How beneficial are food scales?

Irishfaerie86
Irishfaerie86 Posts: 34 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I felt silly even considering buying a food scale, but I know myself and I know I'm fibbing a bit when I say I ate 50 calories (a tablespoon for example) of hummus. But I want to stop lying to myself and maybe using a food scale would be a way to finally lose that last bit of weight. Perhaps I'm struggling not because of what I'm eating but the amount in which I'm putting into my diary and it not truly matching up. So I'm here to ask, if and when you started using a food scale did you find it made a huge difference in your weight loss once you started properly measuring how much you were really eating?
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Replies

  • spikrgrl503
    spikrgrl503 Posts: 247 Member
    Yes. Its huge. Especially for hummus/peanut butter
  • AvonBell
    AvonBell Posts: 107 Member
    They are enormously beneficial. Just about everybody here who claims they can't lose weight are failing because they are not measuring their food.

    Best Weight Loss Plan in the World:

    Weigh all solids on a digital scale and all liquids in a measuring cup or spoon. Consume fewer calories than your TDEE.
  • F00LofaT00K
    F00LofaT00K Posts: 688 Member
    It makes a HUGE difference for very lightweight or very dense foods. I get a whole lot more oatmeal when I weigh and a whole lot less peanut butter. Flour can be surprisingly dense if it's too packed into a measuring cup, so any cooking I do with flour I make sure to weigh it. I've used a scale since November and I've gotten incredibly good at eyeballing certain things, like an ounce of cheese or peanuts, but I still use it for many things. It was less than $15 and it has been nothing but a worthwhile investment for me. You'll be shocked by how off some of your estimates are.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    A food scale is an excellent idea for those struggling with portion control or eyeballing serving size. Don’t feel silly because if that’s what you need to do to get the last bit of weight off then so be it. The scale will also help you in your maintenance phase by preventing you from overeating.
  • Mariachicat
    Mariachicat Posts: 311 Member
    They can't hurt. I still use measuring cups and spoons for mostly everything but a scale is more accurate and I have one for when I need or will need to take the guesswork out of stuff.
  • fairy_sprinkles
    fairy_sprinkles Posts: 3 Member
    I've been watching what I eat off and on for years and I *know* what 100g of chicken and 80g of avocado looks like. Unfortunately my brain sees what it wants to sometimes and my memory appears to be a bit rusty.

    The food scales have made a huge difference. Weigh all your food for a few weeks and see exactly how much a serving is. Then go without scales for a while and I can almost guarantee that your serving sizes will creep up again. Danger!

    This could definitely give your weight loss a boost! Don't feel silly about giving yourself an advantage!
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    It was my number one best weight loss tool I ever purchased. Of course, YMMV, but for me, I'd say that if someone could only afford one scale, pick the food scale over the bathroom scale. It's that important, IMHO.

    I could NEVER properly estimate proper portions (duh, that's how I got overweight in the first place). A food scale takes away all the guesswork and estimation errors that eyeballing a volume measuring creates. We all vary, but *I* am just not one of those people who can "measure" up portions correctly otherwise. If you think you may be like that, too (you're not alone--bunches of us suck at this, lol), get a food scale.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    They are enormously beneficial. Just about everybody here who claims they can't lose weight are failing because they are not measuring their food.

    Best Weight Loss Plan in the World:

    Weigh all solids on a digital scale and all liquids in a measuring cup or spoon. Consume fewer calories than your TDEE.

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[/img]

    Yep. That's the common sense, brilliant help that got my ticker moving in the right direction. :drinker:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I absolutely love my scale. It takes two minutes to use, if that, and I don't have to constantly wonder if I'm underestimating my food calories.
  • skyytlz
    skyytlz Posts: 30 Member
    They make following an english recipe easier. (My pie recipes make me follow by grams). I also weigh raw portions before dreezing so eveeyrhing is equal.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    They are the best thing ever! A digital one because the first two months in this i was weighing on one of those you have to turn and then decided I deserved digital. (walmart 15$), well the old was was shorting me. 4 ounces of chicken turned out to be a heck of a lot more than I had thought. I received a food raise, it was awesome!
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    I weigh everything, every time. more of a game now to see how close my eyeball is. good practice for when you can't weigh your food. like at a restaurant.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Weighing vs Measuring

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
  • wallelf1
    wallelf1 Posts: 36 Member
    I already had one and used it to weigh out things from the garden to put in the freezer. Now, I use it several times a day for portion control. I can't imagine trying to do the MFP plan without one. So, to answer your question...yes.
  • InstantCoffee100
    InstantCoffee100 Posts: 8
    Well said. Food measurement is essential. It is part of how I (we?) got to be overweight. Re-training my brain to accept what a nutritious healthy calorie package looks like is a huge part of the fight to take off the weight.
  • fleetzz
    fleetzz Posts: 962 Member
    If you don't weigh your food you don't know how many calories you are eating.

    Use a food scale.
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 874 Member
    Dissenting opinion here.

    Food scales are certainly not necessary. No argument it is fun to tool-up with scales and FitBits and stuff. No argument it is more accurate to estimate calories by mass rather than volume.

    If you think it will help, get a scale. They are inexpensive and surprisingly accurate. As you have read, many people swear by them. Everyone chooses a different path to their goals.
  • janetotton
    janetotton Posts: 3 Member
    It is the best tool I have ever bought. Get one that weighs grams, pounds, and ounces. You won't regret it. It helps you stay real!
  • FitOldMomma
    FitOldMomma Posts: 790 Member
    They are the best thing ever! A digital one because the first two months in this i was weighing on one of those you have to turn and then decided I deserved digital. (walmart 15$), well the old was was shorting me. 4 ounces of chicken turned out to be a heck of a lot more than I had thought. I received a food raise, it was awesome!

    A food raise! That IS awesome, lol.
  • 123_lac
    123_lac Posts: 66 Member
    They are SO beneficial. I have been using a food scale for 5 months, and I still can't "eyeball" a serving size. I seriously just tested my ability to "eyeball." I placed something on my plate that I thought was a serving then weighed it. I had like 3 servings.
  • WVprankster
    WVprankster Posts: 430 Member
    I wouldn't say that they're 'beneficial', more like they are essential.

    Strong this. An actual ounce of cheese is ****ing depressing.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I think they're great as an eye opener but I don't pull mine out that often. The whole calorie counting thing, foods weighed to the gram or not, is still estimates. How many calories in your particular steak, how many in a pound, how many in your BMR, your workout, etc.

    You don't have to nail either end of it (burn or intake), you just have to estimate well enough to be able to eat less or move more when results show it's time to.
  • Swiftlet66
    Swiftlet66 Posts: 729 Member
    I agree with everyone here, food scales are good. But just gonna say, I actually lost almost 10 pounds without a food scale (just practically estimating) but I think I'm a bit of a special case since when I started using a food scale to help me maintain my weight, I found out that I was really overestimating the amount I ate; apparently, my portion sizes are smaller than recommended normal portion sizes. :x So it turned out, I was actually under eating daily by an extra minus 100-150 calories while losing weight. Oops... But anyways, yes, you should buy one!
  • jjmaciej117
    jjmaciej117 Posts: 3 Member
    Yes, a food scale is very beneficial. I use it quite often for meat.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I felt silly even considering buying a food scale, but I know myself and I know I'm fibbing a bit when I say I ate 50 calories (a tablespoon for example) of hummus. But I want to stop lying to myself and maybe using a food scale would be a way to finally lose that last bit of weight. Perhaps I'm struggling not because of what I'm eating but the amount in which I'm putting into my diary and it not truly matching up. So I'm here to ask, if and when you started using a food scale did you find it made a huge difference in your weight loss once you started properly measuring how much you were really eating?

    Why would you feel silly? Lots of people use food scales. Got in many a kitchen and you will see them on the counter.

    I bought a food scale a few months into my weight loss journey because I realized that there is no such thing as a medium, small, large anything, and also began to wonder if one tablespoon of anything really weighed the same as the serving size on the package. After getting my food scale I learned that three bananas that appear to be about the same size are different weights in grams, 16 grams of peanut butter is less than a tablespoon, and a medium size chicken breast does not really exist. Now weight most everything in grams, most meats usually in ounces. I do this because I want to be as accurate as possible.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,660 Member
    I think it makes a huge difference. I find it especially useful when measuring meats. It's surprising how much more food 4 oz. of fish is vs. 4 oz. of beef!
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I kind of get the "feel silly" thing, if you live with people who might think you're overdoing the whole counting thing or otherwise be affected by it. I have a teen daughter at home so I keep my calorie counting to myself. She knows I'm trying to drop a few pounds but I prefer to model a more relaxed approach.

    But having a scale doesn't mean you have to weigh everything. Some day when you're home alone, weigh your cereal. See where it hits the bowl. Use that visual for the next week. Weigh calorie dense things now and then but practice 'winging it', too. Re-check for portion creep occasionally.
  • katkins3
    katkins3 Posts: 1,359 Member
    I am a believer in the food scale. Know more accurately what you are taking in...
    I am also a believer in the HRM, heart rate monitor. Know more accurately what you are burning....
  • thesmallestpineapple
    thesmallestpineapple Posts: 21 Member
    I was a bit appalled when I first started using a food scale at how bad my ability to estimate was... but I'm getting better after a few months of weighing most things. I can guess with reasonable accuracy the calories in restaurant foods these days (weight changes reflect my guesses most days) and don't weigh absolutely everything at home anymore.

    Training your brain to understand how much you are actually eating is, I feel, really important for anyone who wants to be in control of their weight for the rest of their life... rather than just until they stop being 'on a diet'.
  • mysweetjenna
    mysweetjenna Posts: 52 Member
    On one hand, the science is sound. However, I am afraid of using things like food scales on a more emotional level. Think about it-how many people do you know feel the need to measure out everything they eat? For me, a scale further encourages an obsession with food rather than building a healthy relationship with it. I don't want to think about it all of the time.

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