Scales in Weight Watchers Are Wrong ?

alpha2010

Recently i decided to go on a diet with my bf, we both felt very unhappy because of the weight we had put on. He has lost 5 stone before so i knew that he could help me. Anyways we started eating properly last Friday, and i started jogging with him in the mornings. The start of the diet i weighted 14stone 4lbs.

i decided to join weight watchers cause i have heard good things so i went yesterday and i got weighed in . the scales said i was 13 stone 3. i knew i hadn't lost a stone in a week. So i thought that the scales at home was wrong and i was delighted that i didn't really weigh 14 stone 4. but i started to think maybe the scales in weight watchers were wrong. So i went to my local chemist and they weighed me and i was 14 stone. so i had lost 4 pounds that week. and then i got really confused so i went to another chemist and they had me down as 14 stone as well. i tried my wii fit it was 14 too. so that means weight watchers scales are wrong.

has this ever happened to anyone? i know your just meant to go by one scales, but it has me down a stone lighter which is a major difference.
Im also afraid to go back next week in case the scales is fixed and then it looks like i put a stone on over the week..

EileenG

Different scales will vary, but your reading on each individual scales should be relatively accurate. So if you get on the WW scales again next week, and are 2lb less than this week, it's safe to say you really have lost 2lb.

pinkypinky

Did you wear the same clothes and shoes to both weigh-ins?
I've often seen ladies with huge boots on and cardigans - it must make a difference. I wear the same clothes and shoes every week to be accurate.

rubadub

Weight can change a lot with hydration levels. Next time you are going wiegh yourself just before leaving the house, same clothes etc, do not drink or eat anything. A pint of water weights ~568g, a lb is 454g

restaurants

rubadub wrote: »

Weight can change a lot with hydration levels.

I think this is the real reason the scales seem to be different.
If it is a good quality scales, it should be reasonably accurate.

brian ireland

By the way I bought A Weight watchers scales in Argos for the OH on Thursday.They are half price at the moment, does BMI and more. Wouldn't pay 40 euro for a scales but its not bad at 20 euro.

rubadub

brian ireland wrote: »

By the way I bought A Weight watchers scales in Argos

I used a WW digital scale before and when the batteries were low it gave very different readings so watch out for that. I would recommend salter brand scales.

Lux23

Did you get to the bottom of this Alpha? I was at the doctor yesterday and she recorded my weight as a stone lighter than Unislim do; I find this quite worrying because hydration levels or different scales cannot account for such a different weight. Well maybe not worrying but odd.

alpha2010

yes, i went to weight watchers and again i was almost a stone lighter i was now at 13 stone when i knew i really was 13 stone 11. So at the end of the meeting i went over to a different weight watchers leader and i explained it and she said that was odd so she brought me over and weighed me but she turned off the little computer and just weighed me on the scales and i was 13stone 11, so therefore the other woman has been weighing me and all the other women wrong

i don't know if i should go back like she probably didn't notice but its twice in a row now and i hope the other woman told her so its sorted for next week because the weighing is the main thing like its 10 euro a week to get weighed and 20 mins of talking so i want it done right you know, cause after the meeting i have to go to 2 other chemists to get my proper weight .

GMorrison

I started Weight Watchers last week. I have two scales at home...I weighed on both scales prior to going in. One scale is digital and one is not. When I weighed in they said I weighed 188.4 lbs. My scale at home - Weight Watchers Digital Scale - I weighed 196.7. So I too assumed that my scale at home was wrong. I had watched what I ate and according to both my scales at home I lost 5 lbs. I go to weigh in and they tell me I've gained 5 lbs. I know I've lost weight - sorry I know 5 lbs isn't a lot but you can feel it. Do I believe their scale - which by the way is now the same as my scale - or do I believe two scales I weighed in on every other day....hmmmm. Of course they told me I was wrong...blah, blah, blah, their scales are calibrated - my scales are cheap (even though one is made by Weight Watchers)....if their scales are perfect, why do they need to be calibrated? Thank you for posting...you made my day! I knew I wasn't crazy!

Dotcomdolly

When you say weightwatchers scales you mean the ones at class right? not the branded ones you buy in argos?

The "weigh-pads" are calibrated once a month I've been told so are pretty accurate.

Clothes, shoes and how much you have drunk & peed will all affect what the numbers are.

kildareash

alpha2010 wrote: »

yes, i went to weight watchers and again i was almost a stone lighter i was now at 13 stone when i knew i really was 13 stone 11. So at the end of the meeting i went over to a different weight watchers leader and i explained it and she said that was odd so she brought me over and weighed me but she turned off the little computer and just weighed me on the scales and i was 13stone 11, so therefore the other woman has been weighing me and all the other women wrong

i don't know if i should go back like she probably didn't notice but its twice in a row now and i hope the other woman told her so its sorted for next week because the weighing is the main thing like its 10 euro a week to get weighed and 20 mins of talking so i want it done right you know, cause after the meeting i have to go to 2 other chemists to get my proper weight .

I think you should say it to her Alpha. Otherwise, how will she know there is a problem?

I weighed myself on the Wii fit on Tuesday night and again, just before I went to WW on Wednesday and there was a kilo in the difference!
But both the wii fit and the WW scales gave me the same weight on Wednesday.

pinkypinky

I think the main point here is to pick one scales and only weigh on it and once a week. As I said above, I wear the same clothes/shoes and weigh at the same time of day so that I get as accurate as possible a reading. What you want to be concerned with is the difference on the same scales week to week. If you are doing WW, just weigh on their scales. It's tempting to do sneaky weighs on your home one but it can end up disheartening you and causing a breakout with food (feck this, I'm having a crunchie...)

rubadub

GMorrison wrote: »

if their scales are perfect, why do they need to be calibrated?

People say they "calibrated scales" when really they usually mean they checked if it was within calibration. e.g. if you have a very good scales it should always say 80kg if you put a reference 80kg on it. If it says 85kg then you must adjust it, and this is the sign of a bad scales. So the WW scales they use might be very good and never need adjusting, but they still get it checked.

If you have something heavy at home you could weigh it to check if it really is fluctuating. e.g. I weigh about 85kg and have that in weighlifting plates so could verify if it really is changing. You could also take your own scales along to the chemist and WW meetings to rule out hydration etc. I have put on 2.5lb in the last 5mins by drinking a pint of milk and a pint of water.

On cheaper scales it can vary for many reasons, uneven surface, putting on a carpet instead of hard floor, standing to one side or different spots, low batteries etc.

kildareash

pinkypinky wrote: »

I think the main point here is to pick one scales and only weigh on it and once a week. As I said above, I wear the same clothes/shoes and weigh at the same time of day so that I get as accurate as possible a reading. What you want to be concerned with is the difference on the same scales week to week. If you are doing WW, just weigh on their scales. It's tempting to do sneaky weighs on your home one but it can end up disheartening you and causing a breakout with food (feck this, I'm having a crunchie...)

I agree with u about sticking to one scales, but surely one scales shldnt weigh a stone heavier/lighter than another.
I'd accept a few pounds, but one scales has to be wrong in the OPs case

astra2000

kildareash wrote: »

I agree with u about sticking to one scales, but surely one scales shldnt weigh a stone heavier/lighter than another.
I'd accept a few pounds, but one scales has to be wrong in the OPs case

I agree with you kildareash. And been realistic folks it is hardly likely that both of the ops scales weighed the same and both weighed wrong on the same day and both are now showing a 5lb weight loss.
OP I hope you figure out what went wrong. It may be when you were weighed on the scales at your ww meeting, that you werent fully on the scales ie leaned your hand on the table, when the scales calculated your weight. It is disheartening for your weight loss not to be recognised and to actually be told you put on weight. It sounds as if you weighed 10lb lighter at the ww class than you actually were.

dollydishmop

GMorrison wrote: »

Watchers)....if their scales are perfect, why do they need to be calibrated?

Because its the law! They are essentailly offering a weighing service in return for money, so their scales will be calibrated by an authorised service, under the relevant Irish laws on weights & measures.

I'd trust the WW scales, ie the one's in the meetings. over any other type of scales.

Reesy

Thanks for the advice here. For what it's worth, my old mechanical scales weigh less the longer I stay on them - they dropped by about 3lb from the first time I got on them & after I stepped down & got back on, & stayed on for a minute.

Naturally, I take the later weight as the true one

Still would like to find a bathroom scales that I can trust more.

Mairin2

I have a very similar story to those above. I joined in December 2011 and weighed in at 13st 4lbs - 5lbs heavier than my own scales at home. Now, 14 months later, the difference between their scales and mine is 1st and 1lb or 15lbs. Between Dec 11 and now, the difference is more or less consistent. If I lose a lb at home, I lose 1/2lb on theirs. I told the leader that once I get down to 9st 1lb on my scales I was stopping. She said "that when I get down to that weight, she will adjust her system so that I am then deemed to be at my gold weight". She also didn't deny the difference when I challenged her on it. Personally, I don't find this motivating at all. I would prefer the truth rather than this.

brian ireland

dollydishmop wrote: »

Because its the law! They are essentailly offering a weighing service in return for money, so their scales will be calibrated by an authorised service, under the relevant Irish laws on weights & measures.

I'd trust the WW scales, ie the one's in the meetings. over any other type of scales.

So if anyone wasn't happy with the weight recorded at WW they could ask to see the calibration certificate from WW service company and the lastest test carried out by NSAI ??