Why do people weigh their food?

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  • bheathfit
    bheathfit Posts: 451 Member
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    People weigh their food so that they know how much they need to pooh out in a day to maintain/lose/gain weight...:huh:

    Just don't use the same scale...:noway:
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    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.
    Do you really weigh a grape?
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    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.

    Wow never thought about that.

    :flowerforyou:

    Oh wait, I did. The way my food scale is designed, it changes the weight based on the positioning of the dishes/food. It's fine for smaller items, not so great for bigger items. I'll know what to look out for next time. In the meantime, my common sense tells me that if it's easier to use measuring cups and spoons, I'll just do that instead since it works just as well for me.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    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.

    Wow never thought about that.

    :flowerforyou:

    Oh wait, I did. The way my food scale is designed, it changes the weight based on the positioning of the dishes/food. It's fine for smaller items, not so great for bigger items. I'll know what to look out for next time. In the meantime, my common sense tells me that if it's easier to use measuring cups and spoons, I'll just do that instead since it works just as well for me.

    put a smaller container under your plate to lift the plate higher. then tare it. then you can see the display...
  • jfrankic
    jfrankic Posts: 747 Member
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    Best example is flour. The approximate serving size is 1/4 cup (or 30g). My recipe called for 6 cups of flour today, so it should have been 720g. I weighed out exactly 6 cups and it came to 915g. That's a difference of 650 calories in my recipe.

    That's why I weigh. 650 calories is a pretty big deal.
  • purple180
    purple180 Posts: 130 Member
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    [/quote]

    Weighing is easier/cleaner and more accurate than using measuring cups.

    I can make three 1/2 cup servings of ice cream fit into a 1/2 cup-sized measuring cup if I try hard enough. The food scale doesn't lie about portion sizes like spoons and cups do! :laugh:
    [/quote]



    ^^^This, lol I agree
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    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.

    Wow never thought about that.

    :flowerforyou:

    Oh wait, I did. The way my food scale is designed, it changes the weight based on the positioning of the dishes/food. It's fine for smaller items, not so great for bigger items. I'll know what to look out for next time. In the meantime, my common sense tells me that if it's easier to use measuring cups and spoons, I'll just do that instead since it works just as well for me.

    put a smaller container under your plate to lift the plate higher. then tare it. then you can see the display...

    We have done that. It's hard to describe but certain things are still really tough to see. The batteries are the bigger deal though, it's just not worth it to me since measuring is fine for me. I only got the scale out of curiosity from the fan club for them here. :smile:
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    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.

    I agree. If my kitchen scale is just sitting there, why not use it. Even on days I decide to not log for whatever reason, I'm still weighing my foods out because it's habit.
  • jurbi
    jurbi Posts: 25 Member
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    I'll be the dissenter here. I approximate and don't weigh. I'm sure I'm off by a little bit. But I'm trying to learn how to do this on a long term basis and I don't see myself weighing food long term. I've only been using MFP for 6 weeks and so far so good.

    Someone asked how do you do meat/produce without weighing? Most meat and produce is weighed when you purchase it at the store. For example, When I buy wild salmon, I ask for 1lb. I split this into 1/3 and 2/3 pieces. DH eats the bigger piece and I log the 1/3 lb. as 5.5 oz. Sure I'm eyeballing the 1/3&2/3 so I may be off by a little bit but I figure that will average out over time.

    I do a little of all three--weighing, measuring and eyeballing. I've been successful at losing weight a few times before and I didn't have a food scale at all (nor did I journal), so it's not like it's THE key to success for everyone. My challenge is to retrain myself to know what the right portion looks like so I can always do it.

    I do measure my wine and I really hate how small 4 oz. looks. Who do I see about this?

    wine is the only think i DONT measure, for that same reason:)
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
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    MFP database says "1 large Apple (~100 grams) 120 cal". I bought a few "large apples" the other day and just for my curiosity, I weighed one of these "large apples", it weighed 225 grams...No wonder I was not losing weight; I counted it as 120 cal instead of 240...

    I learned this lesson the hard way as well. The apples I buy are 290 grams! Way off from the mfp large apple I had previously been logging.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    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.

    Wow never thought about that.

    :flowerforyou:

    Oh wait, I did. The way my food scale is designed, it changes the weight based on the positioning of the dishes/food. It's fine for smaller items, not so great for bigger items. I'll know what to look out for next time. In the meantime, my common sense tells me that if it's easier to use measuring cups and spoons, I'll just do that instead since it works just as well for me.

    put a smaller container under your plate to lift the plate higher. then tare it. then you can see the display...

    We have done that. It's hard to describe but certain things are still really tough to see. The batteries are the bigger deal though, it's just not worth it to me since measuring is fine for me. I only got the scale out of curiosity from the fan club for them here. :smile:

    Clearly you're just not trying hard enough. :wink:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Best example is flour. The approximate serving size is 1/4 cup (or 30g). My recipe called for 6 cups of flour today, so it should have been 720g. I weighed out exactly 6 cups and it came to 915g. That's a difference of 650 calories in my recipe.

    That's why I weigh. 650 calories is a pretty big deal.

    This. I usually just use the packaged serving, so I would have picked 720g... but I'm never sure what I should do, lol. It makes a huge difference though. I tried the same recipe using 1/4 cup of flour from a measuring cup (it was like 50g), and 1/4 cup just using one serving size (31g or something)... ended up with 3 less pancakes the second time (out of 12). That huge serving didn't seem that huge anymore :laugh:
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    Best example is flour. The approximate serving size is 1/4 cup (or 30g). My recipe called for 6 cups of flour today, so it should have been 720g. I weighed out exactly 6 cups and it came to 915g. That's a difference of 650 calories in my recipe.

    That's why I weigh. 650 calories is a pretty big deal.
    I don't disagree but if 1/4c. of flour is a serving in your recipe, it makes 24 servings and that's only like 27 calorie per serving that you'd be off. If you have one serving a day on a 1800 calorie diet, that's 1.5% overeating, which is small. Though clearly it can add up.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
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    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.
    Do you really weigh a grape?

    I can't speak for later but my fruit rule is: less than a handful? Shut up and eat it. More that a handful? Weigh it.

    But I'm not big on fruit so this works for me.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    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!

    Why would you think the weight of something doesn't matter? Not sure if srs...
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    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.

    That all of our scales each show a nickel weighs 5g is meaningless. What matters is that we track with our scales, both food and body. And go from there. It doesn't have to be that complicated.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    I'm in to see how many people are going to keep answering an answered question. 2 pages and counting...

    If everyone thought like you did, there would be a question and an answer and that's it. Fortunately, most people are not.
    Yes but after 5-6 people give the same answer common sense would dictate that this is the answer. Especially as this is not one where opinions differ.
    You really only need one right answer.

    You should start your own thread about how people say the same thing over and over in a thread, when it's already been said. Let's see how far it goes. Plus, it's more courteous than messing up someone elses thread with your own totally off-topic question.
    I don't see how saying the reason I am posting in the thread is messing it up. Perhaps you should start YOUR own thread and let me be in this one for whatever reason I choose. MFP Police.

    It is called thread hijacking and is a reason for the mods to lock it.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
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    weigh it - eat it - log it.

    That should be a bumper sticker.

    LOL. Love this.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    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.

    That all of our scales each show a nickel weighs 5g is meaningless. What matters is that we track with our scales, both food and body. And go from there. It doesn't have to be that complicated.
    Oh I totally agree. My point in asking is people think that weighing their food gives them the gospel truth but I never see anyone mention checking the accuracy of their food scale. They assume it's accurate like they assume their BMR estimate is accurate and database entries are accurate and their HRM is accurate when in fact it's all just estimates. Which is why eyeballing works for a lot of people, and so do non-counting methods.