Are office scales usually accurate?

Question

Almost a week ago I weighed myself on one of those professional scales that are in doctor's offices at the fitness center in our apartments and it told me I weighed 230, then my step dad went out and bought a digital scale and it's telling me I weigh 241 today (242 yesterday). Which I know is bogus because I know I have been burning off a lot of calories (doing the elliptical for 50 minutes a day, plus weight training) and I'm on phase 1 of South Beach Diet (my carbs are limited to under 40). So I find it hard to believe I gained 12 pounds in a matter of 3 or 4 days, or lost 15 pounds or so in a matter of a week, which I weighed myself today at the fitness center and it was telling me I weigh between 215 and 220. I guess the numbers seem a bit high to me as far as losing weight goes, but my mom said it is possible. I could be shedding a lot of water weight. So would you trust a doctors scale more providing its balanced out? I did balance it out today and it was telling me I weighed 215

Answer 1

Here's what you can do to find out if your scale is accurate or not. Take a dumbell and set it on the scale. Based on what it says, your scale could be off. If you put on a 5 pound weight and your scale reads 7, then it's obviously off by 2 pounds. If it says the correct weight of the dumbell, chances are it's your doctor's scale that's off.

Answer 2

They're supposed to be accurate, but everyone says they weigh a lot more when they weigh at the doctor's rather than at home.