Why do people weigh their food?
Replies
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People weigh their food so that they know how much they need to pooh out in a day to maintain/lose/gain weight...:huh:
Just don't use the same scale...:noway:0 -
Do you really weigh a grape?
Agreed...I don't care if I weigh the last grape at home doesn't mean I am obsessive....it means it is easy and convienient.
Do I take the it to a resturant? No...
Do I take to family functions....maybe...but probably not...depends on who is there...the one's losing weight or the ones who don't care.0 -
Move the plate back a bit to see the display lol. Same thing with mine and it's easily taken care of with minor common sense.
Wow never thought about that.
:flowerforyou:
Oh wait, I did. The way my food scale is designed, it changes the weight based on the positioning of the dishes/food. It's fine for smaller items, not so great for bigger items. I'll know what to look out for next time. In the meantime, my common sense tells me that if it's easier to use measuring cups and spoons, I'll just do that instead since it works just as well for me.0 -
Move the plate back a bit to see the display lol. Same thing with mine and it's easily taken care of with minor common sense.
Wow never thought about that.
:flowerforyou:
Oh wait, I did. The way my food scale is designed, it changes the weight based on the positioning of the dishes/food. It's fine for smaller items, not so great for bigger items. I'll know what to look out for next time. In the meantime, my common sense tells me that if it's easier to use measuring cups and spoons, I'll just do that instead since it works just as well for me.
put a smaller container under your plate to lift the plate higher. then tare it. then you can see the display...0 -
Best example is flour. The approximate serving size is 1/4 cup (or 30g). My recipe called for 6 cups of flour today, so it should have been 720g. I weighed out exactly 6 cups and it came to 915g. That's a difference of 650 calories in my recipe.
That's why I weigh. 650 calories is a pretty big deal.0 -
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Weighing is easier/cleaner and more accurate than using measuring cups.
I can make three 1/2 cup servings of ice cream fit into a 1/2 cup-sized measuring cup if I try hard enough. The food scale doesn't lie about portion sizes like spoons and cups do! :laugh:
[/quote]
^^^This, lol I agree0 -
Move the plate back a bit to see the display lol. Same thing with mine and it's easily taken care of with minor common sense.
Wow never thought about that.
:flowerforyou:
Oh wait, I did. The way my food scale is designed, it changes the weight based on the positioning of the dishes/food. It's fine for smaller items, not so great for bigger items. I'll know what to look out for next time. In the meantime, my common sense tells me that if it's easier to use measuring cups and spoons, I'll just do that instead since it works just as well for me.
put a smaller container under your plate to lift the plate higher. then tare it. then you can see the display...
We have done that. It's hard to describe but certain things are still really tough to see. The batteries are the bigger deal though, it's just not worth it to me since measuring is fine for me. I only got the scale out of curiosity from the fan club for them here.
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Like any skill, you can learn to do it better. But the best way is probably by weighing for a while.Because eyeballing things is how I got fat.
Duh.
How many of you have tested your digital kitchen scale for accuracy? A nickel weighs 5g.
I don't desire the ability to get better at eyeballing. Weighing things is so just easy and convenient with all the comfort of knowing its accurate.
That's just me though. I'm not striving for that whole intuitive eating or life without a scale thing.
I agree. If my kitchen scale is just sitting there, why not use it. Even on days I decide to not log for whatever reason, I'm still weighing my foods out because it's habit.0 -
I'll be the dissenter here. I approximate and don't weigh. I'm sure I'm off by a little bit. But I'm trying to learn how to do this on a long term basis and I don't see myself weighing food long term. I've only been using MFP for 6 weeks and so far so good.
Someone asked how do you do meat/produce without weighing? Most meat and produce is weighed when you purchase it at the store. For example, When I buy wild salmon, I ask for 1lb. I split this into 1/3 and 2/3 pieces. DH eats the bigger piece and I log the 1/3 lb. as 5.5 oz. Sure I'm eyeballing the 1/3&2/3 so I may be off by a little bit but I figure that will average out over time.
I do a little of all three--weighing, measuring and eyeballing. I've been successful at losing weight a few times before and I didn't have a food scale at all (nor did I journal), so it's not like it's THE key to success for everyone. My challenge is to retrain myself to know what the right portion looks like so I can always do it.
I do measure my wine and I really hate how small 4 oz. looks. Who do I see about this?
wine is the only think i DONT measure, for that same reason:)0 -
MFP database says "1 large Apple (~100 grams) 120 cal". I bought a few "large apples" the other day and just for my curiosity, I weighed one of these "large apples", it weighed 225 grams...No wonder I was not losing weight; I counted it as 120 cal instead of 240...
I learned this lesson the hard way as well. The apples I buy are 290 grams! Way off from the mfp large apple I had previously been logging.0 -
Move the plate back a bit to see the display lol. Same thing with mine and it's easily taken care of with minor common sense.
Wow never thought about that.
:flowerforyou:
Oh wait, I did. The way my food scale is designed, it changes the weight based on the positioning of the dishes/food. It's fine for smaller items, not so great for bigger items. I'll know what to look out for next time. In the meantime, my common sense tells me that if it's easier to use measuring cups and spoons, I'll just do that instead since it works just as well for me.
put a smaller container under your plate to lift the plate higher. then tare it. then you can see the display...
We have done that. It's hard to describe but certain things are still really tough to see. The batteries are the bigger deal though, it's just not worth it to me since measuring is fine for me. I only got the scale out of curiosity from the fan club for them here.
Clearly you're just not trying hard enough.
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Best example is flour. The approximate serving size is 1/4 cup (or 30g). My recipe called for 6 cups of flour today, so it should have been 720g. I weighed out exactly 6 cups and it came to 915g. That's a difference of 650 calories in my recipe.
That's why I weigh. 650 calories is a pretty big deal.
This. I usually just use the packaged serving, so I would have picked 720g... but I'm never sure what I should do, lol. It makes a huge difference though. I tried the same recipe using 1/4 cup of flour from a measuring cup (it was like 50g), and 1/4 cup just using one serving size (31g or something)... ended up with 3 less pancakes the second time (out of 12). That huge serving didn't seem that huge anymore :laugh:0 -
I don't disagree but if 1/4c. of flour is a serving in your recipe, it makes 24 servings and that's only like 27 calorie per serving that you'd be off. If you have one serving a day on a 1800 calorie diet, that's 1.5% overeating, which is small. Though clearly it can add up.Best example is flour. The approximate serving size is 1/4 cup (or 30g). My recipe called for 6 cups of flour today, so it should have been 720g. I weighed out exactly 6 cups and it came to 915g. That's a difference of 650 calories in my recipe.
That's why I weigh. 650 calories is a pretty big deal.0 -
Do you really weigh a grape?
Agreed...I don't care if I weigh the last grape at home doesn't mean I am obsessive....it means it is easy and convienient.
Do I take the it to a resturant? No...
Do I take to family functions....maybe...but probably not...depends on who is there...the one's losing weight or the ones who don't care.
I can't speak for later but my fruit rule is: less than a handful? Shut up and eat it. More that a handful? Weigh it.
But I'm not big on fruit so this works for me.0 -
This is an honest question. Why would you weigh your food? I get counting calories (duh). But the weight of something shouldn't matter. Am I wrong?
Enlighten me please!
Why would you think the weight of something doesn't matter? Not sure if srs...0 -
Like any skill, you can learn to do it better. But the best way is probably by weighing for a while.Because eyeballing things is how I got fat.
Duh.
How many of you have tested your digital kitchen scale for accuracy? A nickel weighs 5g.
That all of our scales each show a nickel weighs 5g is meaningless. What matters is that we track with our scales, both food and body. And go from there. It doesn't have to be that complicated.0 -
I don't see how saying the reason I am posting in the thread is messing it up. Perhaps you should start YOUR own thread and let me be in this one for whatever reason I choose. MFP Police.
Yes but after 5-6 people give the same answer common sense would dictate that this is the answer. Especially as this is not one where opinions differ.I'm in to see how many people are going to keep answering an answered question. 2 pages and counting...
If everyone thought like you did, there would be a question and an answer and that's it. Fortunately, most people are not.
You really only need one right answer.
You should start your own thread about how people say the same thing over and over in a thread, when it's already been said. Let's see how far it goes. Plus, it's more courteous than messing up someone elses thread with your own totally off-topic question.
It is called thread hijacking and is a reason for the mods to lock it.0 -
weigh it - eat it - log it.
That should be a bumper sticker.
LOL. Love this.0 -
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Oh I totally agree. My point in asking is people think that weighing their food gives them the gospel truth but I never see anyone mention checking the accuracy of their food scale. They assume it's accurate like they assume their BMR estimate is accurate and database entries are accurate and their HRM is accurate when in fact it's all just estimates. Which is why eyeballing works for a lot of people, and so do non-counting methods.
Like any skill, you can learn to do it better. But the best way is probably by weighing for a while.Because eyeballing things is how I got fat.
Duh.
How many of you have tested your digital kitchen scale for accuracy? A nickel weighs 5g.
That all of our scales each show a nickel weighs 5g is meaningless. What matters is that we track with our scales, both food and body. And go from there. It doesn't have to be that complicated.0 -
I didn't count calories during my weight loss, but just as I reached goal, I started tracking my calories as best I could on the weekends because that's when I'd really indulge. I bought a kitchen scale last month so I could get a proper sense of portion size. I don't want to have to weigh my foods for the rest of my life, but it's nice to have an idea of what a portion size really is.0
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I don't disagree but if 1/4c. of flour is a serving in your recipe, it makes 24 servings and that's only like 27 calorie per serving that you'd be off. If you have one serving a day on a 1800 calorie diet, that's 1.5% overeating, which is small. Though clearly it can add up.Best example is flour. The approximate serving size is 1/4 cup (or 30g). My recipe called for 6 cups of flour today, so it should have been 720g. I weighed out exactly 6 cups and it came to 915g. That's a difference of 650 calories in my recipe.
That's why I weigh. 650 calories is a pretty big deal.
My recipe was for bread dough, which will make three loafs. So, each loaf has 200+ more calories than it would if weighed out. I'm not going to only eat a tiny bit of bread....especially of my hot, just-out-of-the-oven homemade crusty artisan bread!
In addition, I regularly make homemade whole wheat pancakes and used to use one cup of flour before I got my scale. This equaled 150 calories more in my pancakes via using a measuring cup vs weighing out. Pancakes are my normal post-workout breaking-of-thy-fast meal, so it's normal for me to eat a huge stack of pancakes at least twice a week.
I'm far from obsessive about my calories, but it does add up quickly if you don't weigh out anything. I love carbs and eat ALOT of them. Since I make the majority of mine from scratch, the flour issue is one I'm very familiar with....and disappointed about. Oh well! Nom....nom....nom.....0 -
I don't understand how her original comment was threadjacking anymore than the comments in every thread that consist of a gif or a "in for the ___" or anything else about the thread itself?
I don't see how saying the reason I am posting in the thread is messing it up. Perhaps you should start YOUR own thread and let me be in this one for whatever reason I choose. MFP Police.
Yes but after 5-6 people give the same answer common sense would dictate that this is the answer. Especially as this is not one where opinions differ.I'm in to see how many people are going to keep answering an answered question. 2 pages and counting...
If everyone thought like you did, there would be a question and an answer and that's it. Fortunately, most people are not.
You really only need one right answer.
You should start your own thread about how people say the same thing over and over in a thread, when it's already been said. Let's see how far it goes. Plus, it's more courteous than messing up someone elses thread with your own totally off-topic question.
It is called thread hijacking and is a reason for the mods to lock it.
I would rather read funny comments about the thread than ones like "in to read later". :laugh:0 -
I agree, flour is calorie dense and if you're going to weigh, it's a good candidate for it. Plus most baked goods recipes just come out better with a more exact measure.I'm far from obsessive about my calories, but it does add up quickly if you don't weigh out anything. I love carbs and eat ALOT of them. Since I make the majority of mine from scratch, the flour issue is one I'm very familiar with....and disappointed about. Oh well! Nom....nom....nom.....0 -
^^^^Honestly, it's because I'm lazy. I find it a lot easier to put a bowl on my scale and hit the tare button between each ingredient instead of digging up a bunch of different measuring spoons and cups while I'm cooking. But that's just me.
This, and accuracy. How do you really know how much you're eating if you don't weigh it out?
Does anybody have a link to that youtube video with the weighing vs. measuring? I found that to be the most informative, and convinced me to start weighing everything.
I tried to find the link ---it is out there somewher but weighing is so so so much more accurate0 -
That 3 minute video is one of my all time favorite MFP links. Such an eye opener!0 -
That 3 minute video is one of my all time favorite MFP links. Such an eye opener!
It is an incredible video with excellent information in it, it should have gone viral in my opinion.0 -
That 3 minute video is one of my all time favorite MFP links. Such an eye opener!
It is an incredible video with excellent information in it, it should have gone viral in my opinion.
My problem with that video is that most people know not to use a rounded cup, so right from the start the video loses credibility... even if the peanut butter example is a really good one (but really... she should just have tared the spoon instead of putting it in another container. Can't be accurate).0 -
This is an honest question. Why would you weigh your food? I get counting calories (duh). But the weight of something shouldn't matter. Am I wrong?
Enlighten me please!
Are you being serious LOL!
How the hell can you count calories (as you say you understand about that bit) if you do not know how many calories in the food? If you do not know the weight of the food in question how the hell can you know the amount of calories in it to count them??
Me thinks you are actually on a wind-up.
*sigh* It is very possible to lose weight, get healthy and count calories without a scale. You might not be able to but it worked perfectly for me. I am very good at estimating and eyeballing. I don't think everything is absolute and I have the sense to adjust my intake if need be. All without weighing food.
This may come as a shock, but people can and do lose weight without counting calories at all...0 -
So, the right way to do peanut butter is to put the peanut butter on the scale, tare it, then extract the amount of peanut butter you want until the scale reads the desired amount (with a negative sign). That way the bit that gets left on the knife/spoon/whatever gets counted, because we all know you're going to lick the knife!:laugh:
That 3 minute video is one of my all time favorite MFP links. Such an eye opener!
It is an incredible video with excellent information in it, it should have gone viral in my opinion.
My problem with that video is that most people know not to use a rounded cup, so right from the start the video loses credibility... even if the peanut butter example is a really good one (but really... she should just have tared the spoon instead of putting it in another container. Can't be accurate).0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
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