When should I start measuring

tamera_g

I just started a "diet " a few days ago. I put diet in quotations because what I am really doing is trying to change my bad habits into good ones. For instance, instead of eating dessert I go for a walk. As far as food is concerned, I don't measure how much I eat. I usually just guess. I know I should start measuring but I don't know how to begin.
I am afraid to start because what if I am still hungry after I have eaten my allotted portion? Or maybe I will become obsessed with measuring every crumb that goes into my mouth. Is there a way to ease into it or is it an you are either in or out type of thing? Is there a way to look at this problem differently?

TR0berts

Now.

For the first week or so, try eating normally, but weigh/measure the foods you eat, so you have a baseline. Then you can see where you can cut Calories - maybe a little less of this, not as much sauce/butter/whatever on that, or maybe substitute something lower Calorie for what you've been eating.

jessiferrrb

you could start with measuring cups and spoons and all that because it seems easier, but i recommend just going for it and buying a digital scale (usually $10-$15 on amazon or at walmart /target, etc.) it's just way way way more accurate.

i know it seems like that is more difficult or obsessive but i can honestly say that i find it to be much simpler to weigh my food items rather than measure them by other means (or by eyeballing out portions because my eyes magically see 1 portion at whatever amount i want to eat).

for example, if i'm making overnight oats i could use a measuring cup for the oatmeal and milk, a scoop for the protein powder, a tablespoon for pb2 and a teaspoon for chia seeds, then try to guess whether my banana is average size or maybe a little bulky and enter that all into my log. i'm almost positive my calories would be off by at least 25-50 and different every time. if i do that for every meal it could totally wipe out my deficit.

or i can put the jar on the scale, zero it out, pour in the oatmeal till it reads the correct grams, zero it out, pour in the 15 g of protein powder, zero, 12 g of bp2, zero, 5 g chia, zero, slice the banana and record the grams, zero and add the milk. my oats are guaranteed to be exactly the way i like them. i can easily create a meal of it in my log to quick add and there's less washing up to do which is also a bonus.

JeromeBarry1

@jessiferrrb is that correctly to be pb2 rather than bp2 ? What flavor of protein powder do you use?

jessiferrrb

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

@jessiferrrb is that correctly to be pb2 rather than bp2 ? What flavor of protein powder do you use?

yeah, sorry, typo there, i use plant fusion vanilla protein powder and pb2, also the 'milk' is unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

Evamutt

I bought a digital food scale. I love it. I tend to get obsessive about things which includes logging everything that goes in my mouth, but i like doing it. I've learned some foods are very high in calories and/or sodium that i was eating. I substituted lite yogurt for regular & lite mayo & some things i only eat once in a while. It feels really good to be in control of what i eat instead of it controlling me and the best part is the only time i'm hungry is when i'm out & skip a meal or snack. Before i started this i ate twice a day but i was so hungry before i ate, i would eat too much. Now i'm eating more often with less portions. I usually have calories left at the end of the day. The key for me is to eat more often & not be hungry. Another thing that helps me alot is making fruit/veggie smoothies in our nutribullet. It really fills me up. Also looking up the value of foods I may want to eat before i eat them. I'm getting more knowledgeable about food

CasperNaegle

I personally would start right away, get a scale and get use to weighing all your food. You need to make sure you know what your total calorie burn is and what you want your calorie intake to be, then just measure. It's the only real way to know what you are actually taking in.

PinkPixiexox

I am very cautious about measuring food. I started off slightly overweight, was introduced to MFP and was told to measure and weigh every thing for calorie accurateness. I became slightly brainwashed by the judgemental opinions on those who DON'T weigh/measure food and I would take my scale everywhere with me. I soon developed an eating disorder (I wasn't under-weight however - I became medically 'perfect') but my life was only about one thing and one thing only - Food. I lost friends, I almost lost my job, my boyfriend, my home - all for the sake of being terrified of calories that weren't logged or measured.

Yes, this is an extreme case. And no, this isn't likely to happen to everyone or to many. But as an individual in ED Recovery yet attempting to drop a few pounds, I can only say this - Listen to your head. It's nice to see the number on the scale go down but if you are already concerned about obsessions or feeling deprived, stay away for now. Or perhaps weigh *some* foods (Meat & granola if you have to). There is a fine line between 'Control' and 'Obsession' and I'm very, very weary of it.

I can totally 100% see where other commenters are coming from. Technically, weighing your food determines a hugely accurate calorie intake. I'd say however - If you are looking to simply change your habits and not 'diet', eat mindfully, notice when you are full and listen to your body and your stomach

TonyB0588

@tamera_g I haven't done the digital scale thing, but you can easily guess some other measurements like 1 Cup or 1/2 Cup. Then there's prepackaged foods which have the measurement on the pack. I don't discard my wrappers until I've recorded the information. There are fruit entries on MFP like Small, Medium, Large banana, with approximate length for each size. Also if a package of some item has 12 but the serving size says 4, then I only eat 4 (although I could probably manage the whole pack at once).

jgnatca

You could start by routinely weighing and logging one meal, like breakfast. Understanding the calories in your favourite meals can be a real eye opener.

For instance, try measuring out a single serving size of breakfast cereal according to the package, and a single serving of pasta.

AnnPT77

tamera_g wrote: »

I just started a "diet " a few days ago. I put diet in quotations because what I am really doing is trying to change my bad habits into good ones. For instance, instead of eating dessert I go for a walk. As far as food is concerned, I don't measure how much I eat. I usually just guess. I know I should start measuring but I don't know how to begin.
I am afraid to start because what if I am still hungry after I have eaten my allotted portion? Or maybe I will become obsessed with measuring every crumb that goes into my mouth. Is there a way to ease into it or is it an you are either in or out type of thing? Is there a way to look at this problem differently?

You've already gotten some good responses about weighing food being quick/easy, and about the potential for obsessiveness & how to avoid it. But I want to reply to the bolded part, which I haven't seen addressed so far.

For me, one of the valuable things about an accurate food diary is being able to go back at the end of the day (or every few days) and think about which foods "cost" too many calories for how tasty, filling, or nutritious they were.

If you end up needing to reduce portions because of what your food scale tells you, you can make those reductions selectively, based on your values and goals. If you find that certain reductions leave you feeling hungry, try alternatives.

When it comes to finding satiation, everyone's different. Some people need extra protein to feel full, some need relatively more healthy fats, some find high-volume/low-calorie foods (like fibrous veggies) satisfying. Some people find carbs (even complex carbs like whole potatoes and whole grains) filling, while others find that eating them just makes them crave more carbs. With an accurate food diary, you can figure out what works for you.

Of course, you can adopt this diary-review approach even without weighing food, as long as you estimate somewhat accurately - you'll still learn which foods are most calorie-dense. But it is a helpful way think how you'll be able to adjust, if you worry that weighing food may lead to feeling hungry!

Good luck - wishing you much success!

tamera_g

Thanks for all the responses. Very insightful.

Nachise

I use my digital scale daily, and I measure in grams. The scale sits on my butcher block table, and my breakfast is measured out. When I am making something for dinner, and recording the recipe, I use my scale to measure out ingredients. It is an indispensable tool.

PatriciaVogt1

I bought a scale even though I measure some things like cereal with measuring cups and some things with measuring spoons. It depends because if I want for example a bowl of cereal, the box label gives the calorie count (at least mine does) by measuring cups, and some of the labels I have on certain oils for example do it by measuring spoons when I am figuring out a recipe. Not everything is easy to do with grams or ounces.

tamera_g

I live in Europe so all the nutrition labels are in grams. I have a digital scale so I think I will start measuring with it.