NOT Weighing Food?
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I figure if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I've been slowly losing weight since January and have never measured my food. I make an estimated guess. My thoughts are the same as yours regarding a lifelong choice, and I don't want to be tied to a kitchen scale.
me too. I never weight the food, because it's such a hassle to be tied up to a scale all the time. I measure by scoop, cup... and most important: reasonability
hmmm so you will dig out multiple measuring implements dirty them and be "tied" to them but you wont use a kitchen scale...eh whatever works for all of you.
...
Here is a question for those who refuse, don't understand, hate the idea, or don't believe it makes a difference if you use a kitchen scale...how often do you weigh yourself? and how often do you believe that scale? and does that one make a difference? or do you just go by tape measure or BF%....????
For real! I really am baffled by all the people who think it's so much trouble to use a food scale. It's a piece of cake!
Same here! I can understand why a person who is losing weight by simply eyeballing portions wouldn't want to use a food scale, but for the people who use measuring cups to measure food but are horrified by the idea of a food scale...that just does not compute.0 -
You know, I used to feel this way as well... until I realized that weighing my food is actually easier than using measuring cups/spoons. You just put your plate/bowl on the scale and hit tare after adding each item - simple! No extra dirty dishes
How does that work for something like a casserole or stew? Do you weight the casserole dish or pot, then weigh the whole thing again after it's done cooking, ten enter all the ingredients in the MFP recipe section and make the number of servings the number of grams the whole weighed, then zero out your plate and weigh the portion you are going to eat, and enter that you ate X servings where X = what the portion weighed in grams?
When I am splitting up a dish (which I basically do nightly since I cook for the household) I weigh the total weight of what I made and divide that by the number of portions I'm dishing out. Then I put that amount of grams on each plate or tupperware (we eat leftovers for lunch). It's honestly extremely simple, and even if I am inputting an entirely new recipe for the night, it generally doesn't take "extra" time, as I do it while things are cooking.
That sounds like too much math for me and my brain to handle, lol. I *think* I have a food scale somewhere up in a cabinet I can't reach without a step-ladder, but it is not electronic. I think got it when I had gestational diabetes, but I don't remember using it that much. We cook almost all our meals. Often casseroles, which get all mixed together. We do eat leftovers for lunch, but I usually make mine smaller and my husbands bigger as he eats more than me.
I was by no means bashing any one for using a scale, and was letting the OP know that she was not alone. Even after reading all the responses of the people saying how easy it is, it just does not seem like the right route for me. Who knows? I may change my mind one day, or get curious to how much I am actually eating, but then I'd have to A) clean off my counter in my kitchen and
by a different scale with this "tare" button.
Also this just popped in my head - Do those of you that use a food scale on a regular basis have children? Do your kids see you weighing all your food? Do you think this will help or deter them from having a healthy relationship with food? NOT trying to start up anything here. I have a daughter and I worry about giving her the wrong idea or creating a complex about her body and such. I try to not even weigh myself all that much in front of her or talk about calories and such. Just about eating a good variety of foods and not too much sugar or she'll get cavities.....and bounce off the walls.0 -
I figure if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I've been slowly losing weight since January and have never measured my food. I make an estimated guess. My thoughts are the same as yours regarding a lifelong choice, and I don't want to be tied to a kitchen scale.
me too. I never weight the food, because it's such a hassle to be tied up to a scale all the time. I measure by scoop, cup... and most important: reasonability
hmmm so you will dig out multiple measuring implements dirty them and be "tied" to them but you wont use a kitchen scale...eh whatever works for all of you.
...
Here is a question for those who refuse, don't understand, hate the idea, or don't believe it makes a difference if you use a kitchen scale...how often do you weigh yourself? and how often do you believe that scale? and does that one make a difference? or do you just go by tape measure or BF%....????
For real! I really am baffled by all the people who think it's so much trouble to use a food scale. It's a piece of cake!
Same here! I can understand why a person who is losing weight by simply eyeballing portions wouldn't want to use a food scale, but for the people who use measuring cups to measure food but are horrified by the idea of a food scale...that just does not compute.
Maybe because I'm outside of the US and the vast majority of our recipes use weight (and thosethat use measuring cups also mention the weight) scale is just more intuitive to me - not to mention much easier than digging for the right cup, and if you're doing a 1/4 cup serving, 1/3 cup serving and a 2 cup serving on the same meal that's 3 more cups to wash. It's just way too fiddly for me than just pressing a button. I do, however, have a friend who just logs everything for the week at once by package size, no measuring no weighting, and another who uses a ladle (usually 1/2 a cup) to estimate her portions. I can understand different people like different things for different reasons, but for me, it's just too much hassle.0 -
Also this just popped in my head - Do those of you that use a food scale on a regular basis have children? Do your kids see you weighing all your food? Do you think this will help or deter them from having a healthy relationship with food? NOT trying to start up anything here. I have a daughter and I worry about giving her the wrong idea or creating a complex about her body and such.
I have a 13yo daughter at home and she sees me use the scale daily. She's a teenager, so of course everything I do is weird, weighing food included. We have always been pretty conscious of eating "healthy" during the week M-F and being more laxed on the weekends, so she's used to it.
She's in sports and is very slender, so she has daily treats and only thing I (loosely) monitor is how much protein she gets daily since she's notorious for skimping on it.
ETA: I'm not worried about her developing a negative relationship with food, because I use the scale like I use any other tool in my kitchen. On the contrary, I wish I would have learned more about calories and nutritional intake as a child. I cooked with my mom all the time, but she was ignorant to all this stuff herself. My daughter cooks with me, and I make sure to point out important facts about what we cook and why I do it the way I do.0 -
You know, I used to feel this way as well... until I realized that weighing my food is actually easier than using measuring cups/spoons. You just put your plate/bowl on the scale and hit tare after adding each item - simple! No extra dirty dishes
How does that work for something like a casserole or stew? Do you weight the casserole dish or pot, then weigh the whole thing again after it's done cooking, ten enter all the ingredients in the MFP recipe section and make the number of servings the number of grams the whole weighed, then zero out your plate and weigh the portion you are going to eat, and enter that you ate X servings where X = what the portion weighed in grams?
When I am splitting up a dish (which I basically do nightly since I cook for the household) I weigh the total weight of what I made and divide that by the number of portions I'm dishing out. Then I put that amount of grams on each plate or tupperware (we eat leftovers for lunch). It's honestly extremely simple, and even if I am inputting an entirely new recipe for the night, it generally doesn't take "extra" time, as I do it while things are cooking.
That sounds like too much math for me and my brain to handle, lol. I *think* I have a food scale somewhere up in a cabinet I can't reach without a step-ladder, but it is not electronic. I think got it when I had gestational diabetes, but I don't remember using it that much. We cook almost all our meals. Often casseroles, which get all mixed together. We do eat leftovers for lunch, but I usually make mine smaller and my husbands bigger as he eats more than me.
I was by no means bashing any one for using a scale, and was letting the OP know that she was not alone. Even after reading all the responses of the people saying how easy it is, it just does not seem like the right route for me. Who knows? I may change my mind one day, or get curious to how much I am actually eating, but then I'd have to A) clean off my counter in my kitchen and by a different scale with this "tare" button.
Also this just popped in my head - Do those of you that use a food scale on a regular basis have children? Do your kids see you weighing all your food? Do you think this will help or deter them from having a healthy relationship with food? NOT trying to start up anything here. I have a daughter and I worry about giving her the wrong idea or creating a complex about her body and such.
How is that different from using measuring cups? Simple: she grew up around them to the point where she does not pay attention to them anymore. Same can happen with the scale (and does in other parts of the world) without issues or an unhealthy relationship with food. If she is curious why you are using a scale instead of a cup - if you ever feel the need for that - just explain that it's like coloring inside the lines, it's just neater.0 -
You know, I used to feel this way as well... until I realized that weighing my food is actually easier than using measuring cups/spoons. You just put your plate/bowl on the scale and hit tare after adding each item - simple! No extra dirty dishes
How does that work for something like a casserole or stew? Do you weight the casserole dish or pot, then weigh the whole thing again after it's done cooking, ten enter all the ingredients in the MFP recipe section and make the number of servings the number of grams the whole weighed, then zero out your plate and weigh the portion you are going to eat, and enter that you ate X servings where X = what the portion weighed in grams?
When I am splitting up a dish (which I basically do nightly since I cook for the household) I weigh the total weight of what I made and divide that by the number of portions I'm dishing out. Then I put that amount of grams on each plate or tupperware (we eat leftovers for lunch). It's honestly extremely simple, and even if I am inputting an entirely new recipe for the night, it generally doesn't take "extra" time, as I do it while things are cooking.
That sounds like to much math for me and my brain to handle, lol. I *think* I have a food scale somewhere up in a cabinet I can't reach without a step-ladder, but it is not electronic. I think got it when I had gestational diabetes, but I don't remember using it that much. We cook almost all our meals. Often casseroles, which get all mixed together.
I was by no means bashing any one for using a scale, and was letting the OP know that she was not alone. Even after reading all the responses of the people saying how easy it is, it just does not seem like the right route for me. Who knows? I may change my mind one day, or get curious to how much I am actually eating, but then I'd have to A) clean off my counter in my kitchen and by a different scale with this "tare" button.
Also this just popped in my head - Do you those of you that use a food scale on a regular basis have children? Do your kids see you weighing all your food? Do you think this will help or deter them from having a healthy relationship with food? NOT trying to start up anything here. I have a daughter and I worry about giving her the wrong idea or creating a complex about her body and such.
I am a food scale user and I have a 7 year old DD and a 3 year old. I have tried very hard to make sure that my children have healthy relationships with food, because I really don't want them to have any strikes against them when they get older. I didn't have a weight problem until I hit puberty, but I also grew up with a mother who had a very bad relationship with food and I recognize that some of the things I struggle with I learned from her.
My oldest DD thinks it's fun to weigh stuff on the scale, but we don't talk about calories or anything like that too much. The food scale's been around long enough that I don't even know if it registers to her when I'm using it now. If they do register me using it, I just say that I want to see how much I'm eating, which, of course, they then want to do, too.
With the kids, I've always focused on eating lots of the stuff to help them grow "healthy and strong". We don't restrict them from anything that's in the house (except pop), but we do focus on portion controlling the higher calorie foods and discourage "cleaning their plates" and eating from boredom, etc. If they are hungry, they are always free to help themselves to the fruit or veggies and even crackers and popcorn, etc. that are within their reach and I've found that they do a good job of making good choices without too much pressure from us.0 -
Also this just popped in my head - Do those of you that use a food scale on a regular basis have children? Do your kids see you weighing all your food? Do you think this will help or deter them from having a healthy relationship with food?
Do you let your children see you use measuring cups and spoons?! Better hide the cookbooks with all those scandalous measurements in them!! Or better yet BURN ALL THE COOKBOOKS!!!
What is the difference?0 -
Also this just popped in my head - Do those of you that use a food scale on a regular basis have children? Do your kids see you weighing all your food? Do you think this will help or deter them from having a healthy relationship with food?
Do you let your children see you use measuring cups and spoons?! Better hide the cookbooks with all those scandalous measurements in them!! Or better yet BURN ALL THE COOKBOOKS!!!
What is the difference?
I can actually see where the poster is coming from. I grew up with a mother who had disordered eating and was very strict and would binge and then be strict, etc.. I learned some bad habits from her that I wish I could forget. I can see where the concern could come in that focusing too much on being "perfect" and strict could exhibit disordered behaviors, especially to young children. Of course, I would worry about that more for the child who has a parent who has to take their food scale OR measuring cups with them everywhere they go. To me, that would be teaching the children that they have to be perfect and way too restrictive.
I also am aware that being focused on your weight, how "fat" you are, how "bad" you ate, how you just can't control eating the "junk", how there are foods you "can't" eat can set children up for problems. I work my hardest to not demonize any food, I don't discuss weight in front of my children, I don't lament on how "fat" I am to anyone and I never say "I blew it" if I have a piece of cake or something.0 -
Also this just popped in my head - Do those of you that use a food scale on a regular basis have children? Do your kids see you weighing all your food? Do you think this will help or deter them from having a healthy relationship with food?
Do you let your children see you use measuring cups and spoons?! Better hide the cookbooks with all those scandalous measurements in them!! Or better yet BURN ALL THE COOKBOOKS!!!
What is the difference?
Measuring ingredients/following a recipe to make sure your food comes out tasting like it should is not the same. But thanks for stopping by!0 -
Also this just popped in my head - Do those of you that use a food scale on a regular basis have children? Do your kids see you weighing all your food? Do you think this will help or deter them from having a healthy relationship with food?
Do you let your children see you use measuring cups and spoons?! Better hide the cookbooks with all those scandalous measurements in them!! Or better yet BURN ALL THE COOKBOOKS!!!
What is the difference?
Measuring ingredients/following a recipe to make sure your food comes out tasting like it should is not the same. But thanks for stopping by!
Most of my cookbooks go by weight. I watched my mother weigh most foods when I was a kid because she used those same cookbooks.
Your analogy is bad. A scale does not an eating disorder make.0 -
I don't always whip out my scale. Sometimes I whip out my measuring cup. No, not every single time and I don't do it in restaurants. Stil, I'm pretty consistent. I've been at this for years and it's only sustainable if you want it to be.What I'm doing here is supposed to be a sustainable lifestyle choice and I just can't see whipping out my scale and weighing everything I eat for the rest of my life.0 -
Also this just popped in my head - Do those of you that use a food scale on a regular basis have children? Do your kids see you weighing all your food? Do you think this will help or deter them from having a healthy relationship with food?
Do you let your children see you use measuring cups and spoons?! Better hide the cookbooks with all those scandalous measurements in them!! Or better yet BURN ALL THE COOKBOOKS!!!
What is the difference?
Measuring ingredients/following a recipe to make sure your food comes out tasting like it should is not the same. But thanks for stopping by!
Actually, it is the same thing - only better. Weighing is a more precise way of measuring ingredients to make sure your food comes out tasting like it should - which is why most of the world writes their cookbooks using metric measurement by weight for non-liquid ingredients.0 -
Also this just popped in my head - Do those of you that use a food scale on a regular basis have children? Do your kids see you weighing all your food? Do you think this will help or deter them from having a healthy relationship with food?
Do you let your children see you use measuring cups and spoons?! Better hide the cookbooks with all those scandalous measurements in them!! Or better yet BURN ALL THE COOKBOOKS!!!
What is the difference?
Measuring ingredients/following a recipe to make sure your food comes out tasting like it should is not the same. But thanks for stopping by!
Ummm...I cook all of the time...most of my cook books have both weight and measurements...so yeah, it is the same....but thanks for stopping by.0 -
Also this just popped in my head - Do those of you that use a food scale on a regular basis have children? Do your kids see you weighing all your food? Do you think this will help or deter them from having a healthy relationship with food?
Do you let your children see you use measuring cups and spoons?! Better hide the cookbooks with all those scandalous measurements in them!! Or better yet BURN ALL THE COOKBOOKS!!!
What is the difference?
Measuring ingredients/following a recipe to make sure your food comes out tasting like it should is not the same. But thanks for stopping by!
How is it different? They are two different forms of measurement. One doesn't automatically become more obsessive just because it's more accurate.0 -
I know that most of the people around these parts are huge advocates of weighing food but I am really reluctant to do so. Am I alone on this?
What I'm doing here is supposed to be a sustainable lifestyle choice and I just can't see whipping out my scale and weighing everything I eat for the rest of my life. It seems like a miserable fate to be tied to that kitchen scale for eternity.
I know that I probably feel this way because I've been seeing results without weighing, maybe if my weight loss stalls out I'll be singing a different tune but right now I'm choosing not to weigh food and I'm happy about it. (I do however use measuring cups and spoons)
Any other measuring cup/spoon lovers out there?
I am right there with you!!! I will log my calories to the best of my abilities but I REFUSE to weigh my food. I like to rely on intuitive eating and commonsense when it comes to things like pasta or dining out at a restaurant or someone's house.
do you really think we take our scale to a resturant or a friends house????
too funny.
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Yeah seriously, who brings their scale with them anywhere?
I weigh cereal, fruit, cheese, meat, chips or crackers - things that might trip me up if I eyeballed. I don't usually weigh raw veggies, things that come in pre-weighed portioned out packaging. If I eat out or at someone's house I make a educated (an usually grossly overestimated) guess.
Weighing everything I bring with me for lunch takes less than 2 minutes each morning. Weighing what I eat for dinner has a allowed me to eat MORE than what I would have if I eyeballed cheese. I don't really see why people are so resistant, to the point of calling "eating disorder!!"
ETA: I've also learned that most packages of chips are inaccurate. 5 servings a bag? More like 4.25.0 -
I don't weigh my food , and refuse to do it as well. I don't see myself weighing every meal for the rest of my life. I have 9kg to my goal weight, so really i don't care if i lose the weight fast or slow. I work out 6 times a week and i'm doing pretty well.
BUT, just out of curiousity, how would you weight let's say peanut butter sandwich ? do you take your PB with a spoon put on a scale? then put your bread on the scale ?? or bowl of cereal with milk ??? I find it will take a lot of time, doing this everyday. Or do you just weigh it once and "eyeball it " the next time ?
For me i use cups, i take 1 cup of cereal and 1/2 of milk, or 3 T of plain yogurt, and do the math. it's not hard.
I don't really do bread in the house anymore. For PB for snacks, plop the entire jar on the scale, hit Tare button, scoop out the amount of PB I want. Record the negative # showing on the scale. Cereal disappears in my house too but I imagine I would Tare the bowl and pour the cereal into it. This is what I do for dry rice I'm cooking. Tare the empty pot on the scale, add the rice till I reach the weight for the serving size (49g). I actually started weighing the water to use a consistent amount each time and you know water has nothing to do with calories :blushing:0 -
I don't weigh my food , and refuse to do it as well. I don't see myself weighing every meal for the rest of my life. I have 9kg to my goal weight, so really i don't care if i lose the weight fast or slow. I work out 6 times a week and i'm doing pretty well.
BUT, just out of curiousity, how would you weight let's say peanut butter sandwich ? do you take your PB with a spoon put on a scale? then put your bread on the scale ?? or bowl of cereal with milk ??? I find it will take a lot of time, doing this everyday. Or do you just weigh it once and "eyeball it " the next time ?
For me i use cups, i take 1 cup of cereal and 1/2 of milk, or 3 T of plain yogurt, and do the math. it's not hard.
I don't really do bread in the house anymore. For PB for snacks, plop the entire jar on the scale, hit Tare button, scoop out the amount of PB I want. Record the negative # showing on the scale. Cereal disappears in my house too but I imagine I would Tare the bowl and pour the cereal into it. This is what I do for dry rice I'm cooking. Tare the empty pot on the scale, add the rice till I reach the weight for the serving size (49g). I actually started weighing the water to use a consistent amount each time and you know water has nothing to do with calories :blushing:
I'm a bread user so I will tell you how: I weigh bread, tare, put peanut butter on my bread, weigh it again and the peanut butter weight appears like magic! It's actually pretty amusing the first few times before the novelty wears off.
Cereal: put empty bowl, tare, put in however much cereal I want, tare, put in the milk, tare, then put in whatever fruit I want. Done in a few seconds and no need to dirty extra cups.0
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