How accurate are you?

I've only been at this for 2 weeks so I'm still pretty militant about logging and weighing everything I eat. I'm really hoping to stick with it for the long haul. It makes such a difference.

I've calorie counted for most of my life (guestimating). Finding MFP and learning what I am now learning, I got a scale (not digital, maybe next month). I am seeing what a difference and enjoy knowing what I'm taking in. I am now logging my sweeteners/diet drink mixes, coffee, measuring condiments and my vitamin supplements. I log all other food, weighing my solids (bread included), but some things like an egg, yogurt (in small containers) and such, I go by what is on the container. I'm rather enjoying the challenge of learning to do this. Great idea for a thread!

First off, I live alone, so any food I buy or make is almost guaranteed to be 100% consumed by me. Makes things easier.

I don't weigh anything in where a calorie count is given for individual pieces and the pieces are pretty consistent (like oreos) or where the count is for a whole package. Errors will average out over time.

I don't weigh spices unless it's something with a decent calorie count like curry paste.

I don't log Splenda packets, though maybe I should. I know I use 5-6 every weekday and 1-2 every Sat and Sun.

When I make a recipe, I don't weigh individual portions unless I've made it to share. I'm going to eat it all anyway so who cares if I got a bit more one day and a bit less the next.

I weigh everything else if there's a scale available. Nuts, vegetables, nut butters, meats, ice cream, you name it, I'm weighing it.

I guess I fall into the "extreme" category. I weigh everything I can.

I've lost 72 pounds so far. So extreme seems to work well for me.

I am extreme as well, I log and weigh everything I possibly can. I even have a food scale at work. It is working for me so I will continue being "extreme".

The only thing I weigh is cereal, I cant judge it at all.

Otherwise everything is by eye/guesstimate/whatever the packet says.

I do tend to go for the higher calorie option when I search for things in the database.

Im sure this is blasphemy for many, but Ive lost 2 stone and maintained for 2 months now this way so either by natural gifts with judgement or pure luck it seems to be working for me!

That said, while I am fairly relaxed about how I log, I make sure I log absolutely everything

I weigh almost everything. I have been at this long enough though that a egg is just that an egg. not concerened with weighing each. I do weigh my liquid egg whites though. I also dont weigh my coffee cream but I did for a long time and now i just eyeball it.

I weigh anything not in a package. I dont weigh pre cut slices of bread or eggs etc, but all liquids, meats, veggies etc gets weighed unless I'm not home. If I'm cooking for both my husband and myself I usually weight my portion of meat and starch and just eyeball veggies when they're done. I dont log gum, small bites from taste testing, coffee and anything I perceive to be less than 10 calories. If I feel like I've nibbled a lot I'll quick add something at the end of the day

I weigh everything to the gram or tenth of an ounce with the exception of cooking spray, the 4-6 pieces of sugarfree gum I chew daily, <5 calorie drinks and the tums I chew at night as a calcium supplement.

I am pretty militant about serving sizes as well. I don't weigh the soup in the can, but I will convert the "about two" servings to 1.77.

I am 7 weeks in and I weigh/measure every single thing I can except coffee creamer. I only drink coffee at home and use the same size cup every time. I measured it for the first week and it turns out that the color I like my coffee is right at 1 tablespoon. So I'm OK with maybe being off a few calories one day to the next, especially since I drink 2 cups at most per day.

StarvingAuthor wrote: »

I'd say extreme is when you crack an egg and weigh that out (rather than taking the average off of the carton (e.g. 80 per egg) and lax is not logging little things (like creamers or anything under, say, 20 calories)!

i guess im extreme then.

the only things i dont weigh are dried seasonings (Which have negligible calories anyways). and i dont always log 0 calorie things like diet sodas.

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I'm somewhere in between.

If I'm cooking for myself at home, I'll put most everything on the food scale and weigh it out.

If I'm eating at a restaurant or friend or relative's place, I'll guesstimate.

And some packaged foods, I just go based on what it says on the package, even though it might be slightly off. For instance, I don't bother weighing single-size yogurts, because I'd rather eat them out of the container than spoon them into a separate dish, and because the calorie count is pretty close.

I'm losing weight at an expected rate, mind you. If I stall, I'll probably tighten up on the logging to get back on track.

I log everything i put in my mouth, with the exception of seltzer and herbal tea. (I drink one of them all day long).
I measure everything I put in my mouth unless it is premeasured (a pita that has cal info for example) - I do this when cooking.
I do not measure the meals I prepare, but if my recipe makes 4 servings, I give myself 1/4 and log that.
I weigh nothing.

I've lost 11 pounds in 8 weeks. If I stop losing weight, I'll rein it in more. But as long as this is working for me, I don't feel the need to do more.

I'm very lax. I usually log everything, but I mostly eyeball the volume rather than using a scale. It's worked well for me so I'm not planning on changing any time soon. I eat out with my family and eat food cooked by others quite often, so weighing is often impractical.