Do you use a food scale?

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Replies

  • fergie918
    fergie918 Posts: 8
    That is a very good idea. I am going to get one. No more guessing my portion size.
  • micheabr
    micheabr Posts: 72
    Only just bought one so I use it for everything haha. I've realised how much I underestimated how much I was eating :/
  • GODfidence
    GODfidence Posts: 249 Member
    I had a shock when I weighed 2 ounces of tuna. I never realized how much 2 ounces was. Now instead of eating 2 ounces, I have 1 - 1 1/2 ounces, which makes a big difference when you are counting calories.

    I weigh everything I put into my mouth, even the mix bag lettuce.

    2 ounces of tuna is only 50 calories......

    Lmbo I eat the whole big can in one sitting!

    Me too! I hate when people buy tuna and then complain about the smell when I'm eating it.
    I'm sorry fish smells like....fish?
  • JaimeLoves2run
    JaimeLoves2run Posts: 9 Member
    I weigh everything also. The biggest shocker for me was Peanutbutter. I enjoy PB on my toast. 2 Tablespoons is completely different than 32g. I was eating way more pb than I should. Also Just a slice of bread. On the package it says, for example, 80 calories for 1 slice (24g). I actually weighed a slice of bread and most times it weighs closer to 30g. Which means there is not 80 calories in that particular slice but there is instead 100 calories. Now if you have 2 slices of that based on what the package says, you are eating 40 more calories then you are logging. Do that all day long and you could be off by 200 plus calories. So you think your under at the end of the day and actually you could be 200 calories over. By the end of the week, No wonder the scale doesn't move if not possibly even go the wrong way. Trust me, when I started accurately weighing my food, the Body scale started dropping again : )
  • Daysednconfused
    Daysednconfused Posts: 975 Member
    I use mine for everything also. I started out just using it for meat, veggies, etc., then I weighed what I thought was tbsp of something and it was QUITE a few more grams than what the gram serving was for that tbsp. When you are talking about a few grams of peanut butter or butter, you can go over on calories by quite a lot!

    I bought a digital scale from Walmart. I'm pretty sure it was $20, but much more accurate than the non digital type. It doesn't have a brand name on the scale for me to tell you, but it has an attached glass weigh surface.
  • queenbea77
    queenbea77 Posts: 404 Member
    When I buy a bag of grilled chicken for my salads I weigh it out and put it in baggies then toss them in the freezer. I measure everything else (ie 1/2 cup cottage cheese). It all depends on what I am having. If something calls for an actual weight then I weigh, if it calls for a measurement then I measure. Especially my dressing for my salad.
  • jennieodwyer
    jennieodwyer Posts: 1,036 Member
    Yes I weigh everything in grams now. I used to measure using cups and tablespoons but found the scale to be much more accurate. I agree that just weighing your food to see correct portions will be a real eye opener before you even get to dieting!
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    I always use a scale or measuring cup. I was surprised at first how much I was overestimating a portion. The scale is really helping me see what a true portion is. It's a bit of a bother to measure and weigh everything but it's very eye-opening.
  • ashlinmarie
    ashlinmarie Posts: 1,263 Member
    I love my food scale! I was overestimating on things like peanut butter and underestimating on chicken...plus mfp has most "medium" apples as 80 calories....well my "medium" apples are 195-220 grams which is like 30-40 calories. same with bananas. It is just good to know my calorie count is closer to my target now.
  • toaster6
    toaster6 Posts: 703 Member
    I use it for everything. I notice a big difference between a serving when I use a measuring cup and a scale-- sometimes it looks like I get more food, sometimes less.
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
    I weigh everything.

    Why dirty measuring cups when I can use one plate or bowl with the tare function, and be actually accurate at the same time?

    I've also found that almost all of my liquids and sauces work out to very close to 1g per 1mL, despite not being pure water. So, that rule is close enough for me, and all of my liquids get weighed too.

    Scales are fast and easy once you've done it a few times.
  • BunkyBumBum
    BunkyBumBum Posts: 157 Member
    Best purchase I've ever made. I love mine, I weigh chips and stuff because a serving size of 1oz or "about 7 chips" is never "about 7 chips". I also use it in baking because it's more accurate for dry ingredients (1 cup of flour can vary quite a bit depending on how you scoop it, so it's best to go by weight).

    I have a cuisinart, I think I spent $40 for it 4 years ago, it still works great, it's easy to clean, and I use it all the time!
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    My food scale and notepad have purchased real estate on my countertop and nothing else is allowed to live there. I love weighing everything, but I was a chemist before I was a stay at home mom and maybe I am just being nostalgic.

    As far as accuracy in calorie tracking goes, though, a digital food scale is the most important thing in the world, even if you think it's a PITA. Get one and use it for everything.
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    As with everyone else, a food scale is a must!! Along with measuring cups. I measure and weigh everything, meat, pasta, rice, veggies, oils. You'll find that what you think is a certain amount is actually way more then reality.
  • Amanda21202
    Amanda21202 Posts: 210 Member
    A scale is a must. I love mine.
  • jc1961AA
    jc1961AA Posts: 283 Member
    I do, I have got a digital one, and takes only a bit of time to measure and write down for later enter on the MFP site.
    JC
  • FitN50s
    FitN50s Posts: 179 Member
    I weigh almost everything. I've used my digital scale so much the batteries are going out. I've been totally stressed this week hoping that it wouldn't quit on me completely before I could get them replaced. I removed them this morning and will get new ones after work today. It's amazing how "off" you can be when you are eyeballing your portions. Every little bit makes a difference.
  • dalgal26
    dalgal26 Posts: 781 Member
    Yes, I do use one. I weigh all my proteins. :smile:
  • shannonahenderson
    shannonahenderson Posts: 63
    Absolutely!!! I use it to prepare all of my meals...it's a necessary tool to make sure you have the appropriate serving size and to calculate your calories based on the serving size.

    Get one today! LOL!
  • Derpinaaa
    Derpinaaa Posts: 70 Member
    I bought a food scale to measure more accurately. I weigh my meat, cereal, cheeses, anything that doesn't come already portioned out. You'd be surprised. I found out that my "1 cup" serving size of cereal carried almost twice the weight the serving size was for.

    If you want better accuracy, invest in the scale. Even the digital ones are fairly cheap.

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