Weighing Food Takes Too Long And is OBSESSIVE!
AnnPT77
Posts: 34,598 Member
Nah, just kidding. It isn’t. It’s much more accurate than estimating, and much quicker and easier than measuring with cups and spoons.
Whaaat? Yeah! All you need is a few scale-wrangling tricks:
Plus a decent scale only costs that $15 or so that you used to spend on a large pizza with all the goodies. You can afford it!
You may do just fine estimating portions when you have a good-sized margin of error, but as you get closer to goal and things get tighter, or your loss starts stalling even though you’re for sure eating at a deficit, remember this post.
But don’t go getting so obsessive you refuse to eat at friends’ houses or non-chain restaurants. Go ahead & estimate those. You’ll do fine.
Whaaat? Yeah! All you need is a few scale-wrangling tricks:
- Assembling a salad in a bowl, a stew in a pan, sandwich on a plate? Put the bowl/pan/plate on the scale, zero, add an ingredient, note the weight, zero, add the next ingredient, note the weight . . . .
- Using something from a carton or jar, or cutting a slice from a hunk of cheese? Put the container or chunk on the scale, zero, take out portion, note the negative value (it's the amount you took out).
- Eating a whole apple, banana, un-hulled strawberries, corn on the cob? Weigh the ready-to-eat food, eat the yummy parts, weigh the core/hulls/peel, subtract & note.
- I like to keep a few clean plastic yogurt-tub lids around to weigh small items, like a handful of nuts or chopped hardboiled eggs or something. Drop the lid on the scale, zero, add item, note weight, eat or use - just a quick rinse of the lid under the faucet & you're done.
- I also use an old junk-mail envelope to scribble the items while I’m cooking to spare spills on my electronic device, and record the results after.
Plus a decent scale only costs that $15 or so that you used to spend on a large pizza with all the goodies. You can afford it!
You may do just fine estimating portions when you have a good-sized margin of error, but as you get closer to goal and things get tighter, or your loss starts stalling even though you’re for sure eating at a deficit, remember this post.
But don’t go getting so obsessive you refuse to eat at friends’ houses or non-chain restaurants. Go ahead & estimate those. You’ll do fine.
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Replies
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These kinds of threads are annoying because it's just bait to get people in then the poster switches to what we all already know and agree with.52
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ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »These kinds of threads are annoying because it's just bait to get people in then the poster switches to what we all already know and agree with.
Eh, in the age of clickbait and fake news, whatever it takes to get people to read sense, I suppose.24 -
Eh, to each their own. I tried it for a week - just wasn't worth the hassle. I got to goal just estimating and was happy with the result. Some people need it, some people don't. Definitely worth a try though if you find yourself stalling for some reason.
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ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »These kinds of threads are annoying because it's just bait to get people in then the poster switches to what we all already know and agree with.
Sorry about that! I figured no one would read "How to Weigh Your Food". 61 -
marieamethyst wrote: »Eh, to each their own. I tried it for a week - just wasn't worth the hassle. I got to goal just estimating and was happy with the result. Some people need it, some people don't. Definitely worth a try though if you find yourself stalling for some reason.
I don't weigh my food and as of now, 11 weeks into this journey, I don't foresee having to weigh my food. I have weighed my food in the past, but I've been at this weight loss game so long (yo-yo dieting for well over a decade) I know what a serving looks like.
I am sure I am underestimating some foods and overestimating others but it doesn't bother me and it's working for me. Almost 20 lbs down since 10/23.
I believe weighing food is a good tool for those who can't eyeball though or eat a lot of calorie dense foods.3 -
Never would have thought to use an old yogurt tub lid. The single serving applesauce cups have been one of my go-to things for weighing things in. My kid loves applesauce and those things are great for measuring out things like peanut butter or veggie dips.15
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I LOVE WEIGHING MY FOOD!
I got serious about losing weight in October. I love to cook and was importing all my favorite recipes but I was using measuring spoons and cups to make all the dishes. From October through December 1, I logged faithfully (and what I believed was accurately) and made the little lifestyle changes here and there but only lost 2 lbs during that timeframe. So my next change was weighing each dry ingredient (and some wet!) for my recipes and updating the recipes each time I cooked. I couldn't believe how far off I'd been in my calorie estimates! For some recipes, I had to go from fours servings to six make the meals more calorie friendly. It might sound like a pain, but I'm the type of cook who preps every ingredient before I start cooking anyway, so weighing only added a minor step.
Since I made this lifestyle change (on Dec 1), I lost 7 lbs!38 -
Saw the thread title.
Saw who the OP was.
Knew this would not be a train wreck in spite of BuzzFeed nature of title.
Did not disappoint.
Excellent tips, and I agree with every one of them.
I love my kitchen scale, and make a point of looking for baking recipes that use weighed ingredients so that I get reliable recipes for the stuff I bake for my husband and kids. It's been a great addition to my kitchen tools and a wonderful weight loss aid.
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Heh, I'm so into weighing my food that when my old scaled died I bought a new one. And another new one. And another. Because I couldn't find one that didn't have a quirk that annoyed me. I have my 4th new one now and it still isn't as good as the original one that died, but I've come to terms with it.10
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I'm bored. I was actually looking for a train wreck. 20
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I used to think weighing all of my food was obsessive and time consuming... Until i tried it. Weighing my food makes my life easier, not harder and ensures I'm being accurate with my calories instead of having erroneous entries scattered all through my diary, I hate, hate, hate playing guessing games. If i'm going to go to the bother of logging my food I may as well do it right and be accurate as possible.35
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marieamethyst wrote: »Eh, to each their own. I tried it for a week - just wasn't worth the hassle. I got to goal just estimating and was happy with the result. Some people need it, some people don't. Definitely worth a try though if you find yourself stalling for some reason.
I don't weigh my food and as of now, 11 weeks into this journey, I don't foresee having to weigh my food. I have weighed my food in the past, but I've been at this weight loss game so long (yo-yo dieting for well over a decade) I know what a serving looks like.
I am sure I am underestimating some foods and overestimating others but it doesn't bother me and it's working for me. Almost 20 lbs down since 10/23.
I believe weighing food is a good tool for those who can't eyeball though or eat a lot of calorie dense foods.
After losing 100 pounds, I now weigh certain things (meats, protein powder, peanut butter), as I have less room for error with 15 pounds to lose than I did 100 pounds ago.29 -
I find it so easy when I portion my meat for freezing. It's the easiest thing in the world to do. I just lay the glad wrap over the scale, plop the raw meat on, note the weight, wrap it up, write the weight on the plastic with permanent marker, set it aside, next bit of glad wrap. Basically, the only extra step is writing the weight on the plastic.23
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marieamethyst wrote: »Eh, to each their own. I tried it for a week - just wasn't worth the hassle. I got to goal just estimating and was happy with the result. Some people need it, some people don't. Definitely worth a try though if you find yourself stalling for some reason.
I don't weigh my food and as of now, 11 weeks into this journey, I don't foresee having to weigh my food. I have weighed my food in the past, but I've been at this weight loss game so long (yo-yo dieting for well over a decade) I know what a serving looks like.
I am sure I am underestimating some foods and overestimating others but it doesn't bother me and it's working for me. Almost 20 lbs down since 10/23.
I believe weighing food is a good tool for those who can't eyeball though or eat a lot of calorie dense foods.
I hope not weighing is working for you. I've yo-yoed for about 40 years and it wasn't til I went through the process of weighing and measuring every bite that I was able to break that cycle. I think more than the accuracy of the calories, it gave me focus. I'm not as meticulous as I was since reaching my goal, but I know I still have to be careful. Down 50 pounds since 1/5/16, 60# total after a little up and down since 2013.11 -
ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »These kinds of threads are annoying because it's just bait to get people in then the poster switches to what we all already know and agree with.
I think it's nice, especially this time of year. It's resolution time, the forums are flooded with "help me" threads and this is good information.
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The title of this thread is great at this time of year. Because there are so many newbies who find the idea of a scale abhorrent. Which I find quite bizarre but that's by the by. Weighing takes seconds, so why not do it? It will give you more wiggle room when estimating things you can't weigh eating out etc.
And for those who want to use a scale to bake/cook recipes, just look for UK recipes, nothing in cups ever. You may need to work out some ingredients as they may be different but a small sacrifice.11 -
It is also unnecessary for a lot of people. I'm a total grazer AND I also don't weigh my food anymore although I have in the past.... I still lose, and quickly. The key is setting my goals low so I have wiggle room. xD Less stressful.5
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Verity1111 wrote: »It is also unnecessary for a lot of people. I'm a total grazer AND I also don't weigh my food anymore although I have in the past.... I still lose, and quickly. The key is setting my goals low so I have wiggle room. xD Less stressful.
Conversely, if I graze, I easily overeat because I will literally put something in my mouth every 5 minutes.17 -
VintageFeline wrote: »Verity1111 wrote: »It is also unnecessary for a lot of people. I'm a total grazer AND I also don't weigh my food anymore although I have in the past.... I still lose, and quickly. The key is setting my goals low so I have wiggle room. xD Less stressful.
Conversely, if I graze, I easily overeat because I will literally put something in my mouth every 5 minutes.
Same, it's amazing how good I am at lying to myself about how many calories could possibly be in that mouthful of stuff I just stuck in my headhole!20 -
I don't think it's click bait at all. It's very insightful. It's how I felt when I started weighing my food. Like I was being judged by my family for being obsessive while they ate their normal food without thought. So thanks for writing this. It was a great read.11
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I don't think it's click bait at all. It's very insightful. It's how I felt when I started weighing my food. Like I was being judged by my family for being obsessive while they ate their normal food without thought. So thanks for writing this. It was a great read.
I've been weighing my food for 2 years, and i stiiiiiill get the judgmental looks and comments from my husband. None of my family know i weigh my food, or else I'd cop it from them too, not in a mean way, more confused than anything. I can just see the "i feel so sorry for you, you crazy obsessed lady" looks I'd get :noway: They know i count my calories, but haven't twigged to the scale usage.9 -
Thanks @AnnPT77, a great outline and especially useful this time of year.
Being brought up in the UK I was use to weighing out ingredients for recipes so never found it weird or strange doing it for food in general.
When I came to Canada I couldn't understand, or adapt to, the cups and spoons, especially when baking.
Basically it is a good skill to have and use when needed.
Cheers, h.8 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I've been weighing my food for 2 years, and i stiiiiiill get the judgmental looks and comments from my husband. None of my family know i weigh my food, or else I'd cop it from them too, not in a mean way, more confused than anything. I can just see the "i feel so sorry for you, you crazy obsessed lady" looks I'd get :noway: They know i count my calories, but haven't twigged to the scale usage.
I get that a lot, myself. I really catch flack from my mom who is convinced that CICO doesn't work and it's all about moderation and good calories/bad calories. She's all like, "counting calories doesn't mean anything if you're going to put that on your sandwich" or "if you just ate better, you wouldn't have to weigh things". BAH!
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My food scale is a useful tool.
Some good tips.6 -
JennGardner1 wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »I've been weighing my food for 2 years, and i stiiiiiill get the judgmental looks and comments from my husband. None of my family know i weigh my food, or else I'd cop it from them too, not in a mean way, more confused than anything. I can just see the "i feel so sorry for you, you crazy obsessed lady" looks I'd get :noway: They know i count my calories, but haven't twigged to the scale usage.
I get that a lot, myself. I really catch flack from my mom who is convinced that CICO doesn't work and it's all about moderation and good calories/bad calories. She's all like, "counting calories doesn't mean anything if you're going to put that on your sandwich" or "if you just ate better, you wouldn't have to weigh things". BAH!
Grrrr that would really grate on my nerves!
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I'm one of those folks that doesn't want to weigh my food. Yeah my weight loss slowed after 6 months, diet fatigue set in. On the request of a trainer I weighed for two weeks to recalibrate. It was eye opening! I'm back to eyeballing BUT I know why my weight loss slows!!7
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I honestly don't weigh things much at all anymore unless it's something that I haven't eaten in a while. I've learned to eyeball things pretty well over the last year or so. Early on though a food scale was a very essential part of my success in losing weight.4
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