Why do people weigh their food?

ThriceBlessed

Mostly because they can't take the time to learn visual measurements for portion control or they have made calorie counting into a hobby with accompanying behaviors and accoutrements.

Quite to the contrary for me, by weighing my portions when I am at home, I become more aware of what a particular portion actually looks like, its part of that learning process. I usually eat chicken breast in 175 gram portions, by weighing it repeatedly most of the time, I find I am a lot more accurate those times when I can't weigh it.

Compulsive weighers can sometimes lose the ability to eat out or go to a family member's house because they are so obsessed with accurate calorie counting that they can't enjoy the meal without precision. I think it's good to weigh things you're unsure of or a good training tool for a while til you get the hang of things, but there becomes a point where how you track your food can limit your ability to make good choices outside of a highly controlled situation.

For me, this is precisely why I always weigh and measure at home, so when I eat out or eat at someone else's house I have pretty much memorized the correct portion sizes of common foods. I don't think I'd consider myself a compulsive weigher, and I can enjoy a meal out even without knowing the exact calorie count. However, I know that if I consistently eat without weighing, measuring, and knowing the calories, I will overeat, that is just how I am. If that wasn't the case I wouldn't need MFP to start with.

I can lose weight and maintain without counting calories at all by developing intuitive eating skills and making healthy food choices. I have. Calorie counting and weighing are good training tools to learn how to eat intuitively and with balance, but making them more than that is either lack of confidence or knowledge or fear of loss of control.

That is wonderful for you. Some of us with more severely disordered relationships to food may have to continue with some form of external control for the rest of our lives. I know I will. I am not saying I'll count calories every day for the rest of my life, but I know that I'll have to watch my weight, and go back to counting if the scale climbs more than 5-10 pounds.

I've accepted that I am a compulsive overeater, I've accepted that I'll always have a tendency towards this. Things like calorie counting, portion control, etc are tools to help keep me from slipping out of control. I don't think that makes me a bad person, I think it makes me wise to realize that rather than deny it and end up weighing 700 pounds.

It also is not really about fear. I am not afraid of losing control, I am taking measures to stay in control. Similar to wearing a seatbelt in a car, you could say it is a decision motivated by fear, but most people who wear them really don't live with an overwhelming fear of death by auto accident, they just see it as taking a sensible precaution. Same with measuring, weighing, counting my food.

An alcoholic may go the rest of their life preferring not to be in a bar, that may be looked at as fear, but in reality the alcoholic may not really fear the environment as much as just not want to be exposed to it. I don't think it would be wise for anyone to try to make the alcoholic feel that they were being unreasonable in taking whatever measures needed to avoid falling back into old habits.

I think a lot of it depends also on how long you've had bad habits. If you've been eating unhealthy for 30-40 years, I see nothing wrong with using external controls for 30-40 years at least. If you've just gained an extra 10 pounds and need to take it off, and have only eaten unhealthily for a few months, then a few months of calorie counting may be all you need to get back on track.

Achrya

Because eyeballing things is how I got fat.

Duh.

:laugh: Love this answer.

Just keeping it real

WalkingAlong

Because eyeballing things is how I got fat.

Duh.

Like any skill, you can learn to do it better. But the best way is probably by weighing for a while.

How many of you have tested your digital kitchen scale for accuracy? A nickel weighs 5g.

KnM0107

My guess would be accuracy.

I have a scale, but I rarely use it. I have gotten pretty good at eyeballing and estimating measurements, so I keep doing what works for me.

stealthq

Insanity. Obsession. Weakness.

Because its easier than weighing a cat.

Whereas it's pretty easy to weigh my food, my cat will actually climb onto his scale and lie down while I'm walking on my treadmill. My food doesn't put itself onto the scale for me! :laugh:

But I must be obsessed or insane or weak because I weigh my cats a few times a month, right?

Hmm. While if I put food on my scale, one of my cats will surely follow (and scarf it down if I don't take it away). I'd call them equally easy to weigh ;P

stealthq

I'm in to see how many people are going to keep answering an answered question. 2 pages and counting...

I'd just like to know why the OP thought she could count calories without weighing.

You can count calories without weighing. It's all an estimate, even weighing.

Could be worse-- I remember a thread where the OP said she wasn't going to weigh because different foods had different calories at the same weight. huh

That's actually true, to some extent. People think the databases are exact and gospel. They're average values based on whatever 'average' strawberries were burnt up to measure. Same as your HRM gives you average calories based on average humans, not your actual burn unique to you. No 4oz. of chicken is identical. But it doesn't matter because estimates are close enough. You can't burn your food up to measure the actual caloric content, then eat it.

I'm waiting for the "lose weight by eating unripened fruit and veggies diet". I can see the post now. "Tired of stopping at 20g of delicious, ripe, red strawberries? Eat 100g of mouth-puckering, sour, green ones for the same number of calories!"

Achrya

Because eyeballing things is how I got fat.

Duh.

Like any skill, you can learn to do it better. But the best way is probably by weighing for a while.

How many of you have tested your digital kitchen scale for accuracy? A nickel weighs 5g.

I don't desire the ability to get better at eyeballing. Weighing things is so just easy and convenient with all the comfort of knowing its accurate.

That's just me though. I'm not striving for that whole intuitive eating or life without a scale thing.

in_the_stars

Mostly because they can't take the time to learn visual measurements for portion control or they have made calorie counting into a hobby with accompanying behaviors and accoutrements. Compulsive weighers can sometimes lose the ability to eat out or go to a family member's house because they are so obsessed with accurate calorie counting that they can't enjoy the meal without precision. I think it's good to weigh things you're unsure of or a good training tool for a while til you get the hang of things, but there becomes a point where how you track your food can limit your ability to make good choices outside of a highly controlled situation.

I can lose weight and maintain without counting calories at all by developing intuitive eating skills and making healthy food choices. I have. Calorie counting and weighing are good training tools to learn how to eat intuitively and with balance, but making them more than that is either lack of confidence or knowledge or fear of loss of control.

Agreed. I also believe a lot of overweight people just don't "listen" to their bodies and continue to eat after they've had enough.

A lot of our bodies don't "tell" us when they've had enough. We have to tell our bodies when they've had enough. And our bodies continue to argue back. Therefore, at least for myself, I would like to get the maximum bites of food I can fit in and still meet my macros. Are you saying there's something wrong with wanting to be able to eat as much as possible?

I didn't say anything like that, but if I couldn't stop eating once I had eaten enough I'd go for a test. HPA axis, genetic polymorphisms, tissue-specific cortisol metabolism, leptin, ghrelin, who knows?
I'd start with an endocrinologist.

ashleyisgreat

Mostly because they can't take the time to learn visual measurements for portion control or they have made calorie counting into a hobby with accompanying behaviors and accoutrements. Compulsive weighers can sometimes lose the ability to eat out or go to a family member's house because they are so obsessed with accurate calorie counting that they can't enjoy the meal without precision. I think it's good to weigh things you're unsure of or a good training tool for a while til you get the hang of things, but there becomes a point where how you track your food can limit your ability to make good choices outside of a highly controlled situation.

I can lose weight and maintain without counting calories at all by developing intuitive eating skills and making healthy food choices. I have. Calorie counting and weighing are good training tools to learn how to eat intuitively and with balance, but making them more than that is either lack of confidence or knowledge or fear of loss of control.

Agreed. I also believe a lot of overweight people just don't "listen" to their bodies and continue to eat after they've had enough.

A lot of our bodies don't "tell" us when they've had enough. We have to tell our bodies when they've had enough. And our bodies continue to argue back. Therefore, at least for myself, I would like to get the maximum bites of food I can fit in and still meet my macros. Are you saying there's something wrong with wanting to be able to eat as much as possible?

I didn't say anything like that, but if I couldn't stop eating once I had eaten enough I'd go for a test. HPA axis, genetic polymorphisms, tissue-specific cortisol metabolism, leptin, ghrelin, who knows?
I'd start with an endocrinologist.

I eat past the point of satisfaction all the time--it's how I got fat. I eat until I'm stuffed. Just because you do that doesn't mean you have a serious medical disorder! It's called "Damn, this food is delicious and I'm gonna eat it all" syndrome. Fortunately, a scale helps me calm that problem down a bit, and it gives me a better sense of how much I'm actually consuming.

FindingMyPerfection

And the OP was never heard from again.

in_the_stars

Mostly because they can't take the time to learn visual measurements for portion control or they have made calorie counting into a hobby with accompanying behaviors and accoutrements. Compulsive weighers can sometimes lose the ability to eat out or go to a family member's house because they are so obsessed with accurate calorie counting that they can't enjoy the meal without precision. I think it's good to weigh things you're unsure of or a good training tool for a while til you get the hang of things, but there becomes a point where how you track your food can limit your ability to make good choices outside of a highly controlled situation.

I can lose weight and maintain without counting calories at all by developing intuitive eating skills and making healthy food choices. I have. Calorie counting and weighing are good training tools to learn how to eat intuitively and with balance, but making them more than that is either lack of confidence or knowledge or fear of loss of control.

Agreed. I also believe a lot of overweight people just don't "listen" to their bodies and continue to eat after they've had enough.

A lot of our bodies don't "tell" us when they've had enough. We have to tell our bodies when they've had enough. And our bodies continue to argue back. Therefore, at least for myself, I would like to get the maximum bites of food I can fit in and still meet my macros. Are you saying there's something wrong with wanting to be able to eat as much as possible?

I didn't say anything like that, but if I couldn't stop eating once I had eaten enough I'd go for a test. HPA axis, genetic polymorphisms, tissue-specific cortisol metabolism, leptin, ghrelin, who knows?
I'd start with an endocrinologist.

I eat past the point of satisfaction all the time--it's how I got fat. I eat until I'm stuffed. Just because you do that doesn't mean you have a serious medical disorder! It's called "Damn, this food is delicious and I'm gonna eat it all" syndrome. Fortunately, a scale helps me calm that problem down a bit, and it gives me a better sense of how much I'm actually consuming.

Ahhh... so it's delicious food that makes you fat. Thanks for explaining the cause of obesity. :flowerforyou:

FlaxMilk

I'm in to see how many people are going to keep answering an answered question. 2 pages and counting...

I'd just like to know why the OP thought she could count calories without weighing.

Ditto

I count and use measuring cups and spoons. (I know it's not quite as accurate. But calorie counting is very possible without a scale. I got my first one this year. I see the value in it, but I don't find this one easy to use due to readability and the battery running out so quickly, so I only use it for potatoes and fruit.) Of course, if someone is stalled and doesn't know why, it's probably worthwhile to look honestly at how they are measuring.

ashleyisgreat

Mostly because they can't take the time to learn visual measurements for portion control or they have made calorie counting into a hobby with accompanying behaviors and accoutrements. Compulsive weighers can sometimes lose the ability to eat out or go to a family member's house because they are so obsessed with accurate calorie counting that they can't enjoy the meal without precision. I think it's good to weigh things you're unsure of or a good training tool for a while til you get the hang of things, but there becomes a point where how you track your food can limit your ability to make good choices outside of a highly controlled situation.

I can lose weight and maintain without counting calories at all by developing intuitive eating skills and making healthy food choices. I have. Calorie counting and weighing are good training tools to learn how to eat intuitively and with balance, but making them more than that is either lack of confidence or knowledge or fear of loss of control.

Agreed. I also believe a lot of overweight people just don't "listen" to their bodies and continue to eat after they've had enough.

A lot of our bodies don't "tell" us when they've had enough. We have to tell our bodies when they've had enough. And our bodies continue to argue back. Therefore, at least for myself, I would like to get the maximum bites of food I can fit in and still meet my macros. Are you saying there's something wrong with wanting to be able to eat as much as possible?

I didn't say anything like that, but if I couldn't stop eating once I had eaten enough I'd go for a test. HPA axis, genetic polymorphisms, tissue-specific cortisol metabolism, leptin, ghrelin, who knows?
I'd start with an endocrinologist.

I eat past the point of satisfaction all the time--it's how I got fat. I eat until I'm stuffed. Just because you do that doesn't mean you have a serious medical disorder! It's called "Damn, this food is delicious and I'm gonna eat it all" syndrome. Fortunately, a scale helps me calm that problem down a bit, and it gives me a better sense of how much I'm actually consuming.

Ahhh... so it's delicious food that makes you fat. Thanks for explaining the cause of obesity. :flowerforyou:

Lol well you seemed shocked that someone might eat past the point of satisfaction. "Go to the doctor and get tested!"

__Di__

This is an honest question. Why would you weigh your food? I get counting calories (duh). But the weight of something shouldn't matter. Am I wrong?
Enlighten me please!

Are you being serious LOL!

How the hell can you count calories (as you say you understand about that bit) if you do not know how many calories in the food? If you do not know the weight of the food in question how the hell can you know the amount of calories in it to count them??

Me thinks you are actually on a wind-up.

Francl27

I'm in to see how many people are going to keep answering an answered question. 2 pages and counting...

I'd just like to know why the OP thought she could count calories without weighing.

Ditto

I count and use measuring cups and spoons. (I know it's not quite as accurate. But calorie counting is very possible without a scale. I got my first one this year. I see the value in it, but I don't find this one easy to use due to readability and the battery running out so quickly, so I only use it for potatoes and fruit.) Of course, if someone is stalled and doesn't know why, it's probably worthwhile to look honestly at how they are measuring.

Are you using a 1950's scale or something? I've had to change my scales batteries once in one year, and I use it all.the.time (I'm a stay at home mom so basically all day every day). And there's no readability issue at all... pop a plate on the scale, zero it, put my food on, got the weight in grams. Doesn't get easier than that, and I don't have to worry about not measuring my food properly and over/under eating.

FlaxMilk

Are you using a 1950's scale or something? I've had to change my scales batteries once in one year, and I use it all.the.time (I'm a stay at home mom so basically all day every day). And there's no readability issue at all... pop a plate on the scale, zero it, put my food on, got the weight in grams. Doesn't get easier than that, and I don't have to worry about not measuring my food properly and over/under eating.

Nope, ordered a digital one and had to replace the batteries twice in two months with only casual use. When a plate is on it, you can't see the display. Not my best buy but not a big deal either, since measuring with cups and spoons works fine for me. I'll be better informed for my next purchase and this one can go with me to work to weigh fruits and snacks.

namelesshere

Until I started weighing my food, I didn't know that my bowl of cereal in the morning was actually 3 servings! No wonder the weight packed on.

SezxyStef

Because eyeballing things is how I got fat.

Duh.

Like any skill, you can learn to do it better. But the best way is probably by weighing for a while.

How many of you have tested your digital kitchen scale for accuracy? A nickel weighs 5g.

I don't desire the ability to get better at eyeballing. Weighing things is so just easy and convenient with all the comfort of knowing its accurate.

That's just me though. I'm not striving for that whole intuitive eating or life without a scale thing.

Agreed...I don't care if I weigh the last grape at home doesn't mean I am obsessive....it means it is easy and convienient.

Do I take the it to a resturant? No...
Do I take to family functions....maybe...but probably not...depends on who is there...the one's losing weight or the ones who don't care.

KimberlyinMN

weigh it - eat it - log it.

That should be a bumper sticker.

^ Love it!!

Supertact

Are you using a 1950's scale or something? I've had to change my scales batteries once in one year, and I use it all.the.time (I'm a stay at home mom so basically all day every day). And there's no readability issue at all... pop a plate on the scale, zero it, put my food on, got the weight in grams. Doesn't get easier than that, and I don't have to worry about not measuring my food properly and over/under eating.

Nope, ordered a digital one and had to replace the batteries twice in two months with only casual use. When a plate is on it, you can't see the display. Not my best buy but not a big deal either, since measuring with cups and spoons works fine for me. I'll be better informed for my next purchase and this one can go with me to work to weigh fruits and snacks.

Move the plate back a bit to see the display lol. Same thing with mine and it's easily taken care of with minor common sense.