Weighing vs. Measuring
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mattyc772014 wrote: »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.
You could just get one of those air cleaner thingies for computers and aim it in your mouth as though you were squirting whipped cream from a can . . .0 -
I rather have a can of whipped cream. But your suggestion....how does that save me money? I have a Dyson and am sure that would work.0
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mattyc772014 wrote: »I rather have a can of whipped cream. But your suggestion....how does that save me money? I have a Dyson and am sure that would work.
I have a Dyson too! Never thought about using it for a weight loss program. Of course canned whipped cream doesn't have very many calories, as it is also mostly air. 0 -
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atypicalsmith wrote: »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.
I like this. Yes.0 -
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.
Yes. Thank you. Even with weighing it is not possible to be totally accurate, especially considering very few people here seem at all certain about how to log or calculate exercise/movement calories (and sometimes seem to track/hang on to every step they take in a day and count it as extra). The point is, how accurate can any of this really be? particularly if the same people who fastidiously weigh food can't be certain exactly how many calories they're burning to begin with. So yeah if it helps, do it, but I too don't understand the often militant attitude on this site about weighing and the assumption that not weighing everything instantly = eating too much. There are often other factors between those two things.0 -
jesikalovesyou 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.
Exactly! Weigh it on a scale - don't rely on "cup" or "spoon" measurements because that isn't accurate.
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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.
I completely agree. But if you're not willing to weigh your food, don't come and complain if you don't lose weight even though you're 'eating so little'.
But yeah I saw that thread where someone said she weighs everything and people didn't seem to believe her, and it boggles my mind a little bit too... but a lot of people say that they weigh everything too and when you look at their diary, it's pretty dubious, because everything is exactly 100g or 28g or something...0 -
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.
This!!! I tracked for almost 2 months and from there I never track or weigh. I'm down 75 pounds since jan 1. I'm eating plenty of whole foods and exercising. It does get annoying when people insist you must weigh your food. And this is me going on 2 week long vacations and having chest meals or days often.0 -
I weigh from time to time, but a lot of times I estimate. But then, been doing this for three years and I tend to eat a LOT of the same foods! I've weighed portions in the past, and so now I can usually estimate and be right. I do weigh randomly to make sure I'm still judging correctly. And anything new gets weighed now. But I'm not a huge stickler for accuracy, and since I'm still losing weight, I'm not worried.
That being said, when starting out, it's important to weigh everything you can. Hard to do when eating out, so you'll have to make a best guess since I'm thinking most people aren't going to bring a scale with them! But you have to retrain your eyes and brain to what serving sizes look like before you can start estimating. Otherwise, you will most likely not be entering it correctly. So many people start out and assume what's in the database is going to be right, even the unverified stuff, and a lot of entries don't have weights listed. That's where new people have a lot of trouble.0 -
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.
This!!! I tracked for almost 2 months and from there I never track or weigh. I'm down 75 pounds since jan 1. I'm eating plenty of whole foods and exercising. It does get annoying when people insist you must weigh your food. And this is me going on 2 week long vacations and having chest meals or days often.
Good for you!!! As long as you eat less and move more, it will happen. And only YOU know if you're doing that! Of course logging on MFP has been a great mind-opener to me to realize just how much I am eating and how many calories I'm burning through exercising. Wouldn't trade it for the world!0 -
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.
This!!! I tracked for almost 2 months and from there I never track or weigh. I'm down 75 pounds since jan 1. I'm eating plenty of whole foods and exercising. It does get annoying when people insist you must weigh your food. And this is me going on 2 week long vacations and having chest meals or days often.
But you're not logging. So it's safe to assume that you're making more sensible choices. If you're logging your food but are completely underestimating your food intake, it's just pointless to even log.0 -
That's wonderful!! Congratulations!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.
This!!! I tracked for almost 2 months and from there I never track or weigh. I'm down 75 pounds since jan 1. I'm eating plenty of whole foods and exercising. It does get annoying when people insist you must weigh your food. And this is me going on 2 week long vacations and having chest meals or days often.
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Weighing is the most accurate form of estimating. OPs who complain about not losing are normally in that situation because they are eating more than they think or burning less. On that basis the method they are usually using is not accurate weighing and being at a consistent deficit, buty some other form of estimating. The answer is to get better control they shift to the most accurate form of esimating to return to weight loss.
The act of weighing involves scales imo. Some people estimate using other methods and it cna work fine, but the people who come onto these forums complaining about not losing are doing so because its not working for them and thats becayse they havent found a way of achieveing an accurate deficit.
There are many more threads on these forums of people who dont realise, listen to what theyve been advised and then start losing again. Its not uncommon for OPs to start with one story and change it as soon as questions are asked. Responders can onlu go on the information posted and its right if they have doubts, then they ask further questions. Couldnt disagree more with the OP .0 -
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.
I completely agree. But if you're not willing to weigh your food, don't come and complain if you don't lose weight even though you're 'eating so little'.
But yeah I saw that thread where someone said she weighs everything and people didn't seem to believe her, and it boggles my mind a little bit too... but a lot of people say that they weigh everything too and when you look at their diary, it's pretty dubious, because everything is exactly 100g or 28g or something...
I do that though! If the bag of doritos says that 28g is 140 cal, I will measure out 140 g every time! Even if I have to break a chip in half to get that weight, I will do it.
The same goes with my English muffin. If it says 61g is a serving, and my muffin is 65g, I will pick off pieces of the muffin until it is the 61g it is supposed to be.0 -
jesikalovesyou wrote: »I do that though! If the bag of doritos says that 28g is 140 cal, I will measure out 140 g every time!
heh, I don't think this is what you meant0 -
I've weighed and measured my food since way before MFP. Years of Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc. Any diet works if you practice portion control and become aware of how much food you put in your mouth.
In the final analysis, it comes down to consistency, commitment and consciousness.0 -
DuckReconMajor wrote: »jesikalovesyou wrote: »I do that though! If the bag of doritos says that 28g is 140 cal, I will measure out 140 g every time!
heh, I don't think this is what you meant
Hahahahah. Wouldn't that be nice? I wish!0 -
jesikalovesyou wrote: »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.
I completely agree. But if you're not willing to weigh your food, don't come and complain if you don't lose weight even though you're 'eating so little'.
But yeah I saw that thread where someone said she weighs everything and people didn't seem to believe her, and it boggles my mind a little bit too... but a lot of people say that they weigh everything too and when you look at their diary, it's pretty dubious, because everything is exactly 100g or 28g or something...
I do that though! If the bag of doritos says that 28g is 140 cal, I will measure out 140 g every time! Even if I have to break a chip in half to get that weight, I will do it.
The same goes with my English muffin. If it says 61g is a serving, and my muffin is 65g, I will pick off pieces of the muffin until it is the 61g it is supposed to be.
Aww I hate wasting food. So I'll log 1.065 of a muffin... lol.0
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