The Honor Code?

lynn_glenmont

Tacklewasher wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Psychgrrl wrote: »

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

I never weigh anything. I just do my best to estimate what I actually eat. It can work if you are as honest with yourself as possible and especially if you go on the high side rather than lowballing the amounts. I cook for two. My husband usually gets a somewhat larger portion, but I still just split the total calories in two. That gives me a bit of wiggle room for errors.

With this method you're always guessing and you never truly know how much you're eating and what is actually working for you. When you get down to the last few pounds, precision is needed and you haven't set yourself up for that by high-balling and guessing. And you won't know your macros and other nutrients either. Why count calories if you're not actually going to count them accurately?

What is wrong with the user using MFP the way she wants to? Especially if she is progressing with desirable results. Even getting down to the last few lbs, while accurate calorie counting can help.. it is not needed. People use MFP in a number of ways to reach their goal. They use it and weigh everything and be as accurate as possible. Some people use it as a food diary to simply enter their food, some don't log their food at all.

Was going to post the same thing. I didn't see in the OP where they weren't losing weight, so why the fuss on weighing? I have a scale and use it sometimes. Other times I estimate. Right now I'm losing between 1.5 and 2 lbs per week, so it's working (I'm ~225). I know the value of the scale, I know if I'm doing something new I will use it until I get a feel for the food item, but at the same time I do estimate a fair bit.

When I stop losing as expected, I'll get more diligent. I'm just surprised with the instant rush to "use a scale" posts.

No, the OP wasn't complaining about not losing weight. The OP was complaining about not being sure about what s/he is eating, because of all the estimating s/he is doing.

Why isn't explaining how to reduce the amount of estimating that OP views as a problem a reasonable response to that? It doesn't stop people from saying that OP doesn't need to worry so much about estimating, b/c success can be achieved with estimating.

janejellyroll

Tacklewasher wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Psychgrrl wrote: »

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

I never weigh anything. I just do my best to estimate what I actually eat. It can work if you are as honest with yourself as possible and especially if you go on the high side rather than lowballing the amounts. I cook for two. My husband usually gets a somewhat larger portion, but I still just split the total calories in two. That gives me a bit of wiggle room for errors.

With this method you're always guessing and you never truly know how much you're eating and what is actually working for you. When you get down to the last few pounds, precision is needed and you haven't set yourself up for that by high-balling and guessing. And you won't know your macros and other nutrients either. Why count calories if you're not actually going to count them accurately?

What is wrong with the user using MFP the way she wants to? Especially if she is progressing with desirable results. Even getting down to the last few lbs, while accurate calorie counting can help.. it is not needed. People use MFP in a number of ways to reach their goal. They use it and weigh everything and be as accurate as possible. Some people use it as a food diary to simply enter their food, some don't log their food at all.

Was going to post the same thing. I didn't see in the OP where they weren't losing weight, so why the fuss on weighing? I have a scale and use it sometimes. Other times I estimate. Right now I'm losing between 1.5 and 2 lbs per week, so it's working (I'm ~225). I know the value of the scale, I know if I'm doing something new I will use it until I get a feel for the food item, but at the same time I do estimate a fair bit.

When I stop losing as expected, I'll get more diligent. I'm just surprised with the instant rush to "use a scale" posts.

To be fair, OP did write a post about how it is "impossible" to tell how much food they're eating and specifically asked: "Anyone having a similar issue? What do you do to keep the 'honor code'?"

People are sharing how they do it -- for many of us, weighing allows more accurate estimation of calories in.

allenpriest

Psychgrrl wrote: »

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

I never weigh anything. I just do my best to estimate what I actually eat. It can work if you are as honest with yourself as possible and especially if you go on the high side rather than lowballing the amounts. I cook for two. My husband usually gets a somewhat larger portion, but I still just split the total calories in two. That gives me a bit of wiggle room for errors.

With this method you're always guessing and you never truly know how much you're eating and what is actually working for you. When you get down to the last few pounds, precision is needed and you haven't set yourself up for that by high-balling and guessing. And you won't know your macros and other nutrients either. Why count calories if you're not actually going to count them accurately?

Well, when I started with over 200 pounds to lose, just logging something at all and getting the start of control was a big step. If I had been dragging out a scale - I simply wouldn't. I lost 140 pounds without weighing anything and without doing crazy low calorie fad stupidity.

Now that I've reached this point I have to be more precise. So I'm starting to weigh.

But I'm sure glad I didn't read nasty belittling posts like some of the self appointed scale police have posted here, then as I probably would have just given up.

Not everyone is trying to lose that last pound.

janejellyroll

allenpriest wrote: »

Psychgrrl wrote: »

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

I never weigh anything. I just do my best to estimate what I actually eat. It can work if you are as honest with yourself as possible and especially if you go on the high side rather than lowballing the amounts. I cook for two. My husband usually gets a somewhat larger portion, but I still just split the total calories in two. That gives me a bit of wiggle room for errors.

With this method you're always guessing and you never truly know how much you're eating and what is actually working for you. When you get down to the last few pounds, precision is needed and you haven't set yourself up for that by high-balling and guessing. And you won't know your macros and other nutrients either. Why count calories if you're not actually going to count them accurately?

Well, when I started with over 200 pounds to lose, just logging something at all and getting the start of control was a big step. If I had been dragging out a scale - I simply wouldn't. I lost 140 pounds without weighing anything and without doing crazy low calorie fad stupidity.

Now that I've reached this point I have to be more precise. So I'm starting to weigh.

But I'm sure glad I didn't read nasty belittling posts like some of the self appointed scale police have posted here, then as I probably would have just given up.

Not everyone is trying to lose that last pound.

Nasty and belittling?

Alatariel75

allenpriest wrote: »

Psychgrrl wrote: »

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

I never weigh anything. I just do my best to estimate what I actually eat. It can work if you are as honest with yourself as possible and especially if you go on the high side rather than lowballing the amounts. I cook for two. My husband usually gets a somewhat larger portion, but I still just split the total calories in two. That gives me a bit of wiggle room for errors.

With this method you're always guessing and you never truly know how much you're eating and what is actually working for you. When you get down to the last few pounds, precision is needed and you haven't set yourself up for that by high-balling and guessing. And you won't know your macros and other nutrients either. Why count calories if you're not actually going to count them accurately?

Well, when I started with over 200 pounds to lose, just logging something at all and getting the start of control was a big step. If I had been dragging out a scale - I simply wouldn't. I lost 140 pounds without weighing anything and without doing crazy low calorie fad stupidity.

Now that I've reached this point I have to be more precise. So I'm starting to weigh.

But I'm sure glad I didn't read nasty belittling posts like some of the self appointed scale police have posted here, then as I probably would have just given up.

Not everyone is trying to lose that last pound.

Please point to one nasty or belittling post.

clicketykeys

Alatariel75 wrote: »

clicketykeys wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

Alatariel75 wrote: »

Yup, weigh anything that isn't liquid.

I always find it bizarre (and kind of hysterical) that people imply that weighing everything will take hours and is some big imposition. It adds literally seconds.

What makes you think that it takes hours for something to become an imposition. The imposition is that it interrupts the flow of food preparation.

No more than using a measuring cup does.

So when I'm making a sandwich or salad, or anything else for which I wouldn't use measuring cups, it adds 5-30 seconds per ingredient. That adds up.

Not if you stick the plate you're making the sandwich on on the scale, and build it with the tare function, or stick the things you're putting on the scale and tare it and note the negative weight... seconds. Literally seconds, in total.

I guess I should have chosen a different scale. Small bowls will work. And saucers. But if I put a plate on the scale, I can't see the readout. Even a small one, not a full dinner-size plate.

OTOH, since I started separating eggs - a LOT of them - weighing and logging every little item seems less tedious than it used to for some reason

tryclyn

clicketykeys wrote: »

Alatariel75 wrote: »

clicketykeys wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

Alatariel75 wrote: »

Yup, weigh anything that isn't liquid.

I always find it bizarre (and kind of hysterical) that people imply that weighing everything will take hours and is some big imposition. It adds literally seconds.

What makes you think that it takes hours for something to become an imposition. The imposition is that it interrupts the flow of food preparation.

No more than using a measuring cup does.

So when I'm making a sandwich or salad, or anything else for which I wouldn't use measuring cups, it adds 5-30 seconds per ingredient. That adds up.

Not if you stick the plate you're making the sandwich on on the scale, and build it with the tare function, or stick the things you're putting on the scale and tare it and note the negative weight... seconds. Literally seconds, in total.

I guess I should have chosen a different scale. Small bowls will work. And saucers. But if I put a plate on the scale, I can't see the readout. Even a small one, not a full dinner-size plate.

OTOH, since I started separating eggs - a LOT of them - weighing and logging every little item seems less tedious than it used to for some reason

I'd put the plate on top of the bowl if the scale can handle it.

RAinWA

tryclyn wrote: »

clicketykeys wrote: »

Alatariel75 wrote: »

clicketykeys wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

Alatariel75 wrote: »

Yup, weigh anything that isn't liquid.

I always find it bizarre (and kind of hysterical) that people imply that weighing everything will take hours and is some big imposition. It adds literally seconds.

What makes you think that it takes hours for something to become an imposition. The imposition is that it interrupts the flow of food preparation.

No more than using a measuring cup does.

So when I'm making a sandwich or salad, or anything else for which I wouldn't use measuring cups, it adds 5-30 seconds per ingredient. That adds up.

Not if you stick the plate you're making the sandwich on on the scale, and build it with the tare function, or stick the things you're putting on the scale and tare it and note the negative weight... seconds. Literally seconds, in total.

I guess I should have chosen a different scale. Small bowls will work. And saucers. But if I put a plate on the scale, I can't see the readout. Even a small one, not a full dinner-size plate.

OTOH, since I started separating eggs - a LOT of them - weighing and logging every little item seems less tedious than it used to for some reason

I'd put the plate on top of the bowl if the scale can handle it.

I do something similar but use a small can that almonds came in and put the plate or bowl on top of that.

Alatariel75

RAinWA wrote: »

tryclyn wrote: »

clicketykeys wrote: »

Alatariel75 wrote: »

clicketykeys wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

Alatariel75 wrote: »

Yup, weigh anything that isn't liquid.

I always find it bizarre (and kind of hysterical) that people imply that weighing everything will take hours and is some big imposition. It adds literally seconds.

What makes you think that it takes hours for something to become an imposition. The imposition is that it interrupts the flow of food preparation.

No more than using a measuring cup does.

So when I'm making a sandwich or salad, or anything else for which I wouldn't use measuring cups, it adds 5-30 seconds per ingredient. That adds up.

Not if you stick the plate you're making the sandwich on on the scale, and build it with the tare function, or stick the things you're putting on the scale and tare it and note the negative weight... seconds. Literally seconds, in total.

I guess I should have chosen a different scale. Small bowls will work. And saucers. But if I put a plate on the scale, I can't see the readout. Even a small one, not a full dinner-size plate.

OTOH, since I started separating eggs - a LOT of them - weighing and logging every little item seems less tedious than it used to for some reason

I'd put the plate on top of the bowl if the scale can handle it.

I do something similar but use a small can that almonds came in and put the plate or bowl on top of that.

Yup, I did that when I had a scale with that problem. Just raise the plate up.

MegaMooseEsq

clicketykeys wrote: »

Alatariel75 wrote: »

clicketykeys wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

Alatariel75 wrote: »

Yup, weigh anything that isn't liquid.

I always find it bizarre (and kind of hysterical) that people imply that weighing everything will take hours and is some big imposition. It adds literally seconds.

What makes you think that it takes hours for something to become an imposition. The imposition is that it interrupts the flow of food preparation.

No more than using a measuring cup does.

So when I'm making a sandwich or salad, or anything else for which I wouldn't use measuring cups, it adds 5-30 seconds per ingredient. That adds up.

Not if you stick the plate you're making the sandwich on on the scale, and build it with the tare function, or stick the things you're putting on the scale and tare it and note the negative weight... seconds. Literally seconds, in total.

I guess I should have chosen a different scale. Small bowls will work. And saucers. But if I put a plate on the scale, I can't see the readout. Even a small one, not a full dinner-size plate.

OTOH, since I started separating eggs - a LOT of them - weighing and logging every little item seems less tedious than it used to for some reason

I got a pretty small scale not knowing better, but I like that I can tuck it away in a drawer when I'm done. I do a lot of "negative weighing" instead of the plate & tare strategy described above - I put the full package/jar/WE on the scale, tare, take out what I'm using, then weigh again. The negative number is the amount I'm eating. This can lead to our estimates with stuff like mayo and peanut butter that tends to leave some residue on the spoon, but I figure it all comes out in the wash. The next scale I get I'd like about the same size, but you can get ones where the display pulls out to deal with the larger plate problem.