food scale for weight gain?

Hamsibian
Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
I'm thinking of getting a food scale to make sure I am eating enough. I have read threads about them benefiting those for weight loss but not weight gain. Have they helped any of you?

Replies

  • TryNaDoBetter
    TryNaDoBetter Posts: 9 Member
    Eat beyond your calorie requirement to guarantee goal
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    edited November 2016
    I try to. The thing is I'm on a restricted diet for health reasons, so I can only eat meat, seafood, low carb veggies, and fruits for the most part. So it's sometimes hard to guesstimate unless I eat a lot ( which I can't a lot of the time).
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    I use a food scale and I've found it helpful- especially when I'm logging recipes. Before,I was just guessing and was way off
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Hamsibian wrote: »
    I'm thinking of getting a food scale to make sure I am eating enough. I have read threads about them benefiting those for weight loss but not weight gain. Have they helped any of you?

    A food scale is used for accuracy regardless of weight management objectives.
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
    A food scale is a tool that can help both people who are looking to lose fat and people who are looking to gain, as it will help tell you how much the food weighs. Then you can match it up with a correct entry and get a reasonably accurate calorie count for your meal. The only difference is that someone trying to lose weight would probably be trying to get less calories, while you would be trying to get more.

    I see you're on a restricted diet for health reasons. As it limits what you can eat and you want to get your calories in, can you add calorie dense things like butter or nuts to your meals to ensure you reach your calorie goal?
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    Dairy, nuts , legumes, and too much carbs all give me bad reactions. I hope I will get to eat them again someday since I didn't always have problems with at least nuts, but for now I have to stay away.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    With these kinds of substantial restrictions can you not see a dietitian?
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    I am. What I'm eating is not the problem, all I asked is if a food scale would be helpful for accuracy purposes. That is all.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    I use my food scale whether I'm trying to lose, gain or maintain, because I'm lazy and HATE washing measuring cups and spoons every day.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    A food scale goes both ways.. what makes you think you have to weigh only food that weighs less and less than what? :)
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    Lol okay you all make some obviously sensible points. Thank you! :)
  • osdvolii
    osdvolii Posts: 3 Member
    I use a food scale to "keep me honest" about my calorie consumption as part of eating to gain. When I got it I was shocked to discover that my morning bowl of cereal was 120 calories- not 300 liked I'd estimated. Food scales are also great for accuracy in baking, plus using it helps you calculate the calories in the recipe when your done. Last week I discovered that the peanut butter bars that I make as my go-to snack are really 150 calories per a serving instead of 250 like I thought. Using a food scale helps me count calories accurately which is important for me to be able to gain. (Right now I have so little appetite that were I to listen to my hunger cues I'd only eat about a 1000 calories a day
  • moxie1962
    moxie1962 Posts: 165 Member
    Hamsibian wrote: »
    I am. What I'm eating is not the problem, all I asked is if a food scale would be helpful for accuracy purposes. That is all.

    I made comparisons, and found measuring cups/spoons do not match the food scale results at all.
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    osdvolii wrote: »
    I use a food scale to "keep me honest" about my calorie consumption as part of eating to gain. When I got it I was shocked to discover that my morning bowl of cereal was 120 calories- not 300 liked I'd estimated. Food scales are also great for accuracy in baking, plus using it helps you calculate the calories in the recipe when your done. Last week I discovered that the peanut butter bars that I make as my go-to snack are really 150 calories per a serving instead of 250 like I thought. Using a food scale helps me count calories accurately which is important for me to be able to gain. (Right now I have so little appetite that were I to listen to my hunger cues I'd only eat about a 1000 calories a day

    This!
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    I just got one, and started using it today. Holy cow was I underestimating! I am so glad I can tweak everything now lol.
  • se015
    se015 Posts: 583 Member
    Hamsibian wrote: »
    I'm thinking of getting a food scale to make sure I am eating enough. I have read threads about them benefiting those for weight loss but not weight gain. Have they helped any of you?

    Absolutely! I did the same thing and it helped a lot! How do you're making the calories if you don't know how much you're eating for serving sizes?? So glad you got one! :) Good luck!!
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