I just finished writing up the chapter on food markets, including a section on the importance of having accurate weights and measures. I would sure appreciate some accurate weights and measures around here, let me tell you.
We got a new scale. The WiiFit scale, as I've complained, is not particularly accurate. Aside from its 2-8 pounds shifts between days, it consistently weighs me one pound less the second time I step on it than the first. Then I'd head to the doctor's office and find they were 6-15 pounds heavier than our scale at home, making every doctor visit a misery.
So now we have a new scale. It measures us both at 8 pounds heavier than the WiiFit. But it randomly changes its weight 3 pounds between times I stand on it. It claims to measure my body fat percent, but all it really does is calculate my BMI (weight divided by height squared), and to tell me the percent that is water weight.
Joy and I were fasting today so I thought I'd have some fun with the new scale. I stepped on just before dinner and it said I weighed the same I did on Monday.
I drank 2 cups of water. Ah! The scale said I gained 3 pounds, none of it water weight.
I drank 2 more cups of water. The scale I lost 1 pound and my water weight went ... down.
I ate dinner (half a plate of veggie stir fry) and drank 2 cups of milk. The scale said I gained 2 more pounds, none of it water weight.
... This does not look good for the "Health o Meter"
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
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We got a somewhat simpler health-o-meter brand scale that just weighs you - none of that fancy water weight stuff. Generally speaking, the ones that do funny stuff can't handle the kind of weight I needed it to in August. As long as we set it on tile (our carpet confuses it no end, usually producing an error message), we get solid, consistent readings. I step on, weigh myself, step off, step back on and weigh, to the tenth of a pound, exactly what I did the first time. It's pretty trustworthy for us.
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