difference between scales (yes I know my teenage girl is showing)

[Debitt]

I was just wondering how inaccurate regular household scales (the ones you use for people) are in comparison to the ones they have in hospitals and clinics. I'm just kind of concerned about this right now because my mother told me scales you have in your house are generally ten pounds overweight. And well...no, I don't think I look fat, but if I add ten pounds to my weight, I AM overweight for my height, and I don't think that's healthy. ><;

[CDLviking]

I wouldn't worry, but if you think you're unhealthy the best thing to do is get more exercise. Try jogging in the morning before school or something.

[Fsiphskilm]

But Househo

[kaji]

I know I never eat right, thats why I take my vitamins. But some people will gain weight or loose it no matter what they do or eat. My mother has an over active thyroyed (not sure if that is spelt right) gland. She could eat a ton, and still just be my Twiggy mom. My sister has an under acitve gland which results in her always being slightly over weight, regardless of what she does or eats.

Now this isnt to say that's what is up with you, but I just thought it might bring a differant depth to your concern. Also, if you are like me, you might be considerabley less active durring winter months thus gaining those extra pounds. Often times a good active summer will even things out. Go for hikes, walks, swimming (my fav), but most importantly just maintain a positive out look on it.^^

-kaji

[Omega Amen]

But Household scales ARE accurate. I've never had a difference in wieght between a household and a hospital. Actually most of the hospitals I know don't use the digital ones, they use the one with wieghts, old fasion trash

If scales were so innacurate I don't think they'd be sold. But household scales are trusted, very accurate, and many of the new ones can tell you your body fat % and everything. Just as if you were at the doctor's.

The scale that I have back in my home in Florida has a 5 pound plus/minus range of error. It is best used for a "ballpark" reading rather than an accurate measurement of mass. It depends greatly on what type of household scale you have.

As for being overweight because of having too much body fat....

Eat right, exercise daily (alternate cardio and weight lifting, I think weight lifting does wonders for the feminine figure), drink plenty of fluids, and get enough rest. That may sound cliché but it really works. Worked for me. Self-discipline, determination, and a commitment to a new lifestyle is the key.

As for determining if you have too much body fat....

*walks away since he does not want to risk saying something stupid to a lady.*

[Shao Feng-Li]

kokoro everyones different. by the charts im overweight. 130 lbs at 14. youd never know. its all muscle in my case. its also depends on how your dressed, if youve eaten lately, or anything else that has to do with being a teenage girl. i know a few things

[The_Marauding_Maniac]

>.> <.< all I know is that I'm about 4'8" and 47lbs

[cbwing0]

There is a margin of error on the scales, but I don't see why it would matter: girls never tell anyone their weight anyway.

Don't worry about the charts and such. If you want to change your body, then you already know what to do (exercise, eat properly, get plenty of sleep, etc.).

[madphilb]

[quote="Kokoro Daisuke"]And well...no, I don't think I look fat, but if I add ten pounds to my weight, I AM overweight for my height, and I don't think that's healthy. ><]
Frankly those "perfect weight" things are a load of.... well.. anyway...

Throw the scale out, exercise, eat right, and you're still going to die anyway eventually Honestly though, there is much more to it all than just your weight, there are other things that determine health which is why you have people who live healthy lives and still drop dead from a heart attack.

Frankly 10 lbs is nothing... I laugh at your 10 lbs... best guess I'm running 350 (down from 400), yet most people when I tell them that give me a "no way!" as a response... granted I'm fat, overweight... but you'll get no sympothy from me over 10 lbs

Besides, I'm sure you look fine... don't get caught in that trap that so many do, that you're "too fat," my ex-wife used to say that, when we where married we looked at some of her old photos and she told me she couldn't believe she thought she was fat then (and she's still a great looking woman!).

Anyway... relax, life's too short to stress over 10 lbs.

[CobaltAngel]

I'm underweight for my height... o.o;;;

[shooraijin]

Well, for what it's worth:

Body mass index can help you a little with this; a BMI > 25 is considered overweight. BMI is somewhat of a blunt instrument and doesn't really take body composition into consideration (muscle is obviously much denser than fat, for example), but it's still useful as a rough tool. You can compute it by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters, squared (i.e., kg/(m^2)).

Even if you appear in the "yellow" range of 25 to, say, 27, remember that this can be affected by a great deal of things and you should probably take a range of readings instead of getting depressed or elated by one bad or good value.

A value over 30 would definitely be considered a health risk, and we recommend bariatric surgery for people who wind up over 40.

[Debitt]

^^;;; I've been trying to excercise a lot more lately...lots. I hope I'm not overdoing it, but I really really want to make sure I stay in shape. I have enough problems as it is, and I don't need to add being "overweight" to the list. I just hope I find out a way to figure out how much I actually weigh, because I'm dying to know right now....from what everyone here and IRL has told me, I vaguely sit somewhere in a 20 pound range up or down and well....I don't think that's precise enough. ^^;

[shooraijin]

I'm surprised no one has suggested this yet, but pick a scale that seems to be in good repair and stick with it. You may not have an accurate absolute weight, but changes from week to week, or however often you weigh yourself, would probably be reasonably believeable if you stuck with the one device instead of using several.

Still, though, be objective about your weight rather than "I look too fat" -- women have enough pressure from unrealistic standards of the feminine figure without that. (Heck, so do men, for that matter.) Exercising is never a bad thing as long as you aren't starving yourself to match.

[Fsiphskilm]

See that's int

[Staci]

I'm the type of person that get curious enough to buy 10 different brand scales and weight myself on all of them.

*laughs* Yes, I need a mass-consensus of my weight! Then, I will add up the values and average them! *winks*

And people should always remember one thing: subtract about five pounds from when you weigh yourself because that's the average amount of... uhm... waste... people carry inside. Not to mention clothes, time of day, having just eaten, etc.

Besides, we are all supposed to weigh what we are all supposed to weigh - no more, no less. The Lord made us in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Just because some piece of paper says you're close to being fat does NOT mean you are! That's just scientific data done on a handful of people, not you yourself! If you want to know if you're getting in a danger area, go get a physical at the Doctor's Office. They'll weigh you, ask what you eat, how often you exercise, take into consideration your structure (pear shape, top heavy, etc.), and make recommendations based on YOUR unique status.

I am 5 foot 11 inches and weigh on average 135 pounds. By all accounts the data I've seen said I am about 15 pounds underweight, and yet I have very muscular legs and some "love handles" (I refuse to give up Doritos!). Does this mean I think I'm disgustingly thin? Heck no! Why? Because it's me! I know I'm healthy because I feel healthy. I exercise, I eat right. Sure, sometimes I eat junk food but only in moderation. Moderation is key - too much of a good thing turns into a bad thing.

Exercise regularly, eat healthy most of the time, have some junk food to reward yourself, stay stress free, and drink water. That is the best advice anyone can get. Remember, you're you and no one can change that. If they try to, pooh on them! *pokes out her tongue*

[Aka-chan]

Interesting thread... I hardly ever weigh myself, though once in a physics class, I sat on a platform suspended by two ropes at different angles and we used our knowledge of tension and blah to figure out how much I weighed. (95 lbs.)

And, Kokoro, I don't know how current your Goku picture in the cosplay thread is, but you look just fine in that. ^__^

[Ingemar]

I don't bother with scales. I just accept my bloated figure and move on in life.

[Seiya]

I can't remember the last time I weighed myself.
This post is only helping to cement my hatred of the coming stage of adolescence...
My universe is shrinking.
I can only hope that I will not become as the others I see...
They hide behind the foolish things we seek...
I've deserted my youth group for frustration.
Things such as this disturb me, for we have all lost the truth.
It lies in the simple things.

[Mangafanatic]

Yeah, the scale should be accurate. Check to see how old it is. If your mom has had it since she was your age-- then, yeah you might want to doubt the accuracy of the scale, otherwise, I'd say it's probably right.

[Bobtheduck]

>.> <.< all I know is that I'm about 4'8" and 47lbs

47 lbs? Isnt' that dangerously underweight? Well, I don't know... 4'8" and all, but that seems really small to me.