Weighing vs. Measuring

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I just want to point out that having cups and spoons in your diary doesn't mean that you don't weigh.

Having package meals in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.

Having serving sizes in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.

I weight everything I eat (minus probably one item a week) but I still use the other entries that may have cups or spoons in them, as long as long as the package's grams match what I weigh.

I know a bunch of people don't weigh their food and complain that they aren't losing weight, but I also see many who do weigh and people still tear them apart for having these kind of entries.
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Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    ok
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
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    I do the same thing. But if I was on the forum asking for help-I would explicitly state that. Most people who have generic entries do not weigh. And it is a common cause of so-called plateaus and lack of progress.

    I don't really see the point of your thread, to be honest. Most people are just trying to help. It's the Internet-everyone needs to stop being so sensitive.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    I know what you mean... Unfortunately scanning labels tends to log the 'cup' listing. Such as where the label says 1 serving = 28g (1/4 cup). I weigh out 14 grams, log it as .5 servings, and my diary shows the cup entry. I check, and there is rarely an option to change the database entry (from the scanned label) to show grams.

    But in the end, I suspect those having trouble are the ones not using a food scale. I'm content with my entries, and understand how to maintain now that I've lost the weight thru paying attention to what/how much I consume.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    edited July 2015
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    I just want to point out that having cups and spoons in your diary doesn't mean that you don't weigh.

    Having package meals in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.

    Having serving sizes in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.

    I weight everything I eat (minus probably one item a week) but I still use the other entries that may have cups or spoons in them, as long as long as the package's grams match what I weigh.

    I know a bunch of people don't weigh their food and complain that they aren't losing weight, but I also see many who do weigh and people still tear them apart for having these kind of entries.
    Then all those people have to do is explain that they do weigh and when they enter "2 cups" for oatmeal they know it means "160 grams" because they compared the entries to the labels.

    Most of the time, though, that's an indication that someone may no be logging accurately.

  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
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    I know what you mean... Unfortunately scanning labels tends to log the 'cup' listing. Such as where the label says 1 serving = 28g (1/4 cup). I weigh out 14 grams, log it as .5 servings, and my diary shows the cup entry. I check, and there is rarely an option to change the database entry (from the scanned label) to show grams.

    But in the end, I suspect those having trouble are the ones not using a food scale. I'm content with my entries, and understand how to maintain now that I've lost the weight thru paying attention to what/how much I consume.

    That's exactly what I do. But if I ever have a question about my log, I tell people that's what I do.

    The vast majority of the time a question on the boards that has a person logging in cups, means they aren't weighing. It's the natural assumption because 9 times out of 10 it's true. No need to get offended by that response.
  • jesikalovesyou
    jesikalovesyou Posts: 172 Member
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    slaite1 wrote: »
    I do the same thing. But if I was on the forum asking for help-I would explicitly state that. Most people who have generic entries do not weigh. And it is a common cause of so-called plateaus and lack of progress.

    I don't really see the point of your thread, to be honest. Most people are just trying to help. It's the Internet-everyone needs to stop being so sensitive.

    I've seen it stated many times in threads and people are still saying "quit using cups you need to weigh, cups are inaccurate".

    If people don't tell you they're weighing, it's their fault if you tell them to weigh to be more accurate.
    If they do say it, pay attention and quit quoting their diary to them like you're proving they're lying. (not you, just people in general)
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    slaite1 wrote: »
    I do the same thing. But if I was on the forum asking for help-I would explicitly state that. Most people who have generic entries do not weigh. And it is a common cause of so-called plateaus and lack of progress.

    I don't really see the point of your thread, to be honest. Most people are just trying to help. It's the Internet-everyone needs to stop being so sensitive.

    I've seen it stated many times in threads and people are still saying "quit using cups you need to weigh, cups are inaccurate".

    If people don't tell you they're weighing, it's their fault if you tell them to weigh to be more accurate.
    If they do say it, pay attention and quit quoting their diary to them like you're proving they're lying. (not you, just people in general)

    A lot of people don't read the whole thread. They just butt in to say that. It's not a big deal. You notice they never come back or they end up reading the thread and trying to find another way to help once they see they missed it.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    But you're not in here complaining that you're not losing.
  • jesikalovesyou
    jesikalovesyou Posts: 172 Member
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    I've seen people explain that they're weighing, but sometimes it gets lost in their comments.

    Moral of the story: OPs need to put more information in their posts so people know that they're weighing their food. And commenters should keep in mind that not all entries post in weight but that doesn't mean the food was not weighed.
  • jesikalovesyou
    jesikalovesyou Posts: 172 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    But you're not in here complaining that you're not losing.

    I'd be cleaning up my diary if I was, definitely!!

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    A tendency I've noticed:

    Person A posts for help with vague info usually to the tune of I'm doing everything right and its been _____ weeks (generally 1, 2) and I'm not losing.

    Person B asks if Person A is logging accurately using a food scale.

    Person A responds with yes I measure everything.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    It takes 2-3 rounds of questioning/responding further to figure out whether Person A means they're weighing when they say measuring, or if they don't understand that measuring and weighing are not the same thing.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,724 Member
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    I just saw a thread where the op clearly stated she was weighing everything and loging per the weight even when the entries said cups BEFORE opening her diary.... and the next half dozen comments were "weigh your food"
  • jesikalovesyou
    jesikalovesyou Posts: 172 Member
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    I just saw a thread where the op clearly stated she was weighing everything and loging per the weight even when the entries said cups BEFORE opening her diary.... and the next half dozen comments were "weigh your food"

    That might be the same one I saw! It wasn't the first either.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
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    I just want to point out that having cups and spoons in your diary doesn't mean that you don't weigh.

    Having package meals in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.

    Having serving sizes in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.

    I weight everything I eat (minus probably one item a week) but I still use the other entries that may have cups or spoons in them, as long as long as the package's grams match what I weigh.

    I know a bunch of people don't weigh their food and complain that they aren't losing weight, but I also see many who do weigh and people still tear them apart for having these kind of entries.

    Your point being ...?

  • jesikalovesyou
    jesikalovesyou Posts: 172 Member
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    Ang108 wrote: »
    I just want to point out that having cups and spoons in your diary doesn't mean that you don't weigh.

    Having package meals in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.

    Having serving sizes in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.

    I weight everything I eat (minus probably one item a week) but I still use the other entries that may have cups or spoons in them, as long as long as the package's grams match what I weigh.

    I know a bunch of people don't weigh their food and complain that they aren't losing weight, but I also see many who do weigh and people still tear them apart for having these kind of entries.

    Your point being ...?

    This.
    I've seen people explain that they're weighing, but sometimes it gets lost in their comments.

    Moral of the story: OPs need to put more information in their posts so people know that they're weighing their food. And commenters should keep in mind that not all entries post in weight but that doesn't mean the food was not weighed.

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,724 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Ang108 wrote: »
    I just want to point out that having cups and spoons in your diary doesn't mean that you don't weigh.

    Having package meals in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.

    Having serving sizes in your diary does not mean you don't weigh.

    I weight everything I eat (minus probably one item a week) but I still use the other entries that may have cups or spoons in them, as long as long as the package's grams match what I weigh.

    I know a bunch of people don't weigh their food and complain that they aren't losing weight, but I also see many who do weigh and people still tear them apart for having these kind of entries.

    Your point being ...?

    Her point seems to be that we probably don't have to be jerks for no reason and that reading the thread we respond to probably makes sense.

    What is your counterpoint?
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    I rarely weigh my food. I weigh pistachios so that I measure out exactly 100 calories. I weigh meat and fish and grated cheese that I prepare in advance to freeze and use later in a salad or other dish. I weigh hamburger meat when I'm making hamburgers so that I can get exactly eight six-ounce pre-cooked burgers for the three pounds I have. Other than that, no. I go by the package, or by the MFP database, and yes, sometimes eye-balling. Then again, I do a lot of exercise that I don't log. Like dancing and/or walking in place while watching television. Like parking very far away from where I am going. Like realizing once there that I left my phone in the car and having to walk back and forth a second time.

    If someone is not losing weight, they know exactly why they aren't. That extra slice of cake they didn't log, along with the soda they washed it down with. The bag of potato chips they couldn't stop eating. Telling people to weigh their food doesn't seem to be very useful to those who claim they are doing everything right and not losing weight. Telling them they are probably eating more than they think probably isn't very useful, either, as they already know this. Offering kind and gentle support to them will go much further.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    I just saw a thread where the op clearly stated she was weighing everything and loging per the weight even when the entries said cups BEFORE opening her diary.... and the next half dozen comments were "weigh your food"

    Yep. I thought this was in response to that thread. Just because a diary entry says an Imperial measurement doesn't mean the person doesn't weigh food. I have many of those because the nutritional info is correct aside from being the generic serving (1 slice, 1/2 cup, 3 pieces). I'm also slightly lazy and don't want to correct every entry to add the gram weight.

    Even though I do weigh/measure my food, I would never, ever, ask on here why I'm not losing weight because the only reply would be "weigh your food".
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    It's also not necessary to weigh at all. You can lose weight without a food scale (or a people scale.)

    People don't have to defend their choice to weigh...or to not weigh.

    IRL, people make fun of me weighing food. It's annoying.
  • mattyc772014
    mattyc772014 Posts: 3,543 Member
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    To be or not to be that is the question. :) Hands down scale wins over cups. I read food diaries to get ideas on what to eat not to see how someone entered their food. I do have to say that alot of package servings are off. Weighing helps with that. Also I am proud to say I spend an exorbitant amount of money per year on air. I buy Pringles.