Just curious - do you eat the serving size or just whatever amount you want?

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I started to wonder this when I see all the critiques of folk's diaries... i.e., "it says you ate 1/4 cup of cheese, use a food scale!" Well I personally use a food scale, and know that 1/4 cup of cheese is 28g. So if I go to log it and I weighed out 28g, then I log the 1/4 cup if that's what comes up first.

But then I started to realize that I mostly aim for serving sizes because to me, it's just easier to log that way. Am I the only one that does this?
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Replies

  • icck
    icck Posts: 197 Member
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    I tend to aim for portion sizes from packets (weight wise) as a base then decide if I want to add any more. Not necessarily for ease of logging, but just because I often find that the recommended serving is fine for me.
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
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    I eat however much I want that fits into my calories. Sometimes that's more than a 'portion', sometimes less.
  • smotheredincheese
    smotheredincheese Posts: 559 Member
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    I'll measure out a suggested portion size and then add to it if it doesn't look like enough. If I stick with the suggested serving size I log the calories the packet says, and if I use more than that will work it out from the full nutritional info.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    I use serving sizes as a guide. But I do eat what I want and weigh it out. Also how many calories I have left after pre-logging determines more how big my serving sizes are.
  • Jgasmic
    Jgasmic Posts: 219 Member
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    If the entry has an option for grams then I will do whatever I want/need at the time. If it only has the generic serving size I weigh it to the serving size exactly because I usually don't feel like doing the math.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    I eat whatever I want to fit in my calories. Servings sizes are typically pretty small, in my opinion.
  • jesikalovesyou
    jesikalovesyou Posts: 172 Member
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    hartmamp wrote: »
    I started to wonder this when I see all the critiques of folk's diaries... i.e., "it says you ate 1/4 cup of cheese, use a food scale!" Well I personally use a food scale, and know that 1/4 cup of cheese is 28g. So if I go to log it and I weighed out 28g, then I log the 1/4 cup if that's what comes up first.

    But then I started to realize that I mostly aim for serving sizes because to me, it's just easier to log that way. Am I the only one that does this?

    I'm with you, OP. I measure what they say is the serving size, in grams, and log it like that. Serving size is easy for me.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    I usually don't eat a serving size exactly. But if I had to log on my phone, I'd probably try to round it up because it's more of a pain than just popping the calculator on my computer, lol.

    And I'm way too lazy to make grams entries for everything. I just know the serving size in grams of pretty much everything I use by heart now.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Usually a serving, sometimes more, always weighed out
  • brightsideofpink
    brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
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    I'm very similar. I tend to weigh out a serving size of many things, or at least a portion of a serving size, especially if it is something that is easy to hit the exact g of. If people looked through my diary, they'd probably yell at me for estimating. But in truth, I weigh it all out when possible. I have those 28g of chips, the 55g of cheerios, etc. I don't do that with meats or veggies though. I'm not about to trim my steak down just to hit 4 oz. Hands off my steak! :)
  • roger1879
    roger1879 Posts: 7 Member
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    Certain foods I go by the Serving size.. others, which I kno I Can eat more of, and still stay on track, I will have more
  • ExRelaySprinter
    ExRelaySprinter Posts: 874 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Here in the UK, the serving suggestion sizes can be so small.
    For example, 40 grams is the suggested serving size for most Cereals.
    That's like a portion for a small child! Lol
    I tend to measure out my own servings.
  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
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    I measure out what I want, and weigh that. Sometimes I top it up to the portion size.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
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    I tend to use serving sizes for the same reason. When I first started on MFP years ago, I didn't use a scale. So I have TONS of entries that are based on serving sizes, rather than ounces or grams. So although I weigh it, I input it based on serving size. I am slowly replacing some of my common foods with the weighed entries bc I am sick of all the maths
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
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    I don't weigh my food so I usually stick as closely to the recommended serving size as possible.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    roger1879 wrote: »
    Certain foods I go by the Serving size.. others, which I kno I Can eat more of, and still stay on track, I will have more

    This. I still weigh it all though.

    I usually eat 2 servings of cottage cheese, which shows up on the diary entry as two 1/2 cup servings but I know is 228 grams, which I do weigh out.

    Pistachios, I weigh out exactly what the label says is a serving and I forget if that's 30 g or 40 g.

    For fruit, like strawberries or watermelon, I just weigh what I cut up and log it. I don't try to only have 1/2 cup (I think that's the standard serving size) of that kind of thing.
  • majigurl
    majigurl Posts: 660 Member
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    I eat for me. I figure out what portion size is right for me and calculate the calories for that.

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
    edited July 2015
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    hartmamp wrote: »
    I started to wonder this when I see all the critiques of folk's diaries... i.e., "it says you ate 1/4 cup of cheese, use a food scale!" Well I personally use a food scale, and know that 1/4 cup of cheese is 28g. So if I go to log it and I weighed out 28g, then I log the 1/4 cup if that's what comes up first.

    But then I started to realize that I mostly aim for serving sizes because to me, it's just easier to log that way. Am I the only one that does this?

    No, 1/4 cup of cheese is not always 28 grams. ;)

    Just like not all bananas are 110 calories either, and this thing about small, medium, large bananas is all in the perception.

    I research to make sure I am using accurate entries and most of the time I log in grams, sometimes in ounces. I also weigh my food and never count on measuring cups/spoons for solid food because they are not accurate.

    For me, it's much easier to weigh my food and ensure accurate entries, and it doesn't take any time at all. :)

    Depending on my calorie allotment, I might eat more or less than the serving size. That's the beauty of weighing in grams--the serving size is very easy to adjust.
  • AbsoluteTara79
    AbsoluteTara79 Posts: 266 Member
    edited July 2015
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    My diary probably looks like I don't weigh, but I do the same thing for most foods. I scan the label and then weigh out the listed grams. And now I just know 112 grams for the brand of cottage cheese I buy, 28 grams for my hummus, 75 grams for my ice cream, etc etc.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    SLLRunner wrote: »
    hartmamp wrote: »
    I started to wonder this when I see all the critiques of folk's diaries... i.e., "it says you ate 1/4 cup of cheese, use a food scale!" Well I personally use a food scale, and know that 1/4 cup of cheese is 28g. So if I go to log it and I weighed out 28g, then I log the 1/4 cup if that's what comes up first.

    But then I started to realize that I mostly aim for serving sizes because to me, it's just easier to log that way. Am I the only one that does this?

    No, 1/4 cup of cheese is not always 28 grams. ;)

    Just like not all bananas are 110 calories either, and this thing about small, medium, large bananas is all in the perception.

    I research to make sure I am using accurate entries and most of the time I log in grams, sometimes in ounces. I also weigh my food and never count on measuring cups/spoons for solid food because they are not accurate.

    For me, it's much easier to weigh my food and ensure accurate entries, and it doesn't take any time at all. :)

    Depending on my calorie allotment, I might eat more or less than the serving size. That's the beauty of weighing in grams--the serving size is very easy to adjust.

    all this.

    Plus I don't always eat the suggested serving size.

    For example suggested serving size of chicken...skinless boneless breast...what is the suggested serving size? 4oz?

    And to top it all off...froot loops...suggested serving size is 3/4 cup or 25g(guessing) but guess what 25g of froot loops is not 3/4 of a cup...no way no how...so if I logged it as 3/4 of a cup I would be under logging my calories.