You don't use a food scale?

quiksylver296

Bump

Readytokickass2003

How much veggies and protein to use a scale .. How do yiu know how much of anything you eat on a scale?

Lietchi

KetoGirlreadytokickass4106 wrote: »

How much veggies and protein to use a scale .. How do yiu know how much of anything you eat on a scale?

I'm not sure what you're asking precisely. Are you asking how much you should eat of a certain food? That will depend on your personal situation: what is your calorie goal, specific macros you're aiming for etc., how you want to spread your food intake throughout the day etc.

quiksylver296

KetoGirlreadytokickass4106 wrote: »

How much veggies and protein to use a scale .. How do yiu know how much of anything you eat on a scale?

I log the weighed amount in my food log here on MFP. Then I know how much more I can eat later in the day. Does that answer your question?

mtaratoot

I have started to "cheat" sometimes. Like yesterday. I had a cantaloupe. I knew how much it weighed, and I assumed half was seeds and rind. I could have weighed the halves after I seeded them, and I cold have weighed the remaining rind after I ate it to be more accurate. I've done that enough that I now know I can just assume about half.

Same thing happened with an early-season Dungeness crab I bought. I make an assumption how much crab meat there is in a crab after you clean it, crack it, and pick it clean.

quiksylver296

mtaratoot wrote: »

I have started to "cheat" sometimes. Like yesterday. I had a cantaloupe. I knew how much it weighed, and I assumed half was seeds and rind. I could have weighed the halves after I seeded them, and I cold have weighed the remaining rind after I ate it to be more accurate. I've done that enough that I now know I can just assume about half.

Same thing happened with an early-season Dungeness crab I bought. I make an assumption how much crab meat there is in a crab after you clean it, crack it, and pick it clean.

I think this is fair, once you have enough experience under your belt to make knowledgeable estimates. But early on, most people don't have enough experience to estimate accurately.

joans1976

I am super awesome at being spot on with my mayo and butter usage on bread (I still check though) but always miserably fail at eyeballing meat weights.

mtaratoot

quiksylver296 wrote: »

mtaratoot wrote: »

I have started to "cheat" sometimes. Like yesterday. I had a cantaloupe. I knew how much it weighed, and I assumed half was seeds and rind. I could have weighed the halves after I seeded them, and I cold have weighed the remaining rind after I ate it to be more accurate. I've done that enough that I now know I can just assume about half.

Same thing happened with an early-season Dungeness crab I bought. I make an assumption how much crab meat there is in a crab after you clean it, crack it, and pick it clean.

I think this is fair, once you have enough experience under your belt to make knowledgeable estimates. But early on, most people don't have enough experience to estimate accurately.

Back when I was a desk jockey, I often ate plain yogurt with either rolled oats or sunflower seeds as "breakfast" some time mid-morning. I would weigh out several days portions of yogurt and take them to the office. This was easiest when I drove my truck instead of rode my bike. I left seeds and oats in the office. Sunflower seeds are pretty calorie-dense, but I would estimate my serving because no scale at work. One day, to check my calibration, I poured the estimated "one ounce" serving into my palm and then put it on the scale. It was so close to 28 grams I even surprised myself. I always think that if you get your eyes calibrated, they can do a reasonably good job of estimating but only if you keep checking your calibration to see if it's drifting!

Handful of rolled oats was between a quarter and third cup.

I rarely weigh butter. Instead I take less than I log; gives me a cushion.

LizCountingMacros

davepollack wrote: »

quiksylver296 wrote: »

davepollack wrote: »

I utilize a food scale for everything thats solid but it brings up another question. When it comes to liquids, do you all trust a liquid measuring cup? Since most liquids do not give weight but fl oz.

I weigh liquids, personally. I know "they" say to use measuring cups for liquids, but it hasn't affected my weight loss at all and I'd rather not wash a measuring cup. So, I just put my coffee cup on the scale and weigh my creamer (or whatever). If my weight loss ever stalls, that is one thing I know I can tighten up on.

This may seem like a silly question but, if 1 tbsp (15 fl oz) is a serving of creamer, how much would it weigh? or how would you know. I know that 1 oz of water weighs 1oz of weight but other liquids have different densities. Thanks in advance.

I think it's ml. (Milliliters)

quiksylver296

Bump

quiksylver296

BumpBump

mtaratoot

Well, guess it's come to this.

I no longer use a food scale. Starting about 20 minutes or so ago. No. It's not permanent, but there ya go.

My trusty food scale showed a low battery a little while ago. The alert came and went. Once or twice it shut off. Always came back. Today I weighed some rutabaga, and then when I went to weigh the next ingredient it said "Lo" and shut off. I tried a few more times. Wouldn't stay on. I said, "Well, I guess it's time. I think it's been a couple years since I replaced the battery." It's a CR-2032, so they last quite a while.

I went and grabbed a new battery from the closet. I found a tiny screwdriver and opened the battery compartment and replaced the old battery. Sweet. Turned it on. Guess what? It still said "Lo."

Time for a new scale.

Thank you scale. You have been trusty all these years. You weren't expensive, and you did your one and only job. Thank you. Now I have to get another one. Then I'll use a food scale again. For now though?

No. I don't use a food scale.

Carriehelene

Darn it! Only thing FB gets right is their emojis 🤣, need the “love” right now 😘

BarbaraHelen2013

mtaratoot wrote: »

Well, guess it's come to this.

I no longer use a food scale. Starting about 20 minutes or so ago. No. It's not permanent, but there ya go.

My trusty food scale showed a low battery a little while ago. The alert came and went. Once or twice it shut off. Always came back. Today I weighed some rutabaga, and then when I went to weigh the next ingredient it said "Lo" and shut off. I tried a few more times. Wouldn't stay on. I said, "Well, I guess it's time. I think it's been a couple years since I replaced the battery. It's a CR-2032, so they last quite a while.

I went and grabbed a new battery from the closet. I found a tiny screwdriver and opened the battery compartment and replaced the old battery. Sweet. Turned it on. Guess what? It still said "Lo."

Time for a new scale.

Thank you scale. You have been trusty all these years. You weren't expensive, and you did your one and only job. Thank you. Now I have to get another one. Then I'll use a food scale again. For now though?

No. I don't use a food scale.

The bolded brings it home to me just how often I must use my scale! 😱

Those batteries last me an average of just 3 months! 😂

mtaratoot

Update.

I got a new scale last week. I wasn't sure whether I would keep it, so I didn't open it. Now I did. It's a step up from the old one. Nicer display. Can weigh not only in grams or ounces, but also estimates milliliters and fluid ounces. I presume that the scale just figures all liquids are one gram per cubic centimeter, so the liquid measures are probably dubious for things that are different. I'm specifically thinking about oils.

The new scale uses AAA batteries instead of lithium ion CR2032 button cells. I will know at some point how long they last. When I bought my first scale, I sort of wanted a scale powered by AAA batteries as they are more ubiquitous. I was surprised how long the button cells lasted, so I was looking for one of THOSE this time. Both times I ended up with something I wasn't looking for. The store I bought both of them is the same store. They no longer have the old model. It was a "Taylor" branded scale. The new one is a "Kitchen Aid." I think Taylor is a trusted maker of scales. Kitchen Aid is clearly a respected name in kitchen implements, so I expect the new one to last as long as the old one did.

So...

Yes. I, once again, use a food scale.

mtaratoot

And the answer is....

Less than five minutes.

I guess the el-cheapo batteries that came with the scale were already discharged in storage even though they had a plastic thing to keep them from making a connection. I tossed in some rechargeables, and will probably put more alkalines in. I'm not sure this is the best use of NiMH technology as while they have higher energy density, they have lower voltage and can discharge in storage quicker. Plus, then I'll know how long a fresh set of alkaline AAA cells last.

cmriverside

When I put AAA batteries in my cheapie food scale they last over a year- and I use mine multiple times a day and often forget to turn it off.

N=1

jeanette38340

I use measuring cups its better for me

springlering62

jeanette38340 wrote: »

I use measuring cups its better for me

Measuring cups leave so much room for error. Learning to use a scale is so easy, and once you get used to using grams to cook, you’ll grit your teeth at those sites or cookbooks that don’t provide them in recipes.

I get much more reliable and consistent results by weighing ingredients. Homemade bread is a particular example.


The classic example here of the benefits of weighing is the serving of peanut butter, which is a calorie dense food.

People used to scooping it out with a regular place setting tablespoon, or even a “calibrated” measuring spoon are usually shocked when they compare their usual serving versus an actual, weighed serving. They’re usually off by half or more.

At 180 calories per serving, if you’re on a 1970 calorie per day goal like I currently am, accidentally doubling a 180 calorie food and not logging it would totally erase any gain for the day.

DebbsSeattle

I use my scale religiously. Last night Mr. decided to treat me and cook dinner. Chicken Marsala. I walked in the kitchen to see him drop 3 tablespoons of butter in the pan and follow up with the olive oil inverted and giving the butter a pool to swim in. I asked him if he was making healthy Marsala. He said yes…he cut the fat in the recipe by half. He is recovering from open heart surgery for a 70% blockage bypass. We know how this happened now.

What gets measured, gets counted. If you are eating too much, be accountable to yourself and log it. You can look back and see trends and the why you are or are not losing weight.