how to weigh food without becoming obsessed?

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Jocampgrl
Jocampgrl Posts: 59 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am not trying to lose a ton of weight (9 pounds) but have been anorexic in the past. My goal is a healthy if not low one as i am 5' 7" and currently weigh 163 lbs. Right now measuring (cups) my food is effective but every time i get within 5 pounds of my weight i back off and get stuck.
From reading posts on here it sounds like weighing food is really effective for losing those final few pounds. my concern is that I really do not want to become obsessed with food again and end up unhealthy and dangerously thin.
Any tips for starting out weighing food but maintaining a balance where food does not run my life? In my mind, weighing takes time cause you have to weigh each individual thing you use/eat for every meal. even spices. this seems really daunting.

Replies

  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
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    I've had similar issues with food, so props to you for recognizing the potential for issues :)

    Do you have anyone you can talk to about this that may be able to give you some guidance? Someone from your recovery team or something similar?

    Us internet folks can only do so much :)

    When you say you back off and get stuck, do you mean you stop measuring and end up gaining the weight back?

    Something you may want to consider is to weigh things that can be calorie-dense, like peanut butter, along with treats like gelato and ice cream. Continue with measuring everything else and gradually start weighing more things. It's really not too much more work or time BUT you do need to be aware of how it makes you feel.

    Over the course of the day, I probably spend ~5 minutes weighing food for all of my meals. More time is involved if I'm making a big batch of something, putting it in the recipe builder & portioning it out, but that's something I do on weekends when I have that extra time.

    ~Lyssa
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,966 Member
    edited June 2015
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    While I do use and love my scale, I don't weigh (or log) spices or herbs.

    I use measuring spoons and cups for liquids or dense ingredients like peanut butter. I tested weighing vs using a tablespoon for peanut butter and found I was dead on the first time and within a gram the second time, and that was good enough for me.

    I use the scale for accuracy, at times when accuracy is an issue.

    Why don't you test it for yourself and decide which foods are better weighed?
  • Jocampgrl
    Jocampgrl Posts: 59 Member
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    macgurlnet wrote: »
    I've had similar issues with food, so props to you for recognizing the potential for issues :)

    Do you have anyone you can talk to about this that may be able to give you some guidance? Someone from your recovery team or something similar?

    Us internet folks can only do so much :)

    When you say you back off and get stuck, do you mean you stop measuring and end up gaining the weight back?

    Something you may want to consider is to weigh things that can be calorie-dense, like peanut butter, along with treats like gelato and ice cream. Continue with measuring everything else and gradually start weighing more things. It's really not too much more work or time BUT you do need to be aware of how it makes you feel.

    Over the course of the day, I probably spend ~5 minutes weighing food for all of my meals. More time is involved if I'm making a big batch of something, putting it in the recipe builder & portioning it out, but that's something I do on weekends when I have that extra time.

    ~Lyssa

    i back off and get stuck meaning that i stop logging and measuring most things. Thanks for the idea of starting with calorie dense foods. i obviously tend to think with an "all or nothing" mentality at times. :smile:
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
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    Jocampgrl wrote: »
    macgurlnet wrote: »
    I've had similar issues with food, so props to you for recognizing the potential for issues :)

    Do you have anyone you can talk to about this that may be able to give you some guidance? Someone from your recovery team or something similar?

    Us internet folks can only do so much :)

    When you say you back off and get stuck, do you mean you stop measuring and end up gaining the weight back?

    Something you may want to consider is to weigh things that can be calorie-dense, like peanut butter, along with treats like gelato and ice cream. Continue with measuring everything else and gradually start weighing more things. It's really not too much more work or time BUT you do need to be aware of how it makes you feel.

    Over the course of the day, I probably spend ~5 minutes weighing food for all of my meals. More time is involved if I'm making a big batch of something, putting it in the recipe builder & portioning it out, but that's something I do on weekends when I have that extra time.

    ~Lyssa

    i back off and get stuck meaning that i stop logging and measuring most things. Thanks for the idea of starting with calorie dense foods. i obviously tend to think with an "all or nothing" mentality at times. :smile:

    I fall victim to the same thing!

    I've tried to find other ways to make this something I want to stick with - namely by trying new foods as meals and/or snacks. Having several choices when I have, say, 200 calories to "spend" really helps. If I'm looking for quantity, I go for a food lower in calories. If I'm gonna be okay with a smaller portion, then it's something more calorie-dense, like my gelato.

    ~Lyssa
  • Jocampgrl
    Jocampgrl Posts: 59 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    While I do use and love my scale, I don't weigh (or log) spices or herbs.

    I use measuring spoons and cups for liquids or dense ingredients like peanut butter. I tested weighing vs using a tablespoon for peanut butter and found I was dead on the first time and within a gram the second time, and that was good enough for me.

    Why don't you test it for yourself and decide which foods are better weighed?

    This is helpful information to have; that you were within a gram when measuring. It makes complete sense that not everything would need to be weighed vs measured. thank you!!

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