Using a food scale
kerrimiller2018
Posts: 31 Member
I just bought a food scale so I can control my portion sizes better, but I wanted to know what other people’s experience were with using food scales. How time consuming is it? Do you weigh all of your food? Did it improve your weight loss?
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Absolutely improved my weight loss, I found out I was eating twice as much as I thought using measuring cups and spoons. It's not particularly time consuming, once it becomes habit. I have a bunch of light rewashable Mozaic condiment trays tbat are a perfect size for measuring. I keep them handy, abd everything goes on there for weighing. If it is just a snack or something, they double as a handy little bowl or plate, lol.3
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I use mine everytime I make a meal weather it be a single serving for myself or a full recipe. There is nothing time consuming about it. It is necessary to log accurately. When I used to "eyeball" or use cups/spoons I was consuming way more than I thought. It is probably the best weight loss tool you could have.2
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Does anyone have a reasonable priced Food scale that does 0.5g increments? I have noticed that when trying to add powdered sugar, jello powder, those types of things where I only want 1g or 2g, my scale doesn't do a great job with accuracy. It's fine for larger g and oz, but would like something that reads small amounts better.2
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Love, love, love my digital food scale. It's probably the one thing that's actually helping me lose weight. It's so easy to consume crazy portion sizes when you just fill a bowl or measure using (inaccurate) cups. It's not too time-consuming at all, especially once you do it a few times and familiarize yourself with the standard portion sizes for the things you eat the most often. For example, I know that half a cup of milk adds 130g to the scale, so I just leave my cereal bowl on the scale and pour until it goes up by 130! So much faster than pulling out a measuring cup.
An important feature to look for is the ability to "zero" the scale. That way, you can automatically subtract the mass of whatever container you're using to hold your food, saving yourself the extra math.2 -
Does anyone have a reasonable priced Food scale that does 0.5g increments? I have noticed that when trying to add powdered sugar, jello powder, those types of things where I only want 1g or 2g, my scale doesn't do a great job with accuracy. It's fine for larger g and oz, but would like something that reads small amounts better.
I don't have a scale recommendation for you.
I do have a thought, however.
Unless you're concerned about micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), I don't see much point to being overly concerned about a half-gram difference (or even 2-gram difference) in the amount of a food I'm consuming. The maximum calorie difference that 2 grams could account for is 18 kcals (for a pure fat like an oil); for a half gram, the max calorie difference would be 4.5 kcals.
I generally use a scale for oils and such in small amounts when I'm cooking "by instinct," but if it's a recipe that calls for a small amount of something, I'll generally use measuring spoons. At that level, if my scale is twitchy when measuring just a couple of grams (and it does have a tendency to assume there's an error and re-tare itself -- but if I'm watching, I can see the weight on the digital readout that registers before it re-tares), I doubt that any inaccuracy in the volume measurement for liquids and granulated solids (which is mostly what I'm measuring in such small amounts) is greater than the scale's inaccuracy for very small masses.4 -
Sounds legit"powdered sugar, jello powder"
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I have been weighing everything I eat for about 2 years now. I was obese when I started, now at the lower end of normal BMI - although not quite done yet. I've been trying to lose weight all my life, this is the only thing that has worked for me and I don't even think about the extra minute or so it takes to weigh everything out.2
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kommodevaran wrote: »
Sounds legit"powdered sugar, jello powder"
What do you see as the problem with someone adding a couple of grams of sugar or flavored powdered gelatin to something they're eating?
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Just got a digital food scale and it's a game changer. Hugely important for snacks and meats - it's so easy to 'guess' the portion from the anecdotal recommendations like the size of your fist or palm, but I've been surprised to see how little chicken is a true serving size. Like several people have said, this is one of the best tools for weight loss/maintenance I've found. Very inexpensive at Walmart, too.1
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
Sounds legit"powdered sugar, jello powder"
What do you see as the problem with someone adding a couple of grams of sugar or flavored powdered gelatin to something they're eating?
Agreed, I hate when people post stupid responses. I should have said stevia not powdered sugar. Using Fat Free Greek Yogurt, a couple of grams of sugar free jello powder, a little bit of stevia, makes a pretty decent protein frosting.2 -
Thanks for the replies! I started using it this morning, and it hasn’t been too bad, but are there any tips or tricks when cooking recipes? It seems like a lot to measure and record every ingredient and then also weighing out and calculating calories on how many servings of the final dish you are having.0
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
Sounds legit"powdered sugar, jello powder"
What do you see as the problem with someone adding a couple of grams of sugar or flavored powdered gelatin to something they're eating?
Agreed, I hate when people post stupid responses. I should have said stevia not powdered sugar. Using Fat Free Greek Yogurt, a couple of grams of sugar free jello powder, a little bit of stevia, makes a pretty decent protein frosting.
Um, I think it was more of a drug joke than a not "diet food" joke but I could be wrong.
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kerrimiller2018 wrote: »Thanks for the replies! I started using it this morning, and it hasn’t been too bad, but are there any tips or tricks when cooking recipes? It seems like a lot to measure and record every ingredient and then also weighing out and calculating calories on how many servings of the final dish you are having.
Generally, when I'm cooking a recipe, that I plan on making again in the future I do this. I pull out all of the ingredients, create a new recipe in MFP, and as I add them, I weight each one in accurate amounts. Then the next time I use it, I just add the recipe to Dinner for example, with the serving amount.1 -
When I do use my food scale I log my food accurately and lose weight.
When I do not use my food scale I don't log my food accurately and gain weight.
Perhaps the reason I gain weight so reliably on the occasional day is that I didn't use my scale or log my food on the day before.2 -
BINGOlynn_glenmont wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
Sounds legit"powdered sugar, jello powder"
What do you see as the problem with someone adding a couple of grams of sugar or flavored powdered gelatin to something they're eating?
Agreed, I hate when people post stupid responses. I should have said stevia not powdered sugar. Using Fat Free Greek Yogurt, a couple of grams of sugar free jello powder, a little bit of stevia, makes a pretty decent protein frosting.
Um, I think it was more of a drug joke than a not "diet food" joke but I could be wrong.
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kerrimiller2018 wrote: »Thanks for the replies! I started using it this morning, and it hasn’t been too bad, but are there any tips or tricks when cooking recipes? It seems like a lot to measure and record every ingredient and then also weighing out and calculating calories on how many servings of the final dish you are having.
- 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.
It’s much more accurate than estimating, and much quicker and easier than measuring with cups and spoons.4 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
Sounds legit"powdered sugar, jello powder"
What do you see as the problem with someone adding a couple of grams of sugar or flavored powdered gelatin to something they're eating?
Agreed, I hate when people post stupid responses. I should have said stevia not powdered sugar. Using Fat Free Greek Yogurt, a couple of grams of sugar free jello powder, a little bit of stevia, makes a pretty decent protein frosting.
Um, I think it was more of a drug joke than a not "diet food" joke but I could be wrong.
OK, sorry. If it was a drug joke, it totally went over my head. Since we talk about grams in measuring stuff on these forums all the time, it seems kind of random to start making drug jokes about something being measured in grams.2 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
BINGOlynn_glenmont wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
Sounds legit"powdered sugar, jello powder"
What do you see as the problem with someone adding a couple of grams of sugar or flavored powdered gelatin to something they're eating?
Agreed, I hate when people post stupid responses. I should have said stevia not powdered sugar. Using Fat Free Greek Yogurt, a couple of grams of sugar free jello powder, a little bit of stevia, makes a pretty decent protein frosting.
Um, I think it was more of a drug joke than a not "diet food" joke but I could be wrong.
I ALMOST hit the "woo" button cuz I love it when I'm right.
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
Sounds legit"powdered sugar, jello powder"
What do you see as the problem with someone adding a couple of grams of sugar or flavored powdered gelatin to something they're eating?
Agreed, I hate when people post stupid responses. I should have said stevia not powdered sugar. Using Fat Free Greek Yogurt, a couple of grams of sugar free jello powder, a little bit of stevia, makes a pretty decent protein frosting.
Um, I think it was more of a drug joke than a not "diet food" joke but I could be wrong.
OK, sorry. If it was a drug joke, it totally went over my head. Since we talk about grams in measuring stuff on these forums all the time, it seems kind of random to start making drug jokes about something being measured in grams.
I don't do drugs but that...was...so...not...random. 3 -
the only downside is you start to get really irritated with the database entries that only contain volume measurements rather than weight. 1 Cup of hard boiled eggs.. really?4
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extra_medium wrote: »the only downside is you start to get really irritated with the database entries that only contain volume measurements rather than weight. 1 Cup of hard boiled eggs.. really?
But, for others' benefit, because I'll bet the person I'm quoting knows:
Be sure to check the drop down. Often some of the old, good, USDA based (but not so labeled) entries in the database have cups as the display selection, but a big list of other options from ounces to grams to varied measured sizes (like 3" diameter) to volumes for slices/cubes/etc., and more.
Try the drop down!1 -
extra_medium wrote: »the only downside is you start to get really irritated with the database entries that only contain volume measurements rather than weight. 1 Cup of hard boiled eggs.. really?
But, for others' benefit, because I'll bet the person I'm quoting knows:
Be sure to check the drop down. Often some of the old, good, USDA based (but not so labeled) entries in the database have cups as the display selection, but a big list of other options from ounces to grams to varied measured sizes (like 3" diameter) to volumes for slices/cubes/etc., and more.
Try the drop down!
I use the drop down. But yeah, some of the entries do not have amounts listed in grams. And it is irritating.1 -
I weigh a good portion of my food, but have learned (through weighing) what a serving of baby carrots or snap peas is so I don't weigh them and I know if I'm off, it's not a big calorie hit.
For some reason, I have an issue with estimating potatoes so I weigh them.0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »extra_medium wrote: »the only downside is you start to get really irritated with the database entries that only contain volume measurements rather than weight. 1 Cup of hard boiled eggs.. really?
But, for others' benefit, because I'll bet the person I'm quoting knows:
Be sure to check the drop down. Often some of the old, good, USDA based (but not so labeled) entries in the database have cups as the display selection, but a big list of other options from ounces to grams to varied measured sizes (like 3" diameter) to volumes for slices/cubes/etc., and more.
Try the drop down!
I use the drop down. But yeah, some of the entries do not have amounts listed in grams. And it is irritating.
I weigh pretty much everything except packaged (proprietary recipe, non-whole) foods whose nutrition labels only offer volume for serving size. But I don't think the increased convenience to me of not having to scroll past volume entries in the database when I'm looking for a mass entry would justify taking away the option of volume entries for all the people who prefer those entries. Just because I know my way is the right way doesn't mean everybody else should be forced to do it my way. 0 -
extra_medium wrote: »the only downside is you start to get really irritated with the database entries that only contain volume measurements rather than weight. 1 Cup of hard boiled eggs.. really?
Seriously!0 -
I searched for a food scale thread so I could post this.
Our vet has said we should feed our puppy 1 cup of food in the evenings and 1.5 cup in the mornings. Turns out, one cup of dog food weighs about 100g, so I’ve been measuring it that way. I zeroed out the bowl just now, and eyeballed the amount before weighing it, to see how close I could get.
99 grams. I was just 1 gram off. Yes!!
Eta: Weighing food is important. Oxo scales are awesome.0 -
I weighed every bite I took for several years. It does take time. but when I stopped, I started gaining. I still weigh my breakfast, and have started a modified 5-2 to get back closer to my beloved 173. Got up to 210. Back down to 199.0
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