How to log with scale?

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reineke1992
reineke1992 Posts: 27 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
How do you log things on the scale? Some things let u change the serving size to ounces but others I cannot and don't know how to properly weigh it.

For example. Special k cereal I don't know how to weigh on the scale. The serving size options don't make sense for what it's weighing as. Meanwhile with milk I can lost as fluid ounces or deli turkey I can lost as ounces as well

Replies

  • toofatnomore
    toofatnomore Posts: 206 Member
    edited August 2016
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    If it has a nutritional label, I use that. If it is generic (like chicken breast), I weigh it and typically use ounces.
    Things like cereal I measure by volume (like a cup). MFP typically has almost all units of measurement on the drop down.
  • SophieSmall95
    SophieSmall95 Posts: 233 Member
    edited August 2016
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    Just use a converter to figure it out.

    For example if you weigh 30 grams of cereal but need to log in ounces (for whatever reason), google what 30 grams is in ounces and input that.

    As for milk, measure it in ml so much easier, no faffing and pretty much all liquids will have a ml option.

    Unlike the person above I do not recommend measuring (unless it's a liquid) with cups, it's just not accurate.
  • tapwaters
    tapwaters Posts: 428 Member
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    Some items you can't. I find that using the barcode scanner more often than not will bring up entries I can edit the portion unit from. Look for the little green check next to the entries when you search, they tend to be both accurate and varying units.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Solids should be weighed in grams. The packages and USDA information with have grams and those are the best sources on MFP. Special K has a serving size of 1 cup or 31 grams (https://www.specialk.com/en_US/products/original-cereal.html). What that means is that you can log 31 grams as 1 serving/cup or, if you have 35 g, divide 35 by 31 and log 1.13 cups/servings.

    Milk needs to be measured in a measuring cup.

    Deli turkey would work like the Special K -- there should be a gram option.
  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
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    Most nutritional facts labels have serving sizes as both imperial [oz/cups] and metric [grams]. You can convert between the two based on this.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    xvolution wrote: »
    Most nutritional facts labels have serving sizes as both imperial [oz/cups] and metric [grams]. You can convert between the two based on this.
    The first number would show fluid ounces, not ounces. Fluid ounces (a measure of volume) are different from ounces (a measure of weight) so they aren't directly interchangeable.
  • DaniCanadian
    DaniCanadian Posts: 261 Member
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    I use my calculator to figure out how many calories per gram is in whatever I'm eating off the nutrition label. Then I weigh my portion in grams. Then I'll multiple the calorie per gram by my portion to get the total calories. If my food option isn't available per gram on myfitnesspal, I'll choose what matches my food and then tweak the serving size till the total calories match my math. It can be a pain but at least I can be as close to accurate as possible.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
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    Did you try tapping your phone on the scale with the app running? It will automatically transfer the weight over if it's a digital scale. Just pull up the entry and tap the scale after you've placed your portion on it.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    Foods like cereal are better weighed on a scale.
    tapwaters wrote: »
    Some items you can't. I find that using the barcode scanner more often than not will bring up entries I can edit the portion unit from. Look for the little green check next to the entries when you search, they tend to be both accurate and varying units.
    Green check mark entries don't guarantee accuracy, as all that needs to happen for a food to be 'verified' is 3 or more people confirming. These entries can be off as well.

  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
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    seska422 wrote: »
    xvolution wrote: »
    Most nutritional facts labels have serving sizes as both imperial [oz/cups] and metric [grams]. You can convert between the two based on this.
    The first number would show fluid ounces, not ounces. Fluid ounces (a measure of volume) are different from ounces (a measure of weight) so they aren't directly interchangeable.

    I mean interchangeable based on the numbers on the label [like if the label says a serving size is both 1/2 cup and 124g, you should be able to interchange between those two]. If this isn't the case, then the FDA really needs to revamp their nutrition facts labels.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited August 2016
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    xvolution wrote: »
    seska422 wrote: »
    xvolution wrote: »
    Most nutritional facts labels have serving sizes as both imperial [oz/cups] and metric [grams]. You can convert between the two based on this.
    The first number would show fluid ounces, not ounces. Fluid ounces (a measure of volume) are different from ounces (a measure of weight) so they aren't directly interchangeable.

    I mean interchangeable based on the numbers on the label [like if the label says a serving size is both 1/2 cup and 124g, you should be able to interchange between those two]. If this isn't the case, then the FDA really needs to revamp their nutrition facts labels.
    Even that isn't interchangeable. Solids can (and do) settle over time (among other problems such as irregular shapes) so the volume is variable and an estimate. The nutritional information is based on the weight. That's why so many posters recommend that people use food scales to get as accurate as possible.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I'm not sure what your question is but I'm going to take a crack at it.

    All packaging has serving sizes in weight, usually grams. My guess is your cereal lists its servings in terms of cups but on there will be grams as well.

    Then in MFP if you find your cereal but the only option is cups and you want to use grams here is what you do.

    Look on your cereal box, see how many grams there are in a cup. Then measure how many grams your portion is. Then with math convert from grams to cups using that information. Then log that number of cups using MFP.

    That should allow you to use grams for everything.
  • reineke1992
    reineke1992 Posts: 27 Member
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    Sorry for all the confusion.. I figured out there is a small button underneath my scale that switches the weight to grams.. that makes things much easier to comprehend now.

    Shoulda read the instructions first. Thanks all

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