Food Scale?

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Any body use a food scale to measure out portions, If so what brand and where did you get it and has it helped with your weight lose. Been thinking about getting one but im kinda on the fence on this, Thanks for your input :smile:
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  • sydnisd183
    sydnisd183 Posts: 247 Member
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    i got a general analog scale from walmart for about $5 and i've been using it for the past 5+ years or so. it gets the job done just fine. i do want to graduate to the $20 digital scale that you can put the empty plate on and zero out....hm maybe i can ask for that as one of my Christmas presents lol
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
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    Yes, I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Digital-Kitchen-Silver/dp/B001N07KUE/ref=pd_sim_hpc_2

    Got it at amazon.com.

    I think it really helps, yes. You know that your portions are recorded accurately. You'll seriously be shocked at how different the portions are when you weight them vs. measuring them. Sometimes it's a good surprise and you get a larger portion, and sometimes it's a really, really bad surprise.

    When you have a lot to lose, you can get away without one for quite a long time. But as you get closer to goal and those deficits get smaller, it becomes very important to be accurate. If you're down to a 250 calorie deficit, being 50 calories off with every meal and snack means you have NO deficit!

    It's also invaluable for recipes. When I cook something, I weigh the entire recipe and then divide it into portions using the scale.
  • rnhoppe
    rnhoppe Posts: 111 Member
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    I have a really nice digital scale. It displays in oz, grams, lbs, etc) I think it was $18.00 at Walmart. Got it last month.
  • crmason88
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    I have a cheap one from walmart...I think it was around $10 and it was worth every penny. It is amazing the weights of some things, and really helps me keep track of my food more accurately. I highly recommend one, you'll use it for everything!
  • 780ck
    780ck Posts: 40 Member
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    I love my food scale & wouldn't be without it. Allows for accuracy. The first month was shocking for being over and under. Mine was from Walmart and around $20. It lets you put on the plate and zero it out. It goes between grams and oz. Small so it doesn't take up too much space. Found it to be very helpful. Good luck.
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
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    Only way to know what you're eating. I got mine thru Bed, Bath & Beyond with coupon but this is the one: http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Biggest-Pounds-Kitchen-Platform/dp/B001DQOEIE/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1346814254&sr=1-2&keywords=big+loser+scale

    You can zero it out, has ounces & grams
  • tammyj83
    tammyj83 Posts: 159 Member
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    I received a Salter digital kitchen scale for Christmas, way back...at least 10 years ago. It's a great tool, and I highly recommend it!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    I only bought one recently and didn't use one last year when I was losing weight.
    It is definitely a nice tool to have, though not absolutely essential. I used cups, package measurements and estimates for most of the time and that has worked well for me.
    Since I have a good scale I've been measuring things now and again - and have found that I'm not usually too far off in my estimates. Some things are over, some are under when I estimate so that works out OK.
  • Bagman12002
    Bagman12002 Posts: 216 Member
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    You guys Rock thanks for the input and the really good ideas some that I had not even thought about. A friend had told me she got her scale at Costco for around 20$, guess its time to look around and see what's out there and to look at the features that are on the scale
  • adubyou
    adubyou Posts: 24 Member
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    Having been through this weight loss thing once, and doing it again, I never used a scale.

    My trick is to overestimate basically everything rather than be 100% accurate. If I only ate 3/4 of that sandwich, well, screw it... I say I ate the whole thing.

    It basically boils down to whatever works best for you. Get the scale and try it out, it you're diggin' how it works in your life, then keep at it, man!
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
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    I got a cheap one (I think $6?) at Bed Bath & Beyond... it was just whatever their basic, non-digital one way. I love it. It's so much easier to accurately measure your meats and whatnot with a scale!
  • BlackKat75
    BlackKat75 Posts: 210 Member
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    I have this exact same scale and I love it! I got it after reading LOADS of reviews of scales on Amazon, and I think it's fantastic. I use it for weighing *everything*. There are two things I love about this scale - (1) can re-zero so you can weigh things in various bowls / tupperware without including the weight of the container; and (2) easy conversion from ounces into grams, which makes logging super-easy. I would definitely look for a scale that has both of these features if I were you.

    Honestly, the $25 I spent for the scale was totally worth it - helped really track what I've been eating. Also, religiously using the scale has made me so much better at being able to eyeball proper portion sizes when I'm out and about without a scale (e.g. at a restaurant).
  • VitaBailey
    VitaBailey Posts: 271 Member
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    I have this exact same scale and I love it! I got it after reading LOADS of reviews of scales on Amazon, and I think it's fantastic. I use it for weighing *everything*. There are two things I love about this scale - (1) can re-zero so you can weigh things in various bowls / tupperware without including the weight of the container; and (2) easy conversion from ounces into grams, which makes logging super-easy. I would definitely look for a scale that has both of these features if I were you.

    Honestly, the $25 I spent for the scale was totally worth it - helped really track what I've been eating. Also, religiously using the scale has made me so much better at being able to eyeball proper portion sizes when I'm out and about without a scale (e.g. at a restaurant).

    I have this one too and love it. It's definitely worth the money.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    I got a digital scale at Target for $25. I can't think of the brand. I love it. I was grossly overestimating meat ounces. It helps a lot. I also use measuring cups/spoons all the time...even when I "think" I know how much a tablespoon is!
  • ladyonaquest
    ladyonaquest Posts: 605 Member
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    I have one and I love it!1 I got it from wal-mart for around 20 bucks several years ago and it still working!!:flowerforyou:
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    I use it sometimes. I have an electronic scale I got from a tool store and I love it. Someday I want to use it to package up bulk items like nuts, etc into 100 or 150 calorie packets.

    blog bobbiesfitness.com
  • Kelly_Runs_NC
    Kelly_Runs_NC Posts: 474 Member
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    Go to any Weight Watchers store and they sell them there for $23. Best investment I ever made. I use it many times per day every day. You would be shocked how far off your eyeball can be campared to the reality of the measurement.
  • gse313
    gse313 Posts: 252 Member
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    My wife has had a scale since before we got together, more than 9 years ago, and we just upgraded it. Paid about $15 at one of those kitchen stores for a digital one that will measure in incriments of 1g for more precise measurments.... Once you start using it, it becomes very easy to continue for EVERYTHING.

    We just got started back on here the other day and the wife asked for a single serving of ice cream... when I brought it she looks at me with wide eyes and says "That's it?!?! No wonder we put so much weight back on so fast!!" lol

    It truely becomes your best friend, espically in the beginning, when you are trying to learn what exactly a single serving is!
  • gse313
    gse313 Posts: 252 Member
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    Go to any Weight Watchers store and they sell them there for $23. Best investment I ever made. I use it many times per day every day. You would be shocked how far off your eyeball can be campared to the reality of the measurement.

    My only problem with the Weight Watchers scales, you have to contend with the pre programmed points values and "common Foods" that you can't change... Don't get me wrong, my wife's original one was a WW scale... but that was before they started with the more specialized ones. If following WW anyway it is a good investment, if not the WW scales are a waste of money in my opinion.