food scales...necessary or obsessive

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  • mrslcoop
    mrslcoop Posts: 317 Member
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    A food scale is totally necessary. I weigh everything. EVERYTHING. In grams. Even prepackaged meals because I have found many times the amount is either way more or more often way less! I'm cheating myself out of calories I could be eating by not weighing it. I do not however take it with me out to eat. I’ve been weighing for long enough now to grasp what I’m eating when I happen to be out. I got mine at BBB for like 25 bucks and it converts between grams and ounces.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Necessary for the obsessive.

    This

    Depends on your situation, for me, completely impractical as I eat in hotels 3-4 days a week.
  • CJ_Holmes
    CJ_Holmes Posts: 759 Member
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    If you are getting the results you expect without using a scale, you probably don't *need* one. I guesstimate portions and calories , but I also figured my calorie goal based on the results of that guesstimating, and eat a lot of the same foods, so the consistent inaccuracy works for me, if that makes any sense. If I log to that goal, I lose weight. If I eat more, I gain. Who knows what the actual number is, but the outcome is predictable, and that's all I care about at this point. All of the tools we have (MFP, scales, fitbits, HRM) are there to help us gain enough information to get the results we want. Use what works for you.
  • CharityGC
    CharityGC Posts: 499 Member
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    I weigh most everything. I didn't have to purchase a food scale because my husband already had one for brewing beer. I prefer to be as specific as I can when counting calories.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Also, I'm the cook for my household...I'm cooking for multiple people...I need to make sure I get my appropriate serving (which is most of the food) and everyone else can have the rest...a food scale works pretty good for that.
  • 4daluvof_candice
    4daluvof_candice Posts: 483 Member
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    The scale helps me repackage meat it for meal planning. :smile:
  • Lovestoscrapbook
    Lovestoscrapbook Posts: 295 Member
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    Necessary for me...don't consider it obsessive at all. For me it helps ensure that my portion sizes are accurate.
  • Flabulousss
    Flabulousss Posts: 106
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    I've never had trouble losing weight without one... (I just have trouble keeping it off, solely out of discipline. lol) I mean I already know that you have to leave the scoops a bit empty inside. I just hate seeing photographic illustrations of why we all NEED to use a scale, and they show people doing heaping cupfuls of everything, or giant dollops of peanut butter "guesstimated" to be 1 tablespoon. Some of us aren't that stupid... I find it ridiculously condescending. Anyway, I personally don't find it necessary, but everyone's answer will depend on their own experience. If I stopped losing weight, then I might think about getting one.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    I love my digital scale. Here's what I learned?

    1/4 cup/28 grams of almonds--pour that 1/4 cup of almonds onto the scale and it will undoubtedly come out to more than 28 grams.

    Fruit should be weighted because 1 small apple is not the same as 177 grams may be an even smaller apple.

    Necessary for me for accuracy.
  • lisa35120
    lisa35120 Posts: 230 Member
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    I've never had trouble losing weight without one... (I just have trouble keeping it off, solely out of discipline. lol) I mean I already know that you have to leave the scoops a bit empty inside. I just hate seeing photographic illustrations of why we all NEED to use a scale, and they show people doing heaping cupfuls of everything, or giant dollops of peanut butter "guesstimated" to be 1 tablespoon. Some of us aren't that stupid... I find it ridiculously condescending. Anyway, I personally don't find it necessary, but everyone's answer will depend on their own experience. If I stopped losing weight, then I might think about getting one.

    I agree with this! I don't think it's necessary. I lost over 20 pounds previously, the first time I was on mfp, without a scale. I know I underestimate some things and overestimate others, but I guess it evens out.
  • ndwildbill
    ndwildbill Posts: 74 Member
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    Having a good scale was very necessary for me to learn portion sizes. I continue to weigh nearly everything at home. That has helped me be better at estimating portion size and calories when eating out.
  • sola24
    sola24 Posts: 334 Member
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    call me old fashioned.. but I feel its a bit obsessive.. I think we can lose weight with a little tweaking here and there.. besides how did people do it before there were any.. or how about the people who cant afford it? Coming from a third world nation, I always feel its kind of a luxury.. not a necessity.. for general people like us.. now if u are professionally into something which concerns body building and weight loss then its a good idea to get one..
  • Blacklance36
    Blacklance36 Posts: 755 Member
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    Both, but a necessary evil.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    Neither adjective in the title describes how I feel about the use of food scales.

    I don't feel the need to use one now, but I don't think someone is obsessive because he or she uses one.
  • EMTFreakGirl
    EMTFreakGirl Posts: 597 Member
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    Couldn't live without mine. I weigh out almost everything...especially dressings and such. 1 TBSP is WAY DIFFERENT than 15-17 grams. My kitchen scale keeps me honest! Veggies and such are better weighed, too. I can weigh in the form I want, by that I mean, and for example, asparagus. In order to fit it in a measuring cup I have to break it into pieces...takes a bit of joy out of that particular treat. Of course there are somethings that I don't have to weigh, like Happy Heifer wedges. (Laughing Cow) I don't take it "out" with me, but I will pre-weigh items and pack them in ziplocks. Tomorrow I am having Pineapple Teriyaki Pork wraps with bell pepper strips and bean sprouts. I have the pork and the veggies pre-portioned into baggies and will assemble when I'm ready to eat. Makes life easy!

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