Portion Control Weighing your food success stories pls!

Weighing my food really opened my eyes. I didn't get a scale until a few months into this process, and when I did I weighed everything I possibly could. I found that I was both over and underestimating some foods. But after a few weeks I knew about how much 2 tbsp of dressing was, or what 8 oz of juice looks like, so I eased up on weighing every single thing. I still do it with some foods that I don't trust myself with, and I'll also do it every once in awhile with some things to keep my idea of portions from becoming exaggerated.

I agree that it does seem restrictive and obsessive. But I also think it's necessary, at least at first, so that you have a starting point. So many of us have no idea what 8 oz looks like to being with, so how can we count calories accurately until we know? That being said, if I measure 8 oz today, and tomorrow I don't weigh and get 8.5 oz, it's not going to ruin everything. Once you get an idea you can get it close enough.

I was rubbish at losing weight without my scale. I tried to eat healthily after my last little one was born but the lbs just kept piling on and I couldn't work out why, until I joined MFP and bought a scale. Cereal was one of the most surprising foods for me, a portion is soooo tiny! For fun I tried out a real sized portion on the kids and they thought I was being really stingy lol

I've been maintaining for about two years and I still weigh some foods - especially high calorie stuff like cheese. For quite a lot of things now I know what a portion looks like and eye-ball a calorie guestimate for bread, rice and pastas.

Portion control was one of the key things that MFP taught me. I had it all so wrong before and it was shocking how many calories I was eating without really realising.

Sometimes I do love to have a large meal though so just pack the plate full of veg to make it into a feast! x

i weigh my food too.

So y'all tell me what kind of food scale do you use? What's the average price of a good one?

I bought ours on Amazon based on customer reviews. It was under $50, but I don't recall the exact price.

I have OCD so weighing my food comes naturally to me. I never knew exactly how much I was really eating until I started weighing it. I recently had some potato salad, never thought it was THAT bad for me, but when I started scooping it out on the scale, I saw just how many calories I had been eating before I started MFP. Without weighing, I would have easily had double the portion without realizing it. After that, I decided to buy a pocket scale to take with me on the go ($9 on Amazon, can't beat it). Now I weigh just about everything I eat, including at a restaurant. The scale is important because it teaches you how much you SHOULD be eating. After a while, I would assume a non-OCD person could phase the scale out as they teach themselves exactly what 32 grams looks like. I don't think I will ever get away from the scale. My OCD won't let me.

You can get the pocket scale here http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-Digital-BL-1KG-BLK/dp/B0012N1NAA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1383592912&sr=8-3&keywords=pocket+scale

But if you're looking for a scale for home, I would suggest something more like this for better accuracy http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Digital-Kitchen-Silver/dp/B001N07KUE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383592968&sr=8-1&keywords=food+scale

I weigh or measure out most things.

Some people seem to think this is over the top, obsessive or extreme in some way. Not sure why. They all think having nutrition facts on the label is great but then scoff at actually making sure you are eating the correct serving size.

Yeah, I've never understood the aversion to it...personally I think it's because people are scared to truly see what they're eating...and it's no wonder that "it just doesn't work" for so many people. "Do you weigh and measure" is pretty much the first question I ask when someone insists they are doing everything right. For calorie counting for weight loss you have to be as precise as you possibly can be for it to work...eyeballing is not in anyway precise.

Even in maintenance I weigh most things unless I'm out and about of course, then I just do the best I can estimating based on seeing similar items on my scale a gazillion times.

I weigh and measure darn near everything and have since I started in September, 2011. If I don't finish everything because I get full...it's ok...I still log it. Odds are I didn't skip enough to make a substantial difference. It keeps me aware of portions and makes me conscious of what I'm actually eating! As someone else said...my ticker speaks for itself. I don't see myself ever discontinuing this!

Totally agree with you. Great commitment to yourself!