What is so wrong with guesstimating?
Replies
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What's wrong with guesstimating is it doesn't give you an accurate picture of your calorie and macro intake.
That being said, if you're losing, and guesstimating is working for you at the moment- more power to you!
I would say if/when you hit a plateau, get out the measuring cups and food scale. Knowing your intake is being logged 99% accurately may help you identify some places where you were over/under guesstimating and could be the key to a plateau breakthrough.
Good luck!0 -
If you're losing weight and you're happy with your progress, keep doing whatever it is you're doing.
But be aware that as you get closer to your goal, the accuracy will matter more. If at some point you stop losing, or slow down more than you think is appropriate, take another look at what you're doing to look for areas you can improve.0 -
If it's working, don't worry about it. When you plateau and/or get closer to goal, you may need to start measuring properly.0
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If it's working for you I wouldn't change it. Try to measure what you can. I have always measured food as far as TBS, cups, etc. to determine serving sizes for things that come with multiple servings like oatmeal, dressing, etc. For meats I look to see how many ounces are in a package, like a tube of ground turkey has 16 ounces so if it looks like I had 1/4 of the package I log 4 ounces. It has worked great for me. If I eat at a restaurant I try to find the calories from the restaurant and if I can't find it I log something similar.
I have seen people on here say that you need to weigh all of your food... even when bread comes in a package at 100 calories a slice some people would say you need to weighta slice to confirm the weight matches what the package is claiming. To me, that's overkill and I wouldn't want to live that way. A few extra pounds would be worth not getting THAT obsessive about food, although my "estimating" method is working just fine.0 -
This is just about what I've been doing and so far so good. I totally agree that it does take a while at first to get used to the size of a real "portion", and also that keeping a deficit buffer is a good idea just in case a guesstimate is significantly off. That's what I use my exercise calories for: I enter them as exercise so I get to log the workout and then delete them as a miscellaneous-calorie snack so the two cancel each other out, but if I go a few over at the end of the day I know I'm really covered. I've been losing about a pound a week, right on track. It can be done; just be honest and realistic (and check yourself occasionally).0
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For the easy/hard aspect... Its easy for me. Food scale is on the kitchen counter. I put a plate/bowl/whatever on it, hit the on/off button. Scale comes up to 0 weight. I put food in/on and see the weight. Tare if I'm adding a different food. I do the same thing at work when putting food together for lunch. I did buy a 2nd scale to keep in the office.
I still go with the if it works/keep doing it mantra. But if you have a food scale, use it from time to time. Just to get used to it, learn portions, etc. as has been mentioned.0 -
i love weighing and measuring my food. its so easy for me. estimating actually seems like more work to me. if i weigh it i don't have to think about it, the scale does.
and another word about estimating, i use to estimate my oatmeal using a measuring cup. on a whim i thought, meh, ill weigh it. a serving is suppose to be 40g of dried oatmeal. My measuring cup scoop was 70g. almost double! a difference of 110 calories. If you don't think that will make a difference on your weight gain/loss you're in for a surprise.
I hear what you are saying about not having to think too much. I enjoy weighing when it is convenient, and since my scale is on the counter where I prepare my food a lot of times it doesn't take much effort. But it is easy to get obsessive with it, to the point where you pass up things you normally wouldn't because you can't weigh it (like eating food someone else prepared). Or if you forgot to measure something pre-cooked and now you need to serve yourself and you know the weight of the food cooked is much much different than raw (like meat or pasta)--this is especially true when you are cooking for a family with the hopes of some leftovers, so servings ends up being fuzzy at best. This could lead to burn out and giving up all together.
I think weighing and measuring doesn't have to be tedious and time consuming, but it is easy to become obsessive. That is why I think it is better to use it as a recheck, as a way to get a handle on your portions and a tool to help you become better at estimating rather than as a rule that must be followed with the precision of a scientist is more effective for most people for long term.
However, if you are estimating and not getting the results you expect or want then that means you need to weigh and measure to get back on track. I think that being good at estimating requires an occasional reality check.
I also noticed that the opposite of your oatmeal example is sometimes the case. I have been eating my 1 cup of yogurt according to the label (using my measuring cups), but when I actually weighed it I found that 227 grams was much more than my typical 1 cup measurement. So it works both ways. It is good to have this information.0 -
My mum used to bake a lot, so she could literally put knife to butter get so many ounces, water in pan almost pin point perfect, so for her was a very accurate guess, now me, no chance, my judgement skills on sizes are terrible.
So as the saying goes, if it works, don't fix it, when it breaks, back to the old drawing board.
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If I am estimating some amounts and still losing am I still doing it "wrong"? I never tried counting calories in the past, it seemed too complicated. I started using this app to get an idea of how many calories I was eating daily. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it is.
I do measure some things, but shared meals, I guess. I think when I have less to lose I may need to be more accurate.
I am getting a little overwhelmed and actually that isn't something I want to do for the rest of my life, but I will if it helps me learn portion sizes.
Two things spring to mind:
-if you're losing weight then you're probably estimating fine.
-I wouldn't look at your past efforts as some kind of positive experience - otherwise you wouldn't be here, would you? 0 -
If I am estimating some amounts and still losing am I still doing it "wrong"? I never tried counting calories in the past, it seemed too complicated. I started using this app to get an idea of how many calories I was eating daily. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it is.
I do measure some things, but shared meals, I guess. I think when I have less to lose I may need to be more accurate.
I am getting a little overwhelmed and actually that isn't something I want to do for the rest of my life, but I will if it helps me learn portion sizes.
Two things spring to mind:
-if you're losing weight then you're probably estimating fine.
-I wouldn't look at your past efforts as some kind of positive experience - otherwise you wouldn't be here, would you?
No, they weren't positive. I think it was because i had no plan, was too restrictive, and didn't know how to correct for problems. And, I don't think I am as good as some people at judging amounts, I just have a buffer. When my weight goes down I will have to be more careful. I meant my recent experience using this app this month has been positive. From the responses I am getting it seems like I need to get a scale. I already know I can't judge a tablespoon of peanutbutter and that adds up.
So, I want a digital that tares and weighs grams. Is there anything else i need to know? My husband will want to buy the cheapest one.,
Thanks for all the input. I read the sticky on weighing and I will re-read but if there is anything anyone can add that would be great0 -
Your body will eventually plateau and this is where you would have to invest in a food scale and change your routine up a bit cause for some strange reason your body will adapt to the same exercise program:mad: and you will be stuck. Just FYI for the future. 0
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Your body will eventually plateau and this is where you would have to invest in a food scale and change your routine up a bit cause for some strange reason your body will adapt to the same exercise program:mad: and you will be stuck. Just FYI for the future.
Thank you. I am a long way from being adapted to any routine, just starting out. When I get there I will ask for help and will have accurate measurements 0 -
It can seem like it's overwhelming or a chore, but once you get into the habit of weighing your food it takes very little effort. If you are still losing while estimating keep doing what you are doing, but if you plateau it might be something to look into.
My suggestion for now is to just work on getting into the habit of logging everything and take things one step at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Edited to add in this picture that might help you with estimating portion sizes.
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No, they weren't positive. I think it was because i had no plan, was too restrictive, and didn't know how to correct for problems. And, I don't think I am as good as some people at judging amounts, I just have a buffer. When my weight goes down I will have to be more careful. I meant my recent experience using this app this month has been positive. From the responses I am getting it seems like I need to get a scale. I already know I can't judge a tablespoon of peanutbutter and that adds up.
So, I want a digital that tares and weighs grams. Is there anything else i need to know? My husband will want to buy the cheapest one.,
Thanks for all the input. I read the sticky on weighing and I will re-read but if there is anything anyone can add that would be great
Once you get into the habit, it becomes quite simple. As you say, it will give you an idea of how much you can eat for any particular goal.0 -
As others on here have said, if it is working for you go ahead and keep doing it. I would recommend buying a cheap food scale though. Weigh things that have a lot of calories in them. Get yourself some little dishes that hold condiments. Peanut butter, mayo, dressings, etc. Weigh your meats that you eat as well. Start small and weigh a couple things a week so that you get used to using a food scale. Overtime, it becomes easier and by the time you have lost a lot of weight and are close to your calorie goal, and are really needing to use the scale, you 2 will be like old friends.0
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.I think I will burn out if I try too much at once.
You have the right attitude, make small changes you can maintain. Start measuring/weighing when you are ready. I measure and weigh most of the time. At first my family thought I was nuts but it works.0 -
If you're losing at a rate that satisfies you, then don't over complicate it. It's BETTER if you can lose with guesstimating.0
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If I am estimating some amounts and still losing am I still doing it "wrong"? I never tried counting calories in the past, it seemed too complicated. I started using this app to get an idea of how many calories I was eating daily. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it is.
I do measure some things, but shared meals, I guess. I think when I have less to lose I may need to be more accurate.
I am getting a little overwhelmed and actually that isn't something I want to do for the rest of my life, but I will if it helps me learn portion sizes.
Counting calories is complicated?
I would say that we all generally will cheat in our favor if we are guesstimating. Not everyone but most would record the calories conservatively.0 -
It can seem like it's overwhelming or a chore, but once you get into the habit of weighing your food it takes very little effort. If you are still losing while estimating keep doing what you are doing, but if you plateau it might be something to look into.
My suggestion for now is to just work on getting into the habit of logging everything and take things one step at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Edited to add in this picture that might help you with estimating portion sizes.
Thank you. I like the pic,0 -
If I am estimating some amounts and still losing am I still doing it "wrong"? I never tried counting calories in the past, it seemed too complicated. I started using this app to get an idea of how many calories I was eating daily. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it is.
I do measure some things, but shared meals, I guess. I think when I have less to lose I may need to be more accurate.
I am getting a little overwhelmed and actually that isn't something I want to do for the rest of my life, but I will if it helps me learn portion sizes.
Counting calories is complicated?
I would say that we all generally will cheat in our favor if we are guesstimating. Not everyone but most would record the calories conservatively.
Maybe it is just an idea I have in my head that isn't true. They used to have books with the different calories and you would have to write them all down, and places like weight watchers have shortcuts to make it easier to guess calories, so yes I thought it would be harder than it seems to be.0 -
.I think I will burn out if I try too much at once.
You have the right attitude, make small changes you can maintain. Start measuring/weighing when you are ready. I measure and weigh most of the time. At first my family thought I was nuts but it works.
Thank you. My husband says we do have a scale around here so I am going to find it. I don't think it is digital. If it works I will give it a shot 0 -
For me, I thought I was pretty darn good at estimating. But once I started to really accurately log my foods I was gobsmacked by how far off I was on some meals. Thing is, it goes both ways!
I finally started to weigh out some foods (I don't do all, for instance I wont weigh a large egg, or a slice of bread or a cup of milk) and found to my delight that 28grams of a certain brand of tortilla chips was NOT nearly the same as the suggested number of 10 chips. It was 18!
Same thing with some extra fancy salted peanuts. One serving was 35 grams, or 3 tablespoons. Nope- 35 grams measured out to be 1/3 of a cup or 5.3 tablespoons. Yeah!
Once you get in the habit of logging food you'll remember a lot of them and if you're not concerned about the macros- you can use the 'quick calories'.0 -
For me, I thought I was pretty darn good at estimating. But once I started to really accurately log my foods I was gobsmacked by how far off I was on some meals. Thing is, it goes both ways!
I finally started to weigh out some foods (I don't do all, for instance I wont weigh a large egg, or a slice of bread or a cup of milk) and found to my delight that 28grams of a certain brand of tortilla chips was NOT nearly the same as the suggested number of 10 chips. It was 18!
Same thing with some extra fancy salted peanuts. One serving was 35 grams, or 3 tablespoons. Nope- 35 grams measured out to be 1/3 of a cup or 5.3 tablespoons. Yeah!
Once you get in the habit of logging food you'll remember a lot of them and if you're not concerned about the macros- you can use the 'quick calories'.
Thank you. I am sure it gets easier and you start to repeat.0 -
I agree with other posters. If you're happy with how it's going, no need to change it.
BUT, I'll share with you what's helped me to never have to count calories and lose consistently: I eat from the salad plate EXCLUSIVELY. 8" plates will naturally portion out your food as is literally impossible to put a bigger amount of what you need to eat. Try it, then weigh the food, just so you can see if I correlates with the sizes you need to be eating.0 -
If you're losing at a rate that satisfies you, then don't over complicate it. It's BETTER if you can lose with guesstimating.
^^ Excellent advice (as is always the case from Sabine).
That said, as you probably already know, there are some things where guesstimating carries more risks than others. If I guess that I have eaten 3 cups of shredded Romaine lettuce, and it's really 4, then I'm off by only 5 calories. If I guess that I dipped my bread in 3 teaspoons of olive oil, but it was really 4, then I'm off by 40 calories.
I use sizes (small, medium, large) for things like green peppers, carrots, etc., where errors have little effect on the overall calorie total. I don't always weigh cheese, meat, peanut butter, mayo, etc., but I try to do so a few times a month, so that I stay honest in my guesstimates. Tonight, for instance, I'm making penne with caramelized onions, green peppers, green beans, and ham, tossed with parmesan and basil. I'll weigh the penne, ham, and parmesan, guesstimate the onions, peppers, and beans, and leave the basil out because really, 5 basil leaves have practically no calories. And I will measure the wine that I have along with it.0 -
I agree with other posters. If you're happy with how it's going, no need to change it.
BUT, I'll share with you what's helped me to never have to count calories and lose consistently: I eat from the salad plate EXCLUSIVELY. 8" plates will naturally portion out your food as is literally impossible to put a bigger amount of what you need to eat. Try it, then weigh the food, just so you can see if I correlates with the sizes you need to be eating.
I like that. My brother does that because he likes to have a full plate even if it is less food.0 -
Guesstimating is great, if you're willing to make adjustments. If you're guessing and not losing weight at 1200, drop it to 1000 or 800 or wherever you start losing. Odds are that you won't really be eating 800 calories a day, you'll be eating 1300 calories a day, because you guess wrong.
But as long as you get to a point where you're guessing and losing, it doesn't matter a bit.
People who weigh have their reasons. People who guess have theirs.
I really think guessing might be the smarter way to go, as you'll learn more about how to eat without a scale.
I lost like 40 pounds before I even thought about calories, much less considered considered counting them. It can be done. 0 -
I like it also.It can seem like it's overwhelming or a chore, but once you get into the habit of weighing your food it takes very little effort. If you are still losing while estimating keep doing what you are doing, but if you plateau it might be something to look into.
My suggestion for now is to just work on getting into the habit of logging everything and take things one step at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Edited to add in this picture that might help you with estimating portion sizes.
Thank you. I like the pic,0 -
Estimating portions does work well... for a while. However, when my weight loss starts to a stall I like to rely on weighing out my portions. I find my guesstimates tend to grow over time along with my weight. I can get a half a jar of peanut butter onto one tablespoon...
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QFT This. Exactly. We must get our spoons at the same place...0
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