# Are You Friends With Your Scale?  How Often Do You Visit?



## Meanderer

I weighed myself this morning...146 lbs.  My scale and I get along fine.  How 'bout you?

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## Vivjen

I don't own any....


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## Ameriscot

Sometimes we are friends.  Sometimes not.


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## AprilT

What prompted the question, seeing too many fat people in your headlights lately?


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## Meanderer

AprilT said:


> What prompted the question, seeing too many fat people in your headlights lately?


...no... in the rearview.


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## AprilT

Well, I'll be sure to keep a good distance from here on.  layful:


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## jujube

Oh, anytime I get to feeling too good about myself.....a visit to my scale will take care of that in no time at all.   Actually, I have lost 10 pounds; a bout of stomach flu followed by bronchitis is a great way to start a diet.   It's the new Poop-and-Cough-Yourself-to-a-Trim-Waistline Program.  I don't recommend it.


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## Falcon

I haven't seen the thing in years. Don't know what happened to it. And I'm NOT buying another one!

I feel fine the way I am; can still get into my pants.  How about yours?


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## jujube

No, John.  You cannot get into my pants.  Sorry.


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## Falcon

dang !


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## Pappy

I was very friendly with my scales and used it daily. Then I relized that it requires 4 AAA batteries. I HATE my scales.


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## Meanderer

Oh Shoot!

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## QuickSilver

I weigh myself every morning.  MY scale is stuck.


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## Pappy

Vera knows how to do it.


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## NancyNGA

Guess I'm a bit compulsive about this.  Try to weigh every morning, but it has to be under the exact same conditions.  Drink a couple of cups of coffee first, or get fully dressed---too late.  Trying to get a handle on how many calories it takes to maintain, not gain. Trial and error.  The errors are more fun.


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## Meanderer

NancyNGA said:


> Guess I'm a bit compulsive about this.  Try to weigh every morning, but it has to be under the exact same conditions.  Drink a couple of cups of coffee first, or get fully dressed---too late.  Trying to get a handle on how many calories it takes to maintain, not gain. Trial and error.  The errors are more fun.


The vintage public body-scales still found (sometimes even operational) in some European cities are spring scales. In Paris, the scales are inscribed with the phrase: “He who often weighs himself knows himself well. He who knows himself well lives well”.


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## Meanderer

"The most modern body-scales rely on electronics to measure the weight of their users. By sticking electrical resistances on deformable materials and running a current through them, it is possible to detect variations in the conductivity of the resistances that are correlated to the amount of pressure exerted on the material, and thus to deduce the weight of the person (or the object) standing on the scale. The most high-end body-scales also act as impedance meters and are able to calculate the ratio of fat mass and lean mass in the body. The measure of impedance is done by generating a very small electrical current on the surface of the scale and measuring the resistance encountered by the current as it travels through the body. Lean mass is a better conductor than fat mass and it is therefore possible to deduce the ratio of both in the body."
http://blog.withings.com/2011/09/30/a-short-history-of-the-weighing-scale-2/


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## Pappy

Nancy, have you considered the Fit Bit? Google it and it will explain how it works.


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## NancyNGA

I've had an old pair of spring-loaded scales since 1970.  They served me well for many, many years.  Then I got tempted by the promise of seeing the weight down to the the next decimal place. They are erratic.  Weight changes every time you step on them.  

But I use the new ones anyway :dunno:


Pappy, I just Googled the FitBit.  There are so many devices.  Assume you mean the wristband things. Those do everything.  Not sure if I'm into it that much.   Do you have one?  How do you like it?

 I did have a pedometer one time.


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## Lee

muscle weighs more than fat.....so I tell people I have a lot of muscle


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## SeaBreeze

I heard that muscle weighs a lot, so we're still friends.


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## Pappy

NancyNGA said:


> I've had an old pair of spring-loaded scales since 1970.  They served me well for many, many years.  Then I got tempted by the promise of seeing the weight down to the the next decimal place. They are erratic.  Weight changes every time you step on them.
> 
> But I use the new ones anyway :dunno:
> 
> 
> Pappy, I just Googled the FitBit.  There are so many devices.  Assume you mean the wristband things. Those do everything.  Not sure if I'm into it that much.   Do you have one?  How do you like it?
> 
> I did have a pedometer one time.



Yes, bought one on EBay last month. It is the wrist type and syncs with my IPad. I like the sleep pattern feature and steps walked daily. It needs to be charged once a week.


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## Meanderer

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## Ameriscot

Meanderer said:


> "The most modern body-scales rely on electronics to measure the weight of their users. By sticking electrical resistances on deformable materials and running a current through them, it is possible to detect variations in the conductivity of the resistances that are correlated to the amount of pressure exerted on the material, and thus to deduce the weight of the person (or the object) standing on the scale. The most high-end body-scales also act as impedance meters and are able to calculate the ratio of fat mass and lean mass in the body. The measure of impedance is done by generating a very small electrical current on the surface of the scale and measuring the resistance encountered by the current as it travels through the body. Lean mass is a better conductor than fat mass and it is therefore possible to deduce the ratio of both in the body."
> http://blog.withings.com/2011/09/30/a-short-history-of-the-weighing-scale-2/




I've got a Tanita scale that does all that - measures muscle, fat, etc etc.  I doubt the accuracy but I think it gives a pretty good indication of a fat% is you do it at the same time everyday.  Measures visceral fat as well.  

I will get on my scale the day we leave for our trip - Weds. - and won't have access to a scale while we are gone.  Will be easy to judge though by the how the clothes fit.


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## rkunsaw

The best fat indicator is neither a scale nor any electronic device. A mirror will accurately show you the amount of fat and where it'
s located.


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## Ameriscot

rkunsaw said:


> The best fat indicator is neither a scale nor any electronic device. A mirror will accurately show you the amount of fat and where it'
> s located.



Generally true.  However, a mirror will not accurately tell you how much of the fat around your middle is visceral fat (the hard, dangerous kind).


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## Raven

I get along fine with my scale.  It lets me know when I have eaten too many goodies
and when I need to get back to walking and exercising.  I only step on the scale every couple
of weeks and then I know if I have been  overdoing the sweet treats.


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## Pappy

Good advice, if I could. Running is a thing of the past.


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## Meanderer




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## Meanderer

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## jujube

...besides, I'm NOT overweight, I'm just under-tall.   And I AM in shape; round is a shape.


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## Meanderer

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## Meanderer

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## Meanderer

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## Louise

I'm not exactly friends with my scale but I'm glad I have one.  I weigh myself every morning and I still need to lose weight but if I didn't have it, I would probably be a lot heavier!!


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## Susie

The scales and I are bitter enemies-as a matter of fact we hate each other and I've hidden the scales from myself!
(Now where is that last slice of the Marzipan cake?)
:coffeelaugh:


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## hollydolly

We're friends today because it told me this morning I'd lost 3 pounds..


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## Meanderer

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## Ameriscot

hollydolly said:


> We're friends today because it told me this morning I'd lost 3 pounds..



Well done!


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## Meanderer




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## RadishRose

I haven't owned a scale in some years but if I ever get another, we will be friends.


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## Meanderer




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## Georgia Lady

All of your cartoons ate so cute.  I weigh before going to the grocery store, so I can see what foods I need to buy.


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## Meanderer

A Christmas scale!


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## Pappy

I weigh myself everyday.
One of these days I will remove the Duck tape that's covering the numbers.:what1:


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## Ken N Tx

Pappy said:


> I weigh myself everyday.
> One of these days I will remove the Duck tape that's covering the numbers.:what1:


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## Blaze Duskdreamer

I'm friends with my scale and weigh myself weekly. I find if I don't both weigh myself regularly and count calories, I don't maintain, I gain and I'm already far too heavy.  This cannot be blamed on my scale but on my sweet tooth and lack of will power.  So yes, it is a useful tool and I appreciate its honesty.  I lost 30 pounds this summer that no one thought I could.



NancyNGA said:


> Guess I'm a bit compulsive about this.  Try to weigh every morning, but it has to be under the exact same conditions.  Drink a couple of cups of coffee first, or get fully dressed---too late.  Trying to get a handle on how many calories it takes to maintain, not gain. Trial and error.  The errors are more fun.



If you track calories, this is quite easy to figure out and you might be surprised at how much you can eat.  (I am.  I expected my maintenance to be some 500 calories a day less than it is, at least.)  Basically, each pound equals 3500 calories.  So weigh yourself and start counting those calories.  I go one week then weigh myself again.  If you lost weight, add 3500 calories for every pound lost and divide by 7 or however many days you used and you have your maintenance allotment.  If you gained (shudder), subtract the 3500 per pound and likewise divide by 7.  If you did neither, well, you hit your ideal so just divide by 7.  I would use at least a week to measure this.  It cannot be done accurately day by day as there are things like water weight fluctuations, etc.

It's important to know that the heavier you are the more calories it takes to do something like walk, especially uphill or upstairs.  You're fighting gravity to exercise.  So as I lose weight, the maintenance allotment will go down and it has actually dropped a little after losing the 30 pounds this summer.  Keep keeping track until you've been on maintenance enough to know what it is for you.  I've been doing this so long with unerring accuracy that I plan to keep the habit when I do reach my weight goals.  I have degenerative bone disease for one thing and am expected to eventually wind up in a wheelchair so there will always be things that can change it.


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## Meanderer




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## Meanderer




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## Georgia Lady

I weigh almost every day.  I have gained 10 pounds since last September.  The scale is following me like an evil stalker.


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## hollydolly

My scales are digital and it should tell me the right weight every time I get on, but I can stand on it and it will say one thing and then get off and on again and there will be a difference of a couple of kilos so I never know really what I weigh exactly..

The other day at the hospital while getting my preps done for my upcoming operation I was weighed on proper hospital scales...and I was happy to see that I was actually 6lbs less than I thought I was....so I'm delighted with that. I'm 120 pounds and that will do for me..


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## Jackie22

....not really.


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## Lon

Daily 6'  4" 188 lbs


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## Meanderer

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## flowerchild

LOL, Really? Can one be actually friends with that scale? I no longer own one, they tend to get abused.


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## Meanderer




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## Ken N Tx




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## Pappy

A couple more:


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## Meanderer

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## Pappy

Vera knows how:


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## Ken N Tx

.
.


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## Ken N Tx




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## Meanderer

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## Cookie

My scale and me just couldn't get along - always argued.  I had to ask it to leave.


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## Meanderer




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## ~Lenore

*We are acquaintances.  I step on it daily after getting out of bed and going to the potty.  Then I remove my PJs and step on the scale.  It tells me if I need to eat more or less for the day.    It helps me maintain pretty well.  Except after Christmas this year, all the crowd left the desserts here!  Over a period of a week I grudgingly ate them.  My scale told mne I should not have.  

So I have been trying to lose the four pounds that I gained.  This morning I had lost three of them. 
*


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