Weighing food is so important!
Replies
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I disagree. I think it is a waste of time and would just make cooking boring. If in doubt, overestimate the calorie intake..
Personally I find that it makes cooking more interesting and brings a lot more awareness of what I am going to be eating. Considering that most people have no idea what an ounce of anything actually looks like it is a useful tool for acquiring valuable knowledge. The extra few seconds required to put food on a scale isn't really wasted.0 -
Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »I am curious, what were some things you weren't measuring properly before you had a scale?
Hmmm.... butter, beans, broccoli, cabbage, flour, protein powder, cheese, chicken, meats, fish, etc. etc
Additionally, scales can help you determine by how much different foods change in weight after you cook it the way you cook so you either create your own "cooked" versions of foods or adjust the existing ones.I disagree. I think it is a waste of time and would just make cooking boring. If in doubt, overestimate the calorie intake..
This might create a problem and stall your progress especially when close to your goal when the deficit is not large.
Go for an extra walk. If it is more difficult to achieve something, then extra measures should be taken.
Today while pre-logging, I thought I was over-estimating a piece of cake when I logged it at 100 grams thinking it looks more like 70 grams. When cake time came and I weighed it, it was actually 123 grams. A difference of 150 calories, or a 30 minute walk.
Now that's only one item. Now imagine if I had this margin of error with many other items. What's easier? investing in a cheap food scale while having less dishes to wash, or walking 2-3 extra hours a day on top of my usual hour "just in case"?0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »I am curious, what were some things you weren't measuring properly before you had a scale?
Hmmm.... butter, beans, broccoli, cabbage, flour, protein powder, cheese, chicken, meats, fish, etc. etc
Additionally, scales can help you determine by how much different foods change in weight after you cook it the way you cook so you either create your own "cooked" versions of foods or adjust the existing ones.I disagree. I think it is a waste of time and would just make cooking boring. If in doubt, overestimate the calorie intake..
This might create a problem and stall your progress especially when close to your goal when the deficit is not large.
Go for an extra walk. If it is more difficult to achieve something, then extra measures should be taken.
Today while pre-logging, I thought I was over-estimating a piece of cake when I logged it at 100 grams thinking it looks more like 70 grams. When cake time came and I weighed it, it was actually 123 grams. A difference of 150 calories, or a 30 minute walk.
Now that's only one item. Now imagine if I had this margin of error with many other items. What's easier? investing in a cheap food scale while having less dishes to wash, or walking 2-3 extra hours a day on top of my usual hour "just in case"?
^^Again, whatever works for you, and gets you to where you want to be.
For some, it is not necessary.
I have been cooking and baking for over 50 years, so I know what amounts look like, at least close enough to not be detrimental to my weight loss/maintenance. I have lost over 1/2 of my current body weight, and have been maintaining the loss for over 2 years. It obviously worked (is working) for me.
I am sure there are others that are able to do the same.
Having said that, if you are having issues with losing weight, one of the first thing I would look at is, weighing, measuring, sticking to portion sizes, and logging everything you eat and drink, because, the problem may be overestimating amounts.
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socioseguro wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »I am curious, what were some things you weren't measuring properly before you had a scale?
For me it was pasta. I was underestimating pasta by a pretty good margin.
+1
I was eating almost twice the calories in pasta by "just eyeballing".
I was eating 40% more calories of my oatmeal and other dry grains because I was using a measured cup instead of a food scale. No more. I am nicely maintaining my weight now.
Oh, I guess I typed the opposite of what I meant. I always think 2 oz of pasta is smaller than it actually is. I was eating less than I thought.0 -
snowflake930 wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »I am curious, what were some things you weren't measuring properly before you had a scale?
Hmmm.... butter, beans, broccoli, cabbage, flour, protein powder, cheese, chicken, meats, fish, etc. etc
Additionally, scales can help you determine by how much different foods change in weight after you cook it the way you cook so you either create your own "cooked" versions of foods or adjust the existing ones.I disagree. I think it is a waste of time and would just make cooking boring. If in doubt, overestimate the calorie intake..
This might create a problem and stall your progress especially when close to your goal when the deficit is not large.
Go for an extra walk. If it is more difficult to achieve something, then extra measures should be taken.
Today while pre-logging, I thought I was over-estimating a piece of cake when I logged it at 100 grams thinking it looks more like 70 grams. When cake time came and I weighed it, it was actually 123 grams. A difference of 150 calories, or a 30 minute walk.
Now that's only one item. Now imagine if I had this margin of error with many other items. What's easier? investing in a cheap food scale while having less dishes to wash, or walking 2-3 extra hours a day on top of my usual hour "just in case"?
^^Again, whatever works for you, and gets you to where you want to be.
For some, it is not necessary.
I have been cooking and baking for over 50 years, so I know what amounts look like, at least close enough to not be detrimental to my weight loss/maintenance. I have lost over 1/2 of my current body weight, and have been maintaining the loss for over 2 years. It obviously worked (is working) for me.
I am sure there are others that are able to do the same.
Having said that, if you are having issues with losing weight, one of the first thing I would look at is, weighing, measuring, sticking to portion sizes, and logging everything you eat and drink, because, the problem may be overestimating amounts.
See, this is fine. Some are better than others at estimating and so on. It's different in your case. Heck, some people lose weight without logging at all. Of course I have no issue with anyone who is able to estimate accurately without weighing. My reply was to the person who generalized that it's a "waste of time" for everyone, and that everyone should just take an extra walk instead of weighing food.0 -
MommyMeggo wrote: »I just upgraded my scale. It comes today! I cant wait. Measuring spoons, cups and my scale are so important. "eyeballing" just doesnt work for me. You wanna "eyeball" a tablespoon of oil or 4oz of ribeye? Not me! For cereal, pasta, beans, etc my scale is more than necessary.
If you are going to log- why not be accurate?
EDIT: "you" - is meant for general speaking purposes. Not to anyone in particular.
I suck at estimating portions. I use a food to weight anything I can. It's become a habit. It take no more time for me than using a volumetric measure. For me the key is having the scale available. If I have to hunt for it thats a problem. To avoid this I have one on the kitchen counter for meal prep and another on the dining room table to weigh portions at dinner. I also have a smaller "gram" scale for portioning smaller calorie dense items. These are not expensive Items. I don't think I've paid more than $15 for any of the scales.0 -
shadowfax_c11 wrote: »I disagree. I think it is a waste of time and would just make cooking boring. If in doubt, overestimate the calorie intake..
Personally I find that it makes cooking more interesting and brings a lot more awareness of what I am going to be eating. Considering that most people have no idea what an ounce of anything actually looks like it is a useful tool for acquiring valuable knowledge. The extra few seconds required to put food on a scale isn't really wasted.
Agreed.0 -
I'm on the pro-food-scale side, it made a huge difference for me. In addition to the reasons others have already stated, that silly little thing completely removed the guilt and worry I often had about my diet.
I would "overestimate" everything, but I often worried if I had overestimated enough. I would be a little hungry after dinner and want a small snack, but what if I had eyeballed a portion wrong and didn't really have calories left? Now I'm confident my calories are as close to accurate as I can get them, and I have a little icecream (or a beer) after dinner with no bad feelings, because I know it fits.
And on those days I can't weigh my portions, I don't worry because I know most of the time I'm on point.
Plus I'm a data geek, and what's the point of data if it's not as accurate as possible?
I only had 15 lbs to lose, so my deficit was only 250 calories, which is really easy to negate with one food estimated wrong here and there. I kept gaining and losing the same 5 lbs until I got my food scale.
That's me. I feel so much more free to eat more now that I don't have to overestimate so much "to feel safe". Plus, the constant struggle to estimate my portion sizes and eyeball things to log it was driving me crazy. With a scale, I weight it and log it and I'm done. I don't have to struggle to decide - did I take exactly half of that or was it more like 2/3?0 -
I'm on the pro-food-scale side, it made a huge difference for me. In addition to the reasons others have already stated, that silly little thing completely removed the guilt and worry I often had about my diet.
I would "overestimate" everything, but I often worried if I had overestimated enough. I would be a little hungry after dinner and want a small snack, but what if I had eyeballed a portion wrong and didn't really have calories left? Now I'm confident my calories are as close to accurate as I can get them, and I have a little icecream (or a beer) after dinner with no bad feelings, because I know it fits.
And on those days I can't weigh my portions, I don't worry because I know most of the time I'm on point.
Plus I'm a data geek, and what's the point of data if it's not as accurate as possible?
I only had 15 lbs to lose, so my deficit was only 250 calories, which is really easy to negate with one food estimated wrong here and there. I kept gaining and losing the same 5 lbs until I got my food scale.
That's me. I feel so much more free to eat more now that I don't have to overestimate so much "to feel safe". Plus, the constant struggle to estimate my portion sizes and eyeball things to log it was driving me crazy. With a scale, I weight it and log it and I'm done. I don't have to struggle to decide - did I take exactly half of that or was it more like 2/3?
I would agree with this. If you are going to stress over how much you are eating then don't guess. Measure it. And, conversely, if you are going to stress over having to measure everything, then don't do measure.
Eating shouldn't be stressful. Stress is bad.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »I'm on the pro-food-scale side, it made a huge difference for me. In addition to the reasons others have already stated, that silly little thing completely removed the guilt and worry I often had about my diet.
I would "overestimate" everything, but I often worried if I had overestimated enough. I would be a little hungry after dinner and want a small snack, but what if I had eyeballed a portion wrong and didn't really have calories left? Now I'm confident my calories are as close to accurate as I can get them, and I have a little icecream (or a beer) after dinner with no bad feelings, because I know it fits.
And on those days I can't weigh my portions, I don't worry because I know most of the time I'm on point.
Plus I'm a data geek, and what's the point of data if it's not as accurate as possible?
I only had 15 lbs to lose, so my deficit was only 250 calories, which is really easy to negate with one food estimated wrong here and there. I kept gaining and losing the same 5 lbs until I got my food scale.
That's me. I feel so much more free to eat more now that I don't have to overestimate so much "to feel safe". Plus, the constant struggle to estimate my portion sizes and eyeball things to log it was driving me crazy. With a scale, I weight it and log it and I'm done. I don't have to struggle to decide - did I take exactly half of that or was it more like 2/3?
I would agree with this. If you are going to stress over how much you are eating then don't guess. Measure it. And, conversely, if you are going to stress over having to measure everything, then don't do measure.
Eating shouldn't be stressful. Stress is bad.
This is the best thing I've heard about weighing vs 'eyeballing' on this entire site, ever. Well done, @Need2Exerc1se!0 -
I weigh everything. Now 3 years into it, I'm pretty dead no for meat or cheese, but I still fail completely when it comes to nut butter or pasta etc. So I weigh... and will keep weighing.
My scale has been a pain though, not always registering low amounts. Very annoying as I often only use a couple grams of butter or something... I sprinkled some almonds on my oats this morning and it didn't register at all, so I entered 10g of almonds (it was probably way less). My last scale wasn't as annoying by far.0 -
I weigh calorie-dense things (meat, nuts, and cheese especially, but also yogurt, cottage cheese, and fruits) but I don't weigh every onion or red pepper I put in a recipe. I don't generally weigh very low calorie density foods like broccoli, cucumbers, or lettuce. I tend to overestimate the amount, but even if I was off by a whole cup it would only be a few calories.
I have been using the trick of weighing a whole recipe then setting a serving as one ounce, then adding as many servings as ounces I eat. It still doesn't take into account the fact that if I make a stir fry with chicken, I may be getting more or less than exactly 1/4th of the recipes chicken when I take a spoonful, but it's better than nothing. And pretty good for more homogenous things like chili or soup.0 -
I weigh everything. Now 3 years into it, I'm pretty dead no for meat or cheese, but I still fail completely when it comes to nut butter or pasta etc. So I weigh... and will keep weighing.
My scale has been a pain though, not always registering low amounts. Very annoying as I often only use a couple grams of butter or something... I sprinkled some almonds on my oats this morning and it didn't register at all, so I entered 10g of almonds (it was probably way less). My last scale wasn't as annoying by far.
I have a special scale for small amounts.
http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012N1NAA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage0 -
I weigh calorie-dense things (meat, nuts, and cheese especially, but also yogurt, cottage cheese, and fruits) but I don't weigh every onion or red pepper I put in a recipe. I don't generally weigh very low calorie density foods like broccoli, cucumbers, or lettuce. I tend to overestimate the amount, but even if I was off by a whole cup it would only be a few calories.
I have been using the trick of weighing a whole recipe then setting a serving as one ounce, then adding as many servings as ounces I eat. It still doesn't take into account the fact that if I make a stir fry with chicken, I may be getting more or less than exactly 1/4th of the recipes chicken when I take a spoonful, but it's better than nothing. And pretty good for more homogenous things like chili or soup.
I do this too. When you cook for a family and it's a casserole, soup or lasagna it's really tough for me to know what a portion is. I found my scale helped me the most with cheese. It's so difficult to estimate cheese for me and it's high in calories. I even measure my wine in fluid ounces. I cannot eyeball wine especially when we use different glasses depending on the occasion. Yeah, maybe measuring isn't for everyone but it is for me. It takes almost no time at all and my new way of eating is not a deprivation bc I can eat anything as long as I weigh it and I have enough calories for it. There's not much wiggle room at 1200 calories a day.0 -
I just got my scale a few days ago, and I've had a couple of surprises. I was putting a lot more sugar in my coffee than I thought. But on the other side, I was eating half the cheese I thought. Yay! Oh and bread too, I was eating way less than I was recording, and my butter was just about right.
I am still getting the hang of it, but I really love it...actually knowing how much I have eaten helps me relax about my eating.
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snowflake930 wrote: »Another vote for "not everyone needs to weigh their food".
I do have a scale. Used 2 times.
On MFP for almost 4 years. I have lost over 1/2 of my current body weight, and have been on maintenance for over 2 years.
As with most things pertaining to losing weight/becoming healthier, find what works for you.
I have a scale coming although having lost (I hate to say lost, because that implies I should go look for it) 23 pounds, I'm not sure I need it. I'm going to give it a shot though just to see how accurate I have been. Knowing that measurements can be variable I tend to under measure everything and I definitely don't eat back all my exercise calories. I think I have found what works for me.0 -
for the folks who love using a scale, do you plan on using one for the rest of your life or just until you reach your goal weight?0
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areallycoolstory wrote: »for the folks who love using a scale, do you plan on using one for the rest of your life or just until you reach your goal weight?
Been maintaining for over 1.5 year, still weighing. It takes two seconds to hit two buttons. The only drawback is losing a bit of counter space, lol.0 -
areallycoolstory wrote: »for the folks who love using a scale, do you plan on using one for the rest of your life or just until you reach your goal weight?
Unless I lose my mind and not care if I gain all the weight I've lost back, then yup! I'm gonna have to weigh my food.0 -
I love mine & feel it makes my logging much more accurate. So much so thinking of upgrading to one with a higher capacity.0
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