Biggest eye opener from weighing food
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For everyone having PB difficulties...check out PB2...it's AWESOME!!!! Especially in protein shakes, or on low cal tortillas with sugar-free preserves!
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So many calories in a whole avocado
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Can I jump in on this discussion?? @Peterjens, there are Tostitos Cantina chips. They are thinner and it feels like you get more for an ounce of them then an ounce of regular tortilla chips. I know an ounce is an ounce, but it feels like more because they are thinner. Just an FYI.0
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Thank you for this post on weighing food. I lost 80lbs through Curves. I am no longer with them and have been struggling to lose another 20lbs. I've never weighed my food. I'm hoping this will help. I've been pretty much "eye-balling" my portions or using standard measuring cups.0
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My biggest eyeopener:
EVERYTHING HAS SALT
Actually, I found the opposite is true. I have been craving salty food for months, and it wasn't until I started with MFP and started tracking everything I eat that I discovered that my salt intake is very low. Less than half the daily recommended value.
Fruit and veg don't have salt. Neither does rice and quinoa. Chicken might, but very low quantities.
I started salting my food, and occasionally even taking electrolyte tablets on days when my salt intake was particularly low, and the cravings for salty food went away.
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GuitarJerry wrote: »Why can't you measure it out dry, and that's it? If you make 4 portions, eat 4 portions. It's simple math.
It's always the dry weight. Always.
^^This0 -
My biggest eyeopener:
EVERYTHING HAS SALT
Actually, I found the opposite is true. I have been craving salty food for months, and it wasn't until I started with MFP and started tracking everything I eat that I discovered that my salt intake is very low. Less than half the daily recommended value.
Fruit and veg don't have salt. Neither does rice and quinoa. Chicken might, but very low quantities.
I started salting my food, and occasionally even taking electrolyte tablets on days when my salt intake was particularly low, and the cravings for salty food went away.
That's how I am. I need to watch salt, but I don't have anything like chips or bread, so rarely am I even close to being at the level I need to pay attention. I do the majority of my cooking from scratch, and can't manually add enough salt to compete with the packaged food.0 -
Peanut butter. It's so caloric the only thing I can eat with it is celery or will be too many cals, and I hate celery. I won't be buying anymore of it.0
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Almonds and tortillas were very disappointing.
What I was most surprised about in a good way was proteins, especially fish.0 -
Eggs surprised me. For years I used the 1 large = 50g assumption, without thinking about it actually being an average. I started weighing the eggs after I cracked them into a bowl when I changed how I was cooking them, and realized a lot of times, they'll all be over or all be under. If I'm making something with 3 eggs, it'll sometimes work out that I'm short or over by "half" an egg.
They surprised me too. I have to say, though, that Eggland's Best eggs are pretty much consistent within a carton. I usually only get them when they're on sale. They're all pretty much within a gram or two of each other.
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mamapeach910 wrote: »Eggs surprised me. For years I used the 1 large = 50g assumption, without thinking about it actually being an average. I started weighing the eggs after I cracked them into a bowl when I changed how I was cooking them, and realized a lot of times, they'll all be over or all be under. If I'm making something with 3 eggs, it'll sometimes work out that I'm short or over by "half" an egg.
They surprised me too. I have to say, though, that Eggland's Best eggs are pretty much consistent within a carton. I usually only get them when they're on sale. They're all pretty much within a gram or two of each other.
Not mine, I used two this morning and it was 106g total.0 -
launchpadmkquak wrote: »Almonds and tortillas were very disappointing.
What I was most surprised about in a good way was proteins, especially fish.
Ugh, yes, tortillas. They are not worth 100 calories each! ~grumble~0 -
mamapeach910 wrote: »Eggs surprised me. For years I used the 1 large = 50g assumption, without thinking about it actually being an average. I started weighing the eggs after I cracked them into a bowl when I changed how I was cooking them, and realized a lot of times, they'll all be over or all be under. If I'm making something with 3 eggs, it'll sometimes work out that I'm short or over by "half" an egg.
They surprised me too. I have to say, though, that Eggland's Best eggs are pretty much consistent within a carton. I usually only get them when they're on sale. They're all pretty much within a gram or two of each other.
Not mine, I used two this morning and it was 106g total.
I had an entire carton of 18 and every single egg was either 48 or 49. Dang! So much for that theory
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I was surprised by weighing chicken (breast meat) and steak. I was eating 2.5+ servings before I started to weigh.0
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@Machka9My biggest eyeopener:
EVERYTHING HAS SALT
Actually, I found the opposite is true. I have been craving salty food for months, and it wasn't until I started with MFP and started tracking everything I eat that I discovered that my salt intake is very low. Less than half the daily recommended value.
Fruit and veg don't have salt. Neither does rice and quinoa. Chicken might, but very low quantities.
I started salting my food, and occasionally even taking electrolyte tablets on days when my salt intake was particularly low, and the cravings for salty food went away.
Actually some veggies and fruit do contain sodium. Chicken depending on the brand and packaging can have quite a bit in as well. It really would depend on if you're buying something like Smart Chicken vs. the super size bags of chicken breasts. Some soak the chicken in salt water so it adds more weight to the pkg.
I actually was quite surprised when I measured out carrots and saw the sodium in them, I'd never thought about it before tracking.
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mamapeach910 wrote: »Eggs surprised me. For years I used the 1 large = 50g assumption, without thinking about it actually being an average. I started weighing the eggs after I cracked them into a bowl when I changed how I was cooking them, and realized a lot of times, they'll all be over or all be under. If I'm making something with 3 eggs, it'll sometimes work out that I'm short or over by "half" an egg.
They surprised me too. I have to say, though, that Eggland's Best eggs are pretty much consistent within a carton. I usually only get them when they're on sale. They're all pretty much within a gram or two of each other.
I did the 'assumption' too, never have I weighed out an egg..I trusted the egg. Silly me!
Same with bread, you all are weighing a piece of bread, I guess I pull a piece out and figured by the time I finished the loaf it evened out.
Sheesh, I've been here for quite awhile you'd think I'd have seen a thread on eggs, bread etc. by now. lol
@slaite1 This is a very very informative thread... glad you all are posting... I definitely am learning quite a bit.
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that my 112g chicken breast was really 300g+
thanks walmart...0 -
I was pleasantly surprised by peanut butter. I only use 1 tbspn per sandwhich and feel like thats alot.
I was irritated measuring bananas.....holy calories! For fruit anyways (which I assumed was really low cal b/c its "healthy")0 -
mamapeach910 wrote: »Eggs surprised me. For years I used the 1 large = 50g assumption, without thinking about it actually being an average. I started weighing the eggs after I cracked them into a bowl when I changed how I was cooking them, and realized a lot of times, they'll all be over or all be under. If I'm making something with 3 eggs, it'll sometimes work out that I'm short or over by "half" an egg.
They surprised me too. I have to say, though, that Eggland's Best eggs are pretty much consistent within a carton. I usually only get them when they're on sale. They're all pretty much within a gram or two of each other.
These are all I buy generally, and when I do measure (say, when making scrambled eggs vs fried) they are all between 47-52g, a small enough range that I'm not concerned about. Even if each egg was 52g, thats a 4% overage. The eggs are 60 cal each, so that would be an additional 2.4 cal per egg, or 7.2 cal for my usual 3 eggs.
ETA: I am the sort who measures my cooked bacon and (pretty much everything else) to the gram, I just can't be bothered to make an entry to calculate my egg cals to the gram, then weigh them every time (not at all practical without creating extra dishes for fried or poached eggs and inaccurate for soft/hard boiled eggs anyway, since weighing is done after cooking/peeling).
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that my 112g chicken breast was really 300g+
thanks walmart...
I grabbed a frozen meal from Trader Joe's and cooked it up a bit ago after reading this thread. Decided to weight out my TJ's 'Reduced Guilt' Baked Ziti meal out of all the packaging.
Serving size: 1 container (241g) is on the box.
After weighing it out there was 178g. Now granted I did heat it in the micro and didn't eat the packaging... are they seriously weighing the packaging when saying 240g?
Oh I still have the pkg. I'll have to weight it out and see.
I realize that companies are allowed by law to go up 20% or down 20% in what the packages actually say but 20% is 20% sometimes it's probably more.
After looking over the fiber content...maybe they intended the buyer to eat the box?
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I feel like such a newbie on this thread.. are you all weighing your bananas in the skin??
Here's what I've been doing but will likely change it now... Sometimes I pick up a couple small bananas and eat 1/2 of it and call it a small as I'd rather go under than over estimate.
Other times at Trader Joe's since bananas are cheap there I will grab a couple larger ones and eat 1/2 of one and call it small.
Maybe I should start a new account just to wipe out all my foods in there and start fresh! lol I so would love to get out a bunch of old stuff I never use. Why do the current foods we eat disappear but the old ones we'll never eat again seem to stay forever? LOL0 -
Hearts_2015 wrote: »I feel like such a newbie on this thread.. are you all weighing your bananas in the skin??
Here's what I've been doing but will likely change it now... Sometimes I pick up a couple small bananas and eat 1/2 and call it a small as I'd rather go under than over estimate.
Other times at Trader Joe's since bananas are cheap there I will grab a couple larger ones and eat 1/2 and call it small.
Maybe I should start a new account just to wipe out all my foods in their and start fresh! lol I so would love to get out a bunch of old stuff I never use. Why do the current foods we eat disappear but the old ones we'll never eat again seem to stay forever? LOL
Weigh the edible portion only.
Sometimes if I have to grab one while I'm out I'll estimate. The small ones I get are usually between 90 and 120 grams.0 -
Hearts_2015 wrote: »that my 112g chicken breast was really 300g+
thanks walmart...
I grabbed a frozen meal from Trader Joe's and cooked it up a bit ago after reading this thread. Decided to weight out my TJ's 'Reduced Guilt' Baked Ziti meal out of all the packaging.
Serving size: 1 container (241g) is on the box.
After weighing it out there was 178g. Now granted I did heat it in the micro and didn't eat the packaging... are they seriously weighing the packaging when saying 240g?
Oh I still have the pkg. I'll have to weight it out and see.
I realize that companies are allowed by law to go up 20% or down 20% in what the packages actually say but 20% is 20% sometimes it's probably more.
After looking over the fiber content...maybe they intended the buyer to eat the box?
It's net weight, which means just the food.0 -
nicsflyingcircus wrote: »mamapeach910 wrote: »Eggs surprised me. For years I used the 1 large = 50g assumption, without thinking about it actually being an average. I started weighing the eggs after I cracked them into a bowl when I changed how I was cooking them, and realized a lot of times, they'll all be over or all be under. If I'm making something with 3 eggs, it'll sometimes work out that I'm short or over by "half" an egg.
They surprised me too. I have to say, though, that Eggland's Best eggs are pretty much consistent within a carton. I usually only get them when they're on sale. They're all pretty much within a gram or two of each other.
These are all I buy generally, and when I do measure (say, when making scrambled eggs vs fried) they are all between 47-52g, a small enough range that I'm not concerned about. Even if each egg was 52g, thats a 4% overage. The eggs are 60 cal each, so that would be an additional 2.4 cal per egg, or 7.2 cal for my usual 3 eggs.
ETA: I am the sort who measures my cooked bacon and (pretty much everything else) to the gram, I just can't be bothered to make an entry to calculate my egg cals to the gram, then weigh them every time (not at all practical without creating extra dishes for fried or poached eggs and inaccurate for soft/hard boiled eggs anyway, since weighing is done after cooking/peeling).
I think most of us make judgment calls at some point. Someone told me recently that body builders often weigh the yolks and whites of the eggs separately for increased accuracy. Some people are willing to take their food scales out to restaurants. Both of those things are just too much for me. I don't even weigh pre-packaged foods unless it's something I've never weighed before. It's just usually not worth it to me.0 -
ILiftHeavyAcrylics wrote: »Hearts_2015 wrote: »I feel like such a newbie on this thread.. are you all weighing your bananas in the skin??
Here's what I've been doing but will likely change it now... Sometimes I pick up a couple small bananas and eat 1/2 and call it a small as I'd rather go under than over estimate.
Other times at Trader Joe's since bananas are cheap there I will grab a couple larger ones and eat 1/2 and call it small.
Maybe I should start a new account just to wipe out all my foods in their and start fresh! lol I so would love to get out a bunch of old stuff I never use. Why do the current foods we eat disappear but the old ones we'll never eat again seem to stay forever? LOL
Weigh the edible portion only.
Sometimes if I have to grab one while I'm out I'll estimate. The small ones I get are usually between 90 and 120 grams.
Thanks! You mean you don't stand there and peel them all to find the net weight you are looking for? 0 -
Hearts_2015 wrote: »ILiftHeavyAcrylics wrote: »Hearts_2015 wrote: »I feel like such a newbie on this thread.. are you all weighing your bananas in the skin??
Here's what I've been doing but will likely change it now... Sometimes I pick up a couple small bananas and eat 1/2 and call it a small as I'd rather go under than over estimate.
Other times at Trader Joe's since bananas are cheap there I will grab a couple larger ones and eat 1/2 and call it small.
Maybe I should start a new account just to wipe out all my foods in their and start fresh! lol I so would love to get out a bunch of old stuff I never use. Why do the current foods we eat disappear but the old ones we'll never eat again seem to stay forever? LOL
Weigh the edible portion only.
Sometimes if I have to grab one while I'm out I'll estimate. The small ones I get are usually between 90 and 120 grams.
Thanks! You mean you don't stand there and peel them all to find the net weight you are looking for?
:laugh: I haven't reached that level yet. But I do peel them and weigh them if I'm eating them at home, and that gives me the ability to more accurately estimate when I'm not at home and grab one on the go. 0 -
That's what I've always taken it as...this thread has me all freaked out now and that perhaps I've been doing it all wrong. lolILiftHeavyAcrylics wrote: »Hearts_2015 wrote: »that my 112g chicken breast was really 300g+
thanks walmart...
I grabbed a frozen meal from Trader Joe's and cooked it up a bit ago after reading this thread. Decided to weight out my TJ's 'Reduced Guilt' Baked Ziti meal out of all the packaging.
Serving size: 1 container (241g) is on the box.
After weighing it out there was 178g. Now granted I did heat it in the micro and didn't eat the packaging... are they seriously weighing the packaging when saying 240g?
Oh I still have the pkg. I'll have to weight it out and see.
I realize that companies are allowed by law to go up 20% or down 20% in what the packages actually say but 20% is 20% sometimes it's probably more.
After looking over the fiber content...maybe they intended the buyer to eat the box?
It's net weight, which means just the food.
I think I'm over thinking and should probably just go log my dinner.
Thanks for the clarifications @ILiftHeavyAcrylics I've always found your posts really helpful.
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.. I'm buying my first actual digital scale tonight and you have all terrified me.
Hahaha. I can't wait to contribute; I've probably been overeating ridiculously for some time! 0
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