You don't use a food scale?

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  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    Post-vacay bump.
  • hippysprout
    hippysprout Posts: 1,446 Member
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    OhMsDiva wrote: »

    I will admit that I have never weighed a tortilla or a piece of bread.

    It's funny you should mention this, because when I make PB toast for breakfast, typically I place the toast on the scale, tare, and then add the PB directly to the toast until i reach my preferred grams. I did this for 2 pieces this morning and prior to the tare, I noticed a difference of 3 grams between the two slices of toast. Not to say that changed my entry in any way, I'm not about to start weighing and obsessing over each individual bread slice unless and until my deficit is so small that I have to do so in order to keep losing, but it was an interesting moment.

    Also, I do this for salads since it's been mentioned here. I don't think it takes any longer to weigh all of the ingredients in a salad. I put the bowl on the scale, tare, add an item and note it, then tare, add an item and note it, etc until I have accurate information to log. It doesn't seem especially difficult or tedious to me.
    mkculs wrote: »
    My thinking is that when the deficit is large and there is a lot of weight to lose, weighing probably isn't AS essential (unless you are one of those folks who fills every measuring utensil beyond full, every time), but it does make a difference *and* helps you with the information/data you are gathering. More importantly, as each of us gets to the end of the losing stage, those small deficits will be hard to maintain consistently without weighing. I have lots of time until I get there but find weighing food is just easier

    Well said, and I think it just builds good habits that will serve us well when we do reach that final stretch.
  • DoubleUbea
    DoubleUbea Posts: 1,115 Member
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    I weigh bread, using rye or multi-grain bread, each slice can be a different size and weight. It isn't drastic but I do it anyway.
  • Crafty_camper123
    Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
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    DoubleUbea wrote: »
    I weigh bread, using rye or multi-grain bread, each slice can be a different size and weight. It isn't drastic but I do it anyway.
    I do the same. I weigh just to check and see if it's in line with the serving size grams. If it's more then a couple grams off, I will adjust my entry though. I once had a ciabatta roll come in at 30 grams over the suggested serving size! Sliced bread is usually dead on or pretty close.

    I do have a question though. What do you all do when the barcode scanned entry gives you Milliliters instead of grams? I've found if I use milliliters the calories are WAY off. (Why a liquid measurement option is available on so many solid foods, I have no idea. ) For now, I just divide my measurement to grams per serving and go that route. But it would be nice to not have to do math all the time. But why is milliliters available so often? Am I missing something?
  • Crafty_camper123
    Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
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    ^^ This is why it took me so long to finally break down and buy a scale. I wasn't weighing a thing, and was losing weight. I think you're right it really boils down to consistency. Even measuring cups and spoons should work to a point (leveled, not heaping) as long as you are consistent. That being said, the scale has made certain foods so much easier to enter into the database. It's a life saver for measuring out whole foods like meat and veggies. I for one can't eyeball what 3oz of meat looks like, nor do I really know what a serving of sliced watermelon looks like.

    It's also surprisingly more convenient to just plop out 113(1 serving) grams of cottage cheese onto my plate. Instead of looking at it and going "Is that 1/2 a cup? A bit more? Maybe I should measure so I know what it looks like...?" Or the often mentioned peanut butter. Stick the thing on the scale, tare and scoop out your serving. Way easier then guessing or using a tablespoon to make sure you got 1 serving.

    Admittedly, I don't weigh everything. I either forget to tare and plop it on my plate, or it's packaged food and I'm at work. Or I'm cooking for a crowd and can't be bothered with it, lol. If I stall out, I know where my pitfalls are, and right now it's not lack of weighing. It's "Crap I forgot to plan dinner. Let's grab something." And over-eating in general. lol. BUT I still think it's really important for people to do. Especially if they aren't very good at eyeballing portion and serving sizes. Or for things you really can't eyeball very well. Our eyes are untrustworthy little buggers anyways...
  • Jams29
    Jams29 Posts: 108 Member
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    Getting a food scale is definitely on the to-do list! Thanks!
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member
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    try2again wrote: »
    moogie_fit wrote: »
    Eating one tablespoon (3tablespoons) of peanut butter a day even though tracked as only one, still got the same results. Why? Because my body adapted.

    The problem comes when your always trying to fit new and different foods into your diet.

    What? :/

    My thoughts exactly!
  • elsie6hickman
    elsie6hickman Posts: 3,864 Member
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    I bought a very good electronic scale (Taylor) and I weight most of the things we eat. I also really watch the portion sizes on packages. The other night, I defrosted some fish and checked out the portion size on the package. There were 3 servings in the package, but the nutritional information said that the portion size was 3 ounces. There were two filets in the package, so the reasonable person would assume that each filet was a portion! Not so. I made hamburgers for lunch today (all the fixings) and was able to correctly measure 3oz. of beef (extra lean). And I use my measuring cups for everything else. One other thing - I find using luncheon plates, which are smaller than dinner plates, helpful for the "filling the plate" and tricking the eye and mind.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    try2again wrote: »
    moogie_fit wrote: »
    Eating one tablespoon (3tablespoons) of peanut butter a day even though tracked as only one, still got the same results. Why? Because my body adapted.

    The problem comes when your always trying to fit new and different foods into your diet.

    What? :/

    I believe their thought was "I was eating 3 tablespoons of PB while eyeballing, and I still lost weight. Therefore, it didn't matter."

    But because they were eyeballing everything, it evened out over the long term.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    try2again wrote: »
    moogie_fit wrote: »
    Eating one tablespoon (3tablespoons) of peanut butter a day even though tracked as only one, still got the same results. Why? Because my body adapted.

    The problem comes when your always trying to fit new and different foods into your diet.

    What? :/

    I believe their thought was "I was eating 3 tablespoons of PB while eyeballing, and I still lost weight. Therefore, it didn't matter."

    But because they were eyeballing everything, it evened out over the long term.

    That was the best I could figure, too, but the "my body adapted" part didn't make any sense.
  • moogie_fit
    moogie_fit Posts: 279 Member
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    try2again wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Debmal77 wrote: »
    try2again wrote: »
    moogie_fit wrote: »
    Eating one tablespoon (3tablespoons) of peanut butter a day even though tracked as only one, still got the same results. Why? Because my body adapted.

    The problem comes when your always trying to fit new and different foods into your diet.

    What? :/

    My thoughts exactly!

    Seriously - it's rampant today! Are we sure it isn't Friday?

    If this is true, I'm converting my entire diet to ice cream and peanut butter. New and different foods be kittened!

    I'm going to start counting 3TB of pb as 1 TB... wonder how long it will take my body to adapt? ;)

    My point was that so long as I always counted 3 tbsp as 1 tbsp and was always 200 calories over my goal, I was still in a deficit
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    Monday morning bump.
  • jsalazar8714
    jsalazar8714 Posts: 9 Member
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    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    We have many new members who have been around for about three weeks now. And there are lots of posts saying "I've been doing this for three weeks and haven't lost any weight!" Many responses to those threads tell the member to use a food scale. This video illustrates why a food scale is such a powerful tool for most people's weight loss. (Although I wish it used peanut butter instead of oatmeal. ;) )

    https://youtu.be/XpHykP6e_Uk

    If anyone has any other infographics or videos that are pro-food scale, add 'em!
    Tonight will be my first time weighing my food got a food scale reccommended by America’s test kitchen for accuracy, but I’m nervous I don’t want to get stressed out and quit I want the results and to give it my all the macro thing seems so difficult though I gave in and ordered some protein powder because apparently I have to eat a whole rhinocerous to meet my protein goal I’m doing 35 30 35 carbs fat protein

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