My scale is only a little over a year old, and I paid about $100 for it. The range of weights I've gotten has increased from .5 yo 2. This morning, the range was from 192 to 198. I'm going to get a new scale. Do you have a suggestion for a good scale? Thanks.
Kathleen
Do you have a suggestion for a good scale?
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
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BrightAngel
- Posts: 2093
- Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:22 pm
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I also think that most scales vary a bit. My scale weighs a good pound and a half less when I stand near the back. I save doing that for Friday weigh-ins. 
My parents have an expensive weighted Dr. scale that stands tall and you slide the weights over. It's very acurate and I think they've had it forever, but I still think it varies with where you stand on it. Try being consistent and see. I have a long scale story somewhere on here, I went through 4 in a fast time period. It's kinda funny, I'll try to find it for you, some things to think about on there. You may remember it.
My parents have an expensive weighted Dr. scale that stands tall and you slide the weights over. It's very acurate and I think they've had it forever, but I still think it varies with where you stand on it. Try being consistent and see. I have a long scale story somewhere on here, I went through 4 in a fast time period. It's kinda funny, I'll try to find it for you, some things to think about on there. You may remember it.I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me
Please pray for me
Do you have a suggestion for a good scale?
Oh my old scale drove me crazy - I'd weigh myself 3 times and get 3 different results, maybe varying by over 3lbs! I just hated it.
I found that things like where on the floor I put it and which direction I faced in seemed to influence the reading, plus where my weight was - nearer the front/back etc.
I have now got a scale I'm much happier with, but I don't know if you can get it in the USA - it is a WeightWatchers digital scale, I bought it here in the UK from Argos - I presume it's made somewhere like China and available everywhere - but it was reasonably priced, got good customer reviews, weighs to the nearest 1/4lb and seems very consistent. Here is the link to see what it looks like:
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... SCALES.htm
I found that things like where on the floor I put it and which direction I faced in seemed to influence the reading, plus where my weight was - nearer the front/back etc.
I have now got a scale I'm much happier with, but I don't know if you can get it in the USA - it is a WeightWatchers digital scale, I bought it here in the UK from Argos - I presume it's made somewhere like China and available everywhere - but it was reasonably priced, got good customer reviews, weighs to the nearest 1/4lb and seems very consistent. Here is the link to see what it looks like:
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... SCALES.htm
I went on Amazon, and there was a scale with a lot of positive reviews for $28. I decided to try that becaue I'm so eager to have a scale right now. If that doesn't work, I'll look into the other scales. Here I am, just above the milestone of a loss of 10% weight loss, and my scale dies! I had a Seca, and it only lasted a year. Thanks for your input. It's really frustrating to have a scale with a range of 2 pounds when your goal is to lose a pound a month!
Kathleen
Kathleen
I have the EatSmart Precision Digital Bathroom Scale $28.95 from Amazon and I love it. If you go to Amazon and do a search for Digital Scale, the one I have is the first one that comes up and I think it rocks.Kathleen wrote:I went on Amazon, and there was a scale with a lot of positive reviews for $28. I decided to try that becaue I'm so eager to have a scale right now. If that doesn't work, I'll look into the other scales. Here I am, just above the milestone of a loss of 10% weight loss, and my scale dies! I had a Seca, and it only lasted a year. Thanks for your input. It's really frustrating to have a scale with a range of 2 pounds when your goal is to lose a pound a month!
Kathleen
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connorcream
- Posts: 540
- Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 9:57 pm
- Location: San Antonio
Ditto Tanita. I have had excellent results and it is very helpful when losing weight moderately to have 0.2#. DH, a physicist, worked at NIST for many years and looked into the accuracy and calibration at these levels of measurement.
Food scales, I use my WW. It has Tares and both oz and grams. Not very pretty on the counter though so it is in the cupboard and pulled out when needed.
Food scales, I use my WW. It has Tares and both oz and grams. Not very pretty on the counter though so it is in the cupboard and pulled out when needed.
connorcream
5'8.5"
48 yrs
Started calorie counting
10/6/2009
start/current
192/mid 120's maintaining
Maintaining a year
5'8.5"
48 yrs
Started calorie counting
10/6/2009
start/current
192/mid 120's maintaining
Maintaining a year
connercream,
I am very frustrated -- to the point that I decided not even to record my weight for a few days. My weight loss goal is one pound per month. This month's goal is 195. Today's weight ranged from 194.4 (which I recorded) to 196.2. I went ahead and ordered the EatSmart scale, since more than 1,000 Amazon customers rated it very highly. If that doesn't work, I'll go to the Tanita. I've wrestled with what to do about tracking weight vs. establishing habits, and I've concluded it is important to have a scale so that you know if your diet is working at all. I didn't lose any weight between last June and this April, giving me the distinct idea that I needed to do something differently with habits! An accurate scale would have given me that idea earlier -- although BrightAngel told me back in November!
Kathleen
I am very frustrated -- to the point that I decided not even to record my weight for a few days. My weight loss goal is one pound per month. This month's goal is 195. Today's weight ranged from 194.4 (which I recorded) to 196.2. I went ahead and ordered the EatSmart scale, since more than 1,000 Amazon customers rated it very highly. If that doesn't work, I'll go to the Tanita. I've wrestled with what to do about tracking weight vs. establishing habits, and I've concluded it is important to have a scale so that you know if your diet is working at all. I didn't lose any weight between last June and this April, giving me the distinct idea that I needed to do something differently with habits! An accurate scale would have given me that idea earlier -- although BrightAngel told me back in November!
Kathleen
I've always been fond of the Celsius scale. It's simple, has easy to remember reference points, and it puts you in synch with the majority of the world's temperature measurements. 
(Sorry, I couldn't resist.)
Frequent weighings seem to me like a recipe to drive yourself insane. I weigh myself every few months, but I basically go by how my clothes are fitting. If you're going to insist on weighing yourself constantly, you owe it to yourself to learn about moving averages and smoothing of noisy data: your weight is such a noisy number that paying attention to a single day makes very little sense, so the only thing that helps is to smooth out the data in some way. (There are probably online services that will do this, if you're not technically inclined enough to want to mess around with doing it yourself.)
[Though to be fair, you probably don't actually change weight by six pounds in the course of a couple minutes. Unfortunately, I don't have an answer to your actual question about good models of scales.]
EDIT: I should, of course, say that frequent weighing are a recipe to drive *me* insane -- your mileage may vary! Some people find the feedback invaluable. Nothing wrong with individual differences.
(Sorry, I couldn't resist.)Frequent weighings seem to me like a recipe to drive yourself insane. I weigh myself every few months, but I basically go by how my clothes are fitting. If you're going to insist on weighing yourself constantly, you owe it to yourself to learn about moving averages and smoothing of noisy data: your weight is such a noisy number that paying attention to a single day makes very little sense, so the only thing that helps is to smooth out the data in some way. (There are probably online services that will do this, if you're not technically inclined enough to want to mess around with doing it yourself.)
[Though to be fair, you probably don't actually change weight by six pounds in the course of a couple minutes. Unfortunately, I don't have an answer to your actual question about good models of scales.]
EDIT: I should, of course, say that frequent weighing are a recipe to drive *me* insane -- your mileage may vary! Some people find the feedback invaluable. Nothing wrong with individual differences.
Last edited by DaveMc on Fri May 07, 2010 9:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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connorcream
- Posts: 540
- Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 9:57 pm
- Location: San Antonio
Dear Kathleen-
I do not know if you have read my checkin but I did not weigh for a very long time, allowing the fit of my clothes to guide me. That was a horrendous mistake for me. I was able to creep up in weight until I was 5# from obese!
This time, for me, I needed accurate data to make determinations about what I can eat and the subsequent consequences. Weighing allows me instant feedback. I needed a scale that was accurate to tenths of pounds as my goal is to lose 1 to 1 1/2 #/week. Seeing .2# increments is extremely helpful. And as my calorie needs change (with smaller body) I needed to have a reliable way to make new calorie adjustments.
Do I like weighing when I come back from my trips on Monday morning. No. I also don't like brushing my teeth when I am tired at night or balancing my check book, especially after many expenditures. But both of those things allow me to have a quality life I wouldn't have otherwise. I also track my NSV, non scale victories, because the scale is only one guide in my fitness journey. It is the most objective but it isn't the only one. Chosing to go to Panera Bread and get salmon salad with dressing on side with fresh lemon juice squeezed over top instead of where DD wanted to go to a delicious hamburger joint, is a very important victory. Just as much so as the scale.
It isn't either/or but both/and.
What ever you chose, I wish only the best for you. You can lose weight. You can be a trim healthy woman for yourself, your hsuband and for your children. I want to encourage you that this really is doable.
I need to learn how BA does her emoticons!
Off to do 2 miles. I wanted to post this even before my exercise.
I do not know if you have read my checkin but I did not weigh for a very long time, allowing the fit of my clothes to guide me. That was a horrendous mistake for me. I was able to creep up in weight until I was 5# from obese!
This time, for me, I needed accurate data to make determinations about what I can eat and the subsequent consequences. Weighing allows me instant feedback. I needed a scale that was accurate to tenths of pounds as my goal is to lose 1 to 1 1/2 #/week. Seeing .2# increments is extremely helpful. And as my calorie needs change (with smaller body) I needed to have a reliable way to make new calorie adjustments.
Do I like weighing when I come back from my trips on Monday morning. No. I also don't like brushing my teeth when I am tired at night or balancing my check book, especially after many expenditures. But both of those things allow me to have a quality life I wouldn't have otherwise. I also track my NSV, non scale victories, because the scale is only one guide in my fitness journey. It is the most objective but it isn't the only one. Chosing to go to Panera Bread and get salmon salad with dressing on side with fresh lemon juice squeezed over top instead of where DD wanted to go to a delicious hamburger joint, is a very important victory. Just as much so as the scale.
It isn't either/or but both/and.
What ever you chose, I wish only the best for you. You can lose weight. You can be a trim healthy woman for yourself, your hsuband and for your children. I want to encourage you that this really is doable.
I need to learn how BA does her emoticons!
Off to do 2 miles. I wanted to post this even before my exercise.
connorcream
5'8.5"
48 yrs
Started calorie counting
10/6/2009
start/current
192/mid 120's maintaining
Maintaining a year
5'8.5"
48 yrs
Started calorie counting
10/6/2009
start/current
192/mid 120's maintaining
Maintaining a year
Connercream,
Yes, the scale is very good at bursting the bubble of self-deception! You're doing great to lose so much weight, but I think I need to accept my slower approach because all my weird diets really messed up my eating habits. It's a victory for me not to think about food between meals! Still, I'm not interested in remaining obese for the rest of my life, so a slow but steady approach works for me. Last summer, I brought my scale with me on camping trips. I won't be doing that this summer, but I do want an accurate scale for home. Thanks for your input--
Kathleen
Yes, the scale is very good at bursting the bubble of self-deception! You're doing great to lose so much weight, but I think I need to accept my slower approach because all my weird diets really messed up my eating habits. It's a victory for me not to think about food between meals! Still, I'm not interested in remaining obese for the rest of my life, so a slow but steady approach works for me. Last summer, I brought my scale with me on camping trips. I won't be doing that this summer, but I do want an accurate scale for home. Thanks for your input--
Kathleen
If people are interested, the site Physics Diet is free and allows you to input weight every day and see how it averages over time. This is what i think a previous poster meant by smoothing the data.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23
There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23
There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)
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connorcream
- Posts: 540
- Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 9:57 pm
- Location: San Antonio
I like this site as well.oolala53 wrote:If people are interested, the site Physics Diet is free and allows you to input weight every day and see how it averages over time. This is what i think a previous poster meant by smoothing the data.
connorcream
5'8.5"
48 yrs
Started calorie counting
10/6/2009
start/current
192/mid 120's maintaining
Maintaining a year
5'8.5"
48 yrs
Started calorie counting
10/6/2009
start/current
192/mid 120's maintaining
Maintaining a year
I have to agree with DaveMc that the best scale is no scale--for me. I actually hide mine under the bed during the month so that I don't use it (out of sight, out of mind). I think it depends where you are mentally in regards to your weight. I am always amazed at the people who weigh every day and don't let it bother them if they go up and down. I know that for me, that method would be a diaster--I am usually very upset by weight gain, even if it's only temporary especially if I've been on habit and I don't think I've done anything to "deserve" an increase. I think everyone has to find the right balance of motivation and possibility of let down (mental toughness?) with the scale.
This version of myself is not permanent, tomorrow I will be different. --BEP
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Bookman Old Style
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:13 pm
FWIW, I don't have a scale at home. I use the good, medical quality digital one at the YMCA. This prevents me from obsessing over it, as well as giving me an incentive to go to the gym. A number of times, when tired, I've gone to the Y "just to do my twice-weekly weigh-in," and ended up having a good work-out.
I'm learning the downside of relying on a scale because my daughter already broke the $28 EatSmart scale that was highly rated but set me at 204.4, and the Seca today ranges from 192.4 to 196.0.
The most highly rated Tanita on Amazon is this:
Tanita HD351 Digital Scale with Memory Function
$67.45 ($0.53/oz)
Anybody have this one? Thanks.
Kathleen
The most highly rated Tanita on Amazon is this:
Tanita HD351 Digital Scale with Memory Function
$67.45 ($0.53/oz)
Anybody have this one? Thanks.
Kathleen
I'm using the Quantum scale.
What's cool about it is that it doesn't show you what you weigh. It only shows if you lost or gained. And it keeps a running total.
For instance, last week maybe it shows -2.2 lbs. The next weigh in, if you gained a pound, it will read -1.2 lbs. Then, after that, if you lost 5 more pounds, it reads -6.2 lbs.
I like that it keeps me focused on my progress.
What's cool about it is that it doesn't show you what you weigh. It only shows if you lost or gained. And it keeps a running total.
For instance, last week maybe it shows -2.2 lbs. The next weigh in, if you gained a pound, it will read -1.2 lbs. Then, after that, if you lost 5 more pounds, it reads -6.2 lbs.
I like that it keeps me focused on my progress.
Habits are at first cobwebs, then cables.
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connorcream
- Posts: 540
- Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 9:57 pm
- Location: San Antonio
Just popping in with my two cents etc. to say thanks very much guys for posting this very interesting and helpful thread. I have been getting increasingly frustrated by my bathroom scales weighing as much as 5 lbs more - or less - depending upon where I place them on the floor!! So much so, that I actually threw my previous set in the trash 
However, I like to keep track of how I'm doing on the No S Diet and I have to admit, I was missing them so I went and bought another set. Perhaps it may serve me right for buying second hand however I am still finding the 5lbs gain if I place it on another part of the floor. THIS IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING!! I also tried moving the scales onto my wooden floor in the kitchen... that was even worse - a 6 - 7 lbs weight gain! Its a pity the scales are so inaccurate since I had been priding myself on losing 10 lbs on the No S Diet until about a couple of months ago when for some reason or other, my scales started to give inaccurate and variable readings. Disappointed since I don't know if I really have lost 10 lbs. or not. I don't think I have put on 5 lbs since starting No S since my eating pattern has been much the same. Perhaps I am worrying too much over this, but it would be great to find a solution. It was good to read this post however and know that I wasn't alone in my frustration. (I hope you don't mind me saying so...I mean it in the nicest possible way of course!!
However, I like to keep track of how I'm doing on the No S Diet and I have to admit, I was missing them so I went and bought another set. Perhaps it may serve me right for buying second hand however I am still finding the 5lbs gain if I place it on another part of the floor. THIS IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING!! I also tried moving the scales onto my wooden floor in the kitchen... that was even worse - a 6 - 7 lbs weight gain! Its a pity the scales are so inaccurate since I had been priding myself on losing 10 lbs on the No S Diet until about a couple of months ago when for some reason or other, my scales started to give inaccurate and variable readings. Disappointed since I don't know if I really have lost 10 lbs. or not. I don't think I have put on 5 lbs since starting No S since my eating pattern has been much the same. Perhaps I am worrying too much over this, but it would be great to find a solution. It was good to read this post however and know that I wasn't alone in my frustration. (I hope you don't mind me saying so...I mean it in the nicest possible way of course!!
No S-er since December 2009
Streamlined S Days: 6/25/12
SW: 170 /CW: 127
Weight loss to date: 43 lbs
Streamlined S Days: 6/25/12
SW: 170 /CW: 127
Weight loss to date: 43 lbs