Food Scales - so important

I've used food scales in the past, but had lost mine and hadn't used one in a while. I've been underestimating my measurements (dry foods in cups, tsp, etc) to account for some difference, but wow. I got a new food scale last night, and there really is such a difference. I've been underestimating not as close as I thought, I'd say. For someone who is trying to lose weight it would make such a difference in calorie counts. Many of us here on MFP try to explain to those with questions about why they aren't losing weight WHY it's so important to weigh and measure all of your food, every time you are able to.

For instance: I used my food scale to calculate the calories in my oatmeal this morning. A full 1/2 cup was 55 grams of oatmeal (dry). The serviing size according to the label is 1/2 cup, or 40 grams. That's a 15 gram difference! If 40 grams is 150 calories, then the 55 grams in the 1/2 cup I filled was 206.25 calories.

Seriously, folks, that's more than 50 calories difference in one food source. When I measured out my brown sugar, the difference was just as bad. Even with underestimating, I was probably 50-100 calories off just for that one meal. Multiply that times everything a person eats for the day, and there can be hundreds of calories over the goal, and that, everyone who always asks, is why you aren't losing weight when you think you are eating under your calorie goal.

Ladies and gentlemen, invest in a good food scale and use it for every non-liquid food you ingest. You'll be much more accurate. I bought mine on Amazon for 15.99.