I’m thinking I should get a food scale

vallary14
vallary14 Posts: 215 Member
So I’ve been doing well since starting (just joined less than two months ago) I have a minimal weight loss goal and have lost 6 lbs. I’m guessing at amounts of things though like an avocado for instance may not be a medium at all. Has anyone noticed a big difference after starting to use one?
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Replies

  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    edited April 2018
    100% get it. Make sure its one that measures in grams thats really all you need nothing fancy can grab a digital one for under 20$ and it helps 1000000000000000%
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    kami3006 wrote: »
    It is the single greatest contributor to my loss and maintenance!

    probably not the greatest give your determination some credit ;D Kidding i know what you mean and i agree, It simply makes everything so easy and you actually know your on track and eating what you think. I was way undereating on some things and WAY overeating others. Peanutbutter is so sad. And avocado is high calorie and very easy to underestimate
  • basilandbalm
    basilandbalm Posts: 15 Member
    Omg this. I used PB as an easy snack for the longest time and it was eye opening to see what 32 g ACTUALLY looked like
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    Makes a huge difference. Too inexpensive not to have one, IMO.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    kami3006 wrote: »
    It is the single greatest contributor to my loss and maintenance!

    probably not the greatest give your determination some credit ;D Kidding i know what you mean and i agree, It simply makes everything so easy and you actually know your on track and eating what you think. I was way undereating on some things and WAY overeating others. Peanutbutter is so sad. And avocado is high calorie and very easy to underestimate

    I suppose I should give myself some credit too :p

    And, yes, it does make everything easier, if not a little sad (I'm looking at you peanut butter :/).

    I always say getting a scale was liberating.

  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Yes, I frequently consume packaged inexpensive granola bars promising 10 g protein for the bar. The Nutrition Facts claims that the product will be 40 grams, but I've always found it to be at least 41, once 48, and usually 42 grams. When you are close to your goal, those weight discrepancies of packaged food compound to the allowed 20% inaccuracy for the nutrients in the food itself to make those last few pounds both frustrating and interminable. Using a scale isn't going to solve all your problems, but it will help with some of them.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    It really is a must have. In addition to more accurate logging it has helped train my brain for situations where I don't have the option to weigh my food.

    I would advise putting the scale somewhere prominent initially until you get into the habit of using it. I don't snack but my wife does and she spends time on the weekends pre-measuring snack portions so there is less hassle during the week.
  • adarbyem
    adarbyem Posts: 83 Member
    A food scale will be one of the best investments you can make for your journey. Buy one!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    it will make a huge difference. and you get good at it so it won't take much more time
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    Really makes a difference in recipes. If you weigh a cup of something and enter it by grams and then look it up by the cup, there can be some pretty wide discrepancies. Packed/unpacked/sifted or whatever. I eat a lot of fruit and with some fruit the sizes vary widely enough that I could be way off if I didn't weigh them. Real eye opener for a serving of cereal.
  • strongwouldbenice
    strongwouldbenice Posts: 153 Member
    I love my scales, I found that I was a real over-estimater when it came to things I eat daily, like fruit, bread, spreads, and I actually get to eat a little more than I thought!
  • DaintyWhisper
    DaintyWhisper Posts: 221 Member
    Getting a scale is a huge eye opener! At least, it was for me anyway. You'll think "No wonder I wasn't losing anything.." It will definitely help you become more aware of how much you're eating and hopefully lead to a bigger loss. You have to ask yourself how is medium measured? What I think medium is and what you think medium is could be entirely different. Weighing is absolute. 5 oz is always 5 oz. You don't need to second guess. Weighing works best. : )
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    It will be money well spent :smile:
  • endermako
    endermako Posts: 785 Member
    love weighing! I get more bang for my buck now that I weigh my meals. Some of my portions were too small and I was undereating.
  • vallary14
    vallary14 Posts: 215 Member
    Thanks everyone! Looks like I can order one for around $10. it will be interesting to see what I’ve actually been eating!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    vallary14 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone! Looks like I can order one for around $10. it will be interesting to see what I’ve actually been eating!

    I hope you'll check back and let us know how it goes, whether good or bad :drinker:
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  • DragonHasTheSapphire
    DragonHasTheSapphire Posts: 184 Member
    vallary14 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone! Looks like I can order one for around $10. it will be interesting to see what I’ve actually been eating!

    I hope you'll check back and let us know how it goes, whether good or bad :drinker:

    I'm sure it'll be good :). When I lost 50 lbs I didn't calorie count or weigh my food, but now that I am I've noticed a huge difference in portion sizes. I was totally underestimating them!
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    For me a food scale is the difference between literally not losing weight and losing weight.
  • Phoenix_312
    Phoenix_312 Posts: 7 Member
    It's great except it threw me off when it had the ml option (besides grams). It works for liquid but when measuring my serving size of ice cream at 125ml I measured it using the scale and it turned out to be 1 cup instead of 1/2 cup. So for ice cream definitely use a measuring cup. Lol.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    It's great except it threw me off when it had the ml option (besides grams). It works for liquid but when measuring my serving size of ice cream at 125ml I measured it using the scale and it turned out to be 1 cup instead of 1/2 cup. So for ice cream definitely use a measuring cup. Lol.

    Why don't you just measure the icecream in grams??? It wasn't an option on the back?
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    It's great except it threw me off when it had the ml option (besides grams). It works for liquid but when measuring my serving size of ice cream at 125ml I measured it using the scale and it turned out to be 1 cup instead of 1/2 cup. So for ice cream definitely use a measuring cup. Lol.

    Why don't you just measure the icecream in grams??? It wasn't an option on the back?

    I’ve seen several posters complain about that over the years. Some containers in some countries do only have mls. Canada is one that comes to mind. Though it may not be every brand.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    kami3006 wrote: »
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    It's great except it threw me off when it had the ml option (besides grams). It works for liquid but when measuring my serving size of ice cream at 125ml I measured it using the scale and it turned out to be 1 cup instead of 1/2 cup. So for ice cream definitely use a measuring cup. Lol.

    Why don't you just measure the icecream in grams??? It wasn't an option on the back?

    I’ve seen several posters complain about that over the years. Some containers in some countries do only have mls. Canada is one that comes to mind. Though it may not be every brand.

    Yeah I've seen a couple too.
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  • dangerousdashie
    dangerousdashie Posts: 119 Member
    Yes. Last year I tracked without a food scale for a month and I gained weight. This year I have one and I’ve lost weight after two weeks.
  • juliamfu161
    juliamfu161 Posts: 41 Member
    I got a small cheap one for like $10, it was the best purchase I've ever made in my kitchen. Not only is it good for portion control, it also helps with making recipes too. I don't have to worry about the metric system anymore! I can measure in grams!
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,027 Member
    kami3006 wrote: »
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    It's great except it threw me off when it had the ml option (besides grams). It works for liquid but when measuring my serving size of ice cream at 125ml I measured it using the scale and it turned out to be 1 cup instead of 1/2 cup. So for ice cream definitely use a measuring cup. Lol.

    Why don't you just measure the icecream in grams??? It wasn't an option on the back?

    I’ve seen several posters complain about that over the years. Some containers in some countries do only have mls. Canada is one that comes to mind. Though it may not be every brand.

    I think the only thing I've seen that's a semi-solid and still has grams is yogurt. IIRC all ice cream only has mls and cups, milk too. I just convert it to oz and hope for the best. 4.2oz is supposed to equal 1/2c so that's what I measure my ice cream and milk to.