Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Stupid Scales



I've been using a POS scale at home. It's consistent, so I know how much weight I've lost, but I think it's wrong. Yesterday, I went to Linens and Things looking for a real scale, like the kind you can sell drugs with. They didn't have those, but they did have a dozen or so other "electric" , and regular analog scales on display.

I took about a half dozen of them down and stood on them, and little to my surprise I found that my weight fluctuated as much as 6-7 pounds depending on which scale I stood on. Another note I made is that even the one that gave me the highest number was still a pound or so less then my scale at home.

So what does this mean?

It means they don't like it when you get naked to weigh yourself at Linens and Things.

It also means that I probably weigh less than I thought by up to 5 pounds.

What does it change? Nothing.

I'm still going to go by my home scale since it's at least consistent. If some day I do find an out of work pot dealer willing to part with his tool of the trade, I will just adjust my numbers accordingly. If the scale says I'm 5lbs lighter my goals will be adjusted by 5 lbs.

And in the overall picture, when will I decide to stop losing weight? It actually won't be when a scale says a certain number, but instead when I can look at myself in the mirror and can be 100% happy with what I see. I don't know what that number is so scales are just a measure of progress at this point.

I wonder if you have to be clothed to use the mirrors at Linens and Things? Only time, and the local Police Department will tell.

10 comments:

Jay said...

Is there a gym scale you can measure it against? Maybe you can use both and average them.

If there was no sign forbidding nakedness at LnT, it's fair game, in my book.

Ripx180 said...

good thoughts on just using the scale as a progress indicator and knowing you reached your goal by looking in the mirror sounds solid too. I hope some day I can look in the mirror or at a photo of myself and be happy with what i see. Must feel great, or it does feel great ( I can remember a few times in my life). Its been a long time though.

Rob Tucker said...

Oh, man. Stop the presses.

This is coming from someone who went through this just recently.

Do not buy another scale. Do not step on another scale. Your scale is your scale. Don't worry about the number in comparision to other scales. Do not get scale "envy".

Someone posted, I forget who, on my blog about the chinese proverb:

"A man with only one clock always knows what time it is. A man with two clocks is never sure".

Trust me, this freaked me out for weeks. Let it go =)

billy said...

hahahaha thats a great proverb rob.

Brian, every time I read your blog it's like me 8 months ago, exactly. Except I was much smarter and more handsome. Well, smarter anyway.

Seriously though, you're right, all that matters is how much you've lost, how you look, and how you feel.

David said...

Brian, you blog was Laugh out loud funny !

Thanks for bringing some laughs !

Brian said...

there is a scale at the work gym, but it's yet another POS.
I'm just sticking to the one I have.

billy said...

You don't post frequently enough.

Brian said...

I only post when I have something to say :)

billy said...

I've found that blogging is like any other part of the weight loss plan. Sometimes you have to make yourself do it. Eventually you'll get used to it and want to do it more often. The social support really helps.

Also, if you slack on the blog, your readers will eventually get bored and go away. You have to give people something interesting on a frequent enough basis to keep them coming back.

Or, you can have a blog that you rarely ever update and nobody reads. :)

Anonymous said...

Linens & Things might not like the naked weigh-ins now, but give it a few months. :)

I'd stick with your POS scale...as long as it's consistent. If you know how much you're losing, that's all that matters. :)