Weighing food? Tracking everything?

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  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
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    I do and I don't. I weigh things at home usually, so much I can guesstimate if I'm out. I now know, almost exactly what a 28g serving of chips looks like. I still weigh at home but I'm sure I get it close when I'm out so I log 1 serving. I know that two handfuls of goldfish is exactly one serving. I like single serve things, like string cheese or yogurt cups. Easier to log. I weigh protein powder every time, because two scoops is never 28g. I use the palm estimation method for meat though, I don't weigh it raw and weighing it cooks screws up everything. I do use measuring cups for rice. I use my brain for pasta - if there are 8 servings in this pot, I can spoon it into four meal containers to save and four bowls equally, and it's all a serving. That's all an eyeball.

    I do measure everything in some way, shape, or form, but not always on the scale.
  • motivatedmartha
    motivatedmartha Posts: 1,108 Member
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    I weigh everything. I use the recipe builder and the meal saver facility a lot, that way I can log quicker and easier - don't have to enter all the ingredients all the time. For example, today I cooked a roast pork dinner. That meal is saved in my meals so I click on it and it lists everything under dinner. I then check weigh my portions when I cook it and it is quick to adjust. I prelog every morning, takes 5 mins, and just adjust when I actually weigh during the meal prep. Once you are in the groove it really is quite quick and avoids xalorie drift - I am reaching the end of my weight loss and every calorie seems to count.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,977 Member
    edited July 2018
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    I track everything and weigh/measure everything that "needs" to be measured but that's NOT everything that I eat/drink.

    I often use generic and general portion size estimates for fruit and veggies (and other things) rather than weigh or measure them precisely.

    Has worked well enough for me to lose 44# in 30 months; 6 months in a deficit and 24 months in maintenance.
  • Mrsindepenant1
    Mrsindepenant1 Posts: 196 Member
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    I purchased a cheap scale for the kitchen and weigh everything. My guessing was way off. I’m finding it beneficial so far and find I can long pretty accurately. I also log everything. A piece of gum is still 5 calories. That way if I’m not loosing I can go back and find out why.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    Later on down the line, everyone will find a way to keep an eye on their intake that suits them, but I really do think for anyone new to counting calories, starting by logging everything is the best education you could give yourself.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,072 Member
    edited July 2018
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    For me, it's not only more accurate to weigh everything (when eating at home), it's also easier.

    I just do it on autopilot, and use tricks like putting a container (of peanut butter or whatever) on the scale, removing a portion, and reading the negative; or putting a plate on the scale, zeroing, and sequentially adding ingredients (tortilla, read, note, zero; mustard, read, note, zero; cheese, read, note, zero . . . .). I note on a junk mail envelope back, then log en masse later.

    If I weighed some things and not others, I'd forget more often than just making it automatic. And I'd have more dishes to wash if I used cup/spoon measures.

    Once it's a routine, it adds pretty close to zero time to prep, and a few minutes to log. Works for me, and got me through 50+ pounds of weight loss and 2+ years of maintenance so far.

    Other things work for others. {shrug}
  • jdubois5351
    jdubois5351 Posts: 460 Member
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    I weigh everything, if at all possible. Haven't been to a restaurant since I've started out, and the times I ate at my mom's or at a friend's house, I interrogated them what their recipe contained and then did my best to guess. I'm very, very bad at guessing weights and portion sizes, so without scales, I couldn't do it. I also religiously log everything that passes my lips, except for water/coffee and spices. I find it no hassle at all.
  • Jackie9003
    Jackie9003 Posts: 1,105 Member
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    I try to weigh and track everything except drinks (coffee and dilute juice) but there will come a time when I will need to. I don't find it too onerous providing the bar code scanner works. I also find it works best for me when I pre plan, if I don't I either don't log everything or end up eating too much.
  • Deviette
    Deviette Posts: 979 Member
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    Jackie9003 wrote: »
    I try to weigh and track everything except drinks (coffee and dilute juice) but there will come a time when I will need to. I don't find it too onerous providing the bar code scanner works. I also find it works best for me when I pre plan, if I don't I either don't log everything or end up eating too much.

    I do exactly the same. I can't be bothered to do drinks every time, but I know that I can if my progress stalls.
  • mrslynda
    mrslynda Posts: 50 Member
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    At the momement I am weighing all the food I cook and prepare. I do most of my own cooking, and we mostly eat/cook from home. Exceptions so far are, when I got takeaway, except I did weigh my pizza, to see how the slices went. When my husband made us burgers, I logged how much mince he used, eg 500g makes four patties, the label of the buns, I know they won't weigh much more than stated, and estimated the sauces and salad. We have had one work barbecue, I guesstimated the bread ( two slices of the bread we get weighs between 75-85g) the bacon (probably over estimated as we don't have it often) and recorded the meat patties as per label.

    Not even a dieting thing, I tend to question food. For example, one of my kids is fussy , so I want to know if she is eating a new food. For example a different brand of sausages. Or even myself, I like to know so I can maybe buy the product or make it myself.

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