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

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  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
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    It would not be a for ever thing, scales really help with portion control.

    Once you have used them for a while you get used to what things approximately weigh.

    So true... it helps you get a better perspective on what's what and I can now judge what 100g of this and that are without always getting out the scales, but I still always weigh my cereals because there's such a difference between cinnamon toasties and cheerios and crunchy-nut clusters :tongue:
  • Hernandeak11
    Hernandeak11 Posts: 351 Member
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    I personally slightly underestimate weight I found out when I decided to try out my parents' food scale

    I'm probably never going to buy one, but to each their own.
  • laurarpa
    laurarpa Posts: 244 Member
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    I love my scale and actually found out I was overestimating a lot. For instance, I thought I had 6 oz of chicken and it was only 4. I'm actually quite accurate at estimating now but I still like to use it sometimes.
  • SteffieMark
    SteffieMark Posts: 1,723 Member
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    Thank you for this advice. I added it to my Sunday morning shopping list. I can't wait to use it.
  • DFWTT
    DFWTT Posts: 374
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    +1. Got the Taylor Biggest Loser one from Wally World with the glass top. Useful for portion control of high cal beverages like milk and wine, cereal, protein powder and other supplements. Mostly dry goods and ingredients for recipes go on it and it looks good in the kitchen too. TIP: buy some wax paper for the top so you aren't having to constantly clean it.
  • emyishardcore
    emyishardcore Posts: 352 Member
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    Where can you get food scales from?
    I currently measure my food w/ measuring cups. :)
  • AVinmill
    AVinmill Posts: 88 Member
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    Agreed. What's the point in tracking cals/macros if you are always estimating everything and are probably way off. A scale should be one of the first things you get when deciding to eat healthy. I got a Presidents Choice brand digital scale from the Real Canadian Superstore and it is amazing. I think it was only 20-30 too.
  • sondra216379
    sondra216379 Posts: 174 Member
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    I agree it's a must for me!
  • lausa22
    lausa22 Posts: 467 Member
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    I actually had been overestimating my portions.
    I would put 100g in when I'd actually be eating like 80g.
    To be honest, I just stick to what looks good in my diary, like if I wasn't really sure about how big a portion was, I'd take a guess to the nearest 10g or something.
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
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    Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I'm buying a food scale right now on Amazon. I've been procrastinating buying a new one for years.The one I have is very cumbersome to use, so I often don't. Do you have a recommendation?
  • shanice_22
    shanice_22 Posts: 202 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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: 2,449 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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.

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