Weighing food vs measuring food...

amyoung78

Hi everyone.
I was just wondering how everyone gets their serving sizes.
Do you all use measuring cups / spoons or do you use food scales?
I am big on using measuring utensils but also have a food scale and considering busting that out and start using it.
Any thoughts on this?

queenliz99

It is more accurate to use a food scale.

festerw

Weighing everything you can will give you the most accurate calorie count.

KetoneKaren

weigh. I even weigh fats (oils) rather than use spoons.

RoxieDawn

You have one and do not use it yet with MFP?

zyxst

Scale for solids, liquid cups and spoons for fluids (unless there's a weight given for said fluid, then I weigh it).

PixelPuff

Weighing. When packages say '1 cup', it also has a weight listed usually, like 113g, etc.

musicfan68

You haven't read many threads yet, have you?

kgirlhart

The food scale is much more accurate. I only use spoons and cups for liquids.

fr33sia12

I'm in the UK so we don't use cups for measuring (not until everyone went American) so I've always used food scales even for liquids.

AnnPT77

Not only is weighing food more accurate, once you learn the tricks, it's also easier and quicker than measuring, and requires less washing up!

Here's how:

• Assembling a salad in a bowl, a stew in a pan, sandwich on a plate? Put the bowl/pan/plate on the scale, zero, add an ingredient, note the weight, zero, add the next ingredient, note the weight . . . .
• Using something from a carton or jar, or cutting a slice from a hunk of cheese? Put the container or chunk on the scale, zero, take out portion, note the negative value (it's the amount you took out).
• Eating a whole apple, banana, unhulled strawberries, corn on the cob? Weigh the ready-to-eat food, eat the yummy parts, weigh the core/hulls/peel, subtract & note.
• I like to keep a few clean plastic yogurt-tub lids around to weigh small items, like a handful of nuts or chopped hardboiled eggs or something. Drop the lid on the scale, zero, add item, note weight, eat or use - just a quick rinse of the lid under the faucet & you're done.

Give yourself a few days to make it routine, then you'll find it takes nearly no time at all. Plus no measuring spoons/cups to scrape out, or wash, except when you need to measure liquids . . . and you can weigh some of them, too.

Alluminati

Weigh solids and measure liquids.

mkakids

Watch this:

https://youtu.be/XpHykP6e_Uk

srecupid

I use a food scale if anything it's one less thing to wash because I can just use the same bowl as I'm going to eat out of

Wynterbourne

Weigh.

Neanbean13

Yesss weight. Diff measurements in diff countries

savithny

Once you learn the "tare as you go" method (described above; zero the scale before each ingredient addition), the scale is SO MUCH EASIER.

Protip: Find some UK recipes that give all amounts by weight, and just cook with the scale. It's quick and more accurate!

Francl27

Food scale is more accurate, easier to use, and less dishes. I can't even imagine why anyone would use measuring cups.

diannethegeek

I find my food scale easier, faster, and I have fewer dishes to wash at the end of the day. Plus, who doesn't want to feel like a mad scientist in the morning?

CasperNaegle

scale everywhere I can!

BiggDaddy58

I don't weigh much of my food at all..it depends on where you're at in your journey I suppose.

I had the "advantage" (if you can call being morbidly obese an advantage) of weighing 308# , so weight would come off, if I simply cut down on calorie intake and increased the calories burned.

I have done that..today is day 153/ exactly 5 months into my lifestyle change. I weigh the few foods I have to..chicken breast, steaks, fried potatoes..but other than that..

I don't weigh any food. I have a nice scale..just not that big of a need. (Again..it all depends on where you are at in your journey and your goals)

I have dropped 71 pounds in 5 months. My weigh in was today. I use whatever the package says the calories are. I look up my fruit online..I use those calories.

I try and overestimate calories if I am not sure..and I try and underestimate the calories burned. I lift light weights in the morning and afternoon...two sets each/ of five different exercises. I don't log any of those calories as calories burned.

IMO..this is simply a tool. Make it too complicated and ..well..losing weight is hard enough.

A food scale , I am sure is far more accurate. I just don't find it necessary.

YMMV