Buy a food scale
Options
Replies
-
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »queenliz99 wrote: »A scale gives you a heads up what the actual food calories hold. Especially when you get down to maintenance levels you will know approximately what calorie each food has. Apples will vary wildly in calories, for instance.
How does a scale tell you how many calories a food holds? If you take 5 apples of the same weight, they are unlikely to all have exactly the same calories.
I didn't word it right. sorry0 -
obscuremusicreference wrote: »Since I've started weighing my food, I can't believe how some of the items have stacked up. Eggs have surprised me the most--the brand I buy says there are 70 calories/large egg (and the USDA agrees), but I have had one egg that was under that number so far out of more than a dozen. The rest have been 75-85+. And let's not get started on how many calories are in a "tablespoon" of peanut butter or an eyeballed 1/8 of a block of cheese.
I still lost weight at a good pace not weighing, but I'm glad I decided to start so that it doesn't hurt me down the road.
Eggs are sized according to the weight per dozen so it is not unusual to get some that are over and some that are under. I eat enough eggs that I use the USDA average knowing that, in the end, it will average out.It's like a scale you might use for body, but smaller and more sensitive. They only work for lightweight items, like less than five pounds. So you can tell if your potato weighs 100 grams or 150 grams.
Mine weighs up to 10 lb which I like for prepping casseroles or crock pot meals. I can put the dish on it and keep throwing all of the ingredients in the same bowl, taring after each one. It was $15 at Amazon and I love it! I have a smaller one that only weighs up to 500 g. that I use when making my bath and body stuff since some active ingredients and essential oils only are 5-10 g. per batch.
0 -
queenliz99 wrote: »I've been considering getting one! I had chicken in my salad today, and not a clue as to how many ounces I put in there. I guessed, and hope that I overestimated. But really, I have no idea!! I've heard the "3 oz is the size of your palm" thing, but a scale would obviously be much more accurate!
Yep, what if you have big hands or small hands for that matter.
Not to mention thickness. I have seen some chicken breasts that are almost 2" thick!
0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »queenliz99 wrote: »A scale gives you a heads up what the actual food calories hold. Especially when you get down to maintenance levels you will know approximately what calorie each food has. Apples will vary wildly in calories, for instance.
How does a scale tell you how many calories a food holds? If you take 5 apples of the same weight, they are unlikely to all have exactly the same calories.
Calories per gram in the database are averages. Yes, your 3" diameter Granny Smith apple might have a little more water or sugar than the next 3" diameter one, but they will be pretty close to each other. You take the weight, then look it up in the database. All calorie counts are figured by weight so, for example, you look up a medium Granny Smith apple and the listing says one apple is 154 grams and 80 calories. Your apple weighs 125 grams so you go to the drop down menu for serving size, click on the 1g serving and enter a quantity of 125. You now know that your apple is 65 calories.
May not be 100% accurate for water bearing fruits and veggies but it is much more accurate than guessing.
0 -
I am so glad I invested in a food scale. I was surprised at how many things I underestimated and how few things were over estimated. I was also surprised about how many prepackaged items are heavier than what they say. Best $15 dollars spent on a kitchen accessory.0
-
I underestimated veggies, big time. What I thought three cups of spinach would be turned out to be about 1.75ish.
As for the specific chemical makeup of fruits and vegetables, I figure I'm still going to eat at a deficit even if there's more sugar in one banana versus another. Besides, when I was using the generic 105 calories/banana, I didn't know the makeup of my food either.0 -
I bought a small food scale at a garage sell for like .50 and it's the best thing ever. I want to weigh everthing I can! It's really an eye opener to see how much we overeat!
0 -
a tablespoon of peanut butter is whatever i can balance on a knife.0
-
Capt_Apollo wrote: »a tablespoon of peanut butter is whatever i can balance on a knife.
It's generally pretty close to that!
0 -
For a lot of people starting out with a lot to lose, they will likely be pretty successful 'eyeballing' it for a while. And that's probably ok - too many changes at once can derail you! But when you have less to lose, or are trying to maintain, 50 calories off per meal/snack can add up really fast. I weigh nearly everything, and it doesn't take me hardly any time at all. Plus no extra measuring spoons/cups to wash.0
-
I found for me it was the opposite, I was way overestimating the size and calories for things because I did not have a scale, and I did not want to be under. I was also hungry a lot, and that led to overeating later. Now that I have a food scale, I know how much I am eating and I find I am able to eat more then I thought. It has helped a lot, and I am not having ravenous cravings anymore.0
-
For a lot of people starting out with a lot to lose, they will likely be pretty successful 'eyeballing' it for a while. And that's probably ok - too many changes at once can derail you! But when you have less to lose, or are trying to maintain, 50 calories off per meal/snack can add up really fast. I weigh nearly everything, and it doesn't take me hardly any time at all. Plus no extra measuring spoons/cups to wash.
I agree. I lost 30 pounds eyeballing and measuring, and it was easier to ease into weighing. Now that I'm almost halfway to goal, it's time to start cracking down.0 -
I found for me it was the opposite, I was way overestimating the size and calories for things because I did not have a scale, and I did not want to be under. I was also hungry a lot, and that led to overeating later. Now that I have a food scale, I know how much I am eating and I find I am able to eat more then I thought. It has helped a lot, and I am not having ravenous cravings anymore.
I'm glad it helped you allocate your calories better!
0 -
Love my digital kitchen scale. Between that and my "Meal calculations" spreadsheet (I use to verify serving sizes), I think 95% of my logging has become much more accurate. Now if I could just find something to magically tell me exactly how much I'm really burning, instead of relying on formulas.
0 -
Pasta serving sizes really surprised me. Almost as much as saying the same thing in another scale thread and getting flagged for it for some reason.
This is what I have: smartaldishopper.com/aldi-review-kitchen-living-digital-kitchen-scale/
I look through the database for foods with 1 gram options and I make one if I can't find one. This makes it much easier for me to weigh things accurately. I still use my measuring cups but the scale gets the majority of use.
0 -
fluffyasacat wrote: »fluffyasacat wrote: »I keep seeing "food scale" on here. Is this a particular thing which is programmed with the calorie values of different food? Or is it in fact what I would simply call "scales" or "kitchen scales" to differentiate them from "bathroom scales".
It's like a scale you might use for body, but smaller and more sensitive. They only work for lightweight items, like less than five pounds. So you can tell if your potato weighs 100 grams or 150 grams.
They are good to have even if you don't care about using them for calorie control. They are very helpful for baking in particular because you can zero out between adding items.
I actually have a very accurate set of digital kitchen scales, but it seems weird to call it a "food scale". I've never come across it. Must be an American thing.
Yep, along with 'cups'. That seems like a weird measurement. I think maybe it's more normal to have kitchen scales in the UK as our recipes generally have ingredients in grams or ounces.
I do weigh my food, but I'm so used to doing it, I find I can cut off a piece of cheese 28-30g easily, or get a spoon of peanut butter that's dead on 20g.
I tend to put my empty plate on the scale instead of the bowl that comes with it and zero it, then add something, zero it again, and so on. My husband laughs at me.
0 -
I love my digital kitchen scale. It is a great tool for measuring out portions of food to eat (3 oz chicken, 3 oz rice, etc.)... but I think that the BEST way to use a kitchen scale is to measure ingredients for when you make your own recipes. I used to be a "little of this, little of that" cook, and never had any real idea of how much protein, fat and carbs were in my soups, stews, and so forth. Now, when I make things, I take note of how much of each caloric ingredient I put in, pop it into MFP's recipe tool, and then figure out calories and nutrients per serving. It works great, because I like to do one huge soup pot on Sunday and eat it for lunch during the week. It goes right into MFP's food log, no guessing involved.0
-
I do recognize that I could reach my goals faster if I just purchased a scale and used it, but for now I will go without a scale. After looking into them I have decided that I may get one later, but that depends on what my goals are like in the future. I know that what the package says is in the item calories wise can be off. At the moment I think estimating that I am basically eating about a sodas worth of calories off is good for me.0
-
katematt313 wrote: »I love my digital kitchen scale. It is a great tool for measuring out portions of food to eat (3 oz chicken, 3 oz rice, etc.)... but I think that the BEST way to use a kitchen scale is to measure ingredients for when you make your own recipes. I used to be a "little of this, little of that" cook, and never had any real idea of how much protein, fat and carbs were in my soups, stews, and so forth. Now, when I make things, I take note of how much of each caloric ingredient I put in, pop it into MFP's recipe tool, and then figure out calories and nutrients per serving. It works great, because I like to do one huge soup pot on Sunday and eat it for lunch during the week. It goes right into MFP's food log, no guessing involved.
That's an excellent point - I use mine this way too. I make a lot of soups and casseroles because 1) they are cheap and 2) leftovers are awesome. Being able to measure my ingredients, then use the recipe function on here helps a ton! In addition to accurate calories, you get more accurate macros too. For me knowing how much protein I get has been hugely beneficial!
0 -
queenliz99 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »queenliz99 wrote: »A scale gives you a heads up what the actual food calories hold. Especially when you get down to maintenance levels you will know approximately what calorie each food has. Apples will vary wildly in calories, for instance.
How does a scale tell you how many calories a food holds? If you take 5 apples of the same weight, they are unlikely to all have exactly the same calories.
I didn't word it right. sorry
No worries, I was just confused by the notion.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.9K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 399 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 978 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions