Things I have learned from weighing my food
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tara_means_star wrote: »juggernaut1974 wrote: »tara_means_star wrote: »still effective for weight loss?
If you have more margin for error, probably. As your margin for error tightens, your accuracy generally needs to increase to be effective.
Ok, last question. OP, so sorry to derail your thread....
I'm still 40 pounds to goal and 20 pounds overweight. Would it make since you just measure and log 4 ounces as 4 ounces until it no longer works, then weigh 3.9 or even 3.8 but log 4?
Buy a new scale that weighs in grams and get it over with. It's $10 and it means you can practice the new skill of thinking in grams. Seriously, under logging your food isn't a good option, because that's still estimating. Buy the new scale, weigh in grams, and tighten your logging. That'll take care of the shrinking deficit.0 -
tara_means_star wrote: »juggernaut1974 wrote: »tara_means_star wrote: »still effective for weight loss?
If you have more margin for error, probably. As your margin for error tightens, your accuracy generally needs to increase to be effective.
Ok, last question. OP, so sorry to derail your thread....
I'm still 40 pounds to goal and 20 pounds overweight. Would it make since you just measure and log 4 ounces as 4 ounces until it no longer works, then weigh 3.9 or even 3.8 but log 4?
If your scale is giving you tenths of an ounce, and you're logging that way, then the margin of error is a lot smaller than if it only weighed in half-ounce or ounce increments. Given that the whole system is kind of inherently one estimate after another, I'd say don't worry about it until/unless you stop losing weight doing what you're doing. A tenth of an ounce is less than 3 grams. 3 grams of pure sugar is 12 calories. 3 grams of butter is 22 calories. Just to give an idea of the possible margin of error involved. You're probably getting larger margins of error weighing and logging a random piece of fruit or meat (because not all bananas are equally sweet, not all steaks are equally fatty).
ETA: and remember your scale is rounding up or down to that tenth of an ounce, so the real potential margin of error is a bit less that a gram and half. pish.0 -
weigh cooked or precooked?0
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I paid $20 for a scale that weighs in gram and ounces with a big ole bowl included. That's less than I used to spend on Diet Dr. Pepper for a week.
I still drink my DDP just not two liters a day! LOL. but that's a whole 'nother issue.0 -
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HappyCampr1 wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »I agree...I underestimate some things and overestimate others. While it's not strictly related to weighing food, I had the same issue when I began using MFP. I thought I was eating like 3 servings of cereal and it turned out my portion was dead-on for the correct amount of 1 serving. I thought I would only be able to have 1/3 of my usual portion for pasta, but it turned out I'd been eating the correct portion size all along and 2 oz. of any pasta is really way more than I would have guessed.
Yes. I hear complaints about the tiny portion of pasta people get, and yet I hardly ever eat a full portion and I love pasta.
Before I got my scale, I was seriously overestimating all my meats. (A deck of cards my rear, lol). I was depriving myself of needed proteins and didn't even realize it.
Pasta is weighed dry...that might be why it looks so tiny? I know that was a huge revelation to me. Cooked to the consistency I like, mine usually comes to around 4 oz.. With meat sauce and a salad, its usually plenty for me. Could be just me!
What I have found to be most valuable in this whole weighing my food exercise is becoming more familiar with the calorie density of the foods I eat. Now 8 months into this adventure I am pretty good at eyeing things. I think that after I hit maintenance there will always be some foods I need to measure, but I know I will never again be able to lie to myself about how much I am really eating. Now I know better.
Good thread! Thanks!0 -
sheermomentum wrote: »tara_means_star wrote: »juggernaut1974 wrote: »tara_means_star wrote: »still effective for weight loss?
If you have more margin for error, probably. As your margin for error tightens, your accuracy generally needs to increase to be effective.
Ok, last question. OP, so sorry to derail your thread....
I'm still 40 pounds to goal and 20 pounds overweight. Would it make since you just measure and log 4 ounces as 4 ounces until it no longer works, then weigh 3.9 or even 3.8 but log 4?
If your scale is giving you tenths of an ounce, and you're logging that way, then the margin of error is a lot smaller than if it only weighed in half-ounce or ounce increments. Given that the whole system is kind of inherently one estimate after another, I'd say don't worry about it until/unless you stop losing weight doing what you're doing. A tenth of an ounce is less than 3 grams. 3 grams of pure sugar is 12 calories. 3 grams of butter is 22 calories. Just to give an idea of the possible margin of error involved. You're probably getting larger margins of error weighing and logging a random piece of fruit or meat (because not all bananas are equally sweet, not all steaks are equally fatty).
ETA: and remember your scale is rounding up or down to that tenth of an ounce, so the real potential margin of error is a bit less that a gram and half. pish.
That's kinda what I was thinking and since I already have this scale and money is tight...0 -
I learned, "oh *kitten*. THAT'S four ounces of wine???????"
I also realized I can eat a lot more chicken and fish than I thought. I often double portion salmon and eat like 8 oz. OMG. Totally stuffed, and really not all the big on the cals. And I have it beat into my head that 4 oz of chicken is a serving, so I would never eat more than that. It has been a real change to eat 6 oz (or like 180 grams or whatever) so that I am actually full and satisfied and happy, instead of guilty that I overate on protein.
Mental shifts, so important. I have been pretty solid for a month now (finally!) and feeling pretty in the zone right now.0 -
This thread has motivated me to buy a scale- I was perfectly happy estimating until I realized that I could be eating more.
I want to be eating more lol0 -
That I eat around 4-5lbs of food every day. Not counting my liquids. Lol, yep, I'm a volume eater. (Yes, I do realize weight =/= volume. But with a plant heavy intake, it's a lot of food, lol).
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I've had major cravings for cereal lately and it's been sad days realizing how little cereal a serving is0
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I really suck at estimating how much something weighs, myself included. I was shocked at how much weight I gained and I'm always shocked at a proper portion size. I've been doing this for 2 years now and I've been at a healthy BMI for a year. Looks like I'll have to weigh and measure forever, but I'm happy that I've lost the weight so it's a small price to pay for staying healthy. My food scale and I are very happy together.0
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I thought 20g of cheese was about 3x as much as it actually was :-( either that, or my scales were off this morning. I barely sprinkled any on my toasted sandwiches!0
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I found out that I must have instinctively known the right amount with meat portions but that I can fit 2 cups of rice in a one cup measure!
I also found out that I suck at measuring flour without the scale and that my baked goods are much more delicious when I weigh my flour. It also means I dirty one less measuring cup so that's a win.
I still don't measure everything. Certain things, like a slice of bread, I'm content with the number on the packaging.0 -
You can't always trust the barcodes either., especially on produce:
Oh man, lol. Yikes. Yeah, it's like 'medium potatoes' at 148g.. in my experience most medium potatoes are heavier than that!enterdanger wrote: »I found out that I must have instinctively known the right amount with meat portions but that I can fit 2 cups of rice in a one cup measure!
I also found out that I suck at measuring flour without the scale and that my baked goods are much more delicious when I weigh my flour. It also means I dirty one less measuring cup so that's a win.
I still don't measure everything. Certain things, like a slice of bread, I'm content with the number on the packaging.
I always convert one cup of flour to 120g so that I get consistent results with my baking. Plus that way if it's too sticky I know exactly how much more flour to add to my dough the next time etc. I honestly HATE recipes that give volume measurements.0 -
AceofIvies wrote: »I generally overestimate without a scale, with the one exception being chips, crackers, or things that tend to break up in the package before you serve them to yourself. Those are fun to weigh out
I go from unbroken to the broken pieces that maybe could add up to an unbroken sized piece to weighing.0 -
beautifulsparkles wrote: »I thought 20g of cheese was about 3x as much as it actually was :-( either that, or my scales were off this morning. I barely sprinkled any on my toasted sandwiches!
This.
Cheese is ridiculously heavy.
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I always convert one cup of flour to 120g so that I get consistent results with my baking. Plus that way if it's too sticky I know exactly how much more flour to add to my dough the next time etc. I honestly HATE recipes that give volume measurements.
This is actually the reason I bought the scale. I've got cookies & cakes down pat, but bread can be *really* finicky.0 -
tara_means_star wrote: »juggernaut1974 wrote: »tara_means_star wrote: »still effective for weight loss?
If you have more margin for error, probably. As your margin for error tightens, your accuracy generally needs to increase to be effective.
Ok, last question. OP, so sorry to derail your thread....
I'm still 40 pounds to goal and 20 pounds overweight. Would it make since you just measure and log 4 ounces as 4 ounces until it no longer works, then weigh 3.9 or even 3.8 but log 4?
IMO, overthinking. Just weigh it, and record what it weighs.
If you're bothering to weigh, I believe you want your data to be as accurate as reasonably practical. Eventually, for example, you may want to cut your loss rate to a slower one when you get close to goal weight. If you have accurate data, you can do a lot better job of estimating things like that.
All those calculators of maintenance calories (e.g., TDEE) are *estimates* based on the population at large. If you have good data about your own eating, exercise, and losses, you can do much more accurate personal estimates.0 -
It's plenty accurate... You can weigh to a tenth of an ounce... It's just a different measurement, just as accurate though. If I weigh out 3 oz of chicken or 85 grams, it makes no difference.tara_means_star wrote: »I feel like this is a dumb question but I want to ask anyway
My scale only weighs in ounces for foods, not grams. Still accurate?
Well, not as accurate as grams, but it's better than nothing I guess.
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tara_means_star wrote: »juggernaut1974 wrote: »tara_means_star wrote: »still effective for weight loss?
If you have more margin for error, probably. As your margin for error tightens, your accuracy generally needs to increase to be effective.
Ok, last question. OP, so sorry to derail your thread....
I'm still 40 pounds to goal and 20 pounds overweight. Would it make since you just measure and log 4 ounces as 4 ounces until it no longer works, then weigh 3.9 or even 3.8 but log 4?
Buy a new scale that weighs in grams and get it over with. It's $10 and it means you can practice the new skill of thinking in grams. Seriously, under logging your food isn't a good option, because that's still estimating. Buy the new scale, weigh in grams, and tighten your logging. That'll take care of the shrinking deficit.
@tara_means_star I agree... treat yourself to a brand new scale for under $15 and you'll be happier and realize how much more accurate you're weighing foods when you compare. Some food pkgs. show grams only so this way you're covered no matter what a pkg. you pick up shows.
New digital scales are fun, definitely get one that has a tare feature makes life simple and fun measuring foods with that feature. I know you'll be glad you did. Let us know what you pick up and how you like it!0 -
heatherlewisis wrote: »
It's plenty accurate... You can weigh to a tenth of an ounce... It's just a different measurement, just as accurate though. If I weigh out 3 oz of chicken or 85 grams, it makes no difference.tara_means_star wrote: »I feel like this is a dumb question but I want to ask anyway My scale only weighs in ounces for foods, not grams. Still accurate?
Well, not as accurate as grams, but it's better than nothing I guess.
85 g is more specific than 3 oz chicken, but I'd expect 3.2 oz of chicken to be available and if so it's basically the same.
I now prefer grams as a better system, but oz work just like celsius works (even though I prefer F).0 -
Ah well where I live we use the metric system anyway. Sometimes I find a food that's only in oz on mfp, then I have to convert it first to see how many grams that is...hahahaha0
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heatherlewisis wrote: »
It's plenty accurate... You can weigh to a tenth of an ounce... It's just a different measurement, just as accurate though. If I weigh out 3 oz of chicken or 85 grams, it makes no difference.tara_means_star wrote: »I feel like this is a dumb question but I want to ask anyway My scale only weighs in ounces for foods, not grams. Still accurate?
Well, not as accurate as grams, but it's better than nothing I guess.
It rounds up though so it can be 3g off. Which isn't a huge deal, but can still be a 100ish calories inaccuracy at the end of the day if you eat a lot of calorie dense foods.QueenofHearts023 wrote: »Ah well where I live we use the metric system anyway. Sometimes I find a food that's only in oz on mfp, then I have to convert it first to see how many grams that is...hahahaha
MFP has improved about that, a lot of entries now give grams by default if it was entered in ounces.0 -
heatherlewisis wrote: »
It's plenty accurate... You can weigh to a tenth of an ounce... It's just a different measurement, just as accurate though. If I weigh out 3 oz of chicken or 85 grams, it makes no difference.tara_means_star wrote: »I feel like this is a dumb question but I want to ask anyway My scale only weighs in ounces for foods, not grams. Still accurate?
Well, not as accurate as grams, but it's better than nothing I guess.
It rounds up though so it can be 3g off. Which isn't a huge deal, but can still be a 100ish calories inaccuracy at the end of the day if you eat a lot of calorie dense foods.QueenofHearts023 wrote: »Ah well where I live we use the metric system anyway. Sometimes I find a food that's only in oz on mfp, then I have to convert it first to see how many grams that is...hahahaha
MFP has improved about that, a lot of entries now give grams by default if it was entered in ounces.
Yeah I've seen. I actively try to seek out those entries now. 0 -
heatherlewisis wrote: »
It's plenty accurate... You can weigh to a tenth of an ounce... It's just a different measurement, just as accurate though. If I weigh out 3 oz of chicken or 85 grams, it makes no difference.tara_means_star wrote: »I feel like this is a dumb question but I want to ask anyway My scale only weighs in ounces for foods, not grams. Still accurate?
Well, not as accurate as grams, but it's better than nothing I guess.
It rounds up though so it can be 3g off. Which isn't a huge deal, but can still be a 100ish calories inaccuracy at the end of the day if you eat a lot of calorie dense foods.QueenofHearts023 wrote: »Ah well where I live we use the metric system anyway. Sometimes I find a food that's only in oz on mfp, then I have to convert it first to see how many grams that is...hahahaha
MFP has improved about that, a lot of entries now give grams by default if it was entered in ounces.
That's why I was thinking that when/if it stalls my weight loss I will simply round down.0 -
I love my scale. sometimes I prefer to weigh my food than measure. Its really so easy. I just leave it out near the cutting board.0
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I love how everyone that knows me shakes their heads in disapproval when they come in my house and see my little neon green food scale on the counter.
(Everyone that knows me is really against the idea of me losing weight)0 -
QueenofHearts023 wrote: »I love how everyone that knows me shakes their heads in disapproval when they come in my house and see my little neon green food scale on the counter.
(Everyone that knows me is really against the idea of me losing weight)
Eh doesn't matter. Been the same weight for 2 years, still weigh my food, still getting comments from my mom when she comes to visit...0
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