To measure or Not to measure....that is the question!

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Losershawn
Losershawn Posts: 152
in Health and Weight Loss
So I find myself measuring everything. From cheerios to sunflower seeds I'm trying to learn what appropriate portion sizes are. Anybody else on this obsessive compulsive kick?

Replies

  • JenniferH81
    JenniferH81 Posts: 285 Member
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    no, but I'm pretty sure that's why my weight loss has stalled.. I really need to start measuring.
  • maureak
    maureak Posts: 107 Member
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    When I started logging my food, I was under the impression (so wrong) that I was an excellent judge of portion sizes. After all, I've been on so many diets over the years, why wouldn't I know exactly how much is a cup of cereal?

    At the beginning of the year, a fitness guru suggested that you should periodically do a reality check and measure, just to make sure you're not under counting. What an eye opener! I was almost always under estimating. I started measuring anything that's not already portion controlled just so I can see what it should look like. Now I measure things that are high calorie, like meat, and every so often, I will measure other things, to make sure I'm keeping on track.
  • Smilbuta
    Smilbuta Posts: 10
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    (raises hand)

    I Measure all, I mean EVERYTHING!

    All meats precook weight , liquids (cup of milk) ECT, chip counts by weight. I measure down to the teaspoon if that's the portion.

    once you start to, you will realize that our diets are totally messed up and our problem as whole is portion.
  • sargent1976
    sargent1976 Posts: 33 Member
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    I did at the beginning and now only if it is food i am not sure about. I am still losing so i guess i haven't under-estimated too much.
  • Bigsportygirl
    Bigsportygirl Posts: 20 Member
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    I've been guessing most of my measurements but am going to get myself an american sized cup to start measuring more as everything on here seems to be cup sizes. I agree, portion size is everything in weight loss. The only other time I have lost weight I did it by reducing my portions of everything by a third. After a while I just accepted that the smaller portion was nomal, re-learning the way to eat.
  • ChRiStA_1983
    ChRiStA_1983 Posts: 380 Member
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    I measure E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!!!

    I find that if I don't measure, I am a pretty inaccurate "guesser"....I'll say to myself "Oh, that's about a cup of cereal", and then if I measure it, I find that it's a cup and a half! Whoops! TOTALLY under-estimated the number of calories in that serving, then! That was the OLD me....

    NOW, I don't care if the recipe calls for 1/8 of a teaspoon, or four cups, I measure it ALL, and it seems to be working!

    Happy measuring!
  • Vicky14174
    Vicky14174 Posts: 715 Member
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    i measure everything when i first started. now that i've been doing it for a while i can eyeball it. when i measure just to check to see if i'm over or under, i'm usually right on the money with my portions. i still measure when i'm make a recipe but for things that i eat or drink almost everyday i don't unless i'm just checking to make sure my eye is not off.
  • Kminor67
    Kminor67 Posts: 900 Member
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    I don't measure everything, but I did at first... I still measure a lot because I want to make sure I'm staying on track :)
  • judyfurtado
    judyfurtado Posts: 42 Member
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    Yes! I measure everything. My husband thinks I'm nuts. At dinner esp. because I have all my measuring cups and my little scale. I just like to make sure I'm not cheating myself.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    I measure everything. And usually, I weigh anything that would be measured in cups.

    Buying a kitchen scale was a REAL eye opener.
  • ShonzG
    ShonzG Posts: 73 Member
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    I have a set of digital scales at home that I use to measure everything I eat at home. I also went and bought the same set for work! I'm a bit obsessed now....

    I must admit, before I started measuring food, I had NO IDEA how big portions were - I was eating far too much!!! Now I'm logging it appropriately and I'm losing weight - this has to be a good thing!

    I guess I'll stop weighing when I can accurately 'guess' what things weigh, but that's a distant ideal at the moment!

    Good luck everyone!

    Shonz
  • octopusami
    octopusami Posts: 87 Member
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    I go back and forth.. sometimes I measure everything and sometimes I don't. I do have a scale that I use at home and I tend to follow the portion sizes that are one the sides of the box.
  • saldridge
    saldridge Posts: 125 Member
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    I measure everything and always with a scale. Cups and spoons are so inaccurate for anything but liquids. It is so easy to have a scale on the counter - put your bowl or plate on, tare the weight and put your food on. It also saves you from having to wash that cup or half cup measure 10 times a day :-)

    One poster said they misjudged cereal and what she thought was a cup was actually a cup and a half. I am pretty sure if you measure it by weight, you'll probably see it was even two cups!!
  • joaniegray
    joaniegray Posts: 88 Member
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    I measure most things - otherwise I would guestimate on the high side. Good luck!
  • captnesshowdy7
    captnesshowdy7 Posts: 61
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    MEASURE MEASURE MEASURE! I can't stress it enough!!! I have a food scale, 2 sets of measuring cups AND the WW serving spoons. I got away from measuring for about 3 months and managed to gain 10 pounds. So yea, you're doing the right thing in my opinion! WTG. Keep it up!
  • ChristineM1953
    ChristineM1953 Posts: 135 Member
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    I even have a scale that I use to measure foods - there are some things I can estimate now, but I have a collection of measuring cups that I keep in all my cereals, nuts, etc.. for easy access

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