NOT Weighing Food?

SezxyStef

I know that most of the people around these parts are huge advocates of weighing food but I am really reluctant to do so. Am I alone on this?
What I'm doing here is supposed to be a sustainable lifestyle choice and I just can't see whipping out my scale and weighing everything I eat for the rest of my life. It seems like a miserable fate to be tied to that kitchen scale for eternity.
I know that I probably feel this way because I've been seeing results without weighing, maybe if my weight loss stalls out I'll be singing a different tune but right now I'm choosing not to weigh food and I'm happy about it. (I do however use measuring cups and spoons)
Any other measuring cup/spoon lovers out there?

I am right there with you!!! I will log my calories to the best of my abilities but I REFUSE to weigh my food. I like to rely on intuitive eating and commonsense when it comes to things like pasta or dining out at a restaurant or someone's house.

do you really think we take our scale to a resturant or a friends house????

too funny.

Strokingdiction

I know that most of the people around these parts are huge advocates of weighing food but I am really reluctant to do so. Am I alone on this?
What I'm doing here is supposed to be a sustainable lifestyle choice and I just can't see whipping out my scale and weighing everything I eat for the rest of my life. It seems like a miserable fate to be tied to that kitchen scale for eternity.
I know that I probably feel this way because I've been seeing results without weighing, maybe if my weight loss stalls out I'll be singing a different tune but right now I'm choosing not to weigh food and I'm happy about it. (I do however use measuring cups and spoons)
Any other measuring cup/spoon lovers out there?

I am right there with you!!! I will log my calories to the best of my abilities but I REFUSE to weigh my food. I like to rely on intuitive eating and commonsense when it comes to things like pasta or dining out at a restaurant or someone's house.

do you really think we take our scale to a resturant or a friends house????

too funny.

Shhh, tell them you do. I want to see someone whip out a food scale from one of those ginormous purses people carry around these days.

Sreneesa

Recently found out my greek yogurt and protein powder wasn't the right size portion using a one cup measuring cup and the scooper the powder came with.

All this time I was under and didn't know that until one day last week decided to use my food scale. Wow.... I get to eat more yogurt and add more protein powder. Kind of a bummer though since Ill have to buy the powder and yogurt more frequently. lol

diannethegeek

I was really food-scale resistant for a long time and I lost the bulk of my weight without one. But since buying one I've never felt any more tied to it than I was to measuring cups and spoons. In fact, I've always found it easier than messing with and washing the various cups and spoons I used to measure. It actually takes me less time to put a bowl on the scale and hit the tare button between each ingredient than it did to measure every ingredient out.

If you don't want to be tied to a food scale for life are you also planning not to be tied to measuring cups/spoons for life? Because in my mind there's hardly any difference between the two other than that one is easier and more accurate.

astronomicals

Overweight people have been proven to often underestimate their calories when counting them, in several studies. A scale helps eliminate the variable of you not being true to yourself.

I rarely use a scale, but, I didnt pull that fact outta my *kitten*. Its a fact, period. Dig up the data with your trusty google if you like. Be a devils advocate and say skinny people do it too. I could care less. There is more than one study where people were claiming having only eaten half of what they truly consumed. Scales eliminate this.

I agree that even if you are honest with yourself, and have good self control, using one for a while can help solidify portion sizes in your mind. Its like going back to the basics on a compound lift. A crash course in portion sizes can never hurt.

cwolfman13

I know that most of the people around these parts are huge advocates of weighing food but I am really reluctant to do so. Am I alone on this?
What I'm doing here is supposed to be a sustainable lifestyle choice and I just can't see whipping out my scale and weighing everything I eat for the rest of my life. It seems like a miserable fate to be tied to that kitchen scale for eternity.
I know that I probably feel this way because I've been seeing results without weighing, maybe if my weight loss stalls out I'll be singing a different tune but right now I'm choosing not to weigh food and I'm happy about it. (I do however use measuring cups and spoons)
Any other measuring cup/spoon lovers out there?

In my case, it's not about weighing food for the rest of my life...it was about learning what a proper portion of something is. I was incapable of estimating that before I got my food scale...now I can eyeball it pretty closely. It's just a tool...and let me tell you, 2 oz of dried pasta at 210 calories is a lot less than I thought it was before I started weighing it.

Fat *kitten*, for the most part are pretty ****ty about guestimating portions and intuitive eating...thus the reason they are fat *kitten* like I was.

lizziebeth1028

I know that most of the people around these parts are huge advocates of weighing food but I am really reluctant to do so. Am I alone on this?
What I'm doing here is supposed to be a sustainable lifestyle choice and I just can't see whipping out my scale and weighing everything I eat for the rest of my life. It seems like a miserable fate to be tied to that kitchen scale for eternity.
I know that I probably feel this way because I've been seeing results without weighing, maybe if my weight loss stalls out I'll be singing a different tune but right now I'm choosing not to weigh food and I'm happy about it. (I do however use measuring cups and spoons)
Any other measuring cup/spoon lovers out there?

I am right there with you!!! I will log my calories to the best of my abilities but I REFUSE to weigh my food. I like to rely on intuitive eating and commonsense when it comes to things like pasta or dining out at a restaurant or someone's house.

do you really think we take our scale to a resturant or a friends house????

too funny.

The majority of people..of course not!!! But I've read a few threads in the past where a few people did. Crazy! In the end it's what works best each of us individually.

JulsiePie

I don't bring my scale with my anywhere. It sits on my kitchen counter and when I make my meals at home, I use it. It's really not hard or restrictive.

Using a scale is much easier (not to mention way more accurate) than measuring cups and spoons. Plus, you don't have to dirty an extra cup or spoon because scales have a "tare" function. If you're using cups and spoons, you may as well use a scale.

Also, a scale is tremendously eye opening for what a serving size *actually* is.

^^^ My thoughts exactly - I love my food scale. It's been really helpful with my new lifestyle. I used to think I knew what a serving of cheese was....nope! But now when I cut off a chunk, I am pretty good at keeping it somewhat even (but I still weigh it lol).

Hornsby

Using a scale is faster than measuring cups or spoons so yes, I use them. People have already said why.

Also, for eating things like peanut butter and stuff in a jar, it's easiest to just put the jar on the scale, and take out till you have subtracted however much you are trying to get.

nancy10272004

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.

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.

mathjulz

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.