Weighing vs. Measuring
jesikalovesyou
Posts: 172 Member
I just want to point out that having cups and spoons in your diary doesn't mean that you don't weigh.
Having package meals in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
Having serving sizes in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
I weight everything I eat (minus probably one item a week) but I still use the other entries that may have cups or spoons in them, as long as long as the package's grams match what I weigh.
I know a bunch of people don't weigh their food and complain that they aren't losing weight, but I also see many who do weigh and people still tear them apart for having these kind of entries.
Having package meals in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
Having serving sizes in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
I weight everything I eat (minus probably one item a week) but I still use the other entries that may have cups or spoons in them, as long as long as the package's grams match what I weigh.
I know a bunch of people don't weigh their food and complain that they aren't losing weight, but I also see many who do weigh and people still tear them apart for having these kind of entries.
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I do the same thing. But if I was on the forum asking for help-I would explicitly state that. Most people who have generic entries do not weigh. And it is a common cause of so-called plateaus and lack of progress.
I don't really see the point of your thread, to be honest. Most people are just trying to help. It's the Internet-everyone needs to stop being so sensitive.0 -
I know what you mean... Unfortunately scanning labels tends to log the 'cup' listing. Such as where the label says 1 serving = 28g (1/4 cup). I weigh out 14 grams, log it as .5 servings, and my diary shows the cup entry. I check, and there is rarely an option to change the database entry (from the scanned label) to show grams.
But in the end, I suspect those having trouble are the ones not using a food scale. I'm content with my entries, and understand how to maintain now that I've lost the weight thru paying attention to what/how much I consume.0 -
Then all those people have to do is explain that they do weigh and when they enter "2 cups" for oatmeal they know it means "160 grams" because they compared the entries to the labels.jesikalovesyou wrote: »I just want to point out that having cups and spoons in your diary doesn't mean that you don't weigh.
Having package meals in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
Having serving sizes in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
I weight everything I eat (minus probably one item a week) but I still use the other entries that may have cups or spoons in them, as long as long as the package's grams match what I weigh.
I know a bunch of people don't weigh their food and complain that they aren't losing weight, but I also see many who do weigh and people still tear them apart for having these kind of entries.
Most of the time, though, that's an indication that someone may no be logging accurately.
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StaciMarie1974 wrote: »I know what you mean... Unfortunately scanning labels tends to log the 'cup' listing. Such as where the label says 1 serving = 28g (1/4 cup). I weigh out 14 grams, log it as .5 servings, and my diary shows the cup entry. I check, and there is rarely an option to change the database entry (from the scanned label) to show grams.
But in the end, I suspect those having trouble are the ones not using a food scale. I'm content with my entries, and understand how to maintain now that I've lost the weight thru paying attention to what/how much I consume.
That's exactly what I do. But if I ever have a question about my log, I tell people that's what I do.
The vast majority of the time a question on the boards that has a person logging in cups, means they aren't weighing. It's the natural assumption because 9 times out of 10 it's true. No need to get offended by that response.0 -
I do the same thing. But if I was on the forum asking for help-I would explicitly state that. Most people who have generic entries do not weigh. And it is a common cause of so-called plateaus and lack of progress.
I don't really see the point of your thread, to be honest. Most people are just trying to help. It's the Internet-everyone needs to stop being so sensitive.
I've seen it stated many times in threads and people are still saying "quit using cups you need to weigh, cups are inaccurate".
If people don't tell you they're weighing, it's their fault if you tell them to weigh to be more accurate.
If they do say it, pay attention and quit quoting their diary to them like you're proving they're lying. (not you, just people in general)0 -
jesikalovesyou wrote: »I do the same thing. But if I was on the forum asking for help-I would explicitly state that. Most people who have generic entries do not weigh. And it is a common cause of so-called plateaus and lack of progress.
I don't really see the point of your thread, to be honest. Most people are just trying to help. It's the Internet-everyone needs to stop being so sensitive.
I've seen it stated many times in threads and people are still saying "quit using cups you need to weigh, cups are inaccurate".
If people don't tell you they're weighing, it's their fault if you tell them to weigh to be more accurate.
If they do say it, pay attention and quit quoting their diary to them like you're proving they're lying. (not you, just people in general)
A lot of people don't read the whole thread. They just butt in to say that. It's not a big deal. You notice they never come back or they end up reading the thread and trying to find another way to help once they see they missed it.0 -
But you're not in here complaining that you're not losing.0
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I've seen people explain that they're weighing, but sometimes it gets lost in their comments.
Moral of the story: OPs need to put more information in their posts so people know that they're weighing their food. And commenters should keep in mind that not all entries post in weight but that doesn't mean the food was not weighed.0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »But you're not in here complaining that you're not losing.
I'd be cleaning up my diary if I was, definitely!!
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A tendency I've noticed:
Person A posts for help with vague info usually to the tune of I'm doing everything right and its been _____ weeks (generally 1, 2) and I'm not losing.
Person B asks if Person A is logging accurately using a food scale.
Person A responds with yes I measure everything.
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It takes 2-3 rounds of questioning/responding further to figure out whether Person A means they're weighing when they say measuring, or if they don't understand that measuring and weighing are not the same thing.0 -
I just saw a thread where the op clearly stated she was weighing everything and loging per the weight even when the entries said cups BEFORE opening her diary.... and the next half dozen comments were "weigh your food"0
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jesikalovesyou wrote: »I just want to point out that having cups and spoons in your diary doesn't mean that you don't weigh.
Having package meals in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
Having serving sizes in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
I weight everything I eat (minus probably one item a week) but I still use the other entries that may have cups or spoons in them, as long as long as the package's grams match what I weigh.
I know a bunch of people don't weigh their food and complain that they aren't losing weight, but I also see many who do weigh and people still tear them apart for having these kind of entries.
Your point being ...?
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jesikalovesyou wrote: »I just want to point out that having cups and spoons in your diary doesn't mean that you don't weigh.
Having package meals in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
Having serving sizes in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
I weight everything I eat (minus probably one item a week) but I still use the other entries that may have cups or spoons in them, as long as long as the package's grams match what I weigh.
I know a bunch of people don't weigh their food and complain that they aren't losing weight, but I also see many who do weigh and people still tear them apart for having these kind of entries.
Your point being ...?
This.jesikalovesyou wrote: »I've seen people explain that they're weighing, but sometimes it gets lost in their comments.
Moral of the story: OPs need to put more information in their posts so people know that they're weighing their food. And commenters should keep in mind that not all entries post in weight but that doesn't mean the food was not weighed.
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jesikalovesyou wrote: »I just want to point out that having cups and spoons in your diary doesn't mean that you don't weigh.
Having package meals in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
Having serving sizes in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
I weight everything I eat (minus probably one item a week) but I still use the other entries that may have cups or spoons in them, as long as long as the package's grams match what I weigh.
I know a bunch of people don't weigh their food and complain that they aren't losing weight, but I also see many who do weigh and people still tear them apart for having these kind of entries.
Your point being ...?
Her point seems to be that we probably don't have to be jerks for no reason and that reading the thread we respond to probably makes sense.
What is your counterpoint?0 -
I rarely weigh my food. I weigh pistachios so that I measure out exactly 100 calories. I weigh meat and fish and grated cheese that I prepare in advance to freeze and use later in a salad or other dish. I weigh hamburger meat when I'm making hamburgers so that I can get exactly eight six-ounce pre-cooked burgers for the three pounds I have. Other than that, no. I go by the package, or by the MFP database, and yes, sometimes eye-balling. Then again, I do a lot of exercise that I don't log. Like dancing and/or walking in place while watching television. Like parking very far away from where I am going. Like realizing once there that I left my phone in the car and having to walk back and forth a second time.
If someone is not losing weight, they know exactly why they aren't. That extra slice of cake they didn't log, along with the soda they washed it down with. The bag of potato chips they couldn't stop eating. Telling people to weigh their food doesn't seem to be very useful to those who claim they are doing everything right and not losing weight. Telling them they are probably eating more than they think probably isn't very useful, either, as they already know this. Offering kind and gentle support to them will go much further.0 -
I just saw a thread where the op clearly stated she was weighing everything and loging per the weight even when the entries said cups BEFORE opening her diary.... and the next half dozen comments were "weigh your food"
Yep. I thought this was in response to that thread. Just because a diary entry says an Imperial measurement doesn't mean the person doesn't weigh food. I have many of those because the nutritional info is correct aside from being the generic serving (1 slice, 1/2 cup, 3 pieces). I'm also slightly lazy and don't want to correct every entry to add the gram weight.
Even though I do weigh/measure my food, I would never, ever, ask on here why I'm not losing weight because the only reply would be "weigh your food".0 -
It's also not necessary to weigh at all. You can lose weight without a food scale (or a people scale.)
People don't have to defend their choice to weigh...or to not weigh.
IRL, people make fun of me weighing food. It's annoying.0 -
To be or not to be that is the question.
Hands down scale wins over cups. I read food diaries to get ideas on what to eat not to see how someone entered their food. I do have to say that alot of package servings are off. Weighing helps with that. Also I am proud to say I spend an exorbitant amount of money per year on air. I buy Pringles. 0 -
mattyc772014 wrote: »To be or not to be that is the question. Hands down scale wins over cups. I read food diaries to get ideas on what to eat not to see how someone entered their food. I do have to say that alot of package servings are off. Weighing helps with that. Also I am proud to say I spend an exorbitant amount of money per year on air. I buy Pringles.
You could just get one of those air cleaner thingies for computers and aim it in your mouth as though you were squirting whipped cream from a can . . .0 -
I rather have a can of whipped cream. But your suggestion....how does that save me money? I have a Dyson and am sure that would work.0
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mattyc772014 wrote: »I rather have a can of whipped cream. But your suggestion....how does that save me money? I have a Dyson and am sure that would work.
I have a Dyson too! Never thought about using it for a weight loss program. Of course canned whipped cream doesn't have very many calories, as it is also mostly air. 0 -
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atypicalsmith wrote: »I rarely weigh my food. I weigh pistachios so that I measure out exactly 100 calories. I weigh meat and fish and grated cheese that I prepare in advance to freeze and use later in a salad or other dish. I weigh hamburger meat when I'm making hamburgers so that I can get exactly eight six-ounce pre-cooked burgers for the three pounds I have. Other than that, no. I go by the package, or by the MFP database, and yes, sometimes eye-balling. Then again, I do a lot of exercise that I don't log. Like dancing and/or walking in place while watching television. Like parking very far away from where I am going. Like realizing once there that I left my phone in the car and having to walk back and forth a second time.
If someone is not losing weight, they know exactly why they aren't. That extra slice of cake they didn't log, along with the soda they washed it down with. The bag of potato chips they couldn't stop eating. Telling people to weigh their food doesn't seem to be very useful to those who claim they are doing everything right and not losing weight. Telling them they are probably eating more than they think probably isn't very useful, either, as they already know this. Offering kind and gentle support to them will go much further.
I like this. Yes.0 -
It's also not necessary to weigh at all. You can lose weight without a food scale (or a people scale.)
People don't have to defend their choice to weigh...or to not weigh.
IRL, people make fun of me weighing food. It's annoying.
Yes. Thank you. Even with weighing it is not possible to be totally accurate, especially considering very few people here seem at all certain about how to log or calculate exercise/movement calories (and sometimes seem to track/hang on to every step they take in a day and count it as extra). The point is, how accurate can any of this really be? particularly if the same people who fastidiously weigh food can't be certain exactly how many calories they're burning to begin with. So yeah if it helps, do it, but I too don't understand the often militant attitude on this site about weighing and the assumption that not weighing everything instantly = eating too much. There are often other factors between those two things.0 -
jesikalovesyou wrote: »I just want to point out that having cups and spoons in your diary doesn't mean that you don't weigh.
Having package meals in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
Having serving sizes in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.
I weight everything I eat (minus probably one item a week) but I still use the other entries that may have cups or spoons in them, as long as long as the package's grams match what I weigh.
I know a bunch of people don't weigh their food and complain that they aren't losing weight, but I also see many who do weigh and people still tear them apart for having these kind of entries.
Exactly! Weigh it on a scale - don't rely on "cup" or "spoon" measurements because that isn't accurate.
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It's also not necessary to weigh at all. You can lose weight without a food scale (or a people scale.)
People don't have to defend their choice to weigh...or to not weigh.
IRL, people make fun of me weighing food. It's annoying.
I completely agree. But if you're not willing to weigh your food, don't come and complain if you don't lose weight even though you're 'eating so little'.
But yeah I saw that thread where someone said she weighs everything and people didn't seem to believe her, and it boggles my mind a little bit too... but a lot of people say that they weigh everything too and when you look at their diary, it's pretty dubious, because everything is exactly 100g or 28g or something...0 -
It's also not necessary to weigh at all. You can lose weight without a food scale (or a people scale.)
People don't have to defend their choice to weigh...or to not weigh.
IRL, people make fun of me weighing food. It's annoying.
This!!! I tracked for almost 2 months and from there I never track or weigh. I'm down 75 pounds since jan 1. I'm eating plenty of whole foods and exercising. It does get annoying when people insist you must weigh your food. And this is me going on 2 week long vacations and having chest meals or days often.0 -
I weigh from time to time, but a lot of times I estimate. But then, been doing this for three years and I tend to eat a LOT of the same foods! I've weighed portions in the past, and so now I can usually estimate and be right. I do weigh randomly to make sure I'm still judging correctly. And anything new gets weighed now. But I'm not a huge stickler for accuracy, and since I'm still losing weight, I'm not worried.
That being said, when starting out, it's important to weigh everything you can. Hard to do when eating out, so you'll have to make a best guess since I'm thinking most people aren't going to bring a scale with them! But you have to retrain your eyes and brain to what serving sizes look like before you can start estimating. Otherwise, you will most likely not be entering it correctly. So many people start out and assume what's in the database is going to be right, even the unverified stuff, and a lot of entries don't have weights listed. That's where new people have a lot of trouble.0
https://youtu.be/LOe8tcEcxqY
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