Estimating calories without a food scale

pink_mint

I noticed that a food scale is considered extremely important around here. I don't have one. I may get one but until then, how successful can you be without one? And what would you say about having a sort of policy of overestimating calories on everything you eat for those without a food scale? I ask that because it seems to be the case that underestimating is usually the problem.

FYI I have 50 lbs to lose, in the small-obese range, just starting out, lowering my calories gradually.

janejellyroll

Some people are very successful without them. Others aren't. It's not a one-size-fits-all thing, some of us are just better at eyeballing portion sizes than others. Also, some of us choose more or fewer foods that are difficult to estimate -- that can be a factor too.

I am one who wasn't able to have consistent success until I began accurately measuring my food with a scale.

betsymoomoo

I lost fine when I had more weight to lose, the closer I get to goal the more strict I had to be with weighing. But I;m gonna be honest with you... if what you are doing is working, keep doing it, make changes if it stops working.

smartin1450

I’ve never used one and I lost with no problems.

nighthawk584

There is only one way to find out...log for a month and see if it is meeting your weight loss goal. A scale is my most important tool. They are a cheap investment and keep things accurate.. I've lost almost 100 lbs in less than a year.

freda666

Scales are cheap and guarantee accurate logging so to me it is nuts not to have a set but then I grew up in a part of the world where we always weight so see that as normal and measuring by volume as a little bit strange.

ladyzherra

I find a huge difference when using a scale, but I don't do it all the time. I think that when you are new, just developing a habit of logging food is establishing a useful habit, and it has its benefits even if your log isn't completely accurate. Checking in and being accountable makes a difference.

missysippy930

I think if you have a lot of weight to lose, you can be quite successful without a scale. However, the closer you get to your goal weight, the more difficult it may become. A scale is inexpensive, and worth the investment.

Unknown

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serindipte

It's partially going to depend on what kinds of foods you eat. Some are more calorific and more difficult to estimate or measure without a scale.. peanut butter is the first that comes to mind. I just avoided that one all together for the first few weeks before I got my scale.

nooshi713

My deficit is very small so a food scale is vital for me. If you have more wiggle room and are careful, you can probably succeed without one.

Danp

It's the outcome, not the process that's important. Billions of people around the world are able to maintain a healthy weight while paying no attention to what they eat. Others need to be utterly meticulous with their weighing and logging in order to get results. Everyone else falls somewhere in between.

You only need to do enough to see results. If you are successfully losing weight by eyeballing and guessing then there's no point in making things harder. If however this approach isn't working then perhaps you'll need to up the diligence and effort to start getting results again.

Lillymoo01

I lost most of my weight without a food scale or logging. I just made sure I was eating less and moving more. It was all mindfulness with eating and portion control. It was only towards the end when there is very little wriggle room that I joined here and invested in scales. For this reason, I am an advocate that if what you are doing works for you while being sustainable then keep doing it. If it isn't working, stops working, or is not sustainable for long term success then look at different tools that are available to achieve your goals.

pink_mint

ladyzherra wrote: »

I find a huge difference when using a scale, but I don't do it all the time. I think that when you are new, just developing a habit of logging food is establishing a useful habit, and it has its benefits even if your log isn't completely accurate. Checking in and being accountable makes a difference.

Yes, I'd agree. Just logging and keeping track of my intake makes a big difference in my food choices. I've decided to be honest with my tracking and there's something about logging 12 oreos with whole milk that's a little painful.

So even without the precision of a food scale tracking seems to really affect my eating behavior. I have been at it for a week and 1/2 so I'll see how things go over the next few weeks to see if what I'm doing is working for me. Down 1 and 1/2 lbs so far. Not much but going in the right direction.

Deviette

From reading the forums you'll get the impression that everyone uses a food scale 100% of the time to log everything and that without you pretty much always underestimate. That's because those are the threads that get posted, the "I'm logging, but not losing weight" one.

In reality you'll find that for some people the actual act of logging the food is enough. Others weigh most things, but not everything, and some have to weigh everything.

The reason "use scales" is touted quite so much, is because people generally suck at thinking how many calories there are in something, or even what is an appropriate portion size. Before buying scales I never bothered to weigh pasta or rice, I'd just add in about the amount that I thought was right. Then I'd add a little extra to make sure that I wasn't going to be left hungry. I always overcooked on quantity. And then I ate it. Because I didn't realise how silly this portion size was.

In a similar way, many people assume that the amount that they're using/eating is the same as the portion size on the label, and in many cases this can be wildly inaccurate. What weighing has taught me is how sucky companies can be with making their portion sizes smaller than is sensible, just so it looks like their product doesn't have that many calories (peanut butter I'm looking at you!)

Personally I use scales for some things: meat, higher calorie veg, carbohydrates, cakes and confectionery, all fats. Others I don't bother. I'm not one to weigh a pizza to check that it really is the weight it says on the packet, nor do I eat enough condiments for them to anything more than negligible.

If you find that you're losing weight fine without one, go without one. If you're finding that you're stalling, a cheap set of scales might be just the tool you need to continue. At the end of the day it's what works for the individual is the best thing.

JennJ323

I was successful without one, lost quite a bit. But I did eventually get one and it was a big eye opener and I think helped me to lose quicker, as I was being more accurate. Now it's a daily part of my life, weighing everything...

MelanieCN77

It's going to be more important when your margins are smaller.

Also, pour a guess of 100 cals of nuts into your hand, then weigh what it actually would be and see how close you are.

Chieflrg

Consistency is key. As long as you can closely replicate your servings and caloric intake & expenditures, you will be fine.

jelleigh

Maybe use measuring cups to get started? It won't be as accurate as weighing but much better than eyeballing .

amtyrell

Why do this on the difficult setting. It is hard enough as it is. A scale is simply a tool to help and costs as little as six dollars at Walmart. A fancy version might be 20 dollars . To me that is a cheap and easy investment in life improvement

lorrpb

OK to use measuring cups to start. If you don't get the weight loss results you're expecting based on the calories logged, spend $10 on a scale.

katarina005

pink_mint wrote: »

I noticed that a food scale is considered extremely important around here. I don't have one. I may get one but until then, how successful can you be without one? And what would you say about having a sort of policy of overestimating calories on everything you eat for those without a food scale? I ask that because it seems to be the case that underestimating is usually the problem.

FYI I have 50 lbs to lose, in the small-obese range, just starting out, lowering my calories gradually.

I admit sometimes Ive skipped weighing everything and just guess it based on what it seems. But know its not accurate. I would really recommend getting one. If you have a weight scale, you should have a food scale - digital for an accurate reading. I actually just bought a new one because I didnt feel confident in the cheap one I had. It DOES make a difference. You can get a good one for less than $15. I just paid 11.99 for mibe at bed bath and beyond, with my 20% coupon. It works great.

corinasue1143

I lost 60 pounds without a scale. I underestimated more foods than I overestimated. It definitely would have been a mistake for me to subtract a few calories just to be sure. I agree with “be consistent with logging, then adjust your calorie goal, if necessary, to meet your weight loss goals”.

pothosgirl

I had the same question. I just started tracking in MFP again. I do have a scale and have been using it for foods that I can easily overindulge like s’mores cereal, my fave, but when it comes to something like bell peppers on my fajita I guesstimate the amount. Weighing is not that tedious once you start. When I first got my scale I would weight everything for my salad separately and then dump it in a bowl (no wonder why o thought tracking was so hard). Now if I measure things in a salad I dump my fort ingredient press tare then the second press tare the third >tare so on and so forth using the same bowl. It’s so much quicker that way! Good luck to you, I sent you a follow request 🤗🌸

pothosgirl

Sorry about the spelling errors 👆

monkeystikx

I have never used one, but I have also cooked professionally for over 15 years. I have literally portioned thousands of pieces of fish, meat, veggies, starches etc into various portion sizes of ounces etc.

debrakgoogins

With a large amount of weight to lose, eating in any kind of a deficit will help you. If you want a true picture of how many calories the foods you are eating have, a scale is valuable. My favorite example is the "Spot the Difference" pictures you can find online. This one is a good example of how an estimated healthy meal could have much more calories than you thought. I had results before I weighed my food. I had much better results when I learned what a real portion looks like.

spiriteagle99

I used measuring cups at first, then just eyeballed. I also tend to exaggerate my portions a bit since I split meals with my husband who usually gets the larger half. It worked for me. I've been maintaining a 50 lb weight loss for 5 years. I also get a lot of exercise and that gets undercounted because I live in a hilly area so burn more calories than expected. For me, logging is what makes the difference because it makes me think twice about what I'm eating. I don't just mindlessly get the most fattening thing on the menu or eat a second cookie. YMMV