Weighing food

alexisstoops
alexisstoops Posts: 6 Member
edited 8:26AM in Health and Weight Loss
I hate weighing food, don't have a scale, and don't really have the time to do so in general. I usually just eyeball or use measuring cups. Is it possible to lose the intended amount of weight without weighing?
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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    depends on how good you are at estimating portions. most people suck azz at it.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    edited April 2016
    It's possible but the closer you get to your goal, the more difficult it may become to lose without a food scale. Just remember, if you go weeks without losing you're not plateauting; you're eating too much.
  • SugarySweetheart
    SugarySweetheart Posts: 154 Member
    Do what works for you. Everyone has different preferences. For ACCURACY, weigh on a food scale.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    alexisstoops wrote: »
    I hate weighing food, don't have a scale, and don't really have the time to do so in general. I usually just eyeball or use measuring cups. Is it possible to lose the intended amount of weight without weighing?

    I lost the bulk of my weight without a food scale, so I won't sat it's impossible. But I did have to put up with a slower rate of loss and more frequent stalls because of it. Once I got down to about the last 15 pounds, though, nothing but a food scale worked for me. I couldn't get it done with measuring cups and eyeballing anymore. I wish I'd bought a food scale earlier. It would have saved me a lot of trouble. But your mileage may vary.
  • RoseTheWarrior
    RoseTheWarrior Posts: 2,035 Member
    Do it your way until you plateau, then buy a scale :smiley: and learn to love it!
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    I've never weighed or measured a thing, and successfully lost all the weight I needed to lose. It's a useful tool for many people, but not strictly necessary. A calorie deficit is a calorie deficit, no matter how you get there.
  • evildeadedd
    evildeadedd Posts: 108 Member
    Is it possible? Sure, likely? Not really. We are overweight because you are naturally not any good at "eyeballing" portions. The bigger you are the more room there is for logging inaccuracies. When you have 100+ to lose then eyeballing and guessing can lead to losses for a while. The trouble comes after losing 20 pounds or so 9 out of 10 people will "stall" if they are not accurate with their logging. Then they come on the forums saying calorie counting isn't working. Only to be told to be more accurate with their logging.
    I will honestly tell you I think you are wasting your time with this app of you are not willing to be accurate. Try and find one of the woo diets (Adkins, south beach, paleo, keto) that restricts your calories in a different way.
    I am morbidly obese because I am garbage at knowing what a portion of food looks like. The food scale is the only thing that keeps me in a deficit.
  • garbanzalo
    garbanzalo Posts: 61 Member
    Reduce your target calories by couple of hundred and do not eat back exercise calories. The combination will help you even if you with your guesstimation.

    Once you start tracking, if your log shows you are within your calorie deficit and you are still not losing weight, reduce the target further. If you are losing weight, you are golden.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    It takes me two minutes per meal to weigh and log my food. It is the only way I can manage my weight effectively.

    It was easy to lose weight when I had a lot of weight to lose, but now that I'm in my healthy weight range, I don't have room for error so it is necessary for me.
  • 1shark1bite
    1shark1bite Posts: 35 Member
    I measure all my food and do some estimating. When I'm cutting fat I eat the same thing almost everyday, Saturday night is my treat meal. If you eat the same and your not losing weight then it is easy to cut back on something to get your weigh loss started again.
  • alexisstoops
    alexisstoops Posts: 6 Member
    I don't own a scale and don't really want to buy one. It's easier for me to just use a measuring cup to scoop out whatever food I'm eating (nuts, hummus, ect). I've lost about 12 pounds in a month by doing this. 5'9, 175 starting out, 163 currently. I just didn't know if I could continue to do this as I get closer to my goal of 145/150 lbs. I've been eating about 100-200 calories less than I'm allowed to and don't eat back calories burned.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    Do what works for you, but to say it's too time-consuming or complicated is just not true.
  • LaceyBirds
    LaceyBirds Posts: 451 Member
    edited April 2016
    alexisstoops wrote: »
    I hate weighing food, don't have a scale, and don't really have the time to do so in general. I usually just eyeball or use measuring cups. Is it possible to lose the intended amount of weight without weighing?

    Not being snarky, but, if you don't have a food scale, how can you know you hate weighing food?

    Anyway, I started off thinking a scale would be a pain, but, in fact, it is easier. Example:

    (1) I am going to have a bowl of cereal. I pull a bowl and a measuring cup from the cupboard, pour the cereal into the measuring cup, then into the bowl. The measuring cup may hold a few more grams or a few less grams than 8 ounces because I have heaped it a little high or low, so not exact. I now have to wash the bowl and the measuring cup.

    or

    (2) I pull a bowl from the cupboard, put it on the scale, and pour the cereal into the bowl. The LED readout shows exactly the amount of grams/ounces in the bowl. I now have one bowl to wash.

    It's that simple for me. How do you know how much that chicken breast you are eating weighs? My eyeballing is still not great, especially with non-uniform items like ice cream (which I have eaten the entire time I've been using MFP - over a year).

    Give it a try - I think you, like me, like so many others I have read about on MFP, will find it is much easier, cleaner and quicker than using measuring cups.

    Forgot to add, I have lost 74 pounds, 53 of them since starting MFP.
  • eileen0515
    eileen0515 Posts: 408 Member
    You can have my food scale, when you pry it from my cold dead hands!

    But seriously, I have perfectionist tendencies. Using the scale satisfies my need to optimize my weight loss opportunities.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    alexisstoops wrote: »
    I don't own a scale and don't really want to buy one. It's easier for me to just use a measuring cup to scoop out whatever food I'm eating (nuts, hummus, ect). I've lost about 12 pounds in a month by doing this. 5'9, 175 starting out, 163 currently. I just didn't know if I could continue to do this as I get closer to my goal of 145/150 lbs. I've been eating about 100-200 calories less than I'm allowed to and don't eat back calories burned.

    I'm female, 5'7" started 195, down to 145 and never weighed or measured a thing. I don't even currently log (tho I have utilized that in the past). Logging and/or weighing and measuring can be useful tools, but they are not strictly necessary. If you are getting good results without it, you can certainly continue. You may find that it becomes more difficult to lose by eyeballing as you get closer to goal, or maybe not. You'll know if your weight loss stops that you need to either start weighing or measuring more precisely, or try another strategy. Whatever you do, it's best if it's something you can do permanently. Full disclosure - I eat LCHF, which helps regulate my appetite so I lose and maintain weight without having to log/weigh/measure. It works for me and is a way of eating that makes me feel better (and cleared my chronic eczema) so I know it's something I can do for life. You have to figure out what works for you.
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    So you don't have one but somehow you know that it's more difficult than using measuring cups. OK.

    Seems to me like you've made up your mind. Don't understand the point of this thread.

  • alexisstoops
    alexisstoops Posts: 6 Member
    booksandchocolate12 wrote: »
    So you don't have one but somehow you know that it's more difficult than using measuring cups. OK.

    Seems to me like you've made up your mind. Don't understand the point of this thread.



    -Like I said, I was just wondering if it was possible to continue losing weight without using a scale. You don't need to post on this thread if you are going to be negative or rude for no reason.
  • celadontea
    celadontea Posts: 335 Member
    I started using my food scale (8$ one from amazon) and it is making a world of difference. I highly recommend it.
  • quatermore
    quatermore Posts: 96 Member
    The poster was neither rude or negative; they were factual and blunt. No, you don't need a scale to lose weight. Congrats on your weight loss, keep it up! I, on the other hand, need the scale to keep me honest and accurate.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    Measuring cups/spoons are nowhere near as accurate as using a scale. And really it takes the same amount of effort that using measuring cups/spoons. Less, really, once you get the hang of it and your entries are already in your diary.

    Like people have already said, if you're big and you just eyeball everything you'll probably lose. But once you get down pretty close to your goal, accuracy is going to mean a LOT.
  • amyepdx
    amyepdx Posts: 750 Member
    I did lose my first 50 lbs without using a scale but I am a very experienced dieter haha. But I also had another almost 68 to go and I knew accuracy would start being more important. As everyone says, it's so easy. This morning I had toast with cream cheese - put bread on scale, 0 out, spread 30 grams of cream cheese - done! Took no extra time and no spoon to dig out and wash. I'm now down 75.5. Good luck!
  • scotchmalloh
    scotchmalloh Posts: 6 Member
    I've lost weight by using a scale for everything and also by just eyeballing. With using a scale, yes it is more accurate, however for some people it can make them very obsessive and for me personally, it made me feel confined and unhappy. I would start to feel bad at a restaurant or a friend's/relative's house because I couldn't weigh my food (and I refused to take a scale with me in order to do so). I much prefer eyeballing, although you have to accept that you are probably taking in more calories than you think you are, so you may have to lower your calorie limit if you find that you aren't losing by eyeballing. For example, when I go by a scale I can lose on 1400. By eyeballing, I can only eat around 1200 and still lose (because if I weighed the food I'm eating, it really would add up to 1400).
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,143 Member
    People lose weight all the time without weighing every single thing. Weight watchers for one. I remember my mom making me follow WW when I was about 12. I still remember the correct portions and how many exchanges permeates. I'm good at eyeballing. I am losing weight at a rate I'm happy with -about a pound a week.
  • amyepdx
    amyepdx Posts: 750 Member
    tamicoil1 wrote: »
    People lose weight all the time without weighing every single thing. Weight watchers for one. I remember my mom making me follow WW when I was about 12. I still remember the correct portions and how many exchanges permeates. I'm good at eyeballing. I am losing weight at a rate I'm happy with -about a pound a week.

    Weight Watchers had always recommended scales - I owned several of them!
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Possible; yes.

    However, how do you know you hate something if you have never tried it? How do you know you don't have the time for it?

    For me a food scale takes less time and less clean up then measuring cups. It also has the bonus of improved accuracy with my food log. It also helped me to see what portions of things actually look like which has helped with eyeballing things when I go out to eat.

  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
    Is it possible to lose without a scale? Absolutely (and you've said you've been doing so already)

    Is it possible to NOT lose weight while using a scale? Yes, again. There's tons of threads here where people don't use a scale well.

    Is it possible to lose weight without controlling how much you eat relative to your activity? NO!

    Losing weight comes down to eating less than you burn. That's true with or without a scale. If not using a scale works ok for you, keep doing that. If it stops working for you, consider using a scale to improve your accuracy.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,143 Member
    amyepdx wrote: »
    tamicoil1 wrote: »
    People lose weight all the time without weighing every single thing. Weight watchers for one. I remember my mom making me follow WW when I was about 12. I still remember the correct portions and how many exchanges permeates. I'm good at eyeballing. I am losing weight at a rate I'm happy with -about a pound a week.

    Weight Watchers had always recommended scales - I owned several of them!

    I never did. And a few years ago I lost about 50 lbs without weighing a thing. It's not something I would do long-term (use a scale) so I've learned to eyeball things. Works for me.
  • paulebroderick
    paulebroderick Posts: 1 Member
    I eat pretty consistent portions - so I've weighed once or twice to get an idea of the weight of what I usually log and then gone by eyeball (eg a handful of mixed nuts is 25g - 3 handfuls of dry penne works out as 200g cooked). I haven't made a big deal of tracking calories with those around me - so I don't want to be constantly weighing.

    Even as it is I eat back my exercise and my average is probably about 300 calories over target - I'm losing about 1.3lbs/wk but I think tracking has made me a lot more deliberate in my eating, and as I've gone for over 160 days now it's something I can probably continue with!

    So if you don't like using scales - it may be worth just using them once or twice to be sure you're eating what you think you're eating.
  • Evelyn82
    Evelyn82 Posts: 4 Member
    I use both a scale and measuring cups. It works for me. I usually weight all my protein. I use measuring cups for my veggies and carbs such as rice. Oh I also weigh stuff like my sweet potatoes..
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