How to use food scales

MFP a lot of times won't even let me round up to the second number, such as .75 of a cup, when using measuring cups. This is different when weighing?

Although sometimes MFP doesn't display the hundredths or thousandths digit, it does seem to keep it in the calculation, and it is there if you go back to edit the amount. I just did a test where I said I had 1.155 eggs, and MFP displayed 1.16 eggs. When I clicked the entry to edit, it showed up as 1.155.

This works the same way with weights.

In the morning I get out my cereal bowl, cereal, and my scale. I turn on the scale, then put on the bowl, then set it to zero again. Pour in the cereal until it hits 53g (1 serving for that cereal), and bam I'm good. I add milk up to a certain line in the bowl since I've been able to figure out that's about 1 cup or a little less. I actually had to start using smaller bowls once I saw how much cereal I was used to pouring out (almost 2 servings). This is my morning routine.

Say I am going to have a banana or avocado - I will definitely weigh this since they can vary so much (large, small, medium are so subjective).. and the calories are way different depending on weight! Sometimes you have to look around a bit in the database to find something that you can use, and not everything is correct in there so you have to be careful about that too, sadly. Anyway for a banana I will get a folded up paper towel and put that on the scale, zero it out (that might be a little anal as the paper is like 2 g, lol), peel the banana and then weigh it with no skin. I often have to put .9 or .7 of a serving. If I don't have a calculator handy or just don't feel like it, I'll just keep editing my entry until it's close enough. Same for avocado, except with this I will get a bowl out, set it on the scale and zero it out, then scoop the avocado into the bowl to measure it.

I've been using my scale for a couple months almost and I do feel a lot more confident about what I'm putting into my body. It's also helping me realize how big portions of certain things are. With low calorie vegetables and such I don't worry about it as much, but I still usually weigh them because I'm curious like that.

I have found using measuring cups useful recently when dishing out prepared meals - it really helps keep my eyes open especially when eating rice and other high calorie/carb stuff. Sometimes I just don't want to weigh every little thing so I'll use a cup, but not try to fill it or pack it to the brim. Finding what works for you and also making it fit into your daily routine is key, I am sure you will get there! I've been using a little 'Biggest Loser' Digital Scale from Walmart, it was less than 20 bucks, works pretty well and has grams/ounces, and doesn't turn off too fast like some of them apparently do.

With packaged foods that come in slices or servings (like eggs), I don't use the scale, I just use the packaging. I just have to make sure the database entry matches. Even with scanned items (a feature I LOVE!) the numbers aren't always right! So you have to be vigilant. After a couple weeks of doing this, hopefully you will find that even though it does take more time, it makes you feel way more in control of what you are eating. It's definitely helped me feel like I'm controlling the food instead of the other way around.

Thank you for such a thorough response. I use a lot of recipes and I'm not sure weighing a cup of flour is going to be the way I want to go for me. Recipes that I've seen all use measuring cups and spoons. I could definitely see me weighing meats and produce, though. That just makes way more sense to me.. not knocking anyone else's way of doing it, though. This way just seems way more doable within my limited knowledge of things right now.

I love the barcode scanner too but found it to be inaccurate many times and had to enter it in anyway. Lol. I've also found that MFP doesn't always total my food calories eaten correctly, either, and that's kind of scary.

Thanks again!

You absolutely need to weigh your flour. Even if you use a cup to measure it... weigh it anyway... and use that number in your recipe. I've seen a 1/4 cup of the same flour go anywhere from 30g to 54g, and I'm not even kidding. Or use the correct serving size for a cup... It's what I do. If the recipe says 1 cup of flour, and the package says that the serving size is 1/4 cup (31g), then you just put 124g of flour in your recipe and you have your cup of flour.

I never use the barcode scanner personally, I just search the database.

Thank you for such a thorough response. I use a lot of recipes and I'm not sure weighing a cup of flour is going to be the way I want to go for me. Recipes that I've seen all use measuring cups and spoons. I could definitely see me weighing meats and produce, though. That just makes way more sense to me.. not knocking anyone else's way of doing it, though. This way just seems way more doable within my limited knowledge of things right now.

I love the barcode scanner too but found it to be inaccurate many times and had to enter it in anyway. Lol. I've also found that MFP doesn't always total my food calories eaten correctly, either, and that's kind of scary.

Thanks again!

You absolutely need to weigh your flour. Even if you use a cup to measure it... weigh it anyway... and use that number in your recipe. I've seen a 1/4 cup of the same flour go anywhere from 30g to 54g, and I'm not even kidding. Or use the correct serving size for a cup... It's what I do. If the recipe says 1 cup of flour, and the package says that the serving size is 1/4 cup (31g), then you just put 124g of flour in your recipe and you have your cup of flour.

I never use the barcode scanner personally, I just search the database.

In fact if you bake professionally all and I mean all recipes will be based on weights (in fact you will likeley have ratios and use weight to achieve them - a lot of my best cookbooks either provide ratios or weights but virtually never have generic measures like cups.)

I've been very happy lately, btw, finding Cooking Light recipes in the database that were already entered by someone else. Thanks whoever is doing that! lol.

Cool, some of those might be mine.

I never use the barcode scanner personally, I just search the database.

I use the scanner when I'm on my dinky smartphone (I hate typing on that thing!) and not near the computer, but when i'm at my desktop i definitely prefer to search and see what choices are available and investigate them.

I've been very happy lately, btw, finding Cooking Light recipes in the database that were already entered by someone else. Thanks whoever is doing that! lol.


(edited to fix quote)

I also strongly suggest that you enter your own ingredients for any recipe you use. It's never totally accurate. Heck 2 weeks ago one of the recipes I used was off by 40%!

I also strongly suggest that you enter your own ingredients for any recipe you use. It's never totally accurate. Heck 2 weeks ago one of the recipes I used was off by 40%!

I know, but sometimes I just can't be bothered. At this point things are working for me even if not totally accurate, but if I hit a plateau or start gaining weight, I will definitely look at the accuracy of my logging.

I often wonder what is the purpose of your US serving sizes. I find the concept so unnecessary; much easier for me to just deal with cals/fat etc pr 1 gram/100 gram unit. A lot of MFP entries don't even have a 1 gram/100 gram alternative, and I'm not sure if I should add another item to the already overflowing database...

this drives me nuts as well, i wish there was always the weight option in the database. Packaging in Canada has a serving and a weight (as in dumb *kitten* this huge bag of doritos is 8 servings so don't eat the whole thing in one sitting:laugh: )