To anyone who doesn't have a food scale. . .

24

Replies

  • shanice_22
    shanice_22 Posts: 202 Member
    I have one and used to use it religiously. Now I tend to only use it for food I can measure out easily but things like butter I can generally guess as I'm used to what the portion size looks like now. Poured some pasta out the other day and guessed it was about 50g then put it on the scale to see out of interest and it was 40g so I'm not too far off. I do guess with milk in my tea though, I have measured it out once before though so can kind of hazard a somewhat near accurate guess.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    My digital scale was only $10 (I get their emails and get sent a coupon for $10 sales every few weeks) and I love it! I've had it for 6 months now.

    http://www.kitchenstuffplus.com/6597-KSP-Cuisine-Digital-Kitchen-Scale-Black.aspx
  • katmix
    katmix Posts: 296 Member
    Where can you get food scales from?
    I currently measure my food w/ measuring cups. :)

    I agree that different tools are helpful...just depends on the person. Personally, I only use measuring cups, and have not needed one.

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  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
    Agreed, a scale is a must. Why bother tracking your food intake if you're not going to try and be accurate? It seems pointless to lie to yourself like that.
  • PinkiePie07
    PinkiePie07 Posts: 103 Member
    I didn't want one but my boyfriend and room mate were both getting annoyed with me asking "how many ounces is this?" or "Would you say this is a cup?". So, they came home one day with a scale for me and said, very politely, to never ask them questions about food portions or weight again. :laugh:

    I like it, because it takes all the guess work out of it. I still make sure I eat enough and don't freak out about calories or anything. Just a helpful tool.
  • JersryGirl31
    JersryGirl31 Posts: 167
    You really need to use a food scale (in the beginning at least). Once you learn how much your portion weighs, you should be able to estimate. According to the news, the calorie count reported by restaurants and food companies can be +/- 20%. That means a serving that is reported a 100 cal could be anywhere from 80 to 120 cal. It's not worth going crazy.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    I purchased a digital scale on amazon for about $20. I find it to be a really great tool. Especially for meat. And avocado.

    I am not great about guesstimating meat yet, but it helps keep me in check for sure.

    But I'll be honest, I don't really log everything. I generally don't add spices or salt to my log. I only remember to add lemon juice or lime juice or vinegar 50% of the time. Sometimes I don't bother with adding the onions or garlic that I use in a recipe. It might me a teaspoon to a tablespoon.

    And when I get sick of drinking water, I tend to add some flavor. A splash of juice or a nuun tablet. I generally don't log that either.

    I usually forget to log that too. And yup, I will fully admit, I never remember to log samples at the grocery store. So on a given day, either from mis-measuring or forgetfulness, I am sure there are 50-100 calories that aren't accounted for. And I am OK with that.

    My weight loss results improved when I promoted my scale from on top of the microwave to my general "workspace" in my kitchen, since it encourages me to measure everything when I am cooking. I tend to eye ball the oil or broth or vinegar that I use when preparing a recipe.

    My measuring cups and scale are the most popular tools in my kitchen. The measuring spoons? Not so much. :D
  • JersryGirl31
    JersryGirl31 Posts: 167
    I also go by the old estimate that a serving of meat should be no bigger than a deck of cards.
  • donna_glasgow
    donna_glasgow Posts: 869 Member
    I have them already and weigh everything, I dont think you can log accurately without them ... I dont find im obsessed thou ... as I didnt touch the scales for a year when I was maintaining ... and managed to not gain as I know what things roughly weigh :)
  • bcampbell54
    bcampbell54 Posts: 932 Member
    Thanks, but if I got to the stage I was measuring everything I ate, I would consider myself to have an eating disorder. I have managed to lose all the weight I wanted to without one.
    Good for you.

    I believe the point of the OP is well taken however, especially in this world of gigantic portion sizes.
  • piebird79
    piebird79 Posts: 201 Member
    You can get one at Amazon as well. I have the Escali digital scale.

    On another note, before joining MFP I had no idea people weighed their food for weight loss. It makes sense, it just never occurred to me. I've had my digital scale for a while and primarily use it when I bake cakes and only rarely use it to weigh my foods for weight loss.
  • hazelnut861
    hazelnut861 Posts: 390 Member
    I've had one for a long time and i thought I'd get too crazy about weighing everything, but I'm more aware of what a portion is. It also came with a little booklet with calories per gram so i can find a more accurate match on mfp.
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
    I bought one for a dollar a Woolworths about 30 years ago, and I still use it at work. (I've got a bigger one from the cooking store for home.) We're not measuring cocaine. It's close enough.

    If weighing your food makes you OCD, maybe you'd be better off with Weight Watchers points than with MFP, which is built on measuring calorie consumption to three significant figures. Not everyone is suited to every plan. The MFP people have been pretty clear that they don't intend this for people with eating disorders.

    For me, this works because food is just food and numbers are just numbers, and the app deals with all that, not me. I'm not eating because I'm bored or feel depressed or feel I deserve to eat because I've been put upon. I eat because I'm hungry and I have calories left.

    (It occurred to me recently that people who get OCD from weighing themselves might do better if they switched their digital scales to kilograms or pounds from whatever they use now, just so it isn't triggering memories.)
  • KatFierce
    KatFierce Posts: 252 Member
    I need to get one my biggest issue is meat and fish portions SO hard to figure without a scale
  • DFWTT
    DFWTT Posts: 374
    <snip> We're not measuring cocaine. It's close enough.<snip>

    Bwahaahaa. I said $50 fool...measure it again. Nice lol.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I have one, but I only use it for about 1/4 of the stuff I eat. Calorie counts are always going to be an estimate, anyway...

    exactly... though I'd use it for less than 1/4.
  • robot_potato
    robot_potato Posts: 1,535 Member
    I loved mine until it died last week. Honestly, i'm a little lost without it. I'm getting a new one on thursday though, hopefully it will help me out of the funk i'm in.
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
    To be honest I thought everyone with a kitchen would own a set of kitchen scales.

    But I agree, they are a must, I find weighing out portions helps so much, to be honest before I didn't really care I'd just throw stuff in a pan not caring what portion was, my kitchen scales were only every used for when I was baking cakes or bread but now I weigh everything to control my portions.
  • Silver_Star
    Silver_Star Posts: 1,351 Member
    I have a question.

    i have been using a scale, but the problem i have is...say I weigh out some chicken ( 8 oz) , when i type chicken into the food database to look it up...all i get are measurements in cups or grams.....do i just assume that 8 oz is 1 cup and log it in as 1 cup?

    sorry... i know its a stupid question..im just getting used to the whole weighing things out before eating. :blushing:
  • kstone70
    kstone70 Posts: 19 Member
    My food scale is by far the best investment I have ever made (as well as my HRM). I have a SALTER and absolutely love it. I weigh just about everything. Although I have only been on MFP for a couple months, I have used my scale daily for a long, long time. Maybe I am a little addicted because I want to know exactly how many calories I am eating and burning.
  • Taylerr88
    Taylerr88 Posts: 320 Member
    got one at canadian tire for like 15 bucks.. its a must have for sure.
  • russellma
    russellma Posts: 284 Member
    Thanks, but if I got to the stage I was measuring everything I ate, I would consider myself to have an eating disorder. I have managed to lose all the weight I wanted to without one.

    This is me, too. For meat, I try to remember that a deck of cards is approx. 3 oz. For other things, I visualize 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, etc. cup and fit my portions into those. I wouldn't do well if I had to measure everything I put onto my plate, but that's just me.

    I don't think it's a total necessity, but I think people that aren't seeing a loss with their own estimations might want to consider a scale.
  • Lost_Mermaid
    Lost_Mermaid Posts: 136
    I got a scale but havent really used it yet because I dont know how many calories are in the meat. Ive tried searching online, but the variances are ridiculous, is 4 oz of chicken 100 calories or 180 calories...i'm pretty confused with it
  • chicpeach
    chicpeach Posts: 302 Member
    I love salads, but it's tough to eyeball 2oz of a baby spring mix. So much easier to measure! Spaghetti noodles are another tough measure because the package always lists a fraction of the package and a weight - not a measuring cup. Broken chips, got to weigh those or I will surely be over generous in estimating what constitutes a whole chip.

    Even if you don't weigh and measure every single time, it's good to use one to calibrate your own settings every once in a while. I find that if I don't measure my cereal into a cup before dumping it in a bowl, over a period of months, that cup will grow to be substantially more than a cup. I say measure, if not regularly, at least weight and/or measure once in a while.
  • strawberrie_milk
    strawberrie_milk Posts: 381 Member
    I agree! Food scales have made my life so much easier. Now I know exactly how much I'm eating :)
  • DFWTT
    DFWTT Posts: 374
    I have a question.

    i have been using a scale, but the problem i have is...say I weigh out some chicken ( 8 oz) , when i type chicken into the food database to look it up...all i get are measurements in cups or grams.....do i just assume that 8 oz is 1 cup and log it in as 1 cup?

    sorry... i know its a stupid question..im just getting used to the whole weighing things out before eating. :blushing:

    That's what I do if the measurement units are not meshing. Most scales switch between oz and grams. Either way, ignoring the density and temperature variables, I would estimate 8oz at 225g (denser than H2O). Chances are you wont be eating anything lighter than water. Some people will say about 240g.
  • alylynn10
    alylynn10 Posts: 44 Member
    I agree!! I'm in love with my food scale....I can't live without it.
  • entropy83
    entropy83 Posts: 172 Member
    Digital food scale all the way! I also think it has improved my ability to actually eyeball portions when I can't measure. I love using it for measuring condiments i.e. salad dressing, nut butters, cream cheese. Tablespoons are evil little devices.
  • WittneeT29
    WittneeT29 Posts: 47 Member
    I love my digital food scale! Not only does it help with portion control, it leaves me with less dishes (measuring cups, etc.) to clean. I don't cook anything without it!!
  • sharleengc
    sharleengc Posts: 792 Member
    I go through phases with mine...I use it more when i have a lower calorie goal then when I've adjusted mine higher...I change mine every few months to switch things up.

    I'm using mine more now because my husband is back home so I have to cook for two. I find that if I make our things together, i over eat and have way more than i intend...so I weigh my meat out and cook it in a separate pan than his
    Meat is really the only thing that I weigh for the most part...

    Pasta I used to weigh but now I can eyeball it pretty good...every now and then i check myself and I'm .1 or .2 off so not bad.

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