I understand and then I don't (scales and weighing and calorie worrying)

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Replies

  • BiggDaddy58
    BiggDaddy58 Posts: 406 Member
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    I weigh 108. When I weighed an orange I ate recently, I found it was 40 calories more than what I had initially logged (based on eye-balling the fruit). For my calorie goal, that's a big deal.

    Others may have more wiggle room, but when you are dealing with fewer calories, accuracy can be important.

    Yes and no. I only had about 14lbs to lose at the end of 2009 and by the time that I joined MFP I had already lost 6 lbs without counting calories. I lost the rest and got to maintenance by just measuring, estimating, and even using some generic entries in this database. I didn't get a food scale until I reached maintenance and that was almost 6 years ago. The only reason to get the scale was to count my macros.

    I am now hooked to the scale few times a week. I don't take the scale with me when on vacation, eating out or a friends house; heck I don't even estimate or log when I don't make the meals myself. I am trying to break the scale "umbilical cord."

    So it is possible to lose weight and even maintain without a scale, but I agree that it may take more time; so if people don't mind and have good eating habits and are aware of what and how much they are eating, just let it be.

    After all we are all special snow flakes...

    Gisel..Thank you..I don't want to be tied to a scale or Internet site or app on my phone the rest of my life. I know it is hard to lose weight and then KEEP IT OFF..but at some point..aren't we all wanting to cut the umbilical cord of whatever it is that we're tied to?
  • BiggDaddy58
    BiggDaddy58 Posts: 406 Member
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    Again..I want to try and reply to everyone..just feel it's a good thing to do. This post was not intended to pick on your choices either..for those of you who seem to have taken offense. Have a Great Night!
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    I weigh 108. When I weighed an orange I ate recently, I found it was 40 calories more than what I had initially logged (based on eye-balling the fruit). For my calorie goal, that's a big deal.

    Others may have more wiggle room, but when you are dealing with fewer calories, accuracy can be important.

    Yes and no. I only had about 14lbs to lose at the end of 2009 and by the time that I joined MFP I had already lost 6 lbs without counting calories. I lost the rest and got to maintenance by just measuring, estimating, and even using some generic entries in this database. I didn't get a food scale until I reached maintenance and that was almost 6 years ago. The only reason to get the scale was to count my macros.

    I am now hooked to the scale few times a week. I don't take the scale with me when on vacation, eating out or a friends house; heck I don't even estimate or log when I don't make the meals myself. I am trying to break the scale "umbilical cord."

    So it is possible to lose weight and even maintain without a scale, but I agree that it may take more time; so if people don't mind and have good eating habits and are aware of what and how much they are eating, just let it be.

    After all we are all special snow flakes...

    Gisel..Thank you..I don't want to be tied to a scale or Internet site or app on my phone the rest of my life. I know it is hard to lose weight and then KEEP IT OFF..but at some point..aren't we all wanting to cut the umbilical cord of whatever it is that we're tied to?

    You keep assuming that everyone must have the same goals, priorities, strengths and weaknesses, and lifestyle you do. I guess I don't understand why you can't understand that that's simply not the case.

    I'm glad what you are doing is working for you, best of luck!
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    When you have a lot to lose its not necessary to be as vigilent with logging if you are keeping some sort of track on it then all usually goes well - if you are eating less than you previously did, then its a given that you will lose. Its when it gets to the final say 20lbs that's when being really accurate matters. If you stall for a while then you will know you are eating too much and it'll be time to get more serious with accuracy/weighing food etc.
  • _piaffe
    _piaffe Posts: 163 Member
    I have suffered from anxiety and depression for most of my life. For me, having a fairly set daily routine helps tremendously. Getting up at the same time, eating the same foods, going through the same chores, even in the same order. I build in time for work, and time for pleasure, and I do have some variance in what I do (like, I have a set time for, "doing something fun with the kids" or relaxing with whatever hobby sounds good to me that day), and I take breaks or change things up now and then, but if I miss too many days in a row (whether for good, like a holiday, or for bad, like an illness), I start to fall into a funk. To me, a routine is comforting and stabilizing and good."

    This is me too (but thankfully without the depression).

    I am a naturally obsessive person. I am sure some people would view tracking as an unhealthy behaviour for me, given my personality. But in fact, I find it really helps me manage my anxiety around weight. It gives me an objective, factual perspective on food, which prevents emotional catastrophizing (which would lead to a binge).
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Etsar73 wrote: »
    Some people can save money without a budget... maybe they don't like spending money unnecessarily, maybe they make more money than others, maybe they have a second job.

    When you have a monetary debt that you want to reduce, you might use a budget. Most people would say this is smart and responsible. Making 'round about' estimates is not enough because money is already tight for some people. They record everything to the cent because they want to be sure, Other people however might just cut back on overall spending, maybe get a second job, or maybe they make more money in the first place so saving would appear easier. However if estimating is not working, and spending is getting out of hand then a tighter budget might be in order. Having a budget is a tool.

    Some people can lose weight without weighing food or counting calories... maybe they just don't feel the desire to overeat, maybe they are taller/younger/heavier so they save more calories, maybe they exercise.

    When you have a weight problem that you want to reduce, you might count calories and to be sure you might even weigh your food. Some people say this is ridiculous! You don't need that! I do it without counting calories or weighing my food! You should be able to do it too! Some would call any calorie counting silly, they eat 'intuitively', it works for them and so it should work for you too! Some people might be heavier/younger/taller, they may work out or have a very active job that others don't. The gap is wider because of their body composition and lifestyle. These are the first things MFP asks about you and it's for a good reason... height, current weight, age, activity level. MFP are not asking these questions 'just because'. They matter!

    I don't know if I will count and weigh my food for the rest of my life but I am not opposed to it and I will not apologise for it! Its simply a tool, that some people use to help them save calories. Tools can be very helpful for some people in all walks of life.

    I agree with this^^^^^^^^^^^ You explain it very well.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    I'm with you, OP. I made the decision a long time ago not to weigh my food. I'm a pretty good eyeballer and I can eat a serving and not go back for more. I could easily see weighing and logging becoming an unhealthy obsession with me. Now I just try to eat healthy and hit the gym 5 times a week.

    However, that's not to say that weighing doesn't work for other people. It does and they should do it if it works for them. It's just not something I want to do.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    edited June 2016
    Other people however might just cut back on overall spending, maybe get a second job, or maybe they make more money in the first place so saving would appear easier. However if estimating is not working, and spending is getting out of hand then a tighter budget might be in order. Having a budget is a tool.

    This is a perfect explanation. (And just like I don't weigh my food, I don't have a strict budget but know when I need to tighten the belt [both with food and money])

    I find this comparison interesting and wonder if there is a mental correlation between the two. Maybe some people are more concerned with the bigger picture and some with the minutiae. Sort of like a macro and micro approach.

  • newheavensearth
    newheavensearth Posts: 870 Member
    I don't like weighing everything except meats, but I do it anyway. I put things in fraction of or whole cup measures, then put it on the scale. Yes it's an extra step and more cups to wash. I don't care. It's how I learned portion control- in cups and ounces, not grams. I weigh it to translate it to calories. Also I don't carry a scale everywhere, and I still need to get a ballpark idea of what my portions should look like. It works for me. At the end of the day I have to do what works for me and keeps the scale moving in the right direction. This also gives me less anxiety about what I'm doing and peace of mind in terms of what I'm doing is right for me.
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    I just read this thread for the first time. I used the "portion" method which is basically volume and measuring cups and successfully lost 10 pounds. Then I abruptly plateaued for a long time. That method stopped being efficient to me. I have 10 pounds left to get solidly into normal BMI. I have learned from MFP that weighing is more accurate. I'm going to start using a kitchen scale and hopefully will start losing again. My deficit and TDEE are small. I don't have much room for error before I stall.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    Sharon_C wrote: »
    I'm with you, OP. I made the decision a long time ago not to weigh my food. I'm a pretty good eyeballer and I can eat a serving and not go back for more. I could easily see weighing and logging becoming an unhealthy obsession with me. Now I just try to eat healthy and hit the gym 5 times a week.

    However, that's not to say that weighing doesn't work for other people. It does and they should do it if it works for them. It's just not something I want to do.

    For curiosity sake, are you at your goal weight? Is your goal weight above what is considered a normal weight for your height or is it within that range?
  • sashayoung72
    sashayoung72 Posts: 441 Member
    I just had this weighing discussion with my sister, she had been eyeballing her coffee creamer and when she weighed it again after several months, she realized she had gradually eyeballed her way up to 2 extra servings per time, that's 70 extra calories 3 times a day, a 210 calories oops. I like to weigh in my kitchen and am ok with skipping it when i'm out. I "eyeball" my portion and then I weigh, sometimes i'm like spot on, others I must have the HUNGRY EYES cause i'm ounces off and glad I did weigh it out. I've been doing this over 500 days and the weighing is such a habit now, I really don't think about it, just weigh and go.
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    edited June 2016
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I don't think it's really so much about something being 3.2 ounces vs 3.5 ounces...at least it wasn't for me. For me it was about logging 4 ounces of chicken because that's what the packaging said was a serving size...when in reality a whole chicken breast is more like 8 ounces so I was eating double. Other calorie densethings like nuts and nut butters, pasta, etc were also an issue for me.

    I never weighed every little thing and really never weighed packaged items or made sure my V8 was exactly 11.5 ounces or anything like that...I just weighed certain items which I knew were potential pitfalls...mostly really calorie dense items.

    Using a food scale taught me how to better estimate things visually, so I don't use it as much anymore.

    Thank you and spot on! I was thinking this when I wrote the post and I'm sure I could have phrased it better..but whatever. At some point..can't you just get rid of the scale? If you have been at this awhile, had success..weighed numerous amounts of food..don't you have a pretty good idea of where you're at and how much food it really is?

    Or is it a fear of gaining weight back? A fear of having your success tool taken away? I am just curious and this is a discussion board..and we're all in this for the long haul (I hope..or maybe not?)

    If not weighing works for you, and you are good at portions and are happy with the weight loss then don't worry about it. It isn't accurate enough for me so close to goal. I will try portion method (once again) when I get to maintenance because I prefer it but will go back to weighing if I see the pounds creep back up (once I make my goal weight).
  • jennyonthespot
    jennyonthespot Posts: 98 Member
    If I could go back in time, I'd have started using a food scale much earlier. I wasted so much energy trying to adhere to a 1200 calorie diet and wondering why I couldn't lose. To me, predictable results are so worth the extra time it takes to weigh my food.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    brower47 wrote: »
    Sharon_C wrote: »
    I'm with you, OP. I made the decision a long time ago not to weigh my food. I'm a pretty good eyeballer and I can eat a serving and not go back for more. I could easily see weighing and logging becoming an unhealthy obsession with me. Now I just try to eat healthy and hit the gym 5 times a week.

    However, that's not to say that weighing doesn't work for other people. It does and they should do it if it works for them. It's just not something I want to do.

    For curiosity sake, are you at your goal weight? Is your goal weight above what is considered a normal weight for your height or is it within that range?

    I second @RosieRose7673 - it seems you are fishing for a certain answer here, expecting that no one can achieve and maintain goal weight/normal weight without measuring. I'm a 35 year old female, 5'7" 142 lbs. Smack in the middle of "normal" bmi, size 6/8 (US). Got there, and have maintained that, for three years (outside of a pregnancy) without weighing or measuring a thing (don't even log much of the time). At this point I continue to lose on average .25 lbs per week without trying. I figure my weight will continue to slowly reduce until I get to what is ideal for my body (even though I feel like I'm well within ideal range at this point). Historically I've found that my losses stop around 138-140 and I stabilize pretty well from there (I had my fourth child 10 months ago, it took about eight months for the last of the baby weight to come off).

    Not everyone needs to weigh and measure. I'm not knocking those that do, it's a useful tool and people need to find what works for them. But whether you count calories or not, being at a deficit is all that's required to lose weight. Even the last few lbs.

  • RosieRose7673
    RosieRose7673 Posts: 438 Member
    brower47 wrote: »
    brower47 wrote: »
    Sharon_C wrote: »
    I'm with you, OP. I made the decision a long time ago not to weigh my food. I'm a pretty good eyeballer and I can eat a serving and not go back for more. I could easily see weighing and logging becoming an unhealthy obsession with me. Now I just try to eat healthy and hit the gym 5 times a week.

    However, that's not to say that weighing doesn't work for other people. It does and they should do it if it works for them. It's just not something I want to do.

    For curiosity sake, are you at your goal weight? Is your goal weight above what is considered a normal weight for your height or is it within that range?

    I'm with what Sharon said. And frankly, I don't give a hoot if people weigh food or not. Whatever works for people!

    That being said, I'm not entirely sure why you care if her goal weight is above the healthy range or not. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm getting the impression that you don't believe that a person can get to a "healthy" weight without weighing food.

    I'm maintaining a steady 130 lb at 5'5. I look emaciated if I get any thinner. That being said, I've never weighed my food in my entire life. Now, I actually don't log food at all and I've been just fine.

    Back to it, whatever works for an individual should be what they continue doing. Not everyone has to weigh food but I also see how it is beneficial to some people. To each their own.

    Why is everyone so riled up over this?

    So. Many. Incorrect. Assumptions.

    I was curious if she got there without weighing. Some people can reach their goals without weighing. I wanted to know if her goal was higher than most people who turn to weighing to reach theirs.

    Why did you get so riled up about my questions? I'm an eyeballer too. I rarely weigh anything. I've reached my current goal of 145 from 195 without weighing. I'm wondering if she reached a similar goal using a similar method. This most recent goal of mine is at the high end of my "normal" for my height weight.

    Can you see that my questions were for curiosity to my own situation now? Or do you still think it was some underhanded tactic?

    Okay. Thank you for clarifying. That's why I asked and said correct me if I'm wrong.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    tlflag1620 wrote: »
    brower47 wrote: »
    Sharon_C wrote: »
    I'm with you, OP. I made the decision a long time ago not to weigh my food. I'm a pretty good eyeballer and I can eat a serving and not go back for more. I could easily see weighing and logging becoming an unhealthy obsession with me. Now I just try to eat healthy and hit the gym 5 times a week.

    However, that's not to say that weighing doesn't work for other people. It does and they should do it if it works for them. It's just not something I want to do.

    For curiosity sake, are you at your goal weight? Is your goal weight above what is considered a normal weight for your height or is it within that range?

    I second @RosieRose7673 - it seems you are fishing for a certain answer here, expecting that no one can achieve and maintain goal weight/normal weight without measuring. I'm a 35 year old female, 5'7" 142 lbs. Smack in the middle of "normal" bmi, size 6/8 (US). Got there, and have maintained that, for three years (outside of a pregnancy) without weighing or measuring a thing (don't even log much of the time). At this point I continue to lose on average .25 lbs per week without trying. I figure my weight will continue to slowly reduce until I get to what is ideal for my body (even though I feel like I'm well within ideal range at this point). Historically I've found that my losses stop around 138-140 and I stabilize pretty well from there (I had my fourth child 10 months ago, it took about eight months for the last of the baby weight to come off).

    Not everyone needs to weigh and measure. I'm not knocking those that do, it's a useful tool and people need to find what works for them. But whether you count calories or not, being at a deficit is all that's required to lose weight. Even the last few lbs.

    Keep reading.

    People can't take people at face value anymore?

    So many inaccurate assumptions...

  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    brower47 wrote: »
    brower47 wrote: »
    Sharon_C wrote: »
    I'm with you, OP. I made the decision a long time ago not to weigh my food. I'm a pretty good eyeballer and I can eat a serving and not go back for more. I could easily see weighing and logging becoming an unhealthy obsession with me. Now I just try to eat healthy and hit the gym 5 times a week.

    However, that's not to say that weighing doesn't work for other people. It does and they should do it if it works for them. It's just not something I want to do.

    For curiosity sake, are you at your goal weight? Is your goal weight above what is considered a normal weight for your height or is it within that range?

    I'm with what Sharon said. And frankly, I don't give a hoot if people weigh food or not. Whatever works for people!

    That being said, I'm not entirely sure why you care if her goal weight is above the healthy range or not. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm getting the impression that you don't believe that a person can get to a "healthy" weight without weighing food.

    I'm maintaining a steady 130 lb at 5'5. I look emaciated if I get any thinner. That being said, I've never weighed my food in my entire life. Now, I actually don't log food at all and I've been just fine.

    Back to it, whatever works for an individual should be what they continue doing. Not everyone has to weigh food but I also see how it is beneficial to some people. To each their own.

    Why is everyone so riled up over this?

    So. Many. Incorrect. Assumptions.

    I was curious if she got there without weighing. Some people can reach their goals without weighing. I wanted to know if her goal was higher than most people who turn to weighing to reach theirs.

    Why did you get so riled up about my questions? I'm an eyeballer too. I rarely weigh anything. I've reached my current goal of 145 from 195 without weighing. I'm wondering if she reached a similar goal using a similar method. This most recent goal of mine is at the high end of my "normal" for my height weight.

    Can you see that my questions were for curiosity to my own situation now? Or do you still think it was some underhanded tactic?

    Okay. Thank you for clarifying. That's why I asked and said correct me if I'm wrong.

    I shouldn't have had to clarify. They were straight forward questions posed to a specific poster.
  • RosieRose7673
    RosieRose7673 Posts: 438 Member
    brower47 wrote: »
    brower47 wrote: »
    brower47 wrote: »
    Sharon_C wrote: »
    I'm with you, OP. I made the decision a long time ago not to weigh my food. I'm a pretty good eyeballer and I can eat a serving and not go back for more. I could easily see weighing and logging becoming an unhealthy obsession with me. Now I just try to eat healthy and hit the gym 5 times a week.

    However, that's not to say that weighing doesn't work for other people. It does and they should do it if it works for them. It's just not something I want to do.

    For curiosity sake, are you at your goal weight? Is your goal weight above what is considered a normal weight for your height or is it within that range?

    I'm with what Sharon said. And frankly, I don't give a hoot if people weigh food or not. Whatever works for people!

    That being said, I'm not entirely sure why you care if her goal weight is above the healthy range or not. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm getting the impression that you don't believe that a person can get to a "healthy" weight without weighing food.

    I'm maintaining a steady 130 lb at 5'5. I look emaciated if I get any thinner. That being said, I've never weighed my food in my entire life. Now, I actually don't log food at all and I've been just fine.

    Back to it, whatever works for an individual should be what they continue doing. Not everyone has to weigh food but I also see how it is beneficial to some people. To each their own.

    Why is everyone so riled up over this?

    So. Many. Incorrect. Assumptions.

    I was curious if she got there without weighing. Some people can reach their goals without weighing. I wanted to know if her goal was higher than most people who turn to weighing to reach theirs.

    Why did you get so riled up about my questions? I'm an eyeballer too. I rarely weigh anything. I've reached my current goal of 145 from 195 without weighing. I'm wondering if she reached a similar goal using a similar method. This most recent goal of mine is at the high end of my "normal" for my height weight.

    Can you see that my questions were for curiosity to my own situation now? Or do you still think it was some underhanded tactic?

    Okay. Thank you for clarifying. That's why I asked and said correct me if I'm wrong.

    I shouldn't have had to clarify. They were straight forward questions posed to a specific poster.

    Relax.
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    If I could go back in time, I'd have started using a food scale much earlier. I wasted so much energy trying to adhere to a 1200 calorie diet and wondering why I couldn't lose. To me, predictable results are so worth the extra time it takes to weigh my food.

    Me too. I wish I had known sooner! I am excited to find out about so many people being successful getting the last bit off with weighing.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    brower47 wrote: »
    brower47 wrote: »
    brower47 wrote: »
    Sharon_C wrote: »
    I'm with you, OP. I made the decision a long time ago not to weigh my food. I'm a pretty good eyeballer and I can eat a serving and not go back for more. I could easily see weighing and logging becoming an unhealthy obsession with me. Now I just try to eat healthy and hit the gym 5 times a week.

    However, that's not to say that weighing doesn't work for other people. It does and they should do it if it works for them. It's just not something I want to do.

    For curiosity sake, are you at your goal weight? Is your goal weight above what is considered a normal weight for your height or is it within that range?

    I'm with what Sharon said. And frankly, I don't give a hoot if people weigh food or not. Whatever works for people!

    That being said, I'm not entirely sure why you care if her goal weight is above the healthy range or not. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm getting the impression that you don't believe that a person can get to a "healthy" weight without weighing food.

    I'm maintaining a steady 130 lb at 5'5. I look emaciated if I get any thinner. That being said, I've never weighed my food in my entire life. Now, I actually don't log food at all and I've been just fine.

    Back to it, whatever works for an individual should be what they continue doing. Not everyone has to weigh food but I also see how it is beneficial to some people. To each their own.

    Why is everyone so riled up over this?

    So. Many. Incorrect. Assumptions.

    I was curious if she got there without weighing. Some people can reach their goals without weighing. I wanted to know if her goal was higher than most people who turn to weighing to reach theirs.

    Why did you get so riled up about my questions? I'm an eyeballer too. I rarely weigh anything. I've reached my current goal of 145 from 195 without weighing. I'm wondering if she reached a similar goal using a similar method. This most recent goal of mine is at the high end of my "normal" for my height weight.

    Can you see that my questions were for curiosity to my own situation now? Or do you still think it was some underhanded tactic?

    Okay. Thank you for clarifying. That's why I asked and said correct me if I'm wrong.

    I shouldn't have had to clarify. They were straight forward questions posed to a specific poster.

    Relax.

    More assumptions.
  • RosieRose7673
    RosieRose7673 Posts: 438 Member
    brower47 wrote: »
    brower47 wrote: »
    brower47 wrote: »
    brower47 wrote: »
    Sharon_C wrote: »
    I'm with you, OP. I made the decision a long time ago not to weigh my food. I'm a pretty good eyeballer and I can eat a serving and not go back for more. I could easily see weighing and logging becoming an unhealthy obsession with me. Now I just try to eat healthy and hit the gym 5 times a week.

    However, that's not to say that weighing doesn't work for other people. It does and they should do it if it works for them. It's just not something I want to do.

    For curiosity sake, are you at your goal weight? Is your goal weight above what is considered a normal weight for your height or is it within that range?

    I'm with what Sharon said. And frankly, I don't give a hoot if people weigh food or not. Whatever works for people!

    That being said, I'm not entirely sure why you care if her goal weight is above the healthy range or not. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm getting the impression that you don't believe that a person can get to a "healthy" weight without weighing food.

    I'm maintaining a steady 130 lb at 5'5. I look emaciated if I get any thinner. That being said, I've never weighed my food in my entire life. Now, I actually don't log food at all and I've been just fine.

    Back to it, whatever works for an individual should be what they continue doing. Not everyone has to weigh food but I also see how it is beneficial to some people. To each their own.

    Why is everyone so riled up over this?

    So. Many. Incorrect. Assumptions.

    I was curious if she got there without weighing. Some people can reach their goals without weighing. I wanted to know if her goal was higher than most people who turn to weighing to reach theirs.

    Why did you get so riled up about my questions? I'm an eyeballer too. I rarely weigh anything. I've reached my current goal of 145 from 195 without weighing. I'm wondering if she reached a similar goal using a similar method. This most recent goal of mine is at the high end of my "normal" for my height weight.

    Can you see that my questions were for curiosity to my own situation now? Or do you still think it was some underhanded tactic?

    Okay. Thank you for clarifying. That's why I asked and said correct me if I'm wrong.

    I shouldn't have had to clarify. They were straight forward questions posed to a specific poster.

    Relax.

    More assumptions.

    Alright! Big hugs for all!

  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    brower47 wrote: »
    tlflag1620 wrote: »
    brower47 wrote: »
    Sharon_C wrote: »
    I'm with you, OP. I made the decision a long time ago not to weigh my food. I'm a pretty good eyeballer and I can eat a serving and not go back for more. I could easily see weighing and logging becoming an unhealthy obsession with me. Now I just try to eat healthy and hit the gym 5 times a week.

    However, that's not to say that weighing doesn't work for other people. It does and they should do it if it works for them. It's just not something I want to do.

    For curiosity sake, are you at your goal weight? Is your goal weight above what is considered a normal weight for your height or is it within that range?

    I second @RosieRose7673 - it seems you are fishing for a certain answer here, expecting that no one can achieve and maintain goal weight/normal weight without measuring. I'm a 35 year old female, 5'7" 142 lbs. Smack in the middle of "normal" bmi, size 6/8 (US). Got there, and have maintained that, for three years (outside of a pregnancy) without weighing or measuring a thing (don't even log much of the time). At this point I continue to lose on average .25 lbs per week without trying. I figure my weight will continue to slowly reduce until I get to what is ideal for my body (even though I feel like I'm well within ideal range at this point). Historically I've found that my losses stop around 138-140 and I stabilize pretty well from there (I had my fourth child 10 months ago, it took about eight months for the last of the baby weight to come off).

    Not everyone needs to weigh and measure. I'm not knocking those that do, it's a useful tool and people need to find what works for them. But whether you count calories or not, being at a deficit is all that's required to lose weight. Even the last few lbs.

    Keep reading.

    People can't take people at face value anymore?

    So many inaccurate assumptions...

    I mist have posted my response as you were posting yours... It happens.

    I just know many people on here don't seem to think it's possible to lose those last few lbs without meticulous logging (read:weighing and measuring). Because of that, your questions sounded "loaded" to me. That's all.

  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    tlflag1620 wrote: »
    brower47 wrote: »
    tlflag1620 wrote: »
    brower47 wrote: »
    Sharon_C wrote: »
    I'm with you, OP. I made the decision a long time ago not to weigh my food. I'm a pretty good eyeballer and I can eat a serving and not go back for more. I could easily see weighing and logging becoming an unhealthy obsession with me. Now I just try to eat healthy and hit the gym 5 times a week.

    However, that's not to say that weighing doesn't work for other people. It does and they should do it if it works for them. It's just not something I want to do.

    For curiosity sake, are you at your goal weight? Is your goal weight above what is considered a normal weight for your height or is it within that range?

    I second @RosieRose7673 - it seems you are fishing for a certain answer here, expecting that no one can achieve and maintain goal weight/normal weight without measuring. I'm a 35 year old female, 5'7" 142 lbs. Smack in the middle of "normal" bmi, size 6/8 (US). Got there, and have maintained that, for three years (outside of a pregnancy) without weighing or measuring a thing (don't even log much of the time). At this point I continue to lose on average .25 lbs per week without trying. I figure my weight will continue to slowly reduce until I get to what is ideal for my body (even though I feel like I'm well within ideal range at this point). Historically I've found that my losses stop around 138-140 and I stabilize pretty well from there (I had my fourth child 10 months ago, it took about eight months for the last of the baby weight to come off).

    Not everyone needs to weigh and measure. I'm not knocking those that do, it's a useful tool and people need to find what works for them. But whether you count calories or not, being at a deficit is all that's required to lose weight. Even the last few lbs.

    Keep reading.

    People can't take people at face value anymore?

    So many inaccurate assumptions...

    I mist have posted my response as you were posting yours... It happens.

    I just know many people on here don't seem to think it's possible to lose those last few lbs without meticulous logging (read:weighing and measuring). Because of that, your questions sounded "loaded" to me. That's all.

    Assumptions happen.