Question:
Accuracy of digital scales....?

OK, I know this is a strange question, but I am wondering if anyone else has questioned the accuracy of their cheap home digital scale. My digital scale weighs me 3lbs more than my dial scale. I'm wondering if others see a difference between what their home scale says and what their dr. scale says. This isn't just about tracking my loss. I have my pre ops next week and it is very important that I am at or below my consult weight. I won't have an opportunity to use the dr's scale before then and I need to know how much I REALLY weigh. So, dial or digital????    — Amber L. (posted on August 22, 2002)

August 21, 2002
i have a digital scale and it is right on with my drs..has been for the past year so i trust it..however i can't say it was cheap..it was in the 50 dollar range..i have also seen them dial ones be highly inacurate..weigh yourself at your dr then go home and weigh and which ever is weighing you correctly..use that one..
   — paula B.

August 21, 2002
I'vce said this before, but I believe it bears repeating:forget the damned scales. Use the one at your doctor's, (unless, of course, the office is a long commute)and don't bother with the numbers. Read the posts in which people tell how frustrated they've become because they haven't lost enough--whatever that might be--or fast enough--says who?--or even, God forbid, they've plateaued. Once every few weeks should be enough. Hang in there.
   — Chuck O.

August 21, 2002
I have a digital scale now as the dial one was getting hard to read in the am, when I usually weigh. I have "experimented" with the scale before, by weighing myself and then weighing again 1 hour later (no food or water in between) and I have seen the scale go down a whole pound in an hour and then again, I have seen it go up a whole pound in an hour-this on an empty stomach. So, accuracy is questionable. Regardless, I use two weights for my official weight-one is the one from the doctors office and the other is whatever I weigh at home the morning I am recording the monthly loss. They are always different, but so what? As long as both of them keep going down!
   — Cindy R.

August 22, 2002
I couldn't agree more with the other posters. I also bought a Thinner scale for about $60 and if I step on it 3 times I actually get the same weight each time, which is rare for a digital scale. I especially agree with Chuck that this is a life change, not a diet and you must realize that you can't live and die by the scale. You'll lose the weight but it'll come off when the body decides, not when we decide. Good luck to you! - Mike
   — Michael N.

August 22, 2002
This is from the poster. I guess I didn't explain my question very well. The reason I need to have an accurate weight is because my Dr. may cancel my surgery if I have gained since my consult four months ago. I can't use his scale before the pre op to see if I have made it and I just don't trust mine. Sorry if the question sounded like I was just trying to be obsessive about how much I've lost. I'm really worried that I will think I weigh the consult weight and then I will go in and find out that my scale differs from the docs.
   — Amber L.