Food Scale Advice Needed

KrazyAsianNic
KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello Everyone!

So, at the end of last month, I got diagnosed with diabetes. Last week I went into the E.R. and stayed at the hospital a couple days because I got an infection, and because my diabetes are out of control, my symptoms were worse than normal.

So, I have this scare now where I really want to lose weight not just to look and feel better, but to get healthier and control my glucose.

Last night I bought a scale that was almost half off at Target, and a Polar Fit 1 to start getting serious and mainly take it slow and change my life. I really need to learn my portion sizes, especially when it comes to counting the carbohydrates I need to balance. I have never used a food scale though, and would love any advice and tips anyone may have in using one. Do I weigh before cooking or after cooking? Any other tips you may have would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Nic

Replies

  • gagnon9691
    gagnon9691 Posts: 75 Member
    Anything I need to cook I weigh before it gets cooked.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Weigh raw whenever possible

    If you can't find a entry that uses grams/ounces - try using USDA or the plural form of the item - ie Strawberries, USDA

    Get friendly with the tare feature on your scale - put your container on the scale - hit tare - then add your item, hit tare before adding another item - this way you're accurate without counting the weight of your container or previous items.

    Good luck! Sounds like you're well on your way to success!
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
    Thank you both of you. I will do my best weighing before cooking, and the tare seems easy enough. Thanks!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Good for you!

    The food scale is pretty easy to use once you get used to it.

    There's a helpful post on the boards today with information on how to log that food once you've weighed it. You might check it out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • ALNoog
    ALNoog Posts: 413 Member
    Anything I need to cook I weigh before it gets cooked.

    I normally do too... But just curious.... Last night I made steaks and mine was .71 pounds and after I "killed it and killed it and then killed it again" as my husband calls it.( it has to be well done for me).. It was .65 and after I trimmed the fat it was around .59

    I counted it as the .71 but now I'm wondering why... I didn't actually eat .71 pounds of meat... Is there a reasoning behind it?
  • enchantedgardener
    enchantedgardener Posts: 214 Member
    It's always best to use the raw weight before cooking.

    Some foods like pasta or rice get heavier as they cook because they absorb water. The longer they cook, the more water they absorb. The final weight will fluctuate based on how long the food has cooked and how much water it has absorbed. It's much more accurate to calculate calories from the uncooked product.

    It's kind of the same for meats, except in the opposite direction. Meats lose water as they cook. The more well done you cook a steak, the more water is lost and therefore the lighter it will be on the scale. The nutritive value is pretty much identical whether you cook it rare or well done, but the post-cooking weight will be very different. That's why we use pre-cooked weight.
  • mrsnel
    mrsnel Posts: 9 Member
    I am a diabetic on insulin and use a food scale for figuring carbohydrate factor for giving insulin. I weigh my meat after cooking because I am not going to eat the fat and water that cooked out of the meat. I measure just before eating. Hope that helps!
  • ALNoog
    ALNoog Posts: 413 Member
    I am a diabetic on insulin and use a food scale for figuring carbohydrate factor for giving insulin. I weigh my meat after cooking because I am not going to eat the fat and water that cooked out of the meat. I measure just before eating. Hope that helps!
    [/quote

    I am insulin resistant so I know what you mean. I am also counting and weighing for carb counts. I do stay mindful of calories but over all count strictly carbs.

    I can fully understand weighing something beforehand that is going to weigh more after you cook it because of water.. So I figured it would be the same for weighing something after you cook it that is going to weigh less after you cook it because of water.

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