate to each other. A different brand will likely have a different weight as it has been calibrated by a different machine.
I purchased a digital that weighs in 1/2 pound increments it is accurate to it's brothers at the store. I find that it is (on average) 1.5 pounds lower than the scale at my WW meeting.
I weigh myself on my home scale right before I leave the house for my WW weigh in and write the weight on my calendar.
If you weigh on a regular basis you should only be using 1 scale, that way you will always know that your weight loss is accurate.
It is a good idea to get a scale that shows only your weight loss. You cannot get an accurate measurment of body fat on a scale so avoid those that offer that feature.
And as far as accuracy goes, all scales are different. Pick one scale and stick to that one only. It's not necessarily the exact number that matters, but that whatever the number, the scale continues to move down. My doctors office scale always shows me a few pounds higher than my home scale and a friend's scale shows me a few pounds lighter, but I still go by my home scale.
Again, when did you weigh yourself? You may not be giving yourself enough time.
To answer your original question, I prefer the digital scales. I hate trying to read a needle.
Maybe people named Linda are destined to agree on the scale question.
The exact number isn't the issue because it's hard to get two brands to say the same thing. Consistency is what you're after. It's also hard to get consistency, of course, because the human body is very hard to weigh because we are never completely still and good scales are pretty sensitive.
All said, I also like the digital scales because I can't really read the others.
I prefer digital too. I have a tendency to just wiggle around too much on the needle ones to make the weight reflect what *I* want to see! You can trick the digital scale too if you learn how to stand lol But it doesn't vary as much as a needle.
I bit the bullet (bullets = zero calories, by the way, so it's ok), and splurged on one of those big, stand-up scales with the dual sliding weights. It measures weight and height and nothing else. I love it, even though it doesn't always love me back.
As to whether it's accurate? It seems to be. My son had a doctor's appointment a few weeks ago and the doctor's scale and our home scale were about a pound apart. Also, I can hop on and off 3-4 times in a row and get the same number each time. That's not always true on a needle scale.
I have my doctor's appointment next week, so I'll see how my number compares to hers. If my scale is, in fact, inaccurate, I hope hers is the lighter of the two!
The facts: DemeTech Health Scale, cost about $160 plus shipping. They were having a sale when I bought it, so it may cost more now. (EDIT: Just checked the website, it's $129 plus shipping, so I must have plaid $160 including shipping.)
Last edited by Less of Lena; 03-03-2006 at 06:32 PM.
Oops, let me rephrase.. I meant that the needle on my scale hasn't gone back down to the zero mark.. it remained right at the 222 mark without me standing on it... I giggled to myself after rereading what I had posted. :blush:
Thanks for the tips everyone.. I think I'll try the digital one now.
I am once again heading out to Walmart to buy another scale. For some reason this scale hasn't budged from the last time I weighed myself. Now are the digital ones better?
Any advice? Also, I don't want to pay an arm and a leg (well, I could lose the fat on it..) lol
Thanks for your help!
I use a digital scale because I can see the numbers better. I don't like needle scales purely for the fact I got to sqent to see those little marks in between the big numbers. I have found out my digital scale weighs me the same as my doctors scale but it doesn't way me the same at the GYN scale. I don't like the scale at the GYN office ( glad I only see the GYN once a year )
Some Digtial scales can be a little more tender then others. I usually weigh my self two or three times in the role. If I get the same number twice I go with that number if I get two different numbers, I'll weigh the third time to see if it will match one of the two. So far I just way myself twice with the one I have.
I use a Health O Meter brand. I have been pretty happy with it so far.
LessofLena! I loved the bullet calorie remark. You crack me up! Thanks for the encouragement last week--My pink eye is gone and my UTI disappeared once I took cranberry pills
I got my scale at Wal-Mart here in BC Canada.
It's a Taylor digital, it seems to be quite accurate weight wise.
It also measures body fat and body water percentages (I don't pay much attention to these at all) I'm not sure how it can be very accurate.
I do like it very much for weighing. It's accurate, and measures in .2 of a pound increments.
I paid 60 something for it (Canadian dollars)
yeah i have a digital and i can get diff weights depending how i stand. i just pick one way and stay with it. in the end... as long as you have a functioning scale, it will let you know your progress.
Mine is accurate up to the very ounce...I weigh in at work and work with dialysis patients, so it has to be exact. Can't help ya, sorry...
But I do agree with the comments others have made about consistency and making sure it is really a problem with the scale, and that you just haven't given yourself long enough to make sure you have really lost...
I have a Salter digital- it has been excellent. I've had it for 4-5 years and it's still accurate to a 10th of a lb. Takes a 9 volt battery and we haven't had to change it yet.
I got my scale from Sharper Image (I had a gift card), but I LOVE it! it weighs in 1/2# increments and seems to be very accurate. It also has a height feature that my kids really like. I think it was about $40, but it may have been on sale (I just don't remember)
Best/Accurate scales?
You can trick the digital scale too if you learn how to stand lol But it doesn't vary as much as a needle.
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