People describe shifting posture, exhaling fully, timing bathroom visits, and even constipation to nudge the number lower when close to a goal. Doctor office scales are viewed as harsher because they do not adjust for clothing or time of day. Smart scales with body-composition features are used mainly for trends rather than single-day accuracy, and users compare multiple home scales against each other. Data tracking across days is considered more useful than any one reading.
What this discussion establishesWhether the extra sensor data from multi-function scales is reliable enough to trust beyond weight trends
Still openHow much the various manipulation tricks actually move the true weight versus just the displayed number
Nothing here is advice.
I've turned stepping on the scale into a little game after noticing that standing in a certain position and tilting my body changes the number it shows. With a milestone so close I keep adjusting my stance trying to hit it, but nothing works until I remember a bathroom break might help, yet even that fails to deliver the hoped-for result.
Looks like others have figured out a sweet spot on the scale too. It really does affect the reading and sometimes you just want that little lift.
Whatever the scale shows is treated as the final word.
I've tried the usual shifting around and also the full exhale right before the number locks in, hoping to drop an extra bit. All the mental effort that goes into these attempts feels like it should count as extra activity.
Written in stone just like the commandments.
Count me in the same group. Weigh day is Tuesday and pinning day is Saturday. It took nearly a year to notice how much a backed-up system can add to the total.
A single good trip to the bathroom might be all it takes, so go check again now.
Which one are you using? I keep two at home and they never agree. One changes every time I step on it in the morning while the other stays steadier but usually shows half a pound higher, except today it showed lower so that one is the truth for now.
The ones at the doctor's office are the worst.
Those office scales really are brutal. The last doctor used to knock off a couple pounds for clothes and time of day, but the new one just reads whatever it reads.
An apple daily plus fiber gummies has kept things moving for three years now.
Funny how someone half your size will tell you not to pay attention to the scale alone.
Same here, two scales right next to each other.
I picked up one of those body-analysis scales that claims to read visceral fat and other stats through four sensors. Not sure how accurate any of that is yet. Down quite a bit this morning but expect the office scale to show several pounds less at the checkup next week.
Had to check what that model does. Some descriptions say it measures four things directly. Bluetooth would be handy if I also got a matching blood-pressure cuff. Recently added an EKG device and everything still says I'm alive.
It seems to rely only on the four sensors you stand on rather than any extra measurements. The readings are interesting but the real question is how trustworthy they are.
I wouldn't rely on any single number too much, but the pattern over time is still helpful. People argue about exact accuracy when the real value comes from watching the overall direction across many readings. I skip the morning weigh-in on days I already know it will annoy me, yet sometimes forcing myself to step on reveals useful information about how I react later.
Used the same model for years. Not certain about the exact accuracy compared with other devices, but it has been reliable for tracking changes in body-fat percentage, visceral fat, water, protein, and lean mass. Looked at a newer competing brand but decided the current one works fine for less money.
Someone once lined theirs up against a full medical scan and the numbers were closer than expected, even on the version with hand sensors. Mine is a few years old and while the absolute values may not be perfect, the direction they move is what counts. I enjoy collecting all the extra stats anyway.
Mine lost all the history twice after glitching and sometimes mixes in readings from other people, so I switched to a different brand.
Good to hear. The weight trend is heading the right way, but I still wonder about the rest of the numbers.
I take a weekly screenshot just in case something goes wrong.
You also enter height, age, and sex in the app and those details are used for the calculations.
Exactly, so my BMI number is never going below a certain point. Doesn't matter much since how you feel is what counts anyway.
Mine sends everything to a couple of health apps so the history lives in more than one place. When a reading looks off it asks if the number belongs to me and I can say no. Multiple users can be set up and it usually keeps our data separate even if both phones are nearby.
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