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Bathroom scales - don't you just love'em?

V

vit90

Well-Known Member
Messages
843
Location
UK
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I'm doing a Newcastle-style diet to lose about two and a half stone (16kg or 35lbs) which I started on 18th November. Last Sunday my scales registered 12st 6.5lbs and of course I was delighted as at the beginning of November I was 13st 3lbs, so I had lost over 10lbs and most of that was in the last 12 days. I am reliably following the 700 calorie limit per day and doing a lot more exercise than I used to. I reckon I should be losing the best part of a pound every other day. So imagine my disgruntlement when the scales this morning, four days after I was supposed to be 12st 6.5lbs, stubbornly reported my weight was 12st 7.5lbs... Aargh! I am weighing at the same time of day (before getting in to the shower in the morning and before having breakfast or anything to drink). The scales are modern digital ones - a good brand (Salter) but they do have a history of inconsistent results. I didn't trust the Sunday reading but repeated it several times. Ah well. Might try changing the batteries as the LCD display is a bit dim.
 

Hi, we use weight watcher scales, it records water % ( don't know how tho ) and BMI.

Try as I may if I weigh every day it goes kaboosh , my opinions are that you're dieting to that level , even your water retention can effect your daily weight. Also losing weight will come in peaks and troughs as the body changes its energy and fat burning needs. In my case I lost 10lbs in the first two month of diagnosis, then another 10 when I started LCHF and I still need to lose another 10 ..at least. Take a break for 2-3 days, whilst maintaining your regime and don't punish yourself if it fluctuates a lb or two per week. Diets are temporary, lifestyle changes should be permanent .

Good luck
 
Some brief research reveals that digital scales are affected by temperature differences as well as manufacturing tolerances. Our scales don't seem to take long to stabilise before you can step on; our previous more expensive ones, which unfortunately got broken, made you wait several seconds longer so my hunch is that the scales we now have are largely to blame.

I'm having a careful break over Christmas and New Year, but still want the total calories for that period to be negative for weight loss.

Don't worry I am fully aware of the need for permanent changes and when I have lost weight in the past I have kept it off.
 
A one pound fluctuation doesn't mean anything - look at the overall trend. Some weeks it looks like you aren't losing anything, but overall there is usually a steady weight loss.
 
700 cals - wow that is severe! Well done on your weight loss so far. I'm sure it will all come off - as others have said, look at the overall pattern & what u've done thus far. Good luck.
 
nancyb said:
A one pound fluctuation doesn't mean anything - look at the overall trend. Some weeks it looks like you aren't losing anything, but overall there is usually a steady weight loss.
Click to expand...

A more dependable set of scales would not have reported a weight gain in the last four days. Either the weight was wrong on Sunday or today or even both, which makes making sense of the weighings rather difficult.

I am doing some weights now but I think you could measure the muscle I might have gained in grams rather than pounds
 
Medusa41 said:
700 cals - wow that is severe! Well done on your weight loss so far. I'm sure it will all come off - as others have said, look at the overall pattern & what u've done thus far. Good luck.
Click to expand...

It's coming off, not worried about that. I'd just like to know accurately how much
 
Thus evening should be interesting as I'm going to a function with a 5 course meal... Have mentioned about a possible diabetic meal option as was asked. Have saved up 500 calories credit for this evening and will be avoiding carbs like the plague!
 

I think you are wrong there. We all fluctuate by plus or minus a couple of pounds in that period. It's natural because of water retention mainly, but no doubt other things get involved. I wouldn't worry. I weigh myself daily immediately I get up. I am always a pound heavier or lighter than the day before. (I am not attempting to lose weight now, I am on a weight maintenance diet). I'm sure others find the same thing, which is probably why we are advised not to weigh regularly.
 
Mirror mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all...I knew I needed a new mirror...LOL!
 
It can be and get obsessive to micro manage every single aspect. You're doing your best to get yourself fit and back in shape, "great attitude climbs many mountains " my dad used to say...well done on that .

If weighing yourself everyday works for you then so be it, good for you. BUT, not at the cost of your sanity it will drive you bonkers chasing them ounces down

Good luck with your new scales.
 
I thought a four day gap was reasonable instead of every day. I can imagine an error of one pound or two but in this case it could be as much as five pounds. Before I was getting consistent numbers from the scales it was all over the place by several pounds.
 

Ah but I am not weighing every day, this was after four days.
 
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