What to do when you find out your scale was off...by 13 pounds?!?!

I finally purchased an electronic scale after two years of using an old, rusted old fashioned model.  To my horror, my weight showed up as 178, not 165 where I thought I was.

My question is this-do I re-set everything in Calorie-Count, from the beginning weight I started at, or do I leave it alone, knowing I still lost the same 125+ pounds?  I know this doesn't diminish what I have done, but I am unsure what to do about the weight meter.  Any insight, advice, comments would be welcome.  Thanks in advance!

I'd go back to my old, rusted scale personally.......

I threw it away, darn it!!! Anyhow, the reason I bought the new scale was because I went to my doctor recently, and the numbers weren't matching.  Also, the gym scale showed a discrepency.  The new scale seems to be closer to what the other scales were saying.  Does that make sense? 

Your doctor's scale is examined by the Department of Weights and Measures to ensure accuracy, so I would use the scale that gives a reading closest to the one at the doctor.

I am paranoid about this happening to me. Sometimes I shake my scale or kick at it or hop on it to see if it changes. I'm probably making things worse though. :P

Not to diminish your accomplishments (you still lost all that weight, it just left you at a higher ending place than you thought it would), but I feel horrible for you. Getting news like that right before a big holiday centered around eating? I would binge out of depression and then spend days in bed crying swallowing anti-anxiety meds like candies.

A similar thing happened to me. I ended up resetting everything on calorie count. I was off by 3 pounds, so I just added 3 pounds to all of my weigh ins. It still reflects my total loss, but it's more accurate.

My goal weight is still the same, so in the end, when I get there, it will be nice to know that I lost even more weight than I originally planned. It will feel like an even bigger accomplishment!

Same thing happened to me when I was losing weight.  New scales made me seven or eight pounds heavier than the old ones.  I just entered the new weight and accepted the 'blip' as was... You've done incredibly well so far and I'm sure it won't throw you at all.

I started my lifestyle change in response to planning for surgery, back in Jan 09, and just used the scale at the doctor's and the gym.  I didn't join CC until 3/25, and just entered all the number from my last gym visit as my starting weight.  Then, I bought a scale, and my weight is about 7 pounds lighter (because I now weigh like Mary suggests, right after I get up with no clothes, as opposed to when I am at the gym with clothes and shoes).  I just accepted the blip (easy to do, since it is in my favor!), but it does make it look as if I was way to restrictive in my calories and have been losing weight at an unhealthy rate.  But in the course of losing more than 100 pounds, it will just be a blip, as GI-jane says.

Good luck continuing to focus on the healthy life-style, not the number on the scale!

ugh, I feel your pain... about a year ago, I had one of the "old rusty scales." My husband "broke" it one day, (he's about 300 pounds) but didn't tell me. I hadn't used it in a while, and stepped on it. To my delight it said I was down to 180! I went to the doctor later that day only to find out the scale was wrong... by 40 pounds. I was really 220.

Anyway, the weight log lets you edit the numbers, so I would just fix them so that they are accurate.

Original Post by cowch:

Your doctor's scale is examined by the Department of Weights and Measures to ensure accuracy, so I would use the scale that gives a reading closest to the one at the doctor.

 yes, BUT when you weigh yourself at the doctors you usually don't go there in the morning after you wake up and go to the bathroom do you? No you don't... by the time you've reached the doctors office you have probably eaten a few meals/snacks and drank water/liquids, you are probably also wearing clothes right? maybe you're on your period?

the point is that the doctors scale is going to be off by 5-10lbs because of food/water/waste weight and clothing.. so I would not recommend it.

for the most accurate number, weigh yourself first thing in the morning BEFORE you eat breakfast or drink anything and AFTER you pee

Just put a note in your weight log that it's a new scale so you'll know that you have a new baseline weight.

Electronic scales sometimes have to stablize, so I wouldn't freak out if you brought it home and jumped on it and it gave you that reading.  Mine told me I was 20 lbs lighter the first time I used it.  Just leave it in the same (uncarpeted) place for a few days and try again. 

Wow, you guys, thanks for all the responses.  It really helps.  I think I will reset my weight log, if for no other reason, to remain accountable to myself.  I don't see how it will hurt, really.  Thanks, again.  It really helps to hear other people's experiences here.  I don't feel so alone.  :)

Regardless of what the actual number is, the important thing is that you lost 125 freaking pounds.  Congratulations and way to go!!!! (I suggest just noting in your log that you switched scales, but  if resetting your original weight makes you fell better, go for it.

Well to start with, you weren't as heavy as you thought. I am thinking your old scale did you a favor. You might not of gone on the weight loss journey if was working properly. You might of waited even longer to get on board.

What you have done so far is phenomonal! Personally I think of it as new day, new you, new scale and new weight. The truth is the truth is the truth. You have been doing everything right it was the scale that bleeped up. I would just change my weight and let the graph (gasp!) do what it is going to do.

Last year my husband bought me a digital scale and I found out my old scale was off by 8-9 pounds. At the time I wasn't with calorie count so I don't know what it would of done but I would of changed it.

Note all this is just my opinions. You must decide what will make you feel good about it. Either way you are doing fantastic. Kudos to you.

Go with the lower number for your drivers license and use the other one to make sure you're not creeping back up.

Wow, guys....thanks for all of the responses!  I wasn't "here" over the weekend, so what a surprise!  Thank you all for being so supportive.  It means the world to me. 

Original Post by cowch:

Your doctor's scale is examined by the Department of Weights and Measures to ensure accuracy, so I would use the scale that gives a reading closest to the one at the doctor.

In what country are you talking about?  My doctor's scale is subject to the same inaccuracies as anyone elses and isn't examined by any Department of Weights and Measures.  And the checking I did seemed to indicate that in most cases, the scales in doctor's offices are only checked at the request of the doctor (I read this at multiple websites for county and state Departments of Weights and Measures).