Food scale? Yes or No?

MassiveDelta

Food scale is highly recommended if you're serious about success.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

this

Alicia_Monique

I love my food scale. Mostly because I found out that I was eating less than I should have! Especially with nuts. And I can't live without pecans and almonds.

ssb1004

Just bought one this weekend. I used it to weigh 1 oz of cheese and I was suprised about the amount, I was over guessing before.

LA723

Yes I use one. I bought one last month after reading a similar thread on here. I've noticed that some things I actually get more of now that I am not guessing. It's been very helpful.

magoch

Absolutely -- I've found the scale makes a huge difference. My husband and I ate out last night and it was killing me not to have a scale. We tried to see if there was an app for our phones (turns out, there's not one that works reliably). I know the portion size to weight visual cues (a pack of cards, fist, pair of dice...) but eyeballing sashimi (1 oz?) and edamame was really tough.

dumb_blondes_rock

I use the paula deen food scale....it was like 15 dollars at walmart.....we buy all our meat in bulk, so when we come home we weigh out pieces and put them in individual packages.....if you dont' measure you are really allowing yourself to overeat and underestimate your caloric intake....one breast is usually 2 serving sizes

chefanie85

My other trick: I went to the dollar store and bought a ton a small plastic containers. I weigh out portions of different foods and the keep them in their own containers so it's easy to grab-n-go.

Love this idea!! I'm totally stealing this!!

Terrilmk

food scale, measuring cups and spoons. I use all of it. :happy:

IronmanPanda

Best investment I've made besides my HRM and my bike.

ShalisaClam

Digital scale all the way.... great investment.

embersfallen

yes. definatally. Walmart has a nice reasonablly priced digital.... I portion things out into baggies after measuring them, especially after I cook chicken etc...then pop them in the freezer so I don;t have to worry about not being sure...!

Dawnd92

Absolutely love my scale. Couldn't manage without it. I have a digital scale that measures in grams and ounces/pounds.

hotmama1174

Before getting one I was like 'who needs a food scale-just a waste of money'-then my girlfriend got one and got one for me and my meal portions have never been the same!!! Who knew weighting your food could be so important and empowering! yes get the food scale!

inetgirl

Please help. I want to know how many food loggers use a scale for accurate measuring~do you, or do you guesstimate portions?

Never guess, guessing can mean the difference of a few hundred calories when it comes to stuff such as cheese and the higher calorie foods.

I use a digital scale that weighs in grams, I would not be without it.

Watch the following YouTube video - this was posted on these Forums by somebody else, but I have copied and pasted the link for you because after watching it (it's only around five minutes long), you will seriously think about buying scales. The video shows just how easy it is to misjudge, even by a tiny bit, it will send your calories out and could mean the difference between losing weight - or putting weight on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

Thanks!! I was wondering about this too.

INSANITY43

I have a really nice WW digital scale...use it 95% of the time...it weighs in grams and ounces which is great since many MFP foods are listed in grams. My adult son came home for a visit ...saw it on the counter and asked his little sister...."So, mom does crack now???" :laugh:

lts42uk

I couldn't live without my food scale

This. The food scale has been the #1 most helpful thing with regard to my weight loss. No joke.

This! No scales would be a disaster - particularly with pasta!

ArwenP

I don't use a scale, but I'm an avid label reader and I am very good at judging portion sizes from the label. For me, putting everything on a scale is too stressful. I may be off by a few calories, but not so much that I don't continue to lose weight. Maybe I could lose a little faster if I weighed everything, but the quality of my life would be less from worrying about every half ounce. I'd rather exercise a few more minutes to give myself a safety margin, and not worry about the food as much. That's just my preference.

embersfallen

Yes....and measuring cups and tablespoons...I measure everything. And the best part is, after a while you're able to determine what a portion size is by looking at it yourself, which is great when you're at a party or a restaurant.

this too!!! I keep measuring spoons in my desk at work.... dollar stores are also awesome for those

Goosiesnougs

Have had a food scale for a while.
Digital from Target....I had been "screwing" myself out of food for the longest time!!
I get to eat SOOOO much more when it's weighed out than measuring food into a cup. Plus they're just so much more accurate.

cip1

when I've joined MFP I started using an electronic scale - it really was an eye opener
It is quite shocking how easy it is to underestimate how much you're eating.

Catplumb

i'm a bit of both - some things i weigh, but others i go with my instinct!

Jujubie

When I first bought the food scale, I was shocked by how horribly off I was in estimating portions. I' getting better at it but still use the scale to confirm. That way, if I'm somewhere with no scale, I feel That I can guess much better than before. It is really easy to use and no extra dishes to wash.

JDMPWR

I used one for about 80% of what I eat. otherwise it's measured in a cup.

nikbolok

Absolutely..... when I guess I'm wrong 99% of the time. Also, know how much your soup bowls hold--- I just learned that I have been underestimating by one whole cup!!!!!!!!!!! UGH!

kenlad64

Get a food scale, use it daily at first until you intelligently estimate. It should be a required tool for anyone trying to improve, you'll be happy you got it!

woodmetal

Okay Dumb Question..... How do you log the calories then by weight?? I use measure cups and spoons but never thought about a scale! I am not losing like I had hoped so maybe i am not doing this right!

GLOROD68

I think using a scale is great! I have been using one since March 2011. I am more aware on the portions of food I am eating.

ladylaine

:bigsmile: :bigsmile: YES I LOVE MY FOOD SCALE IT ALSO HELPS ME WITH PORTION CONTROL

Famzav8

YES! I spent about $25 on one when I first started on here and have been really happy with it. You can guess what 4 oz of chicken looks like, 2 oz beef, etc...... but once I saw it on the scale I realized that I was not anywhere close.

fififox

Absolutely! After about 4 mths of mfp, weighing all my food, I finally decided that I would start judging by eye to save time as I felt I would have a good idea of portion sizes. After 2 weeks of gaining or not moving I went back to the scales. I thought I was really being accurate, but I am sure now that I must have been off because once I started weighing again I started to drop again.