Anybody recommend a decent scale that's affordable?

(less is more, more or less) #21

As a general rule, I avoid Wal-Mart, or Target, for such purchases. I’m nearly achieving a 1-1 ratio on flimsy cheap garbage that I’ve bought from both stores.

(Brian) #22

I haven’t actually ruled out a balance type scale. They seem to start a little under $200. Hmmm… It’s a pretty big investment but maybe it’s worth it. Still looking…

(Bev Anne Moynham) #23

After a few disasters with electronic scales that didn’t last much longer than their original batteries, I purchased a Taylor scale which seems to be still weighing accurately after several years.

#24

I like smart scales because they sync with my phone and upload data to a server. This saves me from manual logging, and produces nice graphics that clearly show trends. Some scales will also import the data to My Fitness Pal, Fitbit, AppleHeath, Google Fit etc.

I use this one from Weight Gurus, it’s currently less than $40:

(Heather Meyer) #25

I have a WW scale and what i do is step on 4 times and average it out. If i get a number 2 times out of 4 then u stick with that number.

(Running from stupidity) #26

Irrespective of the cost, the only thing I ever believe from these sorts of scales is the weight. The rest is like “cholesterol” calculations from blood tests, they’re not actual readings, they’re just numbers derived from #whatever.

So yeah, they do provide me with extra data, and I don’t believe it’s of any use. But, as I said up top, I bought them becuase they send the weight data directly to my phone, and that goes automatically to Fitbit and thus Cronometer.

(Brian) #27

Yup, this scale has got to go.

Same number after 3 hours of sleep as before, the morning pee, still the same exact number, my wife stepped on, same number for her as for me, … Um, no!

#28

I’d say skip the scale and get one of these. Accurate, precise, better at showing real progress, and with less psychological baggage. Myotape

(less is more, more or less) #29

As per a different discussion, I’m totally cool that you like to capture this data. I’m interested in your daily habits and I continually adjust mine based on personal experience and new ideas I encounter on this forum. I can be terse in how I express myself, but unless someone says something outrageous like; “Doritos are KETO” I’m cool with how anyone reasonably rolls.

Maybe we need a tagline, like, “I honor your inner keto.” :wink:

<phew>

That said, here’s the reason that body weight as a primary metric is waning for me. Ted Naiman has a pinned a tweet that dramatizes the limits of focusing on body weight, alone.

If appearances were paramount, it does appear the doctor has healed himself.

While I lack his youthfulness, I am seeing shifts in my body’s composition and the value of capturing weight is now secondary, and I don’t need to track this daily, though, as you write, the convenience of bluetooth makes daily tracking convenient and inexpensive, time-wise.

ps; I just checked, Naiman is only 9 years younger than me. Holy smokes.

(Running from stupidity) #30

Me too, weight by itself tells you nothing terribly useful. Hell, chop off a leg if you really want to lose weight in a hurry :slight_smile:

It’s just that I don’t actually trust the other data the scales provide.

:grin:

(Brian) #31

I get that. I’m honestly not all that interested in a scale telling me how much body fat it thinks I have, especially knowing that it is about a 98% chance it’s a significantly wrong figure. If I want to know that, I’ll find a place that does DEXA scans. They’re around.

However, I do feel like weight is something I like keeping regular tabs on. If I go up a few pounds, I like having that feedback early on. And if I go down a few pounds, I like knowing that right away, too. I like the quick feedback when I’ve had a few days of intense physical work vs a few days of eating a little too much from the goodie category, stuff like that. The quick feedback allows me to say stuff like, “I’m dehydrated, I need to make sure I get my salt and water.” Or, “I’ve been eating too many goodies, I need to cut back on that stuff again.” Or, “I think I’ll try going carnivore for a week and see how that affects the scale and how I feel.” Or numerous other things. It’s not an obsession over a particular number. It’s kind of a quick and dirty snapshot of how things are going.

I know weight goes up and weight goes down. Some is even the weather. I get that. I’d just like to know that when I do weigh myself, the number means more than just whatever number a broken scale happens to throw at me. Wrong info is worse then no info as far as I’m concerned. I don’t obsess over what time it is but I do kinda like having a clock around to check on once in a while. A broken one is right twice a day but isn’t really all that useful. Just sayin’.

#32

Do you think that maybe mechanical spring scales are inaccurate after a certain weight?

I’m thinking about buying a seca mechanical scale but unsure.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #33

It would depend completely on the design and the materials, as well as the age of the spring. Balance scales are, unfortunately, bulky and expensive.

#34

I see now. The spring stretches and eventually gives a false reading. So it makes sense that the spring is most likely going to stretch if a heavier person constantly uses it.

I have no intention of buying a balance scale but it does seem like a novel invention is required for a scale.