Modern Bathroom scales are so inaccurate !

[rustic]

My oncologist sugested that I could do with loosing some weight !
I was weighed on their calibrated scales, and dare I say... it displayed one at a time...
So our old digital Salter scales are 25+ years old, so time for some new ones, we did some searching and looked at a few reviews, and they all seem to have the same problem, you weigh yourself say 5 times, and the readings are different by several pounds either way, sometimes by half a stone.
Ours are electronic, and basically there are knife edges and bearings on the corners, linked to a transom beam that is connected to an aluminium plate that deflects away from another plate, thus acting as a variable capacitor, and forms part of an oscillating circuit, the simple electronics simply calculates the weight proportional to the frequency generated by the capacitor being in circuit.
So far so good, the scales were about 3 kg out at 100kg, ie reading light

So I stripped them, and noticed a potentiometer on the circuit board, there was a hole in the steel pressing above this Pot, so I made a small hole in the vinyl of the top to allow the terminal screwdriver to engage the pot when the scales were fully assembled again. I took the scales to the hospital yesterday, and cross calibrated them at my weight as the resolution of the hospital scales is around 10 times higher than our scales.
So we now have a working and calibrated scale, that is fairly reliable with several measurements, and batteries last more than a year, unlike some of the modern electronic ones, where if you are lucky might last a week.

Modern electronic scales rely on strain gauges, the problem is, they have not been calibrated for corner errors, so if you stand to one side, they will give different readings. Also they can't stand side forces, so if the scales have been pushed in one direction, the strain gauges see this as a force and makes the scales read incorrectly.
In addition, there is no temperature compensation, as the top expands it to can affect the strain on these strain gauges.
We didn't want all this bmi and water retention stuff just to tell me I am carrying too much weight lol...:doh

So we have some scales that read correct to the nearest lb and I now believe what we see is now correct.
So far, 4-5 lbs lost in less than 3 weeks. So going in the right direction.
No special diet, just cutting out the extras... The things that you enjoy lol...
Rustic

 

[Monaro Pete]

Don't posses any scales. I look in the mirror & I can see if I've put weight on.
This BMI is all crap anyway. You can have someone that's over weight & still be fit as a fiddle.
Then the other way around, very skinny & fit to drop.

 

[makeitfit]

BMI is simply an INDEX, nothing to do with any implied fitness or health. Very rough extrapolation can be derived from it as a warning I guess it's fine. I'm 6ft and 12 stone. Last year I was 13 stone and therefore over weight as per BMI
So I do the 5:2 now and boom weight lost
Don't feel any healthier but I do feel the cold more :lol

 

[rustic]

BMI is simply an INDEX, nothing to do with any implied fitness or health. Very rough extrapolation can be derived from it as a warning I guess it's fine. I'm 6ft and 12 stone. Last year I was 13 stone and therefore over weight as per BMI
So I do the 5:2 now and boom weight lost
Don't feel any healthier but I do feel the cold more :lol

I had to google the 5:2 diet, looks good to me, it allows an opportunity to have a meal out now and again. Even the two days at reduce calorie input, don't need to be consecutive days either.:thumb2

My original diet was the 365 diet lol... eat what you want for a year and put a stone on...:doh
Most of that was comfort eating, and drinking, and a "What the hell do I care attitude" :doh It's coming up to a year now, when I was first diagnosed with my "C" but now I have a more positive attitude, mostly since dropping one of the hormone drugs.

Since I am also having drugs for high blood pressure, and I am borderline Type 2 diabetic, I really need to loose this weight.
Uncle Rustic

 

[johnb5177]

I saw an article on the box, that tested bathroom scales.....the results were a bit worrying, in that they are generally quite inaccurate +/- .
Doesn't help if you really are trying to monitor and control your weight.
But good on you Rustic for using your knowledge and experience to sort yours out.....and the greatest of good luck with everything......:thumb2

 

[rustic]

I saw an article on the box, that tested bathroom scales.....the results were a bit worrying, in that they are generally quite inaccurate +/- .
Doesn't help if you really are trying to monitor and control your weight.
But good on you Rustic for using your knowledge and experience to sort yours out.....and the greatest of good luck with everything......:thumb2

My main career was in the weighing industry, "you can only weigh a dog to the nearest flea" was my favourite line.
lol.
I used to design the instrumentation and develop systems, I have even been involved with scales to weigh jumbo jets etc.
One of the best high accuracy scale we had, we demonstrated to a customer, that we could weigh his signature...
We weighed his business card, then asked him to sign it, we weighed it again, and the difference was the weight of ink. wow !
Of course we watched his face as the weight slowly decreased.. he said not very good are they? I said what you are seeing is the solvent in the ink evaporating...
Right... where do I sign for the order lol?
Rustic

 

[Banshee]

Don't posses any scales. I look in the mirror & I can see if I've put weight on.
This BMI is all crap anyway. You can have someone that's over weight & still be fit as a fiddle.
Then the other way around, very skinny & fit to drop.

Amen!!!!

I'm 5ft 8, 14 stone exactly, run 7 minute miles consistently, and slammed a night club bouncer once but apparently........ I'm obese :lol

 

[panelbeater]

you have only to look at me to see i own no scales.lol.

 

[rustic]

you have only to look at me to see i own no scales.lol.

:lol:lol:lol

 

[don simon]

According to BMI goes most/all rugby players are obese. It's just a guide to let you know what level of fat is socially acceptable.
As far a dieting and fat loss (not weight loss) goes, Uncle Rustc, sugar is your enemy, followed by processed carbs. Here's a good diet http://williamslittleworld.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/famous-idave-diet.html which not a diet, but a change in the way we eat. Non of this 2 days of starving either.

 

[solarman216]

My main career was in the weighing industry, "you can only weigh a dog to the nearest flea" was my favourite line.
lol.
I used to design the instrumentation and develop systems, I have even been involved with scales to weigh jumbo jets etc.
One of the best high accuracy scale we had, we demonstrated to a customer, that we could weigh his signature...
We weighed his business card, then asked him to sign it, we weighed it again, and the difference was the weight of ink. wow !
Of course we watched his face as the weight slowly decreased.. he said not very good are they? I said what you are seeing is the solvent in the ink evaporating...
Right... where do I sign for the order lol?
Rustic

I had a set of scales once, bought as part of a job lot from someplace that went bankrupt, they were what would call a balance, two dishes on a seesaw, all jeweled movement and in a glass case, it would displace with a single postage stamp, place another in the other tray and it would come back to zero, sold them in the 70's for about £100, wish I had not now as they were very nice on a hardwood base and lacquered brass, Rick

 

[macabethiel]

Waist Size is my Scales !

I am 6 ft 1" , my weight varies between 14 st 12 lbs (Summer) and 15 st 2 lbs (Winter) with a waist of 38" since I was 50 (was 36" ages 18-50).

When my top trouser button gets tight I cut out Biscuits & Chocolate for a month and that get me back to where I want to be.

When I do weigh myself on our Digital Scales I do so in my Birthday Suit first thing in the morning.
When I was having Chemo way back in 1987 the Hospital Scales were usually about 2 Kilos more. My body weight back then slumped to 12 st 2 lbs but after a year on Prednisolone Steroids I shot up to 15 st 7 lbs during the year. Prednisolne just made me want to eat constantly once I was through the vomiting stage of Prehistoric Chemotherapy that was Vincristin.