Scale

Can someone recomend a model scale for home program?

Tanita brand scales are excellent…

I got a $50 pair of digital scales from Kmart. They do the job. Theres really no need to spend too much money on them. I probly wouldnt rely on the old style scales with the needle.

We use a proper medical scale. I doubt that any household scale is accurate enough. They aren’t really designed with the intent of measuring to the nearest 100 ml’s worth.
Pierre

Is there a way to check your scales from time to time to make sure they are accurate?

For digital scales you’d just weigh up to 3 times and between those 3 time you have someone heavier to weigh on it.

For non-digital scales you need to manually adjust them…

Hi y’all,

Heather wrote:

Is there a way to check your scales from time to time to make sure they are accurate?

I would think that weighing something that is a known and fixed weight (large food cans?) would be a way to verify a scale’s accuracy.

Household digital scales are fine. Mine weigh to the 100ml. I test mine using 2lt softdrink or 3lt milk bottles. I wouldnt use the non digital scales as they can be hard to read and dont often have marks for 100g. All the types I have seen only measure to the 500g, which in my opinion, is not accurate enough.
Another way I test mine, is if I go in centre for Dx, I note what their scales say, then weigh myself when I get home. I then calculate what my UF was, and compare the two weight measurements for accuracy. Quite often they might be a kilo or two different, but if the UF is the same, then your fine.
To be even more podantic lol If I got in-centre, I weigh myself on my scales before I walk out the door, then weigh myself when I get there, and take note of the diferences in the scales. I now know the in-centre scales are about 1 kilo more than mine, so I am glad I checked, otherwise I would be going home 1lt over my dry weight!

Like Gus, I’ve found Takita scales to be excellent. Our model weighs to the nearest 0.1 Kg and will remember the weight of five different people which makes comparisons easy (you can use one for pre- and another for post-weights if you like). It is very repeatable.

Mel

Mine has a memory for so many people too. Although it took me ages to work out how to programme it because the intructions are useless. So I emailed them to get help, and all they said was “its all in the instruction book” :shock:

Did anyone have any initial problems with their digital scale? I’ve heard that one must place the scale on a solid floor. I’ve tried doing this but still get different readings. I have two digital scales and they are always different from each other. Or I can get on and it weighs lets say 70 and then a few minutes later says 70.2. I also tried putting a 4 lb item on the scales and the weight would not even show up. There are sensors in the scales so I tried putting the item in different positions. One time the wgt flashed on, but all the other times it would not show anything. The weight was accurate on the one scale , but never would show up on the other scale. We don’t want to mess around with an inccurate scale. Any suggestions?

I’d suggest that you ask the home training nurse at the dialysis clinic what scale they recommend for their patients. Inexpensive scales may not weigh as precisely as scales that cost a little more. I suspect “doctor scales” (the ones that have the sliding mechanism at about waist height) measure more precisely than the step on digital scale. However, weight will probably vary somewhat from one scale to another. The key is to weigh on the same scale every time so you can see whether weight is higher or lower and don’t buy one if it doesn’t report a weight of 4 pounds for an object you know weighs 4 pounds.

Definitely only stick to one scale, otherwise your going to run into problems. The first scales I had were a bit dodgy, so I was told to weigh myself 3 times and pick the best one. Ive got new ones now and they seem pretty accurate. They were about $50. If I go incentre, I weigh myself at home first, then weigh myself incentre and calculate the difference. Or I just weigh myself when I get home.

I dont trust those doctor scales with the weights. They used to have one at the old transplant clinic and you had to use it before you saw the doctor. I found it difficult to get an accurate reading.

Absolutely, never use different scales to monitor your weight, but be sure to have a good brand scale, a quality scale that is recognized beeing accurate. It doesn’t have to be a scale made for clinics, those manual ones really aren’t accurate. I’ve heard that vet scales are quite accurate…a few hundred dollars but also can be used for wheel chairs…

Amba,
I think you said you paid $5O for an accurate scale. This is what we want. I’m sure there are scales costing hundreds of $$$. So, if anyone knows of a $50 brand and where to buy it please let us know.

I think the only scale you will find that is accurate will be a doctors balance scale. I have tried 4 different ones under 100 dollars and they can be up to .7 k out of whack so I had to bite the bullet and buy one for 550 dollars not about to start trying to guess my dry weight

Oh boy-any scale specialists out there lol. It is really aggravating not knowing if a scale is accurate when it is essential to have an accurate weight. Never thought we would have to become educated on scales :roll: Still hoping someone has a more economical solution.

Keep in mind that top name brand scales under $100. US dollars are about 99% accurate with an increment of .1kg offset…they are very useful.

On the other hand, those same top name brand companies also have Physician quality scales for over $100. For example, my preffered brand scales include Tanita amd Seca…here’s two example higher quality scales…

Tanita

Seca

They can stick those balance scales where the sun dont shine!!!
I bought mine from BigW(bit like kmart/walmart).

My first scale was from WalMart “Denise Austin” brand…har, har, har… costed only $12. …hehe …it was only 90% accurate…so I ditched it and bought a Tanita brand floor scale…that worked better.