Who has lost a lot of weight without using a food scale?

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  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,217 Member
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    No doubt that the food scale is a valuable tool, but by no means is it imperative to losing weight. If she's averse to using a food scale but you can get her to log her calories at all, that may be demonstrative enough of a push in the right direction to help her see the light and start losing. I didn't get my food scale until well after I'd lost weight I needed to lose, got into weightlifting and wanted better accuracy in my logging to properly shape my physique. Now I'm pretty convinced the food scale will be evidence in the inevitable murder trial when my wife finally gets tired of me insisting I weigh everything and snaps.

    When I first started with MFP in late 2011 or early 2012 I started logging what I was eating normally at the time and it was really eye-opening just how many calories were in certain staples (or that it's ok to have two oreos, but having eight at a time is how you ended up 30lbs overweight). From there it was readily apparent what/how much I needed to be eating and I've been hooked ever since.
  • Spadesheart
    Spadesheart Posts: 477 Member
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    just round up the calories to the next multiple of 50 up. That's what I've been doing and i think it accounts well for any variance. Also much cleaner numbers.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
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    dsboohead wrote: »
    nooshi713 wrote: »
    dsboohead wrote: »
    How successful has your mom been never using a food scale?

    In the past she lost weight by exercising 2 hours a day and eating "whatever she wanted". Lately she hasn't had any success. She keeps thinking that by just eating less, that she will lose weight. I suspect her *less* is still too much. She is also older now and cant exercise as much as she did in the past. In fact, she rarely exercises so I suggested she focus more on her diet and have been trying to get her to log her food, but she says it is too much work. * sigh*

    She is not ready so drop it and you do your thing.
    Someone who truly wants success does everything possible for that success.
    You can't do it for her!

    You're right. Lately, she has been talking a lot about wanting to lose weight but I dont think she is ready to put in the effort.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
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    Spadesheart wrote: »
    just round up the calories to the next multiple of 50 up. That's what I've been doing and i think it accounts well for any variance. Also much cleaner numbers.

    Great idea
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    I lost 10 of the 20lbs I needed to lose without a scale, but after that it was necessary or I probably still wouldn't have got to goal.
  • hippiesaur
    hippiesaur Posts: 137 Member
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    I lost 14 kgs without a food scale or ever paying attention to calories. I just ate intuitively and skipped the obviously calorie dense stuff. Then I was struggling with the last few kgs for like 1 year, I couldn't lose weight anymore with this method. Last year for Christmas I got my FitBit, with the app I tracked my calorie intake as well, set a deficit and finally the scale moved again. In March I started to use MFP as well, still didn't use the food scale, but I had success with weightloss just with estimating. Now I'm at an almost ideal weight, I bought my food scale 5 days ago and use it since then. I've just realized that before I was really overestimating how much I really eat and I actually struggle to eat the proper amount now, because I was so used to undereating... So you shouldn't use a food scale to lose weight, however it makes things much easier.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    As a teen, I lost from 220 lb+ to 160 lb- by eating only dry popcorn. Then I lost more by getting sick. Then I got well and got a pizza. Then I got to 300 lb+ It took a while, but dry popcorn-only is not repeatable for me.

    As an adult I lost from 300+ lb to 200+ lb by stopping eating some drive-through things.

    In the recent 2 years, using a scale, I've lost from 200+ lb to 100+ lb by eating anything I wanted and being healthy.
  • mk2fit
    mk2fit Posts: 730 Member
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    I lost 70ish pounds in less than a year without using a food scale. Oh, and have kept it off for over 2 years.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
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    I lost 50lbs without a food scale, maintained, bulked, cut, maintaining....still don't have a food scale.
  • MeteoraTitanium
    MeteoraTitanium Posts: 102 Member
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    Not me, I need my food scale. I guessed cereal before and added too much. I would be fatter without my food scale.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    edited April 2018
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    I lost 140 pounds without using a food scale.
    I have been cooking & baking since I was very young and can estimate pretty accurately.
    I did purchase a food scale, but found that my estimates were really close and found using a scale too much of a hassle. My problem was/is keeping the weight off and sticking to portion sizes and not overindulging. Hence, like so many others, I gained back half of the weight I lost on MFP in 2012-2013 and am back. This time, I am hoping to be able to finally lose, and keep, the weight off.
    BTW, losing weight, and still not using a food scale, so it is doable.
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    edited April 2018
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    My brother lost over 100 pounds 15 years ago by counting calories but he didn’t use a food scale. He’s a had a few minor regains since then (20 pounds a couple times and 40 pounds once). He took that weight off w/o a food scale too.

    I’ve actually not (knowingly) known anyone who’s lost weight using a food scale. It’s a helpful tool but certainly not necessary for all people.

    About 10 years ago, I’d put on around 35 pounds. I lost it all without a food scale and even cut lower than my usual weight without using one either. I own one now. My eyeballed estimates are usually pretty accurate. I use it pretty often nowadays for calorie dense foods, and every now and then I weigh consistently to collect data.

    I use it for baking and find it really helpful for that.
  • ccruz985
    ccruz985 Posts: 646 Member
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    If people have been so successful at losing and keeping the weight off without essential tools, Weight Watchers, Herbalife, and all of the other fads would be out of business.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,071 Member
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    ccruz985 wrote: »
    If people have been so successful at losing and keeping the weight off without essential tools, Weight Watchers, Herbalife, and all of the other fads would be out of business.


    Well that isn't quite true - I think WW is quite a reasonable system and Herbalife etc would be out of business if people understood fancy gimmicky foods aren't neccescary.
    The whole weight loss industry would be out of business if people just ate appropriate calorie levels, whether or not they use scales or calorie count.

    Myself I do use a scale - but have never done so vigilantly - I guesstimate lots of things and record every banana etc as being same without weighing.

    Works for me.


  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,081 Member
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    When I started I had 70+ pounds to lose.

    The first 30 were easy peasy. Ate mostly the same way I had been eating, just less. Estimated and used packages.

    Then I decided I needed to focus on good nutrition, not just weight loss. That made it harder, since I was using primarily whole ingredients and cooking all my own meals. I bought a food scale and never looked back.

    I love mine. It's not even so much about eating too much but also eating just enough. If I had my way I'd eat a lot smaller portions of vegetables than I do, and more bread. By focusing on nutrition I realized I needed to eat larger portions of vegetables and fewer grains. Now I prepare 30g of rice, oatmeal, pasta etc. instead of the full serving.

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