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Doctors scale vs Home scale



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I went for my first nutrition visit today. I have to do 6 for my insurance to cover my surgery. And I can't gain any weight. Well when I first went in for my evaluation I weighed 238 which I thought was lower, I usually weigh 240. Then I have been dieting and stuff and my scale says 233-236. So I'm thinking I'm good to go then today at the first nutrition visit I weighed 245!!! that's 7 pounds up from last visit and 10-12 pounds more then my scale says. And I have checked my scale and it is accurate with everything and every person who has tried it. Does anyone have any advice or tips, or similar experiences. I'm feeling very discouraged that this issues will stop me from being covered since they say you can't gain any added weight.

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Aaah, The vagaries of the scale. Mine can weigh more or less depending upon which tile it’s sitting on in my bathroom. My mother’s weighs about a pound more than mine.

Wearing different shoes & clothing can give you a different result too. My doctor made me take off my skirt once because it was leather so heavier & they were concerned I was losing too much.

Track your weight at home. Weigh yourself at the same time, in underwear or naked, at the same time, post or pre bowel movement. As long as you’re consistent. There are some easy to use apps to record your weight. Some fancy scales will send your weight & other body stats to your phone.

As long as your trend is going down you should be fine. Did your nutritionalist say anything about the different weights?

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11 hours ago, Jaden said:

I went for my first nutrition visit today. I have to do 6 for my insurance to cover my surgery. And I can't gain any weight. Well when I first went in for my evaluation I weighed 238 which I thought was lower, I usually weigh 240. Then I have been dieting and stuff and my scale says 233-236. So I'm thinking I'm good to go then today at the first nutrition visit I weighed 245!!! that's 7 pounds up from last visit and 10-12 pounds more then my scale says. And I have checked my scale and it is accurate with everything and every person who has tried it. Does anyone have any advice or tips, or similar experiences. I'm feeling very discouraged that this issues will stop me from being covered since they say you can't gain any added weight.

Sent from my SM-J727T1 using BariatricPal mobile app

I totally understand the frustration. Every time I go to the doctor the scale (at minimum) makes me at least 5 pounds higher than my home scale. I went yesterday and it said I weighed 199. I about cried! My doctor has to remind me every time that their scale is 5-10 pounds off because she weighs herself on it every now and then and she's noticed that it does that even though it's supposed to recalibrate itself. She said it's always off by at least 5 pounds and everyone finds that frustrating, even her (she had weight loss surgery herself about 15 years ago. She's been able to keep her weight off even after having more kids after her surgery). It always frustrates me and I immediately weigh myself when I get home just to see how far off their scale was. I was 195 on my home scale with my clothes on so it was off by only 4 pounds (193 sans clothes because it was the afternoon and... it's also that time of the month so Water weight is pissing me off. I had to check that too because I was paranoid I'd gained more water weight due to my stupid period).

Edited by NovaLuna
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I almost never weighed myself pre-surgery, so my advice relates to post-surgery.

Even after surgery, I tried to avoid the scale and weigh myself only a couple of times a week--and ideally only once a week. It's too easy to become obsessed with the tiny fluctuations (up and down) that occur day to day. It's more important to see the overall trend downward, which you will if you don't weigh yourself daily.

It's also important that you weigh yourself under the same conditions every time, as others have said. For me, that was first thing in the morning, naked, and before I had eaten or drunk anything. That way, I could be sure that I was comparing apples to apples. Also, I only compared the numbers from my scale at home and not with the scale in the doctor's office, because the two scales could be calibrated differently. Again, apples to apples.

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I think one thing is that you might be weighing yourself at the doctor's office after eating/drinking all day in the afternoon and with clothes and maybe even shoes on. I would see if you can get an early morning appointment and go before drinking/eating too much and dress very lightly, see if that makes a difference. I always weigh myself first thing in the morning at home naked and right after peeing and if I step on the scale in the afternoon or at night it's several pounds more - even on the same scale!

I am pre-op too and I also have to lose a few pounds during my 4 months of nutrition classes. I'm freaking out because my starting weight was my home weight first thing in the morning at home, and I think my final weight will be at the doctor's office.

Edited by lizonaplane
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I think one thing is that you might be weighing yourself at the doctor's office after eating/drinking all day in the afternoon and with clothes and maybe even shoes on. I would see if you can get an early morning appointment and go before drinking/eating too much and dress very lightly, see if that makes a difference. I always weigh myself first thing in the morning at home naked and right after peeing and if I step on the scale in the afternoon or at night it's several pounds more - even on the same scale!
I am pre-op too and I also have to lose a few pounds during my 4 months of nutrition classes. I'm freaking out because my starting weight was my home weight first thing in the morning at home, and I think my final weight will be at the doctor's office.

It was in the afternoon, and that makes totally sense I'd weigh more. But I checked right before I went. I just don't under how my scale tells me I lost weight and there's day's I gained 7 pounds in a month and half when i have been dieting like what the hell.

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I totally understand the frustration. Every time I go to the doctor the scale (at minimum) makes me at least 5 pounds higher than my home scale. I went yesterday and it said I weighed 199. I about cried! My doctor has to remind me every time that their scale is 5-10 pounds off because she weighs herself on it every now and then and she's noticed that it does that even though it's supposed to recalibrate itself. She said it's always off by at least 5 pounds and everyone finds that frustrating, even her (she had weight loss surgery herself about 15 years ago. She's been able to keep her weight off even after having more kids after her surgery). It always frustrates me and I immediately weigh myself when I get home just to see how far off their scale was. I was 195 on my home scale with my clothes on so it was off by only 4 pounds (193 sans clothes because it was the afternoon and... it's also that time of the month so Water weight is pissing me off. I had to check that too because I was paranoid I'd gained more water weight due to my stupid period).
Sucks to think I was losing weight but apparently gaining weight. Or I don't even really know anymore. But there's say I gained 7 pounds in a month and a half and that's crazy to me especially when I am dieting.

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Aaah, The vagaries of the scale. Mine can weigh more or less depending upon which tile it’s sitting on in my bathroom. My mother’s weighs about a pound more than mine.
Wearing different shoes & clothing can give you a different result too. My doctor made me take off my skirt once because it was leather so heavier & they were concerned I was losing too much.
Track your weight at home. Weigh yourself at the same time, in underwear or naked, at the same time, post or pre bowel movement. As long as you’re consistent. There are some easy to use apps to record your weight. Some fancy scales will send your weight & other body stats to your phone.
As long as your trend is going down you should be fine. Did your nutritionalist say anything about the different weights?
No he didn't. I should've said more then. I am going to call them today because I wanna know if my insurance is gonna pull out now.

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Edited by ms.sss

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