scale v cups

Trish1c
Trish1c Posts: 549 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I know many MFPers are true scale believers but I have been measuring using cups. Is that bad?

For example, I poured my 1 cup of cheerios into the measuring cup, then into my bowl. I measured out my 1/2 cup of blueberries & my 1/2 cup of milk.

Was I really supposed to use a scale for this?

Replies

  • minniemoo1972
    minniemoo1972 Posts: 295 Member
    Yes.
  • LisaKay91
    LisaKay91 Posts: 211 Member
    Yes.. it can make a huge difference down the line once losses start slowing. Measuring cereal and fruit with cups is tricky because not every piece of fruit is going to be the same size. How on earth would you measure a cup of carrots? Chopped? Smushed? Whole? Stringed?

    If you want an idea of if you're supposed to use a scale do this tomorrow:

    Measure your serving sizes with the cups... then weigh it after and see how many grams it is. You will see if using cups for logging is a good idea
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    Yes.

    Think of how much air can be between those loose pieces of cheerios and blueberries. That doesn't lend itself to precision.

    Also, nutritional info is based on weight. Have you ever seen "some settling may have occurred during shipping" on boxes? That disclaimer is because the volume can change. There are more calories in a "settled" cup than there are in a "loosely packed" cup.

    It doesn't make as much difference for low calories things like the blueberries but the inaccuracies can really add up for calorie-dense foods.
  • juanitagardner07
    juanitagardner07 Posts: 43 Member
    I guess it is more accurate. I use measuring cups and spoons too. I am still losing weight. It is all about portion control... Just my thoughts..
  • GalaxyDuck
    GalaxyDuck Posts: 406 Member
    Watch this https://youtube.com/watch?v=XpHykP6e_Uk
  • Trish1c
    Trish1c Posts: 549 Member
    edited July 2016
    seska422 wrote: »
    Also, nutritional info is based on weight.

    Actually on the side of my Cheerios box it said Serving Size: 1 cup

    The MFP calculator also has 1 cup as a size option in the database.

    So how many grams of Cheerios and I supposed to eat for breakfast? Or do I just fill my cup & weigh that (minus the weight of the measuring cup, of course)?

  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    Next to the cup you will see a measurement in grams. (29g) per serving. Calculate the calories with the per gram serving.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    Trish1c wrote: »
    seska422 wrote: »
    Also, nutritional info is based on weight.

    Actually on the side of my Cheerios box it said Serving Size: 1 cup

    The MFP calculator also has 1 cup as a size option in the database.

    So how many grams of Cheerios and I supposed to eat for breakfast? Or do I just fill my cup & weigh that (minus the weight of the measuring cup, of course)?
    There's always a metric serving in quotations next to the cup size.
    For Cheerios: 1 cup (28g)

    Throw the bowl on the scale, hit tare, and pour in your Cheerios.

  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    If you have a lot of weight to lose you may be able to get away with using the measuring cup because of the large margin of error. But when you get closer to goal you may have to use a scale for more accuracy.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    If it is working for you, keep doing it. Consistency matters.
    But, if you get to the point where your weight loss slows or stops, you need to adjust. You can cut back on portions or move to a food scale.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Guaranteed if you weigh it your cup is not accurate.

    i've tried literally ALL kinds of cups, they just wont work. It takes literally 2 seconds to weigh something and it takes less time than using an external cup and cleaning that out. You just add whatever it is directly to the bowl you'll be eating out of, you know it's right, and no worries.

    It may not be a big deal now, but as you get closer to your goal weight these little inconsistencies can really add up.
  • jnord8729
    jnord8729 Posts: 234 Member
    Scale and measuring cups are two completely different measurements. One is volume, one is weight. Now for solid items, a measuring cup is not good. Just like for liquids weight is not the best way to go. But for things like cheerios, you're going to get the same answer either way (or at least within expected statistical variation). So you're still measuring properly. Just keep doing what you're doing!
  • Trish1c
    Trish1c Posts: 549 Member
    Alluminati wrote: »
    If you have a lot of weight to lose you may be able to get away with using the measuring cup because of the large margin of error. But when you get closer to goal you may have to use a scale for more accuracy.

    My goal was to lose 23 pounds. I have lost 3 so far in 3 weeks.
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    If it is working for you, keep doing it. Consistency matters.
    But, if you get to the point where your weight loss slows or stops, you need to adjust. You can cut back on portions or move to a food scale.

    I bought the food scale but I thought I was on track with the cups.

    There really are a lot of "rules" to this weight loss business. Although I joined MFP years ago this is the most effort I have made to get me back to 135 lbs.

  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    minniemoo1972 wrote: »
    Yes.

    yes, except for the milk, the measuring up should be used for liquids
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Trish1c wrote: »
    Alluminati wrote: »
    If you have a lot of weight to lose you may be able to get away with using the measuring cup because of the large margin of error. But when you get closer to goal you may have to use a scale for more accuracy.

    My goal was to lose 23 pounds. I have lost 3 so far in 3 weeks.
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    If it is working for you, keep doing it. Consistency matters.
    But, if you get to the point where your weight loss slows or stops, you need to adjust. You can cut back on portions or move to a food scale.

    I bought the food scale but I thought I was on track with the cups.

    There really are a lot of "rules" to this weight loss business. Although I joined MFP years ago this is the most effort I have made to get me back to 135 lbs.

    You don't need to weigh food to lose weight, you need to weigh food to have an accurate count of cals in though.

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