can i trust the scales

[Biscuits]

About 10 weeks i go i made some changes. Started eating well and started the stronglifts program, and a bit of cardio. I went from 96kg to 91 in 7 weeks but have only lost 1 kg over the next 3 weeks.Thats disappointed me a bit but i know you have to expect some ebb and flow at times. Ive got a set of scales which break up your body composition (bf%, muscle % etc) and those numbers arent changing so i cant even claim increased muscle is the reason my weight isnt dropping. The thing that is confusing me is when i look in the mirror i appear to be more muscular. That should mean i am either increasing muscle or decreasing body fat, or a combintion of the two. Also my clothing size is still decreasing.
Does any one have an explaination for why the scales and the mirror are telling me 2 different stories.

 

[Danish]

Sometimes you just hit a plateau in weight loss. No big deal and if the physical changes are still being noticed then you'll see it on the scales eventually.

Get yourself a tape measure and start keeping weekly tabs on your waistline. I found that when I was losing weight sometimes the scales wouldn't move but the inches kept coming off, kept me from getting frustrated.

As to the accuracy of your scales, I've always been told as long as you use the same scales every time, then the readings are at least accurate when compared to each other. So even if your scales are out, they will be out by the same amount each time making the readings comparable.

 

[Snoochies]

I weight myself first thing in the morning and then have a shower, and then hop on again and I've put on a kilo. Body does funny things.

At the end of the day, if you see your body changing don't worry too much about the scales although it's good to see the weight go down.

 

[Danish]

I weight myself first thing in the morning and then have a shower, and then hop on again and I've put on a kilo. Body does funny things.

At the end of the day, if you see your body changing don't worry too much about the scales although it's good to see the weight go down.

Try showering with your mouth closed :sarcasm:

 

[Pete Cash]

I never weigh myself unless I'm concerned I've become a little too big. I just make judgement calls based on how I look or what program I'm currently doing. The best call is what Danish said. Measure your waist.

 

[Dragon]

Scales are useful to a degree (like your first 7 week loss) then measuring body fat becomes much better. You've probably built plenty of muscle while losing BF and thats why the scales haven't really moved.

 

[Cliffhanger]

The scales that tell you your body composition are not accurate. The only measure that's 100 per cent accurate is a Dual X-Ray Absorption scan. The next most accurate are fat calipers but very few people know how to use them.

So I definitely would not trust your scale on that one.

It actually takes six to ten weeks to build any muscle when taking up a new wokout. The first six to ten weeks is just the neural pathways opening up. You will look more tone because you're losing fat.

Measuring your waist isn't a bad idea.

 

[_snafu_]

I just use the calipers. The cheapest and easiest way for me to keep track.

 

[elbusto]

Only way to weigh yourself reliably is at the same time every day preferably first thing before breakfast in the morning starkers.

Simple.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

My morning routine every day is get up, go to the toilet, jump on the scales. But even then I get up to 1kg of variance.

Re your weight los slowing down thats normal, pretty much everyone loses a bunch of weight quickly at first then finds it slows down. I think I dropped 10kg in about 6-7 weeks and took 3 times that to lose the next 10kg.

 

[Thomas]

My morning routine every day is get up, go to the toilet, jump on the scales. But even then I get up to 1kg of variance.

Re your weight los slowing down thats normal, pretty much everyone loses a bunch of weight quickly at first then finds it slows down. I think I dropped 10kg in about 6-7 weeks and took 3 times that to lose the next 10kg.

My body weight fluctuates to nearly 2kgs a day. It's weird but has always been like that.

I still watch the scales but take more notice in my clothes now than anything else. Belts are an awesome indicator. ;-)

 

[borat]

Bathroom scales are notoriously bad quality and can be easily damaged. You really pay for what you get. Their weight cells can be accurate to or above a point, then grossly inaccurate. The best way to check accuracy is to use some test weights.

Some checks you can easily do is to step on and off a number of times for repeatability and to check accuracy over time is to weigh some heavy static objects from around the house and write them down. Then re weigh them every now and then and compare the results.

Don't bother trying to get bathroom scales repaired as very little can be done on any scale under 1k

 

[Utey]

I've lost 11kg and maintained it, but now despite training and eating right every day, I'm stuck on 70kg. That isn't a bad thing because I am beginning to develop and maintain definition and mass.