I've got a smidge of a complaint....

feelin_gr_8
feelin_gr_8 Posts: 308 Member
in Food and Nutrition
It drives me nutty when founds are listed by the ounce or some other measuring....If I'm having salsa and chips, I measure out by tablespoons my salsa and a number of chips (for example)...I don't measure out x many ounces of chips....who does that?! Why in sam's hill can't they put an estimated quantity? I don't always want to weight my lunch meat, or chips, or dry pasta. I do have a scale but it's not always convenient.

*phew* glad you let me get that off my chest. Feel free to share your complaint ;)
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Replies

  • 1linde
    1linde Posts: 34 Member
    A lot of people weigh and measure their food, some foods you really have to weigh to get an accurate accounting. I have been able to find foods listed both ways in the database. Also some bags of tortilla chips etc will list how many chips make out a serving and the corresponding weight.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    It drives me nutty when founds are listed by the ounce or some other measuring....If I'm having salsa and chips, I measure out by tablespoons my salsa and a number of chips (for example)...I don't measure out x many ounces of chips....who does that?! Why in sam's hill can't they put an estimated quantity? I don't always want to weight my lunch meat, or chips, or dry pasta. I do have a scale but it's not always convenient.

    *phew* glad you let me get that off my chest. Feel free to share your complaint ;)

    I bet you a tablespoon of salsa doesn't meet the projected weight. For example my salad dressing is 90 calories for 2 tablespoons/34 grams. But when I weighed the amount in a tablespoon (put spoon on scale, zeroed out, added dressing) that tablespoon was 25 grams. Two tablespoons would have been 50 grams vs the 34 I think I'm eating. Not a huge difference really, but imagine it's something more calorie dense like peanut butter or just normal butter or mayo or whatever else.

    I weigh my chips too. the bag says 10 chips/whatever grams and you know what? That amount of grams is more like 20 chips. I want all my damn chips.

    TL;DR: I appreciate everyone who puts their stuff in grams and want to banish all the people using cups to measure things that aren't liquids.
  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
    I'm the opposite, I hate it when stuff isn't entered by weight. A cup of carrots, or apples? Am I being stingy with my cup or should I cram in as much as possible?

    I just really like weighing everything.
  • andrewquamme
    andrewquamme Posts: 3 Member
    I'm the opposite, I hate it when stuff isn't entered by weight. A cup of carrots, or apples? Am I being stingy with my cup or should I cram in as much as possible?

    I just really like weighing everything.

    ^^This... into what size pieces should I cut my apple before I measure it, because I can eat more apple if I cut it smaller... Just give me the weight so I can plop it on my food scale...
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    The majority of people here weigh and measure their food.
  • hararayne
    hararayne Posts: 261 Member
    I recently started using a scale to weigh food. I saw just how far I was off on a lot of things. I thought I was pretty close on serving sizes until I started weighing. I'm really glad that people use weights like grams or oz.

    I also like that there are the other options available too, just takes a little longer to pick the one you want sometimes. And I don't mind for accuracy.

    Sorry it bothers you but it really helps the rest of us. ;)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I'm the opposite, I hate it when stuff isn't entered by weight. A cup of carrots, or apples? Am I being stingy with my cup or should I cram in as much as possible?

    I just really like weighing everything.

    ^^This... into what size pieces should I cut my apple before I measure it, because I can eat more apple if I cut it smaller... Just give me the weight so I can plop it on my food scale...
    Agreed. Volume measurements are horribly inaccurate for non-liquids, and mostly inaccurate for liquids also. If your liquid is about the same density as water, volume is ok, but if it's any thicker, you really want to go by weight.

    incidentally, a liquid that is the same density as water will actually be the same in fluid ounces as it is in avoirdupois ounces. So I even weigh most of my liquids on my scale, too.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I pretty much measure everything on my digital scale. for salsa, I use condiment cups, tare the scale, and measure it that way.

    It drives ME nuts when there aren't weight measurement units because volumetric measurements, like tablespoons, can be way off. I dare you to measure what you think 2 tablespoon serving of peanut butter is, and then weigh it to check your accuracy.


    Plus, the nutritional information is accurate to the weight, not the volume, so if a label says (1 TBSP/28 g) the actual information is true to the gram weight.
  • moss11
    moss11 Posts: 236 Member
    Got to agree I go by the scales. My idea of a cupful, tablespoonful etc could be quite different from someone else's. Chips are varying sizes, slice of bacon different weight, fat content. Ideally I would prefer all measurements in grams, but by searching I can usually find what I need-as a result of someone else's input I should add.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    This is one of the reasons why I weigh every chance I can: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

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



    I recommend that people do weigh where possible and not measure, unless liquid, or eyeball.
  • sveeties
    sveeties Posts: 1 Member
    Maybe look into weightwatchers pro-points plan or filling and healthy, both plans are more generalised. They round foods up to a 'points value' so that it all balances out over the week. I have been tracking with both - myfitnesspal and ww and, over the week, it works out that the calorie allowance/need for exercise is the same. On average 1500 cal per day and 30 min of light cardio daily (power walk, cycle etc), work-out 3 times per week (pilates x 2 and personal training x 1). This equals about 2-3 lbs of weight loss. Interesting - most plans are based on the same principles but the science behind it is the same. Just need to find something that works for you. I weigh my food but that's not everyone's cup of tea!
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    It drives me nutty when founds are listed by the ounce or some other measuring....If I'm having salsa and chips, I measure out by tablespoons my salsa and a number of chips (for example)...I don't measure out x many ounces of chips....who does that?!

    Who does that? People who are serious about losing weight or people who want to track their calories accurately. Love my scale!
  • VioletNightshade
    VioletNightshade Posts: 197
    I'm the opposite. I wish everything was listed in grams.

    Yes, everything.

    Well... grams and milliliters.
  • RosyBest
    RosyBest Posts: 303 Member
    Same here....I thought it was just me. I had some chicken wings for dinner and it kept asking me how many ounces I ate. I got so frustrated lol
  • MaryJane_8810002
    MaryJane_8810002 Posts: 2,082 Member
    I measure my food with a digital scale so ounces and grams are helpful.
  • GenF32
    GenF32 Posts: 184 Member
    Sorry, I think weighing is really the only way to be accurate.
  • annakow
    annakow Posts: 385 Member
    Me and my digital scale are best friends :)
  • Its_Nat
    Its_Nat Posts: 184 Member
    This is one of the reasons why I weigh every chance I can: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

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



    I recommend that people do weigh where possible and not measure, unless liquid, or eyeball.

    Wow! I do tend to weigh most foods, but have also used cups/tablespoons etc. I have always run a blunt knife across the top to get an 'even' amount. But, I guess even that isn't good enough sometimes. Thank you for posting that youtube vid, very enlightening!
  • slim4health56
    slim4health56 Posts: 439 Member
    My scale is an inexpensive little thing, not the digital model. I don't mind measuring cups, tablespoons, and ounces, but grams I don't do. On the flip side, when it does list the number of a given item (like potato chips for example), I often wonder how that works given that all chips are not the same size...I guess I could just pull out 16 of the biggest chips in the bag and call it a day...

    I read a post last week from a poor newbie who searched in the mfp database until she found something she really liked...3 chicken thighs for 150 calories. Ha! She had no scale, had cooked 10 thighs in a crock pot and wanted help calculating how many calories she had. Broke my heart to tell her an average chicken thigh of 190 grams wasn't 50 calories, but over 400 calories (3 thighs would be 1200 calories, not 150). Does anyone have a 50 calorie chicken thigh to spare? I'm hungry! :laugh: (Anyhow, I get why some foods are listed by weight and some by quantity).
  • Claireabo84
    Claireabo84 Posts: 6
    'smidge' - i like that word! :P
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    If it helps, 2 oz of pasta is generally 1 cup cooked. However, I usually manage to find an entry that meets my needs, whatever I'm eating.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    I'm the opposite, I hate it when stuff isn't entered by weight. A cup of carrots, or apples? Am I being stingy with my cup or should I cram in as much as possible?

    I just really like weighing everything.

    Me too. Though I don't count calories anymore, when I did, I weighed *everything* in grams. I found it much easier to stick to serving sizes listed on the labels of foods. Also doubling a serving size meant you'd actually DOUBLE rather than triple which may sometimes be the case.

    ETA: consider the measurement 'scant' cup vs. rounded cup, etc. Using weight cuts out that variable quick-fast!
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  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    OP, there is an important message here from everyone advising you to weigh your food. I hope you listen. It's excellent advice.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    It drives me nutty when founds are listed by the ounce or some other measuring....If I'm having salsa and chips, I measure out by tablespoons my salsa and a number of chips (for example)...I don't measure out x many ounces of chips....who does that?!

    Who does that? People who are serious about losing weight or people who want to track their calories accurately. Love my scale!

    Yup that's who. People like me who care about accuracy.

    Again, me too :wink:
    However, to people who are not familiar with MFP or people who are casually trying to lose weight for the last 30 years, but only actually considering it out loud, weighing in grams seems extreme :laugh:

    I remember the look on my mom's face when I weighed out her 2 FULL soup bowls of cashews to show her how many calories she as actually consuming :noway: She thought since she was eating nuts, (actually grazing) she was being healthy but the calorie count was enough to make her ditch the soup bowls :ohwell:
  • mabelbabel1
    mabelbabel1 Posts: 391 Member
    If you really want to be certain about how much you are eating then the only accurate way is to weigh it accurately.
  • sanndandi
    sanndandi Posts: 300 Member
    I love having pineapples with cottage cheese. I use canned pineapples. the label says 2 pineapple slices or "x" grams in parentheses. I weigh the 2 slices and it's always less than the "x" grams. I can usually get 3 slices to weigh up the "x" grams listed. I want the extra slice of pineapple!! So count me in for being in favor of weighing. Same can be said for chips. If the label says 10 chips is whatever grams but you can get 15 chips for the same weight...yeah I'll take the extra chips too!

    Edited typo. Also, I do use Tbsp. and cups but I prefer to weigh as it really is more accurate.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
    I'm the opposite, I hate it when stuff isn't entered by weight. A cup of carrots, or apples? Am I being stingy with my cup or should I cram in as much as possible?

    I just really like weighing everything.
    Same here! I eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies. How the heck do you measure a cup of cherries accurately? Strawberries...same problem. A cup of strawberry halves? Really??? ugh!!
  • GenF32
    GenF32 Posts: 184 Member

    I read a post last week from a poor newbie who searched in the mfp database until she found something she really liked...3 chicken thighs for 150 calories. Ha! She had no scale, had cooked 10 thighs in a crock pot and wanted help calculating how many calories she had. Broke my heart to tell her an average chicken thigh of 190 grams wasn't 50 calories, but over 400 calories (3 thighs would be 1200 calories, not 150). Does anyone have a 50 calorie chicken thigh to spare? I'm hungry! :laugh: (Anyhow, I get why some foods are listed by weight and some by quantity).

    Now this really gives me the sh*ts. Is there some way the mods can/do go through the database and remove things that are clearly inaccurate? I see things all the time in people's diaries where I think 'absolutely no way is that correct', but they've probably just done what I sometimes do, which is take the 'middle' option of a range of calorie counts or go with what 'feels' right. Most of the time if I'm suss on it I'll google and try to corroborate the calorie count against other sources.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member

    I read a post last week from a poor newbie who searched in the mfp database until she found something she really liked...3 chicken thighs for 150 calories. Ha! She had no scale, had cooked 10 thighs in a crock pot and wanted help calculating how many calories she had. Broke my heart to tell her an average chicken thigh of 190 grams wasn't 50 calories, but over 400 calories (3 thighs would be 1200 calories, not 150). Does anyone have a 50 calorie chicken thigh to spare? I'm hungry! :laugh: (Anyhow, I get why some foods are listed by weight and some by quantity).

    Now this really gives me the sh*ts. Is there some way the mods can/do go through the database and remove things that are clearly inaccurate? I see things all the time in people's diaries where I think 'absolutely no way is that correct', but they've probably just done what I sometimes do, which is take the 'middle' option of a range of calorie counts or go with what 'feels' right. Most of the time if I'm suss on it I'll google and try to corroborate the calorie count against other sources.

    I never trusted the database as some stuff was incredibly off. I used the labels on the products & if it still seemed funky, googled for additional info as you do. Once you get your base list of foods you eat the most though, it gets easier.

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