How Do You Measure Your Foods: Weigh, Measure or Guesstimate

RosanaRosanaDana
RosanaRosanaDana Posts: 93 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I know people on here have very definite and strong opinions on the matter but I'm curious. I'll admit, I'm a guesstimater. I didn't get this size because I didn't weigh or measure. I got here because I wasn't thinking at all, just mindlessly taking in calories that didn't match my exercise or activity level. Guesstimating works for me because it gives me that ballpark figure that I'm looking for and it helps me to be conscious of what I'm putting in my body. I've been eating for 57 years now so I think I have a handle on what a cup of something is or the difference between a small, medium and large potato. I think I can even guesstimate 4-6 oz. of chicken.
This is something I will continue doing for the rest of my life. My life has enough gadgets in it without adding a scale to the kitchen counter.

Of course, this is MY opinion, not to say that it's right or wrong. Just what works for me. What works for you?

Replies

  • sheepysaccount
    sheepysaccount Posts: 608 Member
    AT home I have a food scale and measuring cups for liquids. But when I am away, I am guesstimating.:)
  • Fentyman
    Fentyman Posts: 58 Member
    It's actually not that bad. I bought a 20 dollar scale from Walmart and it's actually quite useful. For example, I love beef jerky. I can portion it so I know I'm getting close as possible to the calories stated on the back. Other times I do just eyeball it, all depends on time.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I am one of the people who suggests weighing foods - but that is usually when someone is complaining they aren't losing weight.
    Many people are very successful at guesstimating, a lot aren't. How big your calorie deficit has to do with it as well. For those with low calorie intakes and high TDEEs, it is a little easier to get away with inaccurate estimates. When you are dealing with a small deficit, precision becomes much more important.

    For me, weighing really opened my eyes. I really learned what portion sizes were. I am to the point now I can guesstimate with pretty good accuracy which helps in real world situations where I can't weigh. So for me, that is the biggest benefit to weighing.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I weigh everything at home, enter my own recipes etc. I used to guesstimate but it stopped working after I lost my first 20 lbs.

    When I'm out I estimate based on my experience with weighing.
  • jec285
    jec285 Posts: 145 Member
    I bought a $30 scale and it's collecting dust.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I use a food scale. It's faster and easier than measuring cups and I don't have as many dishes to wash this way.
  • cheripugh1
    cheripugh1 Posts: 357 Member
    I know people on here have very definite and strong opinions on the matter but I'm curious. I'll admit, I'm a guesstimater. I didn't get this size because I didn't weigh or measure. I got here because I wasn't thinking at all, just mindlessly taking in calories that didn't match my exercise or activity level. Guesstimating works for me because it gives me that ballpark figure that I'm looking for and it helps me to be conscious of what I'm putting in my body. I've been eating for 57 years now so I think I have a handle on what a cup of something is or the difference between a small, medium and large potato. I think I can even guesstimate 4-6 oz. of chicken.
    This is something I will continue doing for the rest of my life. My life has enough gadgets in it without adding a scale to the kitchen counter.

    Of course, this is MY opinion, not to say that it's right or wrong. Just what works for me. What works for you?

    Nope sorry but I do not think you can guesstimate correctly... I am 56 and a professional chef yet even I get surprised when I measure something, especially meat and it's not what I was thinking it was... but to each their own choice. I measure, and I weigh and I go by pre-packaged products what the package says. Do you have to have 2/3 or 3/4 cup serving of cereal, nope you can have a cup but count it correctly. The more I measure the better I am getting at knowing on sight but when you are hungry or you really like something you seriously cannot trust yourself to guess correctly... obviously if you could you would not be severely overweight. When I eat out I cannot measure sizes, so I immediately ask for a to-go container and box up half at least that way I can be sure I am staying in a safer zone and not go home and find out I just blew it for a week!
  • segovm
    segovm Posts: 512 Member
    Hope that keeps working for you. When I started guessing at my portions I found I was only 25-40% off, nearly always underestimating the size of the food I was eating.
  • Nojoke81
    Nojoke81 Posts: 131
    Whey.. Oh sorry I meant weigh. Though I also weigh my whey ;0)
  • mattbell007
    mattbell007 Posts: 45 Member
    I usually weigh, measuring in grams. If I don't have a scale handy, I will guesstimate. If guesstimation works for you, that's fine, but if you find that you aren't getting the results you expect, I suggest guesstimation followed by actual measuring for a while to verify the accuracy of your guesstimation. My guesstimation is much more accurate than it used to be for that reason, and I find that I get more consistent results as a consequence, even if I have to guesstimate. (Weighing and guesstimating the same food "calibrates" your guesstimation.)
  • vickiem74
    vickiem74 Posts: 49 Member
    I weigh and measure but as previously stated...guesstimate if I am away from my measuring tools.
  • Fit_Fox88
    Fit_Fox88 Posts: 410 Member
    When I'm at home, I weigh everything. I'll use measuring cups for baking/cooking but I also weigh them for calorie content. I guesstimated a lot before I bought my food scale and I was shocked to see actual serving sizes. Also, when I started measuring out things like rice in a measuring cup and spaghetti on a scale, it was a little depressing. I definitely think weighing is the way to go. If you have never seen the actual serving size for a piece of meat or a serving of rice, then you can never really estimate what that size is.
  • navygrrl
    navygrrl Posts: 517 Member
    I weigh just about everything. If it comes in a single serving size (like when I grab a snack at work), I just use the serving size on the wrapper, although I've found that even those are wrong at times. I don't weigh my slices of bread or tortillas, though, because I like to live dangerously. Also, I don't eat those very much.
  • MuscleHeadNerd74
    MuscleHeadNerd74 Posts: 1,930 Member
    weigh everything if out i wont eat unless they can tell me how many grams it is so i can in put it my log
  • maz504
    maz504 Posts: 450
    I weigh solids/measure liquids like 85% of the time. Sometimes I eyeball but when I do I always overestimate when I'm logging it.
  • MissMissle
    MissMissle Posts: 293 Member
    I'd like to weigh... but I know I won't, as i pretty much throw a temper tantrup every night i have to rinse out my water bottles... I can't imagine having to weigh on top of it.

    I do measure out my liquids - which - I really only drink water, diet soda, and almond milk... so its not that hard...but stuff like EVO i measure.

    Solids, no, I don't weigh. Weekdays Are easy because I eat the same thing so I say, look at how many calories are in the turkey i bought, divide by 5, and done - I do this for all the "foods" I eat. Fruit, I guestimate since every apple / banana is different. I measure my peabut butter ebcause it's high in calories and fat and i could eat the entire jar in a sitting, literally, the entire jar.

    Weekends are a mess. I try my best to guess but when i go out to eat Im sure there are things Im not accounting for - like how my 6 ounce steak was basted in a half a pound of butter before getting served to me...

    I think that when i get further in this journey, I will most likely need to teach myself how to use a food scale...
  • michelle_816
    michelle_816 Posts: 621 Member
    I measure out my pastas, cereals, coffee creamers, basically quite a bit of what I eat using cups and spoons... I guesstimate my meats, unless they are prepackaged lunch meats.

    I have recorded on MFP many of the recipes I make on a regular basis and figured out how many portions it serves.

    But I do not weigh my foods at all with a digital scale. At this time, I do not feel I personally need to do it to be successful. I have lost 23 lbs so far, I have about another 22 to go to meet my first goal. I have been losing pretty steadily every week (other than this past one, but I know what I did to gain my lb).
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
    If it can be weighed on a food scale, I weigh it, regardless of cutting or bulking. I weigh to make sure I'm not overeating when cutting and weigh to make sure I'm eating enough when bulking.
  • AnthonyThrashD
    AnthonyThrashD Posts: 306 Member
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    this is my pocket digital scale weighing a quarter. It can weigh up to 650 g, It goes every where I go!
  • LilyMammoth
    LilyMammoth Posts: 38 Member
    I always, always weigh and measure. Everything. I used to not do it, but it gives me peace of mind to know my calorie intake is mostly accurate.
  • Leggylass
    Leggylass Posts: 215
    I used to guesstimate, I've been cooking and baking most of my life I think im a good guesstimater lol

    BUT I now see the huge difference since try out a digital scale when it comes to dieting and calorie counting :smile:
  • wannakimmy
    wannakimmy Posts: 488 Member
    I use my scale... it does not always help me to eat the correct amount f something, but at least it will be logged accurately....
  • catb58
    catb58 Posts: 239 Member
    When I saw how far off I was with guesstimating, I bought a nice little digital scale. I weigh or measure everything.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,302 Member
    I do a mixture 0P.
    At home I weigh all meat, cheese, vegetables.
    Pre packaged things I accept the package reading - if a muesli bar says it weighs 200 g and is x calories,I don't weigh it to check if it really is 200. Same with slices of bread,crumpets etc.

    Whole fruit and vegetables I just guesstimate and hope it averages out - eg every mandarine I call a medium one,I don't weigh it. The difference is only going to be a few calories anyway.

    Eating out, unless somewhere with standard items, like McDonald's, I just guestimate by eyeballing.

    I get that if people are not losing weight then they need to tighten their logging - but this works fine for me and is long term user friendly so I will stick with it.

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