Anyone here NOT use a food scale?

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shandy4487
shandy4487 Posts: 72 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have read on these forums that using a food scale is very important for accurate logging. I am very nervous about using one because I have a past history with eating disorders. (Before anyone asks, yes I see a therapist for this, lol). So using a food scale is very triggering for me. I currently eyeball my portions, use measuring cups occasionally, and I have been successful in losing 48 pounds since the beginning of this year. But I know the closer I get to my goal, the more accurate my logging needs to be. Has anyone here had continued success without using a food scale? Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)
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Replies

  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    I've never used a food scale and have lost 135 lb eyeballing some things and measuring many...for example I always use measuring cups for stuff like rice and cereal when I eat those. I actually never even considered getting a food scale. I'm now in my goal range (weight) and think it might be useful for me if I ever get really serious about getting to the lowest in my goal range, but at this point I don't see that happening for me because I'm very happy with where I am. Good luck, and remember you have to find what works for YOU - and for your health psychologically as well as physically.
  • amillenium
    amillenium Posts: 281 Member
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    I actually had a lot more success weight loss wise when I wasn't using a food scale and have gone back to that method. I use portion sizes that I eyeball and I feel like I have a pretty good handle on it based using comparison metrics--like deck of cards for a serving of meat/chicken etc. I do not have a history of EDs but my daughter has a lot tendencies that make me think she is headed down that road and I felt that watching me weigh my food sent the wrong message to her. Regardless, of how I explained it to her, she interpreted it the way she wanted to.
  • 13bbird13
    13bbird13 Posts: 425 Member
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    I have one but I never use it. I used to do WW and they had different ways of measuring portion control that were easier, especially away from home. I do try to overestimate portions to give myself a cushion.
  • Riemi87
    Riemi87 Posts: 3 Member
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    I do not use a food scale and I have lost 45 lbs so far and dropped 4 sizes. Everyone has their own way. If a food scale works best for you then use it. If it will give you anxiety or cause issues then absolutely don't as long as you are moving in the right direction.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    I didn't know anything about food scales when I first started on MFP. When I started reading the forums and how much they are recommended to improve logging accuracy and help with plateaus, I told myself that if I ever did find myself in an unexplained plateau or unable to lose weight at the rate I wanted, that would be the first thing I invested in. I never did reach that point (plenty of plateaus but they were always totally explainable - holidays, illness, not exercising, etc), and lost the weight I wanted and am now in maintenance.

    I will say that I keep a bit of a buffer with my calorie goal - it is set about 150 cals under where MFP thinks my maintenance cals are, but I do eat back my exercise calories and use a FitBit for estimating total cals burned. I know if I used a food scale I could probably be more accurate and set my goals a little higher, but again, this worked for me for the last 990 days so I don't see why it wouldn't work for the remainder of my days using this tool...

    I also ALWAYS recommend a food scale to people just starting out - I think if I had one from the beginning I probably could have hit my goals more quickly.

    I can see how those struggling with an ED may also want to not implement that level of control.

    Good luck!
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,709 Member
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    A food scale is important for accurate logging, but NOT necessary for weight loss and/or maintenance. I've never used one. I learned portion sizes rather than relying on weighing out my food. There is no one perfect method. If a scale is triggering to you, by all means, don't use one! But DO know that you can be successful without it.
  • wendymoira
    wendymoira Posts: 40 Member
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    I eyeball and have lost 31 pounds since June -- but I also set my weekly weight loss on MFP to 2lbs/week and find myself averaging more like 1-1.5 lbs/week, which is fine with me. Also, I'm still a good 17 pounds from my initial goal, which is still quite a bit higher than out-of-the-box healthy BMI, so I have plenty of wiggle room. As I get closer to my goal, I want to try and use more measuring cups and maybe even a scale from time to time so I can check the accuracy of my eyeballing, but I eat out a lot and over friends' houses and love to travel, and I just don't see weighing everything I eat as a sustainable thing for my life.
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
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    shandy4487 wrote: »
    I have read on these forums that using a food scale is very important for accurate logging. I am very nervous about using one because I have a past history with eating disorders. (Before anyone asks, yes I see a therapist for this, lol). So using a food scale is very triggering for me. I currently eyeball my portions, use measuring cups occasionally, and I have been successful in losing 48 pounds since the beginning of this year. But I know the closer I get to my goal, the more accurate my logging needs to be. Has anyone here had continued success without using a food scale? Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

    You can eat the same amount and just increase your caloric expenditure by working out more or increasing the amount of cardio you do.

    I stopped using the food scale around 70lbs lost because it drove me nuts, I eye balled everything to lose another 102lbs... (total of 172) so yes you can eye ball stuff... just make sure your eyes are good?
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
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    I lost without one and maintain without one.
  • ElleMarieRose
    ElleMarieRose Posts: 37 Member
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    Me! Throughout my entire journey I haven't touched a food scale.
  • ebouchie
    ebouchie Posts: 124 Member
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    I have lost 55 pounds without ever using one. I suppose if I am ever in a state where I think I am measuring and eating within my MFP guidelines and not losing, then I would certainly use one. I have enough buffer built into my deficit with all of the excercise that I have not had that problem. So, I will continue along using measuring cups, eyeballing, and guessing. It is working.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
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    I lost 60lbs without using a food scale.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
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    When I started I never used a food scale. Lost about 20 pounds that way. However as I've gotten closer to my goal weight and my deficit is getting smaller, I started to use a food scale. I couldn't keep eye balling.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    I started with one until I got better at guesstimating things. I still pull it out for new stuff or just to double check myself, but for the most part, I don't use it anymore.
  • shandy4487
    shandy4487 Posts: 72 Member
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    Wow! I didn't know so many people didn't use one! Lol thank you guys all soooo much for your responses. I feel much better knowing a scale isn't absolutely necessary. You guys rock :)
  • hapa11
    hapa11 Posts: 182 Member
    edited November 2015
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    I don't use one and have lost about 25 pounds. I try to underestimate calorie burns from workouts, which I think helps compensate for the fact that I most likely also underestimate the calories I eat.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    shandy4487 wrote: »
    Wow! I didn't know so many people didn't use one! Lol thank you guys all soooo much for your responses. I feel much better knowing a scale isn't absolutely necessary. You guys rock :)

    no it's not at all...it's just one of the many helpful tools that is recommended.

    For me it meant logging 1460 calories and losing 1/2lb a week vs logging 1460 accurately and losing 1lb a week.

    personal preference...I still use it to this day but not as consistently as I did when I was losing.
  • lilyrunner
    lilyrunner Posts: 36 Member
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    Always. It is a great tool to keep you on track. A portion size almost always surprises me.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    I didn't know anything about food scales when I first started on MFP. When I started reading the forums and how much they are recommended to improve logging accuracy and help with plateaus, I told myself that if I ever did find myself in an unexplained plateau or unable to lose weight at the rate I wanted, that would be the first thing I invested in. I never did reach that point (plenty of plateaus but they were always totally explainable - holidays, illness, not exercising, etc), and lost the weight I wanted and am now in maintenance.

    I will say that I keep a bit of a buffer with my calorie goal - it is set about 150 cals under where MFP thinks my maintenance cals are, but I do eat back my exercise calories and use a FitBit for estimating total cals burned. I know if I used a food scale I could probably be more accurate and set my goals a little higher, but again, this worked for me for the last 990 days so I don't see why it wouldn't work for the remainder of my days using this tool...

    I also ALWAYS recommend a food scale to people just starting out - I think if I had one from the beginning I probably could have hit my goals more quickly.

    I can see how those struggling with an ED may also want to not implement that level of control.

    Good luck!

    Yep this is exactly me too. I've never used one (I guess I've just been blessed to be very good at estimating) and it hasn't ever been an issue. I do occasionally measure out certain things to help if I don't feel like I can estimate accurately.

    That said, if I ever find that my results aren't matching expectations, it will be the first thing I change. And I absolutely will continue to recommend using one to anyone who isn't achieving their goals without one.
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
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    Never used one.

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