Weighing food. Please help

kelseyframe91
kelseyframe91 Posts: 37 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so I've been reading a lot of posts on here that state we should weigh our food. Why? If I weigh out say a shop bought 300g meal and it's actually 400g then what should I do next. I'm a little confused. I'm on a strict calorie diet so calories are important. OR is there a certain overall weight of food I should be eating every day? Please help. Thanks.

Replies

  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    (Calories)*1.33333333333333333333333333333333
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited May 2016
    Take the weight divide by what the serving size should weigh and you will know how many servings you ate.

    Example:

    Protein bar - 170 calories / 45 g
    actual weight - 53 g
    53 divided by 45 equals 1.178
    Example protein bar was 1.178 servings which amounts to 201 calories (actually 200.22)
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    Or you can just for an entry that you can enter your serving in grams.
  • kelseyframe91
    kelseyframe91 Posts: 37 Member
    shadow2soul wrote: »
    Take the weight divide by what the serving size should weigh and you will know how many servings you ate.

    Example:

    Protein bar - 170 calories / 45 g
    actual weight - 53 g
    53 divided by 45 equals 1.178
    Example protein bar was 1.178 servings which amounts to 201 calories (actually 200.22)

    Perfect, simple answer. Thank you :)
  • CurlyCockney
    CurlyCockney Posts: 1,394 Member
    There's no overall weight of food you need to eat, but in order to get the most accurate estimation of calories you need to put the correct weight (and use the correct item) in the database for what you're eating. If you're in the UK all packaging will show the nutrition data per 100g (or per 100ml for liquid), so in your example you'd just input 4x100g. If you're in a country that doesn't show per 100g data, use the calculations that the previous posters recommended.

    Basically, put in your diary what you're actually eating, not what the manufacturer estimates you're eating.
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
    CurlyCockney wrote: »
    There's no overall weight of food you need to eat, but in order to get the most accurate estimation of calories you need to put the correct weight (and use the correct item) in the database for what you're eating. If you're in the UK all packaging will show the nutrition data per 100g (or per 100ml for liquid), so in your example you'd just input 4x100g. If you're in a country that doesn't show per 100g data, use the calculations that the previous posters recommended.

    Basically, put in your diary what you're actually eating, not what the manufacturer estimates you're eating.

    I'm jealous. Wish our foods were all labeled per 100 grams. The most common serving I see is 28 grams for some reason.

  • CurlyCockney
    CurlyCockney Posts: 1,394 Member
    ilex70 wrote: »
    CurlyCockney wrote: »
    There's no overall weight of food you need to eat, but in order to get the most accurate estimation of calories you need to put the correct weight (and use the correct item) in the database for what you're eating. If you're in the UK all packaging will show the nutrition data per 100g (or per 100ml for liquid), so in your example you'd just input 4x100g. If you're in a country that doesn't show per 100g data, use the calculations that the previous posters recommended.

    Basically, put in your diary what you're actually eating, not what the manufacturer estimates you're eating.

    I'm jealous. Wish our foods were all labeled per 100 grams. The most common serving I see is 28 grams for some reason.

    We have serving sizes too, but the label still shows per 100g - for which I'm truly thankful, as maths isn't my strong suit ;-)

    2h9e32dwc8ga.jpg
  • laurelh8
    laurelh8 Posts: 38 Member

    I'm jealous. Wish our foods were all labeled per 100 grams. The most common serving I see is 28 grams for some reason.

    28 grams is approximately one ounce.
  • pwoodroof
    pwoodroof Posts: 26 Member
    At first I thought weighing everything was excessive.....then I came to realise the point about accuracy and the importance of it in monitoring relatively small movements in my weight loss over short periods of time.....so now I weigh just about everything as much as I can. I get a bit unstuck on things like measuring a teaspoon of honey or coconut oil.....so if anyone can suggest a method for these items that would be good
  • stephinator92
    stephinator92 Posts: 162 Member
    I weigh foods that would be too imprecise to measure or eyeball like the other people said. I don't really worry about protein powder/bars/etc
  • becca1380461
    becca1380461 Posts: 25 Member
    I weigh almost everything but make it a point to ALWAYS weigh calorie dense food like red meat, cheeses, breads or nuts. The calorie difference between 18 and 28g of lettuce is about 3 calories. The calorie difference between 18 and 28 g of almonds is over 100!
  • kelseyframe91
    kelseyframe91 Posts: 37 Member
    Thanks everyone. Makes more sense to me now :)
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    If the entry is for 300 grams and you eat 400 grams, then do the math: 400/300 = 1.33 so you have 1.33 servings. Log as 1.33 servings.

    If you are losing weight without weighing your food, then you are estimating well enough to still have a deficit. If you're not losing weight, as in its been 4-6 weeks and you're not losing weight, then you are eating more than you think. Estimating is bound to have errors. At that point, improve your accuracy.
    kelseyframe91 wrote: »
    Ok, so I've been reading a lot of posts on here that state we should weigh our food. Why? If I weigh out say a shop bought 300g meal and it's actually 400g then what should I do next. I'm a little confused. I'm on a strict calorie diet so calories are important. OR is there a certain overall weight of food I should be eating every day? Please help. Thanks.

  • kaylajane11
    kaylajane11 Posts: 313 Member
    edited May 2016
    sympha01 wrote: »
    For many of us it's less about packaged for than just a matter of knowing that logging "1 chicken breast" is highly imprecise. I buy chicken breasts that weigh anywhere from 5 oz to over a pound each. Logging both of them as "1 breast" or "1 unit" would add up to hundreds of calories of inaccuracy.

    I agree. I don't typically weigh pre-packaged food, and it hasn't affected my weight loss. I will, however, weigh one or two items the first time I purchase it to see if it is close to the weight listed on the box, and so far almost everything has been about bang on.

    I do weigh all my fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, bread, etc. and use measuring cups and spoons for liquids. Weighing my food has made a huge difference in my tracking, and once you start doing it it's actually super easy.
  • khhregister
    khhregister Posts: 229 Member
    becca1380461 wrote: »
    I weigh almost everything but make it a point to ALWAYS weigh calorie dense food like red meat, cheeses, breads or nuts. The calorie difference between 18 and 28g of lettuce is about 3 calories. The calorie difference between 18 and 28 g of almonds is over 100!

    This has made a huge difference for me. I used to grab a "handful" of nuts as a snack. God only knows how many calories that was! I used to think - oh, that's about 100 calories, but really, I had no idea. It was probably more like 100 grams. Now, every time, I get a little bowl and measure out 17-18 grams of almonds to get ~ 100 calories. It's shocking to me, still, how small the amount of nuts that is.
  • LessthanKris
    LessthanKris Posts: 607 Member
    khh1138 wrote: »
    becca1380461 wrote: »
    I weigh almost everything but make it a point to ALWAYS weigh calorie dense food like red meat, cheeses, breads or nuts. The calorie difference between 18 and 28g of lettuce is about 3 calories. The calorie difference between 18 and 28 g of almonds is over 100!

    This has made a huge difference for me. I used to grab a "handful" of nuts as a snack. God only knows how many calories that was! I used to think - oh, that's about 100 calories, but really, I had no idea. It was probably more like 100 grams. Now, every time, I get a little bowl and measure out 17-18 grams of almonds to get ~ 100 calories. It's shocking to me, still, how small the amount of nuts that is.

    Nuts are the most depressing thing about weighing!

    I lost the first 20 lbs or so not weighing anything. I finally got a scale and now only weigh nonpackaged food and I have found no issues losing weight not measuring packaged foods when I actual keep within my calories. I do not eat a lot of prepackaged foods though.
  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,765 Member
    LessthanKris wrote: »
    khh1138 wrote: »
    becca1380461 wrote: »
    I weigh almost everything but make it a point to ALWAYS weigh calorie dense food like red meat, cheeses, breads or nuts. The calorie difference between 18 and 28g of lettuce is about 3 calories. The calorie difference between 18 and 28 g of almonds is over 100!

    This has made a huge difference for me. I used to grab a "handful" of nuts as a snack. God only knows how many calories that was! I used to think - oh, that's about 100 calories, but really, I had no idea. It was probably more like 100 grams. Now, every time, I get a little bowl and measure out 17-18 grams of almonds to get ~ 100 calories. It's shocking to me, still, how small the amount of nuts that is.

    Nuts are the most depressing thing about weighing!

    You can say that again. Limiting the salted cashews just about breaks my heart.

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