for those of you who don't like to hear "buy a scale and weigh"
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Yeah, I put the plate on the scale instead of the counter and hit TARE a couple of times.0
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I get this little burst of excitement when I weigh my food and it is dead on the first time. Who's da wo-man?! Lol. It's also fun when you see your portion size is bigger than you thought it was.
It doesn't take that much time, food scales are inexpensive, and I need my diary to be as accurate as possible - especially when I'm finally starting to close in on my GW and because there are times that you simply cannot weigh your food (at a restaurant, someone else's home, etc.) Invest people! It will help!
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I've been weighing my food for about 8 years now and not only have I stopped noticing it taking more time than eyeballing, I get so so so uncomfortable when I don't weigh. Maybe not entirely healthy but meh 0
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DeguelloTex wrote: »Yeah, I put the plate on the scale instead of the counter and hit TARE a couple of times.
My scale goes up to 20 lb so I can put the pan or the bowl on it and weigh all of the ingredients directly into it (taring after each one). The only thing too heavy with container and food combined is my crock pot (the crock itself is about 15 lb) so I use a bowl and dump into the crock after weighing.
I also play the guessing game by taking a serving, guessing the amount, then weighing it. I am usually pretty close these days. Close enough that I don't take the scale when I go visit my Mom because I am confident enough in my eyeballing to not worry about it when I am not at home. Back home, back to weighing!
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starling01 wrote: »
I don't eat a lot of chicken at this point. After three years of chicken every single day, I try to make up for the protein in other ways. The pics of various weights of chicken (size of deck of cards, etc.) don't match what the scale is saying, that's all.
I think that's kind of the point when people say weigh! Various estimating methods are not always that reliablecwolfman13 wrote: »I'm shocked at how many people think weighing is so time consuming and whatnot...it's really fecking easy to put a plate on a scale...slap on 4 ounces of chicken and tare...3 ounces of black beans and tare...6 ounces of veg and tare. It's way faster than using measuring cups and whatnot and you don't have a million dirty dishes to wash.
I'm also shocked at how many people don't actually know how to use a food scale...I don't know, maybe it's because I worked in the food service industry and we used scales all of the time...but really, using a food scale takes about zero skillz
I'll go you one better - never knew what the heck one was until I read about it on the forumz. But a $15 tool that could help me lose weight in a way that was rational and I could understand, I felt I had absolutely nothing to lose!
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I actually have 2 scales, one for home and one for work. This allows me to bring a bag of produce or a thing of yogurt into work and weight it out there, it also means that if I decide impromptu to have something that's in the break room I can weigh it.0
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girlviernes wrote: »I actually have 2 scales, one for home and one for work. This allows me to bring a bag of produce or a thing of yogurt into work and weight it out there, it also means that if I decide impromptu to have something that's in the break room I can weigh it.
that's a great idea. Smart!0 -
I have lost almost 74 pounds since Jan 1 and have never weighed my food.0
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DeguelloTex wrote: »
Thank you0 -
Weighing my food has made the difference 100% for me. I know for certain how much I am eating and it has helped me lose 72 lbs. I am much more relaxed during this whole process because I finally feel in control.0
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DeguelloTex wrote: »
I think it makes sense. There are a lot of ways to skin the proverbial cat (sorry for cat lovers out there). Weighing, not weighing, exercising, not exercising, low-carb, low-fat, paleo, etc. - there's many different ways to lose weight and keep it off. You do what works for you and then if it works and it's sustainable, keep doing it. Simple as that.0 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »
I think it makes sense. There are a lot of ways to skin the proverbial cat (sorry for cat lovers out there). Weighing, not weighing, exercising, not exercising, low-carb, low-fat, paleo, etc. - there's many different ways to lose weight and keep it off. You do what works for you and then if it works and it's sustainable, keep doing it. Simple as that.
Very true. The issue is when people absolutely refuse to try something different when what they are doing isn't working. If you don't weigh your food, and you are not losing, try it. That could easily be the difference.
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DeguelloTex wrote: »
I think it makes sense. There are a lot of ways to skin the proverbial cat (sorry for cat lovers out there). Weighing, not weighing, exercising, not exercising, low-carb, low-fat, paleo, etc. - there's many different ways to lose weight and keep it off. You do what works for you and then if it works and it's sustainable, keep doing it. Simple as that.
Very true. The issue is when people absolutely refuse to try something different when what they are doing isn't working. If you don't weigh your food, and you are not losing, try it. That could easily be the difference.
Exactly. I didn't use a scale when I was losing weight. I'm very good at estimating portion sizes. I do have one, and use it sometimes with calorie dense foods. I learned a lot when I first got it, it really helped me to learn what correct portions of proteins, cheeses, rice and pasta look like. I'm usually pretty close now when I do use it. If someone is struggling to lose weight, they're eating too much. A food scale is a good way to help them realize that and eat the correct amount.0 -
When I finally picked up a scale and started weighing food, I had the lovely experience of discovering I'd been OVERestimating the calories taken in from fruits and veggies. It had been very discouraging to think that I'd gone through a good third to a half of my caloric goal from ONE salad. So then I'd think, "If this is how little I can eat, it's not worth it", and go eat pizza. Very self-defeating. First time I weighed out some raw peppers, I realized I'd been logging 3-4 times as much as I'd actually been eating! No wonder I was discouraged!0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I'm shocked at how many people think weighing is so time consuming and whatnot...it's really fecking easy to put a plate on a scale...slap on 4 ounces of chicken and tare...3 ounces of black beans and tare...6 ounces of veg and tare. It's way faster than using measuring cups and whatnot and you don't have a million dirty dishes to wash.
I'm also shocked at how many people don't actually know how to use a food scale...I don't know, maybe it's because I worked in the food service industry and we used scales all of the time...but really, using a food scale takes about zero skillz
the good ol tare button! i was a dilligant measuring cup person before and it was the worst! never again!!!! well except for liquids!0 -
I think it's much easier to weigh food in many cases. For example, it's way easier - and more accurate - to weigh out a serving of pretzel sticks than it is to count precisely 44 into a baggie. And, I've found that what the bag says is a serving size in grams is often not 44 pretzel sticks. I had the same issue with peanut butter - the jar said 26g (or 2 TBSP) was a serving. When I started using the scale, I measured out 2 level tablespoons and weighed it - it came out at 36g! That's almost half again as many calories - almost an additional 70 calories that I wasn't counting. If you do that often enough, it can really add up. On the flip side, you can also find that package labels are wrong the other way. Yesterday I made a shrimp dish for dinner. The package said it contained 12oz. of raw shrimp. When I weighed the shrimp after having thawed and peeled it, it was only 9.2 oz. I suppose the shells/tails might have weighed 2.8 oz, but if I hadn't weighed, I would have logged 12oz in the recipe and recorded more calories than I actually consumed.0
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It does. I lost 112 pounds while weighing. Obviously both ways can work. I don't think weighing or not weighing is better. What works for the person doing it is better.DeguelloTex wrote: »
I think it makes sense. There are a lot of ways to skin the proverbial cat (sorry for cat lovers out there). Weighing, not weighing, exercising, not exercising, low-carb, low-fat, paleo, etc. - there's many different ways to lose weight and keep it off. You do what works for you and then if it works and it's sustainable, keep doing it. Simple as that.
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AlabasterVerve wrote: »I personally don't understand how some get by without a scale... <snip>
You log honestly and consistently to the best of your ability and adjust your eating up or down depending on your results. It also helps to include behavioral changes (that are unpopular on MFP) like less snacking, no desserts or more activity. People have been dieting successfully for thousands of years without a food scale, MFP, FitBits and the like -- they can be helpful but it's not the only way. Or even the best way for everyone.
yes, except the majority of those people ultimately lapse back into eating the snacks, the desserts, etc. People don't like giving up foods. Eating in moderation, enjoying foods you actually like, is much easier to do, and taking 60 seconds to weigh the food before eating it is not a hassle. Ultimately, developing a lifelong habit of weighing foods and logging them, and maintaining a healthy weight, is much more satisfying than a short term of deprivation, hitting goal weight, and then sliding back into eating 'forbidden' foods and regaining weight.
people lived for thousands of years without medical advancements, too, but live longer and happier with them. Technological advancements like food scales- same thing.
Unfortunately the majority of people will lapse whether they use a scale or not.
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Haha, glad I inspired some people to make lists of the weight of their dishes as well
It's awesome! 0 -
I am very maticulous when it comes to weighing everything I eat. That's why I find those posts about plateaus so puzzling. By constantly weighing everything I have a real good feel for correct portion sizes so if something comes up where i can't weigh it I feel real confident about my ability to guess correctly. I've even done checks on myself. Pick out a piece of chicken, guess at the number of ounces, and then weigh it. 99% of the time if I'm off by a little bit I usually overestimate it not the other way around. Weighing your food is a huge step in learning about proper portion sizes. Someday when we are off our diets and we stop weighing everything that is when those skills are going to help us maintain our weight and not gain it back.0
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I have a scale. For eating purposes, I only use it for pasta because I just can't seem to get that right. I rarely measure or weigh food. I too don't have a lot to lose and I've been losing steadily at the expected rate.
But, I'm older and was thin for most of my life so I'm pretty good at knowing when I've overeaten. A scale is a tool. If you need that tool, use it. But don't suppose everyone needs it. There are many paths.0 -
stevencloser wrote: »
I've seen blurbs about this video before but never watched it. I watched it for the first time today. I gasped at the end when he compared the calorie counts. It really is shocking how much of a difference weighing your food makes!0 -
"You can't manage what you can't measure." I weight my food or at least read the label to see how many pieces make up a serving. I do this so I can manage. Being exact as much as possible helps me when I can't be exact (when eating at some restaurants or at social functions).0
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I bought one from walmart for very cheap for my business. THOUGH, I only used it for weighing things to mail out haha I guess I should use it for food now o.o0
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I wish I could get my friend who is doing the 21 Day Fix to read this. She is gaining on the plan, when I asked her how many calories she is eating, her answer was "I am not tracking calories". Um?
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BeLightYear wrote: »I wish I could get my friend who is doing the 21 Day Fix to read this. She is gaining on the plan, when I asked her how many calories she is eating, her answer was "I am not tracking calories". Um?
Geez, how do you gain on the 21 day fix? Those containers are so tiny.0 -
Just recently started using a scale and I love it since I eat a lot of stuff that does not have labels (fresh fruits and vegetables mainly). Plus I no longer have to eyeball milk which was horrible due to differences in my measuring cups. Some of my family thinks it is weird, but I don't care since I'm determined to avoid obesity related diseases that are prevalent with them.
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »I have a scale. For eating purposes, I only use it for pasta because I just can't seem to get that right. I rarely measure or weigh food. I too don't have a lot to lose and I've been losing steadily at the expected rate.
But, I'm older and was thin for most of my life so I'm pretty good at knowing when I've overeaten. A scale is a tool. If you need that tool, use it. But don't suppose everyone needs it. There are many paths.
ive been thin my whole life, every woman in my family is thin. I probably over ate/drank most of my life but I was so active so i wasnt technically over eating. Now that i am beyond less active i want to eat the same way. the scale helps me enjoy to food still. If only i could get back to being as active and never having a food care in the world ha!0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »I have a scale. For eating purposes, I only use it for pasta because I just can't seem to get that right. I rarely measure or weigh food. I too don't have a lot to lose and I've been losing steadily at the expected rate.
But, I'm older and was thin for most of my life so I'm pretty good at knowing when I've overeaten. A scale is a tool. If you need that tool, use it. But don't suppose everyone needs it. There are many paths.
ive been thin my whole life, every woman in my family is thin. I probably over ate/drank most of my life but I was so active so i wasnt technically over eating. Now that i am beyond less active i want to eat the same way. the scale helps me enjoy to food still. If only i could get back to being as active and never having a food care in the world ha!
Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I don't have a food care in the world. I am fairly active Spring - Fall outside of work, but I have a desk job and have for about 30 years and that's a lot of sitting. And in Winter I tend to be very sedentary even outside work (hence my username). Most of the women (and men) in my family are overweight or obese. I've never been one who could eat with abandon and not gain. But wouldn't that be nice!0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjKPIcI51lU
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