feckin scales

About a week and a half ago, my scales started to give me pretty inconsistent readings, often varying by 4-5kg between readings. Prior to this, the maximum range would have been 0.5kg, so something was amiss. I changed the battery and I was still getting the same problem.

The thing was, the average of the weighing that I was taking each morning were class (usually averaged over 5 reasonable readings)...according to this method, the weight was flying off. I was a bit suprised, but I'd been doing a bit of training so continued to log my weights.

Normally, I'd use the electronic weighing scales at the gym as a check but for some reason, they were out of order the last week or so. The mechanical scales they have in the mens changing rooms are always wrong (about 0.5 stone (3kg) out at the best of times), so these were no use.

Finally get to the gym today and the normal scales are back in action. Step up to face my worst fears...came in at a whopping 120kg (in clothes, so at a guess about 117.5kg if I were to weigh myself in the morning in just boxers). This was a far cry from this mornings reading on my scales of 113.5kg.

So I get home and do some investigating. Normally scales are on carpet in my room so brought them down to the kitchen, where the floor is lino (over concrete). Step on and get more or less the exact reading I was getting in the gym. Variation was down to +- 0.3kg over 6/7 readings. I've now relocated the scales to the downstairs bathroom (similar variation and accuracy as kitchen readings).

Needless to say, I've removed all the readings on the physicsdiet site for this month. Should be ok prior to that, as results were fairly consistent, despite also being on carpet. Anyways, lesson learnt...if it starts playing up again, it'll be binned. Its on its last warning :)