New at weighing foods.

niki108
niki108 Posts: 65 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Today is my first day. So I was weighing my PB in grams. I just wanted a tablespoon. So I weighed it and it said 19g. The PB container says 32g for 2 tablespoons. Do I just go by the nutrition label for 1 tablespoon or do I go by how much it weighed on my scale? Same with my sandwich thin but it weighed 5gramd more than the label.

Replies

  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    use the grams measurement, otherwise weighing in the first place is redundant. to find number of servings divide the weight of the item being measured by the weight of 1 serving, so for your PB do 19g/32g i.e. 0.59375 servings
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    Generally I take their word at items that already come in portions. For instance bread is quoted as say 50 calories a slice. I know the end piece isn't exactly right but don't over complicate your life and try to measure everything perfectly. There's no need to weigh the protein you get from a scoop if it says 1 scoop is really a 20 gram serving.

    Things you should weigh are what you can't measure easily as a liquid or in exactly replicated segments. Meats, pasta, peanut butter. Peanut butter is one of my favorites. Putting it in a measuring cup seems a waste since you can't get it all back out. I put the bread on the scale, push the tare button, and then add peanut butter directly on the bread till it weighs 32g.
  • JKDLady
    JKDLady Posts: 131 Member
    Congrats on learning this so early on! It took me a bit, and I think some never learn this.

    For solid foods, weigh them on a scale. I prefer grams, but I'm not sure that really matters. This morning I weighed my string cheese. Package said it should be 28 g. I weighed it, but it was 30 g. So I entered 1.1 servings.

    While there isn't a lot of difference in the calories, it does add up over time.

    Good luck with your journey!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    You're getting good advice above, but I just want to point out these two posts, which are really great guides to using a food scale and logging your foods here if you're looking for more details:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290491-how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale
  • Unknown
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  • becs3578
    becs3578 Posts: 836 Member
    Sauces, peanut butter and liquids in general I use a measuring spoon. Also for salt.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    If it were me, I'd put a little bit back in the jar until I got to 15g. I'm also the kind who puts my bread and plate on the scale, hits the Tare button, and then puts the peanut butter on the bread until it weighs what I want. Otherwise you lose some in the measuring cup or spoon.

    What you need to decide if the 18 calorie difference between 1 tablespoon and 1.186 tablespoons makes a difference to you and your calorie goals.
  • niki108
    niki108 Posts: 65 Member
    Oooh ok thanks so much!
  • niki108
    niki108 Posts: 65 Member
    .
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    I tend to map out my day with approx. values early in the day. Then as I prepare my meals, I go back and adjust the entries in MFP by exact weight. That way I have an idea of where things fit, if I need more protein or such. And make adjustments if needed.

    Such as today planning tilapia for dinner w/ salad & broccoli & rice. With ice cream for desert. Right now I'm looking at about 1470 calories for the day. (Generally my goal is 1400-1600.) If I end up with a larger or smaller piece of tilapia, it won't change much but I will edit. In the event I add a snack for the afternoon, I could just cut back on the amount of ice cream I have later.
  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
    Today is my first day. So I was weighing my PB in grams. I just wanted a tablespoon. So I weighed it and it said 19g. The PB container says 32g for 2 tablespoons. Do I just go by the nutrition label for 1 tablespoon or do I go by how much it weighed on my scale? Same with my sandwich thin but it weighed 5gramd more than the label.
    And now you know the value of a food scale! Before you would've recorded that 1 tablespoon of pb as .5 of a serving, when in actuality it was .59375 servings of peanut butter (ie, close to 20 calories). Now imagine how fast all those unaccounted for calories add up over the course of a day/week/month. Have fun with your scale--it will really help a lot!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Never trust the '1 slice', '1 tablespoon', '1 cup' values. Always use grams.

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