Is weighing food vital for losing weight?

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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It depends on how precise you want/need to be and how good at estimating you are. I was horrible with estimating initially...I started using a food scale and found out that I was eating around 600 calories per day more than I thought I was which was completely wiping out my deficit and thus the reason I wasn't losing weight. As soon as I started weighing and measuring everything, the weight came right off no problem.

    I don't really weigh too much stuff anymore as I learned how to eyeball pretty good and I've just been maintaining. Actually, that's not totally true...I started weighing most things again this week because I'm trying to drop a couple points in BF% with a very, very small deficit so precision will be key.
  • Brianna716
    Brianna716 Posts: 303 Member
    Vital? No. Helpful? Yes. Especially if you don't know what 1 serving of each food looks like.

    One serving of cereal is less than a cup. Do you have measuring cups in your kitchen- yeah, less than one of those. Turns out one serving of cereal does not mean fill the bowl to the top :(
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    I can spot an ounce of cheese from across the room.

    However, I used to have no idea about portion sizes before I started using the digital scale. Oil, meat, cheese, nuts, avocado, fruit, are all pretty easy to make a mistake. A 300 calorie mistake is imperceptible if you have never weighed a food.

    300 calories in a day can undermine your success.
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
    In the beginning, it really helps to get the correct amounts.
    You may get very good at it and not need to measure and weigh foods eventually.
    But if you are not losing, it may be because you are eating more than you think.
  • fast_eddie_72
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member
    I think its something people who become OCD buy and use......sorry.

    If you're good without it, that's fine. But it's not just being "OCD". I wasn't estimating well. Would probably estimate better now with some experience using a scale. And I'll probably get very good after a while. But it's not being OCD. The difference can add up to a lot of calories.
  • doubleclick_darling
    doubleclick_darling Posts: 100 Member
    I'm still very much in the beginning of my weight loss journey (about a month and a half in), and using my little scale has helped me out so much. I don't have to know what an ounce, gram, or anything else is (my scale can be changed to different measurements, though grams and ounces get the most attention). One thing I've noticed is that me weighing foods for the last month and a half has really helped me learn what a real serving is. For example, what I thought a serving of cheddar cheese was and what it really is varied greatly (my "ounce" was easily 3 times the size of a true ounce).

    Weighing foods has also actually improved my slicing skills indirectly. I'm learning to slice thin cheese slices (among other things), which actually results in better overall taste and texture quality of my foods (a thin slice of cheese melts so much nicer on my breakfast sandwiches than a thick slice).

    I've started guestimating on some foods, but for meals I know are going to be potential trouble meals, I weigh to make sure I keep my servings in check and get an accurate count.
  • Vicxie86
    Vicxie86 Posts: 181 Member
    I use a digital scale, measuring cup and spoons. For me, it is very very vital because i tend to eat with my eyes,the bigger the portion, the better. I cannot say i am cured of that just yet, so measuring everything has become a very welcomed habit, i don't really care who wants to see it as OCD
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    Vital? No. Helpful? Yes. Especially if you don't know what 1 serving of each food looks like.

    One serving of cereal is less than a cup. Do you have measuring cups in your kitchen- yeah, less than one of those. Turns out one serving of cereal does not mean fill the bowl to the top :(

    Bah!

    Next, you'll tell me that a carton of Breyer's coffee ice cream doesn't contain two servings.

    nanananacan'thearyounanananana

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