Is weighing food really necessary?
Options
Replies
-
I don't believe it's necessary for everyone. But it's a learning tool. It's taught me what serving sizes should look like - where measuring cups/spoons never did. So when I'm somewhere that I don't have a scale, I can eyeball more accurately. When I started to loose I didn't want to mess around and I didn't want to add time to my weight loss, so I wanted to be as accurate as I could be.
I'm in maintainance now after losing 20lbs. I still use my scale to check myself. Usually I'm right on, but sometimes if I'm not paying attention I'm majorly off.1 -
At-home food scales are a relatively recent invention, but people somehow managed to lose weight before they were a thing. I like mine; I think it makes things easier and I really hate washing measuring cups/spoons all the time, but a food scale is in no way "necessary."1
-
At-home food scales are a relatively recent invention, but people somehow managed to lose weight before they were a thing. I like mine; I think it makes things easier and I really hate washing measuring cups/spoons all the time, but a food scale is in no way "necessary."
No way...my grandma had one when I was a little kid...it wasn't digital, but it was a scale...she used it mostly for baking where more precision is required than regular cooking.1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »At-home food scales are a relatively recent invention, but people somehow managed to lose weight before they were a thing. I like mine; I think it makes things easier and I really hate washing measuring cups/spoons all the time, but a food scale is in no way "necessary."
No way...my grandma had one when I was a little kid...it wasn't digital, but it was a scale...she used it mostly for baking where more precision is required than regular cooking.
When compared against the thousands of years of human history, they're recent. People gained and lost way before they were introduced, so it's definitely possible to lose weight without one.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »At-home food scales are a relatively recent invention, but people somehow managed to lose weight before they were a thing. I like mine; I think it makes things easier and I really hate washing measuring cups/spoons all the time, but a food scale is in no way "necessary."
No way...my grandma had one when I was a little kid...it wasn't digital, but it was a scale...she used it mostly for baking where more precision is required than regular cooking.
When compared against the thousands of years of human history, they're recent. People gained and lost way before they were introduced, so it's definitely possible to lose weight without one.
But did anyone actually care if they gained or lost weight way back when?0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »At-home food scales are a relatively recent invention, but people somehow managed to lose weight before they were a thing. I like mine; I think it makes things easier and I really hate washing measuring cups/spoons all the time, but a food scale is in no way "necessary."
No way...my grandma had one when I was a little kid...it wasn't digital, but it was a scale...she used it mostly for baking where more precision is required than regular cooking.
When compared against the thousands of years of human history, they're recent. People gained and lost way before they were introduced, so it's definitely possible to lose weight without one.
But did anyone actually care if they gained or lost weight way back when?
I would imagine shame for how you look is as old as we've made it to be when we first started shaming each other on pointless view points of perfection1 -
Before the mid-nineteenth century, I can't answer. But the Victorian period gave us the corset. Not sure if kitchen scales were used extensively at the time (for trade, sure. For everyday use in the home? I dunno). But thin was definitely "in" then.0
-
Here is the general guideline for what to set your calories goals to. You have 26 lb loss as your goal:
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
That said, since you're set to 1,200 cals and not weighing your food, you're probably eating more than 1,200 without realizing it, evening out to the deficit you should be at, which is probably around 1,300-1,500 to lose 1 lb/week.0 -
I think that person's point was whether or not people care about losing weight, people have been losing weight since the beginning of time. So do animals. Calories in vs Calories out is just science - whether measured or not, some people have to focus on super strictly and weigh their mustard and some people cut out soda and lose 20 lbs.0
-
estherdragonbat wrote: »Before the mid-nineteenth century, I can't answer. But the Victorian period gave us the corset. Not sure if kitchen scales were used extensively at the time (for trade, sure. For everyday use in the home? I dunno). But thin was definitely "in" then.
The idea of counting calories didn't exist in the Victorian era. There were "reducing diets" but the science behind them was pretty wonky.
If you read Victorian era recipes, they often have vague measurements such as "piece of butter the size of a hen's egg." The idea of standardized measurements in cook books didn't really catch on until about the turn of the century, and the whole modernize your kitchen movement dates to the 1940s. My mom (who is 80) can remember her grandmother cooking on an iron stove out in the country, because it was how she had learned and she wasn't comfortable with a gas stove.
However, home scales were pretty common from the 1950's forward - I think seventy years is a long time!2 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »At-home food scales are a relatively recent invention, but people somehow managed to lose weight before they were a thing. I like mine; I think it makes things easier and I really hate washing measuring cups/spoons all the time, but a food scale is in no way "necessary."
No way...my grandma had one when I was a little kid...it wasn't digital, but it was a scale...she used it mostly for baking where more precision is required than regular cooking.
When compared against the thousands of years of human history, they're recent. People gained and lost way before they were introduced, so it's definitely possible to lose weight without one.
But did anyone actually care if they gained or lost weight way back when?
We've had "ideal beauty standards" and views on more desirable/less desirable body shapes just this side of forever. The standards change constantly, but to think that nobody cared before the last 100 years or so is ridiculous.
My point still stands: weight loss is possible without a food scale, and therefore a food scale is not a necessary piece of equipment for weight loss to happen.0 -
Package says 40g but also 1/2 cup dry. This is both measured out.
40gm 150 calories
1/2 cup 51gms 191.25 calories
If you want to lose weight and/or get healthier, then no. Not necessary. However if you're counting calories or rely on any significant degree of accuracy, then absolutely because of the post above.0 -
estherdragonbat wrote: »Before the mid-nineteenth century, I can't answer. But the Victorian period gave us the corset. Not sure if kitchen scales were used extensively at the time (for trade, sure. For everyday use in the home? I dunno). But thin was definitely "in" then.
Unless you were a guy...being very fat was a status symbol0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »At-home food scales are a relatively recent invention, but people somehow managed to lose weight before they were a thing. I like mine; I think it makes things easier and I really hate washing measuring cups/spoons all the time, but a food scale is in no way "necessary."
No way...my grandma had one when I was a little kid...it wasn't digital, but it was a scale...she used it mostly for baking where more precision is required than regular cooking.
When compared against the thousands of years of human history, they're recent. People gained and lost way before they were introduced, so it's definitely possible to lose weight without one.
I wasn't disagreeing with you on that point...hell, I haven't logged in years, though I do still weigh some things out...my point was simply that they've been around quite awhile...I wasn't really comparing them relative to all of time. When someone says something is relatively recent I tend to think the last 10-15 years...maybe 20 tops.0 -
rheddmobile wrote: »estherdragonbat wrote: »Before the mid-nineteenth century, I can't answer. But the Victorian period gave us the corset. Not sure if kitchen scales were used extensively at the time (for trade, sure. For everyday use in the home? I dunno). But thin was definitely "in" then.
The idea of counting calories didn't exist in the Victorian era. There were "reducing diets" but the science behind them was pretty wonky.
If you read Victorian era recipes, they often have vague measurements such as "piece of butter the size of a hen's egg." The idea of standardized measurements in cook books didn't really catch on until about the turn of the century, and the whole modernize your kitchen movement dates to the 1940s. My mom (who is 80) can remember her grandmother cooking on an iron stove out in the country, because it was how she had learned and she wasn't comfortable with a gas stove.
However, home scales were pretty common from the 1950's forward - I think seventy years is a long time!
Yeah, I was just answering @glassyo's question about whether anyone cared about weight loss or gain until recently. The first time I'm aware of thin being an ideal was in the Victorian period, but I'm no historian and it wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that it goes back earlier.
But as for what the conventional wisdom was on how to lose weight, that's something I'd have to do a bit of research on.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »At-home food scales are a relatively recent invention, but people somehow managed to lose weight before they were a thing. I like mine; I think it makes things easier and I really hate washing measuring cups/spoons all the time, but a food scale is in no way "necessary."
No way...my grandma had one when I was a little kid...it wasn't digital, but it was a scale...she used it mostly for baking where more precision is required than regular cooking.
When compared against the thousands of years of human history, they're recent. People gained and lost way before they were introduced, so it's definitely possible to lose weight without one.
But did anyone actually care if they gained or lost weight way back when?
We've had "ideal beauty standards" and views on more desirable/less desirable body shapes just this side of forever. The standards change constantly, but to think that nobody cared before the last 100 years or so is ridiculous.
My point still stands: weight loss is possible without a food scale, and therefore a food scale is not a necessary piece of equipment for weight loss to happen.
In Sparta, you could be exiled if you were overweight. So yeah, weight has been an issue for people for pretty much just this side of forever, as stated.0 -
karialiwest wrote: »Has anyone lost weight without constantly weighing and measuring food? I started logging a month ago but my food diary is most likely wildly inaccurate. Obviously I'm eating less than I used to because I'm still losing weight but is it sustainable without weighing everything? I've read through a couple of discussions and I'm starting to feel like if I don't measure all my food I'm doomed for all eternity.
I'm 5'4 and 166 at the moment looking to get to 140. MFP has set me at 1200 to lose 2lbs a week but I eat a little more or less depending on how I feel that day.
You might be fine depending on what you are eating and your skill at eyeballing quantities. If you are losing weight as you are going now, then it's fine for the time being. If not, I would suggest weighing your food before, for instance, coming back on here and adding to the "I only eat 1200 calories a day-why am I not losing weight" giant pile of threads.
At 166 lbs, 1200 net calories probably corresponds to less than 2 lb/wk (the actual estimated loss would have been in red bold on the screen when it set the goal - 1200 is the bare minimum floor number MFP will give). Whatever estimated loss that corresponds to may or may not be realistic/healthy - if you don't have much to lose, you probably don't want to aim for more that 0.5 lb/wk..you will be hungry and losing more muscle than is preferable.0 -
Here's a fun article on women's ideal shape in the 1600's 1700's and during the 19th/20th century:
http://www.revelist.com/body-positive/ideal-body-type-1600s-now/10378
eta: Great Britain and USA1 -
I have been doing this healthier lifestyle thing for just over a year now. I have lost 75lbs and don't own a food scale. In the beginning (first couple months) I did measure out a cup of Greek yogurt or a tablespoon of olive oil or hummus. But other than that I did not weigh/measure anything I pretty much eyeballed it. I also did not eat back all, if any of my exercise calories and always left a couple hundred calories on the table just because I was not weighing/measuring and wanted to make sure that I was leaving room for error. I know a lot of people weigh/measure everything that goes into their mouths and are very successful as well. It's a matter of personal preference for most and for me personally, I knew if I had to do that I would not stick to it because it would feel like a chore to me. However, if I was struggling to lose the weight, I would probably would have started weighing to get a better handle on what a portion size looks like. Good luck!0
-
My Rudolph's Bavarian sandwich bread has 110 cals per slice of 40g. Most of the slices are 60-64g which means each one is actually 187 cals. That's 150 calorie difference just in just 2 slices of the sandwich bread, never mind what else I put in it. that's a pretty big margin of error if your deficit is 500/day. Rest assured by not weighing you'll be proud OP of an "I'm not losing on 1200 calories" post in the near future.1
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 390 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 922 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions