The BF-662 is a heavyweight that knocks out conventional analog scales!
Written: Jun 20 '03 (Updated Jun 20 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Large easy to read display, modes for multiple family members and guests, one touch operation.
Cons: Won't take accurate readings when sitting on rugs or unfinished floors.
The Bottom Line: Of all the scales I've used in the past, the BF-662 is the first unit that I can truly trust with accurate readings every single time. Perfect for hardcore dieters!
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| hamors's Full Review: Tanita Family Model Scale with Athletic Mode BF-66... |
I had a spare tire...and it wasn't on my car!
About six months ago I executed a lifestyle modification to completely change my diet and the way I take care of my body. Although I had never considered myself out of shape, over the past few years I'd found that I had accumulated quite a few spare pounds that really needed to be shed. I also made the decision to lose weight based on the fact that I was starting to get serious about amateur motorsports and the change would not only improve strength and endurance, but also to improve vehicle handling and dynamics.
After spending about a month reading up on different diet plans I opted to go on a combination of The Atkins Diet (www.atkins.com) and The Hacker's Diet (www.fourmilab.ch). Using The Atkins Diet for nutrition and The Hacker's Diet for weight tracking and exercise, I started a rapid weight loss program to drop down towards my goal weight. I quickly found out, however, that my aging analog Healthometer scale had become extremely inaccurate after being banged up in a move or two.
Since the weight tracking software used in conjunction with The Hacker's Diet requires accurate readings every day to plot overall progress, I decided to do some research on digital scales. Plus, being a geek at heart that's totally addicted to charts, graphs and blinky lights, I decided to look into digital scales with integrated body fat monitors.
Where oh where to begin?
I originally started my search for a scale on the 3fatchicks.com diet support forums and found advertisements for the Tanita line of scales. There were scales in all shapes and sizes ranging from pocket change all the way up into the hundreds of dollars. Poking around on the Tanita Web site allowed me to come up with a list of requirements to choose a scale that was right for me.
Whatever scale I ended up with had to have a large easy to read display for those groggy 7:00 AM weigh ins, support multiple profiles for different family members, quickly calculate body fat measurements and be accurate to one tenth of a pound. A memory function to keep a running history would have been nice but was not required.
Of all the scales I had found online, the brand that seemed to jump out the most was Tanita. And, of all the Tanita units showcased on their Web site, the BF-662 matched up with my requirements perfectly at a price that was more than affordable.
It's like programming a VCR...
When the unit arrived from Amazon.com I thought there may have some mixup at the warehouse. The shipping box was extremely light and felt like there was nothing inside! Come to find out, the BF-662 is an extremely lightweight piece of hardware assembled from durable high impact plastics. Although the only metal immediately showing on the unit is the footpads that take the body fat readings, the overall construction seems quite bulletproof.
I was originally frustrated with the initial setup and configuration because I was unable to select the memory location to input my height, sex and current exercise level. Every other step had been intuitive but I found out that my idea of an intuitive interface does not match Tanita's idea of an intuitive interface. It turned out that the mode buttons were used to setup every other feature but the front memory buttons were used to setup the family members. Actually reading the manual quickly resolved my frustration.
Wow...I lost 50 pounds overnight!
The first time I actually used the BF-662 I assumed that the unit was defective. Each weight reading was not only 50 pounds lower than it should have been but the readings were also inconsistent. Although there was nothing in the manual about it the BF-662 cannot be used on any rug or unfinished floor. Even though the feet of the unit seemed to be tall enough the rug in my home office was thick enough to interfere with the operation of the scale.
Relocating to the wide pine hardwood floor that my area rug sits on didn't help either...the slight imperfections and gaps in the wood also flexed the unit just enough to cause inaccurate readings. I really didn't want to move the scale out onto the vinyl floors of the bathroom that we're renovating due to the dust so I went into the basement, grabbed a thick piece of pressed shelving, cut it to fit and placed it underneath the Tanita. That was enough to satisfy the unit and I haven't had an issue since!
You can set your watch by it...
I've been amazed by the performance and accuracy of the BF-662. The weight and body fat readings never fluctuate more than one tenth when stepping onto the scale multiple times. I was so used to weighing myself five or six times and averaging the results with the old scale that the Tanita has totally spoiled me! I no longer have to execute a voodoo ritual each morning just to try to figure out my weight. I simply press one button, step on the scale after it zeros out and, ten seconds later, I have perfect weight and body fat readings!
Although the most accurate weight readings are obtained at the same time each evening with bare feet, I've opted to weigh myself with bare feet in the nude each morning since that fits better into my routine after showering. Although mornings give a slightly inaccurate body fat reading due to overnight fluctuations in weight and body fat, that's the fault of your body, not the scale.
Where do I go from here?
So far I'm down a little over sixty pounds and have just under forty pounds to go to reach my initial goal. As geeky as it sounds, stepping onto the smooth lines of the Tanita each morning is actually enjoyable for me because it reinforces the fact that I'm losing weight and actually overcoming an obstacle that I've been battling for years. I highly recommend this unit to anyone who wants an amazing scale for a great price and wants to spend a few extra dollars to make sure their measurements are as accurate as possible.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
hamors
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Sean Sosik-Hamor
Location: Pelham, NH USA
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 37 members
About Me:
Sean is a technology and motorsports enthusiast as well as a driver for Trunkmonkey Racing.
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