NOT Weighing Food?

rebalee8

You do realize that it is much easier and quicker to use a food scale than it is to use measuring cups, right? It's actually more sustainable, as well. But to each their own. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

I don't realize this because it's not a hard and fast rule. It's a lot easier to use measuring cups when I make rice or use chickpeas or shredded carrots or any number of foods. Am I supposed to weigh ingredients when I'm making a cake or is it ok to use measuring cups for flour?

Ideally, recipes would be written with weight measurements (grams/oz), not volume (cups) for non-liquid ingredients. Outside the US, most recipes are. It actually makes them more accurate and easier to replicate.

1 cup of flour is a slightly different amount every time you measure it. Usually it's close enough, but if you have some extra air or if someone new to cooking packs in the flour? Can be the difference between perfect pie crust and soggy (too little flour) or tough (too much flour) pie crust.

100 grams is the same every time.

This is why mixes from boxes can be exactly the same every time. Their dry ingredients are measured by weight not volume.

QuietBloom

Using a scale = misery? Does not compute!

weird_me2

You do realize that it is much easier and quicker to use a food scale than it is to use measuring cups, right? It's actually more sustainable, as well. But to each their own. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

I don't realize this because it's not a hard and fast rule. It's a lot easier to use measuring cups when I make rice or use chickpeas or shredded carrots or any number of foods. Am I supposed to weigh ingredients when I'm making a cake or is it ok to use measuring cups for flour?

I don't think you understand how a food scale works. When you make rice, put your pot on your scale, hit tare, and pour your rice in the pot until you hit the amount of grams of a serving (or however many servings you're making). When you're making shredded carrots, put the plate or bowl from which you will eat your shredded carrots onto the scale, hit tare, and see how much that weighs and log accordingly.

Also, yes, professional bakers use food scales rather than measuring cups and spoons. For accuracy.

I agree, a scale is so much easier to use! Last night I had Cheez-its and raisins. Have you ever tried using a measuring cup with these things? You can easily pack way more or less than 1 serving in a measuring cup, so my options were to count out the correct number or just throw a paper towel on the scale and weigh out my serving. Weighing was so much easier. I think it's also helped me get better at eyeballing portions than measuring cups or spoons ever did. I never used to use a scale, but once I got one, I loved it. It is also great for baking, since weight measurements are way more accurate for things like flour which can settle and too much or too little of some ingredients in baking can make the difference between okay results and great results.

Last night I used my scale to make a salad. I got out my big bowl, threw in some spinach and lettuce, then put it on the scale and turned it on. I picked out a piece of grilled chicken breast that I thought looked about right - I was aiming for 4 oz (112 grams), put it on the scale...108 grams. Pretty spot on. Cheese, aimed for an oz...sprinkled on what I thought was an oz and just 1 gram over. Salad dressing? Poured it on until I hit the appropriate weight. Bacon, same thing. If I was measuring, I could have feasibly dirtied a 1 cup measuring cup, 1/4 C measuring cup and 2 T measuring spoon and wouldn't have been as accurate.

I've also found that since weighing stuff, I'm much better at guessing later. I scoop out what I think is a serving then can test myself and I'm noticing that lately I've been pretty darn close. This really helps for when I'm eating away from home since I don't take my scale with me anywhere.

Lleldiranne

I don't weigh my foods and have done pretty well.

If you get into a position where you stop losing weight, it would be a good idea to weigh your foods for a while to make sure you know what a serving looks like. Once you've gotten it going the right direction again you can relax a bit on your weighing.

I also know of people who weigh their food while they're losing, then when they switch to maintenance, they've learned portion sizes and don't weigh so much. If they see the scale sneaking up again, they'll weigh food for a while again.

smn76237

You do realize that it is much easier and quicker to use a food scale than it is to use measuring cups, right? It's actually more sustainable, as well. But to each their own. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

I don't realize this because it's not a hard and fast rule. It's a lot easier to use measuring cups when I make rice or use chickpeas or shredded carrots or any number of foods. Am I supposed to weigh ingredients when I'm making a cake or is it ok to use measuring cups for flour?

I don't think you understand how a food scale works. When you make rice, put your pot on your scale, hit tare, and pour your rice in the pot until you hit the amount of grams of a serving (or however many servings you're making). When you're making shredded carrots, put the plate or bowl from which you will eat your shredded carrots onto the scale, hit tare, and see how much that weighs and log accordingly.

Also, yes, professional bakers use food scales rather than measuring cups and spoons. For accuracy.

. . .
I wish people weren't so condescending and rigid about other people's food habits. Somehow I've managed to lose almost 25 lbs in a bit over a month so something is working.

Sorry, who was condescending first?
Congratulations on being in recovery. Obviously you should steer away from scales. But for your run of the mill dieter with no concept of portion control who are using measuring cups and spoons, a scale is a much better, easier tool to use.

ErinMcMom

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with weighing food, and I know that it is more accurate, it's more of a mental thing for me I guess. I only use cups/spoons on things I have trouble eyeballing. Also, I'm fully aware that the vast majority of food weighing MFP'ers aren't carting their food scale around to work/dinners out/restaurants.

What really does bother me is when people post threads that they aren't losing anything and immediately the replies are all "are you weighing your food? "Buy a food scale." Weight can be lost without a food scale, and portion size can be learned using measuring cups and common sense. I hate to see people that are trying their best knocked down just because they aren't weighing their food.

I know that accuracy can be more crucial as you approach maintenance but I'm 8 lbs from maintenance and haven't had an issue yet (knock on wood) (52 lbs lost, food scale free!).

sargessexyone

I weigh most of my food most of the time. I realize my success would be better if I was more strict about it but I refuse to be a slave to my scale.

Sreneesa

You do realize that it is much easier and quicker to use a food scale than it is to use measuring cups, right? It's actually more sustainable, as well. But to each their own. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

I don't realize this because it's not a hard and fast rule. It's a lot easier to use measuring cups when I make rice or use chickpeas or shredded carrots or any number of foods. Am I supposed to weigh ingredients when I'm making a cake or is it ok to use measuring cups for flour?

I don't think you understand how a food scale works. When you make rice, put your pot on your scale, hit tare, and pour your rice in the pot until you hit the amount of grams of a serving (or however many servings you're making). When you're making shredded carrots, put the plate or bowl from which you will eat your shredded carrots onto the scale, hit tare, and see how much that weighs and log accordingly.

Also, yes, professional bakers use food scales rather than measuring cups and spoons. For accuracy.

I do understand how a food scale works. For me it's overkill. And for the record, I'm not a professioinal baker. My carrot cake was just fine on Sunday without using a scale.

As it is my doctor is watching me because he thinks that I'm too concerned about portion sizes. He makes me go visit him every other week to check my weight and have bloodwork done and I've had to turn over my username/password for MFP and FitBit. As I said above, I'm in recovery for binge eating disorder and now he's concerned that I could go the other way.

I wish people weren't so condescending and rigid about other people's food habits. Somehow I've managed to lose almost 25 lbs in a bit over a month so something is working.

I could see why your doctor would be concerned about you going the other way.

I have watched countless documentaries on eating disorders and doing portion control and weighing things before putting it in your mouth can be a sign of an eating disorder. I could see how a doctor could be concerned that weighing and calorie counting could turn into a habit of obsessively restricting in an eating disorder sense.

So I understand where you are coming from.

MelodyandBarbells

I didn't get a food scale until I was ready for and excited about one. It's meant to be a tool not a boat anchor. If you're not ready for it, no need to force it on yourself.

I don't "bring out" my food scale. As many people have mentioned as a multiple times a day use item it sits proudly on my counter. I liken it to any other kitchen apparatus now. Maybe you think of the food scale as this diet/punishment food helper but I use mine to weigh flour and other cake ingredients (for the purpose of an accurate calorie count, of course!)

AbsolutelyAnnie

I don't expect to weigh my food for the rest of my life. But I do need to really, REALLY learn what serving sizes look like. The fact of the matter is that I was hugely off on most of my food and sometimes I was cheating myself. I am a cook and I know what cups and tablespoons look like but I do not have any idea about food weight and that is how most solid foods are measured. Weight is very different than volume.

So, yes, this is about being sustainable in the long term.

For the short term, I see my scale as training wheels, not crutches.

QuietBloom

You do realize that it is much easier and quicker to use a food scale than it is to use measuring cups, right? It's actually more sustainable, as well. But to each their own. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

I don't realize this because it's not a hard and fast rule. It's a lot easier to use measuring cups when I make rice or use chickpeas or shredded carrots or any number of foods. Am I supposed to weigh ingredients when I'm making a cake or is it ok to use measuring cups for flour?

I don't think you understand how a food scale works. When you make rice, put your pot on your scale, hit tare, and pour your rice in the pot until you hit the amount of grams of a serving (or however many servings you're making). When you're making shredded carrots, put the plate or bowl from which you will eat your shredded carrots onto the scale, hit tare, and see how much that weighs and log accordingly.

Also, yes, professional bakers use food scales rather than measuring cups and spoons. For accuracy.

I do understand how a food scale works. For me it's overkill. And for the record, I'm not a professioinal baker. My carrot cake was just fine on Sunday without using a scale.

As it is my doctor is watching me because he thinks that I'm too concerned about portion sizes. He makes me go visit him every other week to check my weight and have bloodwork done and I've had to turn over my username/password for MFP and FitBit. As I said above, I'm in recovery for binge eating disorder and now he's concerned that I could go the other way.

I wish people weren't so condescending and rigid about other people's food habits. Somehow I've managed to lose almost 25 lbs in a bit over a month so something is working.

People are being condescending and rigid in this thread? Where?

Shropshire1959

Each to his/her own .. what ever works for you.

BUT mostly, when folks ask for advice it's because what they are doing is NOT working .. the is the time to make a change and one of the first changes that I did was to try to be more accurate with my consumption of grub... through Weighing.

Your mileage may be different - that's the wonderful thing about the the journey .. they is not just one single path to glory!

daw0518

I'm similar. I own a food scale but I only use it for select things, like sunflower seeds, wine, potatoes, & meat. Most of the time, I just use measuring cups because it's easier for me and it seems to be working so far. For example I always have a quarter cup of creamer in my coffee in the morning & I often have two tbsp of PB2 for breakfast [with a banana], so I have those measuring cups out & ready for use everyday. As time goes on, if it stops working for me, I may have to start using my scale to weigh things, but so far it hasn't been an issue. I say just do you, and if it doesn't work, change it. If it does work, don't.

jwooley13

There's definitely nothing wrong with weighing food, but I typically prefer not to do it because it gets me a little too wound up and obsessive. The one exception to this is that I try to get a weight on meats that I eat because they're definitely difficult to measure by volume. However, those weights are usually on packaging so I don't even keep a food scale in the house.

QuietBloom

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with weighing food, and I know that it is more accurate, it's more of a mental thing for me I guess. I only use cups/spoons on things I have trouble eyeballing. Also, I'm fully aware that the vast majority of food weighing MFP'ers aren't carting their food scale around to work/dinners out/restaurants.

What really does bother me is when people post threads that they aren't losing anything and immediately the replies are all "are you weighing your food? "Buy a food scale." Weight can be lost without a food scale, and portion size can be learned using measuring cups and common sense. I hate to see people that are trying their best knocked down just because they aren't weighing their food.

I know that accuracy can be more crucial as you approach maintenance but I'm 8 lbs from maintenance and haven't had an issue yet (knock on wood) (52 lbs lost, food scale free!).

I don't understand why that would bother you - if someone says they aren't losing weight, it's pretty obvious their numbers are off and the most common way that happens is food under estimation. Especially when you are down to the last few pounds, it can get tricky to get the correct number of calories without weighing your food.

When I got my scale, I found out I was short changing myself on my protein powder by at least 10 grams! So you never know which way it can go! :happy:

Ludka13

I've been using cups and spoons but not everything fits into a cup or spoon. So I've decided to get an electronic scale with a tare function. That way I can weigh higher calorie things like cheese and meat instead of guestimating and probably going over. Plus some of the scales will weigh things up to 15 pounds. I have a sick cat and keeping track of her weight alerts me to changes in her health. They're very good at hiding weakness and sometimes the first noticeable symptom is weight loss. And if you like to bake you need to weigh things instead of measure.

Francl27

I'd venture to say that when you're closer to your goal and not losing anymore, you might revaluate your position. lol. I'd guess the people who are successful without a scale are the ones that don't eat their exercise calories as well though.

If you follow MFP (ie, eat your exercise calories back) and have a small deficit, you pretty much have to weigh, or you're probably going to end up eating at maintenance because of underestimations.

robertdc50

I agree...I just don't see me weighing my food, so I either use food already labeled with the weight, or I guesstimate. My contention is that this whole nutrition thing is not an exact science anyway, as everybody has different levels of activity, metabolic rates, body types, ages, etc. as for the whole metric/US measuring thing...if in doubt the internet has thousands of sites that will convert for you.

Meantime...keep up the great work MFP people...I'm blown away by the wonderful support and encouragement everybody offers. It's good to see such a melting pot of humanity united by the common goal of good health.

feelin_gr_8

I've been back and forth on my opinion of weighing food. It's definitely not sustainable if you plan to do it for your entire life, but for me it's a tool to get me somewhere and then by the time I reach my goal, I think I will be able to better judge calories and portions BECAUSE of my use of the scale (and cups and spoons to measure too).

l_ashley

Everyone is different. I am terrible at eyeballing what a serving looks like. Just horrible. When I bought my scale it was a real eye opener as to how many calories I was actually eating. I have no plans to use the scale my entire life, but I need it right now to keep myself on track.

diannethegeek

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with weighing food, and I know that it is more accurate, it's more of a mental thing for me I guess. I only use cups/spoons on things I have trouble eyeballing. Also, I'm fully aware that the vast majority of food weighing MFP'ers aren't carting their food scale around to work/dinners out/restaurants.

What really does bother me is when people post threads that they aren't losing anything and immediately the replies are all "are you weighing your food? "Buy a food scale." Weight can be lost without a food scale, and portion size can be learned using measuring cups and common sense. I hate to see people that are trying their best knocked down just because they aren't weighing their food.

I know that accuracy can be more crucial as you approach maintenance but I'm 8 lbs from maintenance and haven't had an issue yet (knock on wood) (52 lbs lost, food scale free!).

I'm one of those people out there answering post after post with questions about the accuracy of the numbers. Food scales, exercise calories, water weight fluctuations, etc. And on the occasions when those posters even bother to answer the questions we're all asking, many of them have absolutely no idea how much they're really eating. They're eyeballing portion sizes or using measuring cups "for most things" or whatever it is.

Using accurate numbers is the easiest way to break a plateau. Relearning how to properly eyeball a portion size is hard, takes a long time, and needs some sort of measurement to calibrate from (like a food scale). I don't believe that we are "knocking them down" for not using a food scale. I believe that we're giving them one more tool in their battle.

Don't like the advice we're giving? Great! There are a lot of these kinds of threads every day and we need all the help getting answers to these posters that we can get. Why aren't you posting your advice in all of those threads, too?

echofm1

I got a food scale long before I "needed" one, and it's pretty much the best thing in my kitchen. I hated having to clean the measuring cups and spoons so frequently, or not having the one that I needed because it was already dirty. Now I just put my bowl on the scale, pour the cheerios until it gets to the grams recommended for a serving size, and I'm done. No more extra dishes.

What I've found it most useful for is fruits and veggies. I had a banana today that, when I didn't have my scale, I would have logged as medium banana, 105 calories. It was actually only about 87 calories after I weighed it. It's also handy for chips. 14-21 chips is all well and good, but again I can just take out my bowl and shovel chips into it until I get one ounce. It's just easier.

I don't use my scale because I'm hyper sensitive about every calorie I put into my body (it's all an estimation, and I've got a long way to go!). I use it because it's easier and puts my mind at ease. It's broken though and I've used measuring cups, not a big deal. It's not like I take it to restaurants to measure out my french fries. I only use it on things I would have in my own home. And I recommend it to everyone on my friend's list, because I love having it!

Edit: P.S. I plan to use my food scale for the rest of my life, just as I use measuring cups. Seriously, the extra dishes drive me crazy.

Eoghann

Not only do I not weigh anything, I generally don't measure at all. I mainly guestimate. Hell for stuff like stew I just find what's likely to be a rough equivalent in the database. And yes... that means my calorie count is not entirely accurate. It's almost certainly a bit too low. But I rarely eat back all my exercise calories (and no I'm not left hungry) so there's room for error.

I lose weight and I lose bodyfat. I don't need to be more precise.

Precise measuring has it's place. Particularly if you think you're hitting calorie goal and are not losing weight. But if you are losing weight, you don't need to do it.

smn76237

. . .

What really does bother me is when people post threads that they aren't losing anything and immediately the replies are all "are you weighing your food? "Buy a food scale." Weight can be lost without a food scale, and portion size can be learned using measuring cups and common sense. I hate to see people that are trying their best knocked down just because they aren't weighing their food.

I know that accuracy can be more crucial as you approach maintenance but I'm 8 lbs from maintenance and haven't had an issue yet (knock on wood) (52 lbs lost, food scale free!).

Yes, weight can be lost without a food scale, and if you are consistently meeting all your goals while feeling satiated, then keep that up.

A food scale comes into play when a person has mysteriously stopped losing weight or can't lose weight and they don't know why. A food scale will truly reflect the intake part of the "calories in" part of the "calories in<calories out" equation for weight loss. In all the "I'M NOT LOSING AND I DON'T KNOW WHY" threads, the simple answer is typically that they are underestimating their calories in, and/or overestimating calories out. How better than to help narrow down which is the problem than to get the most accurate data possible?

loriemn

I dont weigh anything,I do measure some foods,but lots I just eye them up,,it probably is slower this way but it works for me,I dont like to micro manage anything,my brain just isnt wired that way,,so I do a couple days a week of really BIG cardio burns one because I REALLY LOVE INTENSE CARDIO! and two to make up for my "eyeballing" by really big burns I mean like this AM I did 60 minutes of bikeing at 12-15 MPH,and I will do at least two hours of Taekwondo this evening.

walleyclan1

I don't weigh food. I measure when possible or estimate. I accept, however, that there is a lot of room for error and were my weight loss to stall, I would need to account for underestimating calories.

tworthen79

I've lost 55lbs in 365 days and not once did I weigh my food. I say do what works, do what you can see yourself doing as a lifestyle. And if that gets the results you want, then keep doing it.

cwolfman13

What really does bother me is when people post threads that they aren't losing anything and immediately the replies are all "are you weighing your food? "Buy a food scale." Weight can be lost without a food scale, and portion size can be learned using measuring cups and common sense. I hate to see people that are trying their best knocked down just because they aren't weighing their food.

The reason people say this is because, "if it isn't working", 9x out of 10 it is due to people underestimating their intake. Yes, weight can be lost without a food scale...but in general people do a pretty ****ty job of guestimating proper portions. At minimum they should be using measuring cups/spoons but many of these same people don't even do that...they just eat a big *kitten* chicken breast and log it as a 4 oz serving because that's what the package says...meanwhile, their chicken breast actually weighs about 10 ounces.

I don't use my scale so much anymore because I've learned to eyeball it pretty close for most things...but 18 months ago before I started using my scale, "it wasn't working"...when I started using said scale I realized the 2 oz of dried pasta was a lot less than I thought it was and my handful of almonds was nowhere near a 1 oz serving...in all I was underestimating my intake by a good 400 - 600 calories per day which was the entirety of my deficit.

What would you rather people suggest in this case...as I said, 9x out of 10 it is user error...rarely is there an actual medical condition.

laurie04427

I just use measuring cups and measuring spoons. What I eat is typically healthy so I'm not going to stress if I've eaten more ounes of yogurt than I thought etc.

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