Has my scale been lying to me?

I was wondering if anyone out there has had this problem? I have been continuously losing weight accoding to my scale at home. I have went from originally 270 down to 249 over the past month. I weigh myself nearly every day using a new digital scale that I bought at Wal Mart. I thought my scale was fairly accurate. Although I fluctuate as much as three pounds nearly everyday. This morning on my way to work I stopped at the laundrymat because I know that have a pay scale in there that tells your weight and lottery numbers for 25 cents. The scale says that I weigh 257 and I thought I was 249. Does anybody out there know if those weight and fortune telling scales are accurate? I mean I know the fortune is never accurate (LOL) but what about the weight part?!!!

I'm convinced the doctor's scales are liars.  They always tell you you weigh a lot more than the home scale.

I think it's to convince you that you need the doctor to help you lose weight.  ; )

As for the silly little fortune-telling machines, don't stress over that!  The important thing is, whatever number it reads, that number is going down!  You're still losing weight!

it is really hard to know.  If a scale like that hasn't been checked for a while it will most likely not be accurate.  We like to think that the scales at the Dr's are correct, they how often do they get them calabrated.  Whatever you weight, you STILL LOST 19 Pounds.  That is the number you need to focus on...the amount you loose, not what you still weigh. 

I would say go by yours.

When I went to the ole woman doctor earlier this year, I weighed myself at home that morning and was 147. Later that day, according to the Dr's scale, I was 160... liar liar pants on fiah!

dont worry about it. stick to the one you weigh on daily

well i dunno 21lbs in a month is quite extreme, and def. to fast to be dropping weight. I would say stop in a curves, publix, etc an weigh somewhere else an see what ya get. Or go in walmart an use one of the scales there..lol and see if you get a number closer to the 49 or 57 i would think the higher is accurate.

Yesterday on my home scale I was 154lbs in the buff, on the gym scale 155lbs with gym clothes on, at the recruiting station 157lbs in jeans, belt, socks, undergarments, t-shirt, and in the same attire at the doctor's office 171lbs!  Nuh-uh.  Not buying it.

If you have access, try weighing yourself on a couple other scales and see what they have to say.

An old proverb - "A man with one clock always knows what time it is.  A man with two clocks is never sure"  Same goes for scales.  It's just a number anyway, and a means to measure.  Stick with one scale.

Erica200. I always weigh myself when I go to Wal Mart on other scales and they say the same as my scale at home. I guess I just need to quit scale watching. Some people say that they only weigh once a month. Maybe I'll try that.  

tjohnsont:  You are going by a fortune telling machine in a laundry mat?  Who knows how many kids have jumped on that scale or how old the springs are inside of it.  It's not meant to be accurate, it's meant for fun and games.  If all the walmart scales tell you that you're the same as your bathroom scale, then its probably accurate.  My trusty walmart scale has been with me through all sorts of ups and downs and I still trust the little guy :)

I know at weightwatchers they only let you weigh once a week at your meeting because of the fluctuations. I'm pretty anal, so I weigh every morning right out of bed.

Once, just for kicks, I weighed myself every hour through a day and tracked it. My weight went through a span of 8 lbs through the day. Of course, I drink a minimum of 2 quarts of water a day. Each quart is 2 pints, each pint is 1lb of liquid - meaning at any given time (depending on when the last bathroom break was) that could be 4 lbs.

As for public scales, yeah, that doesn't work. You have no idea when that thing was last calibrated. The idea is the measurement of your loss, and you can't even tell that on a public scale since, as x17 said, lil tommy might stomp on it a few times before you get on it and throw it off by a few pounds.

you know what?? that scale at the laundrymat or where ever it was is not working properly cause kids get on those things and jump on 'em, bang on 'em, etc.....so you can imagine the damage and torment from all the kids!!!  your doin super good though....:)

The scale says that I weigh 257 and I thought I was 249. Does anybody out there know if those weight and fortune telling scales are accurate?


First off, scales vary from scale to scale.  My scale at home and the one at my regular doctor differs by 3 pounds (both are digital - mine actually shows me heavier!), so it is may be the difference of scales.  Also, analog scales (the ones with the little dial) can sometimes be considered more accurate than digital ones (no batteries dying, no electrical wires worn out or needing to be replaced, etc).  Also, like lauralee stated, it may not be functioning correctly if it has been mis-used from children, etc.

If you are using the one at home to show your progress, then continue using that one.  I wouldn't worry too much about the one at the laundromat.

Yeah I never weigh myself on those scales, too many other poeple using them and abusing them.

I only weigh at home, mostly because I weigh myself naked!  (THEY FROWN ON THAT IN STORES  ;)  ) 

When I get weighed at the Doctor's I am always about 5lbs more, because of shoes and clothes.

I tested my home scale by placing a 5lb weight on it.  The scale read exactly 5lbs.  So my scale is dead on.....assuming that the 5LB Dumbell was actually five pounds! :)  I will believe that it is.

I've been 8 lbs heavier on the docs scales before now, only 2 hours after weighing myself at home. I think alot of docs' scales are just relics and ought to be flung out!

Yes everything that ya'll are saying is true. I guess I just need to buy myself a measuring tape. I'm a very strict dieter throughout the week but on Sat and Sun. I eat my favorite foods but in moderation. So I guess there is a good chance that I could be fluctuating alot. I still haven't started eating 1200 calories a day. But I am trying my best. I'm probably at 900-1000. I haven't hit a plateau yet though. So I guess I'll just go but the old trusty measuring tape.

But did you win the lottery?!

I rarely go by what the scales says.  My pants tell all of how I am doing, baggy pants and all.  If you are a person lifting weights more than cardio, as I am, muscle is lean,  compacted, and heavier than fat.  I have been toning down with using weights more than hitting the exercise machines.  The  scales say I am not loosing hardly a thing.  I get a biometrics reading done, that machine is telling me what I have actually lost in fat, along with my jeans.  I have dropped almost 2 pants sizes since January 2007. 

I am around a few women body builders. One girl is 5'3" and weighs in at 135 lbs with arange of  lean body fat percentage from 6-10%.  She is considered overweight in charts at the doctor's office.  Not by no means is she overweight.  Everyone is built different with different gene pools.