Question for those who weigh their food and live with other people

Mazintrov13
Mazintrov13 Posts: 134 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Do the people you live find it strange or make comments? If so what do you say?
Asking because I am moving out as I’m separating from my partner and will be living with a flat mate and kind of nervous to be weighing food around her because of comments? I normally don’t mention I weigh my food to anyone as it’s not usually necessary, but my ex commented on it all the time and though it was weird. I prefer to weigh everything as opposed to eating intuitively as I like to be accurate with my macros and mainly to make sure I’m getting enough calories as I weight train 5 days and have an active job while trying to build muscle! I also meal prep and I find it convenient to just weigh everything
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Replies

  • LazyBlondeChef
    LazyBlondeChef Posts: 2,809 Member
    I live with my partner and he doesn't find it strange. He uses the scale himself some of the time for things like meat, cheese, nuts and other higher calorie items.

    I weigh nearly everything with the exception of non-starchy vegetables that are only 20 calories for a cup. Those I just eyeball. I'm not one to care what other people think so I would carry on with the weighing even if I had guests in my house.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,121 Member
    My other half has never really commented on it, my former flatmate didn't either.

    As it's a flat mate rather than anyone significantly close to you, I don't think there is any need to explain yourself. I am sure there'll be some things you might also find they do that you think is weird, but unless it affects you personally you probably wouldn't say anything to them right?!
  • jasdebi2012
    jasdebi2012 Posts: 15 Member
    edited January 2021
    just show them the muscles and tell them "you can't have these without weighting" or "going intuitive" (even if that's a word). If intuitive eating was not a made-up a thing, then people wouldn't be having deficiencies. Intuitive eating relies to someone not undereating or overeating in average, but not everyone is able to do it. I don't think that anybody can do it.
    So yes, don't be listening to those comments or don't let them get to you. If they are bashing you for the way you eat or what/how you feel comfortable eating, then they have the problem. The only problem would be if it affects your everyday social life in a bad way (e.g. you never go out because you can't weight the restaurant food). Going out once or twice every now and then, and eating "intuitively" those days, won't destroy your muscles.
    Another thing which might be problematic is if you weight everything very precisely. First of all you can't be sure that all pieces of the same meat for example will have the quoted proteins or fats, neither you can rely on the gram-precision of the scale. So yes, even scaling works well "on average". E.g. if your salmon is 100g doesn't necesatily mean that you'll be taking 20g of protein from it (you might be getting 18g or 22g just from fluctuations from the cut and the fat/water content)...
  • scarlett_k
    scarlett_k Posts: 812 Member
    My husband doesn't find it strange. I think *I* found it strange to begin with but now it's just normal for me. It's the way I can control my food intake in a healthy way and it's helped me stop associating food with guilt.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    my husband never says anything. he knows why I do it.

    my daughter (who was in high school) never said anything

    my son never says anything

    even my EX never said anything (I was with him when I lost the majority of my weight years ago)

    honestly, unless your new roommate is a total ..... I doubt they would say anything, other than initially asking you what you're doing or why. Women especially, tend to get it or at least shrug it off as a weight loss thing (and who among us hasn't tried some weird stuff, though this is certainly not strange compared to many other things) lol

    its also effective... so there's that LOL
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    My family never says anything about it. Seeing as how I used a food scale before I started losing weight for cooking and baking accuracy, it doesn't look or seem strange.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,954 Member
    My daughter laughs when I weigh ice cream. But it's because I don't weigh it in a bowl. I buy pints, then I weigh it before eating and get the total weight. Then I'll eat a little and reweigh. I'll keep doing this until I've eaten one serving then recap the pint and put it away.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    L1zardQueen wrote: »
    My husband used to make fun of me, too, until I gave him a demonstration of weighing oatmeal and the calorie difference between a measuring cup and the scale. He uses it now for everything. He’s a convert. Don’t let people get to you. Just do it.

    This was my experience. When I began weighing food, my husband was initially worried that I was going too far. I showed him the difference between "2 tablespoons" (supposedly 32 grams) of peanut butter and an actual 32 grams of peanut butter. He immediately understood why I'd want to use a scale for calorie dense foods.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,737 Member
    The first time she asks, explain what you're doing and why. After that, just say, "It works for me."
  • TxTiffani
    TxTiffani Posts: 799 Member
    My husband asked what I was doing at first and I told him that I have no idea what correct serving sizes look like and I’m using the scale to be accurate with my calories. He never asked again...just used to it now I guess.
  • ExpressoLove11
    ExpressoLove11 Posts: 337 Member
    When I moved back in with my parents they found it annoying but I just carried on without comment and now they don't even notice anymore. I wouldn't worry, just do what you have to do.
  • SouthWestLondon
    SouthWestLondon Posts: 134 Member
    My husband has rolled his eyes once or twice when I'm weighing very odd things - like when I pop a slice of bread on the scales before buttering it to weigh how much butter is in my sandwich!

    But we bake a lot, and he cooks a lot using recipes - and in the UK we don't tend to use volume measurements anyway, and weight based recipes are the norm (I've never understood why the US isn't the same - I hate volume measurements) so it was never unusual in our house to have the kitchen scales out and well used. It's just now slightly unusual some of the ways I use it...
  • Fit_Happens_2021
    Fit_Happens_2021 Posts: 303 Member
    If they show a reaction or ask a question I would just briefly explain the benefits, and if any argument or criticism I would just end it with "Well this is what works for me, we are all different." and shrug it off.
    At the end of the day, it is no one's business but yours. My family doesn't see it as odd once I told them why I started doing it years ago. It makes absolute sense to weigh your food, and if anyone accuses you of being obsessive (which is a common criticism) you can express bemusement at their apparent over-interest in your eating habits.
  • RetiredAndLovingIt
    RetiredAndLovingIt Posts: 1,394 Member
    I weigh things around hubby and he does sometimes. I won't do it around my grandkids (age 10-14). I don't think it is something they should be concerned with now.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,203 Member
    edited January 2021
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    My daughter laughs when I weigh ice cream. But it's because I don't weigh it in a bowl. I buy pints, then I weigh it before eating and get the total weight. Then I'll eat a little and reweigh. I'll keep doing this until I've eaten one serving then recap the pint and put it away.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    And do you always use the same ice cream or do you use a generic 50% weight to volume or some other estimated constant for the conversion between weight and volume given that most I've creams weight much less than 1g per 1ml and that it does vary between brands (ask me how I know this about ice cream and whipped cream and real whip type substitutes 🤣🤣🤣)

    Quick estimate I use is total weight to volume minus a pre estimate of the tare weight of the container based in past/similar item measurements, which I suspect is similar to what you do!

    Oh, yes, op, use your scale. Explanation, if asked, is more precise calorie counting. Past that room mates either live with things that bug them, or don't and move on! 😘
  • Safari_Gal_
    Safari_Gal_ Posts: 1,461 Member
    Scales are also used all the time by chefs to accurately portion ingredients for recipes ... I actually received mine as a vintage hand me down ... looks nice and I use it for all things.

    No one in my fam or any house guests have ever thought it was weird... but I’m also surrounded by people who love to cook 👩🏼‍🍳...
  • BobVaj
    BobVaj Posts: 3 Member
    They will question or ask you why but give them your reason they will understand. For remember it's your lifestyle. Do it for yourself. For me it became a normal around my roommates. Funny thing is, sometimes I'll see them used the scale themselves lol. Let's just say it comes in handy.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    I spent the summer sharing a house with 3 housemates. I just put my scale in an unused drawer when I moved in. The first time the roomies saw me use it I just shrugged and said, "it helps me keep track of what I eat". I showed them the app, that was literally the end of the conversation.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    My family never says anything about it. Seeing as how I used a food scale before I started losing weight for cooking and baking accuracy, it doesn't look or seem strange.

    Somewhere around here I still have an old analog scale with a bowl on top that I used all the time for baking.

    My father actually bought me my digital scale. I thought it was a weird gift at the time and it sat unused in its box for many years, until I started caring about protein and now it lives on my kitchen counter. No one has ever commented on it but if they did I would just explain that the accuracy of my protein intake is important to me and leave it at that.

    I got so used to weighing my food that I bought myself a small portable scale to use when travelling. I think it might be a drug scale :D
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,256 Member
    I think if you don't make a big deal of it, usually other people won't either.

    Meaning if you just use it without making a fuss or drama or lecture about it and answer genuine questions with a basic 'it helps me keep track of things' type answer, then anyone living with you just let's you get on with it.

    They may or may not think it is weird but that doesn't matter as long as they just leave you to it.
  • conniewilkins56
    conniewilkins56 Posts: 3,391 Member
    It’s really no ones business what you do with your food!
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    edited January 2021
    Allow yourself to be a little weird ;) Hopefully your new roomie is more supportive than your ex.

    My explanation to people is "I'm not very good at estimating weights and amounts."

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