How do you measure spaghetti?

I'm afraid of getting to obsessive- past ED.

But, calorie counting is one of those things that it's good to be obsessive about. I also had an eating disorder when I was younger, and accurate calorie counting does not trigger that at all for me.

Ok, and that's good it works for you. Personally I feel like weighing my food plus counting calories is just too much. Due to my past I'd prefer to not get that far into things such as measuring, I just don't feel like that would be good for me.

How are you planning to count calories if you don't know how much you are eating? :huh:

I'm afraid of getting to obsessive- past ED.

But, calorie counting is one of those things that it's good to be obsessive about. I also had an eating disorder when I was younger, and accurate calorie counting does not trigger that at all for me.

Ok, and that's good it works for you. Personally I feel like weighing my food plus counting calories is just too much. Due to my past I'd prefer to not get that far into things such as measuring, I just don't feel like that would be good for me.

then why measure at all? weighing, measuring, et cetera... ithe concept is all the same...some forms are just more accurate than others.

But different things are triggering for different people?!

Don't measure after cooking unless the package gives you a serving size for cooked. You'll eat a lot more than one serving if you do it that way. If you won't get a scale, then do the 1/2 inches think using a measuring tape. A scale really is the way to go for pasta, though.

155 grams for a cup of cooked pasta seems really, really low. That seems more like the dry value.

I used what was in the data base - figured it was accurate as how could you measure a cup of spaghetti when it's dry?

Also I am a carb lover and limited myself to the one cup and use spaghetti squash to offset the extra I would like to have.

edit - the 155 was for calories for 1 cup cooked whole wheat catelli pasta and it was not mashed into the cup so it was probably less than a cup but still used what was in the data base for that entry - guess I am going to have to start weighing it raw but that's a pain as I am not cooking just for myself and I am not going to subject my 23 yr old fit son to my limitations.

I just got a scale a few weeks ago so now I use that (and I just want to say wow at how much I was accidentally overeating before cuz I couldn't properly weigh it out) but before I'd just measure it in a cup after it was cooked. Most of the boxes of noodles I get say 1 cup cooked = approx 2 oz anyway. It isn't perfect but is better than nothing. :ohwell:

I have a dry spaghetti measure. Bed, Bath & Beyond have them…Tupperware used to sell a plastic piece that had holes in it like the diagram someone posted. My spag. measure has a sliding piece that allows me to enlarge or shrink the measuring space based on portion size.

No I don't have a scale or make cooked measurements but once one knows visually how much a serving is by cooking a single portion, I'm ok w/eye-balling it from then on.

I also find that obsessive measuring isn't good. I don't want to feel like i am caged or I can't go out and enjoy a meal without panicking about how many cups the rice is or how many calories is this and that. It is ridiculous. Everything should be done in moderation.

My opinion.

Get a scale, get cups, measure some days and don't measure on other days to keep your sanity.

I'm afraid of getting to obsessive- past ED.

But, calorie counting is one of those things that it's good to be obsessive about. I also had an eating disorder when I was younger, and accurate calorie counting does not trigger that at all for me.

Issues in my past life as well, having a kitchen scale does not seem to affect me either. Have not been able to get away from weighing myself 4-6 times a day... but I knew that would be the risk of having a personal scale in the house. I have made a commitment to myself to only document the number weekly. And I have held to that since the end of October 2013.

Using a kitchen scale has been empowering for me, not to mention its almost impossible to get an accurate accounting by measuring things like shelled walnuts. If I want to measure out 1 ounce of walnuts using a 1/8th cup measure, I am generally shorting myself by 50%. I don't want to do that either. With the scale, I have a much more accurate accounting of what goes in my mouth.

1/2 cup of cooked spaghetti is one serving. Is that what you mean? Or do you mean uncooked?

One serving of pasta, is what you can fit into the cup of your hand (a handful). Contrary, to what you'd be served in a restaurant.

Since this thread was posted I am reformed - I weigh it before cooking and it is actually a bigger portion than if you try to do it after it's cooked. :ohwell: