Who has lost a lot of weight without using a food scale?

nooshi713
nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
edited November 26 in Food and Nutrition
First off, I am a big fan of the food scale. I have always measured my food using measuring cups but learned how much more accurate a food scale is. The reason I ask the original question is my mom. She thinks a food scale is too cumbersome and claims that people have been losing weight for a long time without using a food scale and that it isnt necessary. She has a lot of weight to lose. For those who have lost a good amount of weight without a food scale, how did you do it?
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Replies

  • ap1972
    ap1972 Posts: 214 Member
    I have only just started using scales, in the past I've lost 30 pounds and 10+ before I started using them this time. If you are eating processed food it's not a huge issue in my eyes, one slice of bread is likely to be similar to another for example. It does require you to be good at estimates though and if you are off then it's much easier to overeat. Generally I use exercise as well and only eat back part of my calories so that also gives me a buffer.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    If your mom doesn’t want to use a scale, she doesn’t have to. It’s a little more accurate with a scale but not essential. If she is losing weight just fine, she must be in a deficit but if her weight slows or stops, she could lower intake another 100 calories off her day. My 2 cents.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I lost my first 30 something pounds without using a food scale. It's definitely possible. I would still suggest keeping a food log and being very honest about what you're eating if you go this route. It will make it easier to cut back further when your loss starts to slow.
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
    My mother in law doesn't use a scale, and lost over 100 and has maintained for a couple years. Her secret was basically to not have much variety in her diet, and stick with what she knows is low cal. That's cool and all, and works fine for those times when I am just to low on energy/motivation/*kitten* to care for a few days. But just doesn't help me personally long term.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,396 Member
    I did but I also exercised multiple times a week and did NOT add those calories back in to my intake to make up for any discrepancies. I also chose the bigger calorie count for foods in the database rather than the smallest.
  • Fitwithsci
    Fitwithsci Posts: 69 Member
    I have. I just used a very rough estimate of portions/servings and tried to maintain a few hundred calorie deficit. That being said the more precise you are with your measurements and calorie counting the greater your likelihood for success. At least I would certainly think so.
  • mutantspicy
    mutantspicy Posts: 624 Member
    I lost my first 15 without a scale or logging my diet, just started exercising again. Stalled a little. But since I started logging and using a food scale again, I lost another 7, looking for 7 more.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    dsboohead wrote: »
    How successful has your mom been never using a food scale?

    In the past she lost weight by exercising 2 hours a day and eating "whatever she wanted". Lately she hasn't had any success. She keeps thinking that by just eating less, that she will lose weight. I suspect her *less* is still too much. She is also older now and cant exercise as much as she did in the past. In fact, she rarely exercises so I suggested she focus more on her diet and have been trying to get her to log her food, but she says it is too much work. * sigh*
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,895 Member
    edited April 2018
    I did. I started here 6 years ago at 172, and I hit my goal weight or 136lbs 1 1/2 years later (only really trying the last 9 months or so) and never touched a food scale. I have since had a 4th kid and gained it all back and working on losing it again, I have a scale now, and I use it, but I dont measure everything, thats pretty hard when I cook for 6, but I weight a lot of my food.
  • minstrelofsarcasm
    minstrelofsarcasm Posts: 2,627 Member
    Going from eating whatever she wants to weighing everything she eats while switching over to eating a caloric deficit might be a bit too much for her all at once. Have her implement little changes here and there. Suggest she eat off of smaller plates, eat slower, drink more water, etc. Pushing her towards a food scale immediately is a bit much.
  • mebelfanti
    mebelfanti Posts: 326 Member
    MonkeyMel21 wrote: »
    I did but I also exercised multiple times a week and did NOT add those calories back in to my intake to make up for any discrepancies. I also chose the bigger calorie count for foods in the database rather than the smallest.

    I've lost about 70 pounds by doing pretty much this. I try to stay under my daily limit just as a buffer and I don't log my exercise calories on here so I'm not tempted to eat everything back. It's very doable without a food scale and just measuring cups, etc.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    edited April 2018
    minstrelofsarcasm wrote: »
    Going from eating whatever she wants to weighing everything she eats while switching over to eating a caloric deficit might be a bit too much for her all at once. Have her implement little changes here and there. Suggest she eat off of smaller plates, eat slower, drink more water, etc. Pushing her towards a food scale immediately is a bit much.

    Well she has tried that but eating less doesnt help her lose weight because she is still eating too much. Then she gets frustrated with lack of weight loss and just eats everything causing her to gain. She has been in this cycle for a few years now. Thats why I thought she should start logging her food.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    nooshi713 wrote: »
    minstrelofsarcasm wrote: »
    Going from eating whatever she wants to weighing everything she eats while switching over to eating a caloric deficit might be a bit too much for her all at once. Have her implement little changes here and there. Suggest she eat off of smaller plates, eat slower, drink more water, etc. Pushing her towards a food scale immediately is a bit much.

    Well she has tried that but eating less doesnt help her lose weight because she is still eating too much. Then she gets frustrated with lack of weight loss and just eats everything causing her to gain. She has been in this cycle for a few years now. Thays why I thought she should start logging her food.

    I mean, she probably *should*, but moms are going to do what they want. We can't control their behavior. :D
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    nooshi713 wrote: »
    minstrelofsarcasm wrote: »
    Going from eating whatever she wants to weighing everything she eats while switching over to eating a caloric deficit might be a bit too much for her all at once. Have her implement little changes here and there. Suggest she eat off of smaller plates, eat slower, drink more water, etc. Pushing her towards a food scale immediately is a bit much.

    Well she has tried that but eating less doesnt help her lose weight because she is still eating too much. Then she gets frustrated with lack of weight loss and just eats everything causing her to gain. She has been in this cycle for a few years now. Thays why I thought she should start logging her food.

    I mean, she probably *should*, but moms are going to do what they want. We can't control their behavior. :D

    Exactly. Lol.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    No doubt that the food scale is a valuable tool, but by no means is it imperative to losing weight. If she's averse to using a food scale but you can get her to log her calories at all, that may be demonstrative enough of a push in the right direction to help her see the light and start losing. I didn't get my food scale until well after I'd lost weight I needed to lose, got into weightlifting and wanted better accuracy in my logging to properly shape my physique. Now I'm pretty convinced the food scale will be evidence in the inevitable murder trial when my wife finally gets tired of me insisting I weigh everything and snaps.

    When I first started with MFP in late 2011 or early 2012 I started logging what I was eating normally at the time and it was really eye-opening just how many calories were in certain staples (or that it's ok to have two oreos, but having eight at a time is how you ended up 30lbs overweight). From there it was readily apparent what/how much I needed to be eating and I've been hooked ever since.
  • Spadesheart
    Spadesheart Posts: 479 Member
    just round up the calories to the next multiple of 50 up. That's what I've been doing and i think it accounts well for any variance. Also much cleaner numbers.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    dsboohead wrote: »
    nooshi713 wrote: »
    dsboohead wrote: »
    How successful has your mom been never using a food scale?

    In the past she lost weight by exercising 2 hours a day and eating "whatever she wanted". Lately she hasn't had any success. She keeps thinking that by just eating less, that she will lose weight. I suspect her *less* is still too much. She is also older now and cant exercise as much as she did in the past. In fact, she rarely exercises so I suggested she focus more on her diet and have been trying to get her to log her food, but she says it is too much work. * sigh*

    She is not ready so drop it and you do your thing.
    Someone who truly wants success does everything possible for that success.
    You can't do it for her!

    You're right. Lately, she has been talking a lot about wanting to lose weight but I dont think she is ready to put in the effort.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    Spadesheart wrote: »
    just round up the calories to the next multiple of 50 up. That's what I've been doing and i think it accounts well for any variance. Also much cleaner numbers.

    Great idea
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I lost 10 of the 20lbs I needed to lose without a scale, but after that it was necessary or I probably still wouldn't have got to goal.
  • hippiesaur
    hippiesaur Posts: 137 Member
    I lost 14 kgs without a food scale or ever paying attention to calories. I just ate intuitively and skipped the obviously calorie dense stuff. Then I was struggling with the last few kgs for like 1 year, I couldn't lose weight anymore with this method. Last year for Christmas I got my FitBit, with the app I tracked my calorie intake as well, set a deficit and finally the scale moved again. In March I started to use MFP as well, still didn't use the food scale, but I had success with weightloss just with estimating. Now I'm at an almost ideal weight, I bought my food scale 5 days ago and use it since then. I've just realized that before I was really overestimating how much I really eat and I actually struggle to eat the proper amount now, because I was so used to undereating... So you shouldn't use a food scale to lose weight, however it makes things much easier.
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