all this talk about weighing foods.

rosemary98

I have read a lot of comments on people's threads that foods should be weighed and that tablespoon/cup measurements are only good for liquids. But what if the product you are using states its nutritional information in cup form? (like cereal, for example). Well, I guess many products will also give the weight equivalent. Are the cup measurements really inaccurate as suggested? should I being weighing all my non liquid "food"?

But what about the ounce, i get confused because i know there are 8 ounces in a cup, but ounces are also weight measurements as well (16 ounces in a pound). If a serving of cereal is 8 ounces...are we talking weight measurements or liquid (i.e. cup).

Greenrun99

you are right most items list weight and then you weigh it to get that amount.. I would use a scale instead of cups but if your losing weight or making progress towards whatever your goal is why change what your doing..
BUT if you stop and stall.. before posting about why am I not losing weight.. time to start measuring. That is why you see those comments, because people want to know where they are going wrong.. and they probably aren't using the cups right or not measuring at all.

Animetuc

The Nutritional info (on the back of the box) will provide the serving size (like 1 cup) but will also provide the weight for that serving size. Like Multigrain cheerios (which are 1 cup serving or 29 grams). Using the digital scale is the most accurate for this measurement. Yes, weigh everything.

BarbieAS

Nearly everything (except many liquid measures, which should be fine in a measuring cup or spoon) will also give weight. Use the weight absolutely whenever possible, and weigh everything possible.

I've been doing this for almost 1.5 years. Just recently I can finally get chicken breast and goat cheese (two things that I eat several times per week) to within a gram or two on the first try. Maybe in another year or so I'll be ready to maintain by eye.

rosemary98

in the cheerios example, do you know what the discrepency is? have you weighed out 29 grams of cheerios and put it in a cup and see if it comes close? just curious. i don't own a food scale...but may start looking into one. i am sure there are many theads out there with scale suggestions.

SezxyStef

The Nutritional info will provide the mention the serving size like 1 cup but will also provide the weight. Like Multigrain cheerios which are 1 cup serving or 29 grams. Using the digital scale is the most accurate for this mesurmement. Yes, weigh everything.

Yah this...you should see the difference in cottage cheese...1/2 cup or 125g trust me I weigh it and get 125g...nom nom...it's about 2/3 of a cup...not much no but well worth the scale cost if you are hungry...

TheSlorax

all labels have the weight in grams next to its measurement by volume or unit. I weigh everything in grams because of how much serving sizes by volume or unit can vary.

for instance, I recently purchased the really good sourdough bread that comes shaped like an actual loaf. this kind:



the serving size says 1 slice. however, I know that this cannot be accurate, because of the huge variations in the sizes of the slices. instead I weigh it out by grams and list my serving size according to that. the slices they use are approximately 51g, however for that weight I was able to use not one but two small slices yesterday. this morning I used one slice weighing 42g. it ended up being around 20 calories difference, however while in a deficit I want to be sure I know exactly how much I am eating so that my diary is as accurate as it can possibly be. whether you want to carry out this degree of accuracy is up to you, but personally I have a hard time adjusting my intake for best results if I am not completely sure what my intake has been.

rosemary98

The Nutritional info will provide the mention the serving size like 1 cup but will also provide the weight. Like Multigrain cheerios which are 1 cup serving or 29 grams. Using the digital scale is the most accurate for this mesurmement. Yes, weigh everything.

Yah this...you should see the difference in cottage cheese...1/2 cup or 125g trust me I weigh it and get 125g...nom nom...it's about 2/3 of a cup...not much no but well worth the scale cost if you are hungry...

so you are saying that weighing food could actually mean more food for your calorie than measuring (in some cases).

BossLadyDSimp

you are right most items list weight and then you weigh it to get that amount.. I would use a scale instead of cups but if your losing weight or making progress towards whatever your goal is why change what your doing..
BUT if you stop and stall.. before posting about why am I not losing weight.. time to start measuring. That is why you see those comments, because people want to know where they are going wrong.. and they probably aren't using the cups right or not measuring at all.

I agree with this ... I think as long as you are making an effort to measure it will work well for you ... a lot of the people that complain have no idea how much food they are really putting into their bodies.

I have an addiction to CHEESE! I didnt realize how many cals and fat come from cheese, and i was using A LOT OF IT! I know better now and its worked well for me.

No_Finish_Line

scale is more accurate if for no other reason then its some what more difficult to tell when you honest have a cup of cherriors vs. water. like shift the cherrios arround and you can fit mroe or less kind of thing.

but doing it by volume shouldn't be to far off, and if its sugar or peanut butter that will fill the cup almost as well as a liquid it shouldn't matter

BarbieAS

in the cheerios example, do you know what the discrepency is? have you weighed out 29 grams of cheerios and put it in a cup and see if it comes close? just curious. i don't own a food scale...but may start looking into one. i am sure there are many theads out there with scale suggestions.

Depends. A lot of it is how you fill the cup.

For example, that's why professional bakers (and smart home bakers) weigh their ingredients rather than measure them. There's a HUGE range in what a "cup" of flour can be, depending on whether you sifted it, whether you scooped it, whether you spooned it into the cup, etc.

For some things the margin of error is a lot smaller (I would imagine Cheerios would be one), but it's still a better habit and much more accurate to weigh stuff. I just keep a set of cheap plastic bowls that I rotate when they get dirty next to my digital scale and weigh stuff as I go. If you're at least getting the calorie dense stuff - carbs, meats, dairy, high-sugar fruits - you can probably get away with not weighing stuff like vegetables - the calorie difference between 100g and 125g of broccoli is negligible.

rosemary98

scale is more accurate if for no other reason then its some what more difficult to tell when you honest have a cup of cherriors vs. water. like shift the cherrios arround and you can fit mroe or less kind of thing.

but doing it by volume shouldn't be to far off, and if its sugar or peanut butter that will fill the cup almost as well as a liquid it shouldn't matter

This is my thinking too. I understand a bunch of cut up veggies can fill a cup in many different quantities depending on how they are cut...but items like rice, for example, is pretty uniform.

I guess part of my question...is the weighing concern really based on people can't measure certain foods accurately using a cup (like my veggie example) or is the food industry being dishonest...and foods that should measure out in a cup (my rice example, or the sugar example) accurately, are really being miscalculated.

hope i am making sense.

Koldnomore

in the cheerios example, do you know what the discrepency is? have you weighed out 29 grams of cheerios and put it in a cup and see if it comes close? just curious. i don't own a food scale...but may start looking into one. i am sure there are many theads out there with scale suggestions.

Using ‘cups’ is grossly inaccurate and will eventually lead to issues because no one measures a ‘cup’ the same way – some go right to the top, for some it’s level, and for others its just under the rim. It’s EASY to go over your calories by hundreds just because you do not weigh. There’s a great you tube video on the differences between weighing and measuring food here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

Myhaloslipped

Yeah, it's a good idea, but it's just not happening for me. I just really don't have the time or pateince, and I am am only trying to lose a small amount of weight and build lean muscle. I do, however, grossly overstimate just to make sure I'm not eating way more calories than I think I am. But for people who are trying to lose a large amount of weight, a food scale is probably a good idea. I hear they only cost about 15 dollars or so.

cwolfman13

But what about the ounce, i get confused because i know there are 8 ounces in a cup, but ounces are also weight measurements as well (16 ounces in a pound). If a serving of cereal is 8 ounces...are we talking weight measurements or liquid (i.e. cup).

There are 8 FLUID ounces in a cup of liquid. A cup of something solid is going to have various weights due to density of said solid. Example...one cup of popcorn is going to weigh less than 1 cup of ground beef.

Using weight is the most accurate...also, when people use measuring cups and spoons for solids, they tend to "heap" and call that a Tbsp or whatever...when really ,that's a "heaping TBSP" which is going to be far more.

The more calorie dense a particular food is, the more important it is to use weight rather than a measuring cup or spoons as a "heaping Tbsp" of nuts for example could easily add an extra 50 calories or so to what you think your actual serving is because nuts are so calorie dense. Conversely, I don't worry about weighing my spinach to the gram...it's just not going to make that much difference.

MrsBingley

I don't weigh. This is for many reasons (I don't want to spend money on a scale, I want to learn how to eat intuitively again, eventually, etc.). I'm still steadily losing 1-2 lbs a week (I'm currently down 14 from my top weight, I joined this site 5 weeks into my journey). I do use cups to measure, but I also understand that this is a less accurate method, and that we humans are likely to underestimate our intake. I have several tricks to ensure that I'm really eating at a deficit. When in doubt, I round up. If I am measuring a product that has settled (like dry oatmeal) I make sure that I am measuring just below the rim, or I report 2/3 cup as 3/4 Cup. I make sure that I do at least a bit of exercise that I don't report. And lastly, I listen to my body. If the numbers say that I have eaten 1250 calories and I am allowed 1600, but I don't feel hungry, I stop eating anyway.

MrsBingley

Point being, if you are successfully losing weight and you are not constantly hungry, then you don't need to buy a scale. If you have stagnated and are measuring at that 1200 mark (if female) then a scale may be a good idea.

rosemary98

But what about the ounce, i get confused because i know there are 8 ounces in a cup, but ounces are also weight measurements as well (16 ounces in a pound). If a serving of cereal is 8 ounces...are we talking weight measurements or liquid (i.e. cup).

There are 8 FLUID ounces in a cup of liquid. A cup of something solid is going to have various weights due to density of said solid. Example...one cup of popcorn is going to weigh less than 1 cup of ground beef.

Using weight is the most accurate...also, when people use measuring cups and spoons for solids, they tend to "heap" and call that a Tbsp or whatever...when really ,that's a "heaping TBSP" which is going to be far more.

The more calorie dense a particular food is, the more important it is to use weight rather than a measuring cup or spoons as a "heaping Tbsp" of nuts for example could easily add an extra 50 calories or so to what you think your actual serving is because nuts are so calorie dense. Conversely, I don't worry about weighing my spinach to the gram...it's just not going to make that much difference.

I agree. calorie dense foods offer a higher calorie fluctuation if measured incorrectly. thus, important to measure them. heaping tablespoons of peanut butter probably double the calories then if you were to take a knife and level the tablespoon off. Whereas a heaping cup of spinach is pretty irrelevant.

Animetuc

I got my digital scale from Walmart. Very cheap tbh. The Cheerios example--what you do is place the bowl on the scale and hit the "TARE" button which will Zero the scale and then add 29 grams (or you can half it, or add more whatever you like). Lets say for example you wanted to mix 1 serving of Cheerios with "X" cereal which (1 cup or 18 grams seving), First measure out the Cheerios, then hit the "TARE" button and the scale will be set back at zero, and then measure out the 18 grams of the other cereal (in the same bowl). Its super convienient. I love weighing.

rosemary98

I don't weigh. This is for many reasons (I don't want to spend money on a scale, I want to learn how to eat intuitively again, eventually, etc.). I'm still steadily losing 1-2 lbs a week (I'm currently down 14 from my top weight, I joined this site 5 weeks into my journey). I do use cups to measure, but I also understand that this is a less accurate method, and that we humans are likely to underestimate our intake. I have several tricks to ensure that I'm really eating at a deficit. When in doubt, I round up. If I am measuring a product that has settled (like dry oatmeal) I make sure that I am measuring just below the rim, or I report 2/3 cup as 3/4 Cup. I make sure that I do at least a bit of exercise that I don't report. And lastly, I listen to my body. If the numbers say that I have eaten 1250 calories and I am allowed 1600, but I don't feel hungry, I stop eating anyway.

good point about the oatmeal. i have this peanut flour i love. one fourth cup equals 110 calories. i am careful not to heap, and I also make sure to keep the flour loose so as to not pack the flour in the cup (or tablespoon). I will work on being more honest with myself about such products.

rosemary98

Well, I leave for a ten day vacation to london and paris tomorrow...so no weighing (or measuring) of any sort going on, but when i get back I am going to look into a scale. Thanks for the advice!

Kabiti

At this point... I pretty much only weigh meat. I should weigh the feta I use, but I don't

My cereal is the same every morning. 0.1 oz isn't going to change anything and I fill the bowl to the rim. (If I get new bowls? There's a problem).

Other than that is salad. I use very low calorie dressings or homemade. If I'm off by 30 calories on homemade dressing amounts it works it all out by the time the dressing is gone. Lettuce can vary, but a head of romaine is a head of romaine (yes... all that bulk is what helps me not be hungry).

Guessing is fine when the food is low calorie and healthy. High sodium and potassium foods may matter more to you.

auddii

Not sure if you've seen this or not:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

Sometime's it's not about not heaping a measurement, but it's about someone just picking a random size measurement that it's somewhat close to. So if a serving is more than 3/4 cup but less than 1, they may round up on the box to make it "easy" and just say "about 1 cup". But, it can be off. It can really add up.

Sometimes, it's good. I found I was under estimating peanut butter. Mmmm, more peanut butter. But, I over estimated on a lot of other things.

Unknown

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ryry_

You know what food doesn't have the weight on it next to the serving size? Ranch. My freaking ranch dressing is 2 tbsp (30mL). What am I a chemistry teacher?

Needless to say I weigh out 100grams for my boneless wings and log that as 1 serving.

auddii

You know what food doesn't have the weight on it next to the serving size? Ranch. My freaking ranch dressing is 2 tbsp (30mL). What am I a chemistry teacher?

Needless to say I weigh out 100grams for my boneless wings and log that as 1 serving.

Ha, by definition there are 5mL in a tsp and 15nL in a tbsp. That translation is just letting you be able to convert from english to metric. Not actually useful at all. Boycott ranch. Blue cheese all the way!!!

FrauHaas2013

Most people overestimate a portion size, which is why weighing everything is good. After awhile, you can eyeball some stuff and just know if it's the right portion for you or not. To save time during the week, sometimes on the weekend I'll pre-portion stuff out into ziplocks and just store them that way. Then during the week, I can just grab some baggies and go, knowing that they're already the correct portion amounts for me.

eileen0515

Weigh your food. It's science.

born2drum

I prefer to weigh my food because you'd be surprised what we think is a tbsp ends up being more or less. Example, before I purchased a digital food scale I was having peanut butter and honey sammy's thinking I was only eating 200kcals worth of peanut butter, turned out it was nearly double that

Holly_Roman_Empire

scale is more accurate if for no other reason then its some what more difficult to tell when you honest have a cup of cherriors vs. water. like shift the cherrios arround and you can fit mroe or less kind of thing.

but doing it by volume shouldn't be to far off, and if its sugar or peanut butter that will fill the cup almost as well as a liquid it shouldn't matter

Yeah, have you ever tried to measure one cup of special k cereal? It's impossible to be consistent day to day, especially when you get to the bottom of the box and the flakes are smaller. Things like that it's just better to weigh out.

Matiara

I'll be investing in a digital food scale in a couple of weeks mainly for measuring rice and pasta. For rice, even using the cup measurement for two servings shown on the box, I always, *always* end up with more than two servings cooked. The same for macaroni, rotini, etc. And for spaghetti, the box says a serving is two ounces dry, which obviously can't be measured without a scale. I know the quarter trick, but I don't like guesstimating.

And I may be weird, but I think it's fun to weigh food. I don't find it troublesome at all. But then, I also find it fun to create my monthly household budget and balance my checkbook, so maybe I'm just a numbers geek.