Monday, March 10, 2008

I'm in!

I did the Biggest Loser initial weigh-in today at our local Y.

Now I generally know within 0.5 pounds what I weigh at any given moment, carefully calibrated with repeated measures on multiple devices with ample time-series data.

This particular scale weighed me 5 to 8 pounds high. Like a weight I haven't weighed on any scale in the last couple of years.

Which would be an advantage in this contest, because it will show a dramatic weight loss if they get a subsequent proper weight for me.

I suspect the operator (the Y employee) didn't zero it properly.

This is somewhat of an ethical dilemma. What would you do?

I think for now I'll just play along quietly and keep track of my weight and measurements at home like I always do, and weigh in on their same scale each week, and let them keep their own measurements and weight data. We have a meeting on Wednesday night and I'll inquire about it then.

8 comments:

Paul said...

Every gym I've been to has overweighed. I'm convinced this is deliberate, to keep you believing you are fatter than you are and keep you going to the gym.

Shawn said...

I'm curious as to the kind of scale it was. They say those doctor's scales are accurate (and I'm always up on them, but that could be because of a myriad of factors...) but even they can be calibrated improperly.

In any case, I probably wouldn't say anything about it; see what happens next Monday.

Good luck!

Fe-lady said...

Drs scales (or any scale!) are only accurate if they are calibrated correctly.

Oh...Shawn already said that!

Good luck with your contest!

LBTEPA said...

Oooh that's a hard one...do you get any advantage froem this? In which case you'd better tell them. If not, let it go

Kewl Nitrox said...

Here's wishing you will be the biggest loser! (This must be the 1st time I have said this with good intentions.) :-)

Jade Lady said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
NV said...

If they overweighed you, didn't they overweigh everyone? So there wouldn't really be an advantage if the scale is recalibrated.

My Dr's scale always does this too. I think it's a plot. :)

Nancy Toby said...

This scale was at the tiny local branch - and most people will be weighing in at the main branch. It was a doctor's-type scale with the sliding weights, but I didn't see her check the zero first and she was in kind of a hurry. Oh well.