Second/travel food scale

dashagrr
dashagrr Posts: 43 Member
edited December 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Do you think I am crazy for wanting to buy a second, preferably pocket size food scale to eating outside of home? I eat 2 of my 3 meals at work. Usually, I eat a frozen entree or preweighted lunch from home, but too many times there is catered food available and I would like to know how much I am getting. I just imagined myself bringing a food scale to a lunch meeting or to a buffet restaurant, haha!

Replies

  • lin_be
    lin_be Posts: 393 Member
    dashagrr wrote: »
    Do you think I am crazy for wanting to buy a second, preferably pocket size food scale to eating outside of home? I eat 2 of my 3 meals at work. Usually, I eat a frozen entree or preweighted lunch from home, but too many times there is catered food available and I would like to know how much I am getting. I just imagined myself bringing a food scale to a lunch meeting or to a buffet restaurant, haha!

    Yea, might be a bit overkill. I think you can try portioning your food without a scale at home. Before weighing out your meal, guess how much it weighs and then weigh it to see if you’re right. You can kinda train yourself that way so you don’t have to answer all of the “why do you use a scale?” questions at work. Also, cops might think it’s paraphernalia if you get pulled over. Lol
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    That would be too much for me but if it works for you, go for it!
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    dashagrr wrote: »
    Do you think I am crazy for wanting to buy a second, preferably pocket size food scale to eating outside of home? I eat 2 of my 3 meals at work. Usually, I eat a frozen entree or preweighted lunch from home, but too many times there is catered food available and I would like to know how much I am getting. I just imagined myself bringing a food scale to a lunch meeting or to a buffet restaurant, haha!

    Go for it if it is something you think will help you, just be prepared for some interesting comments.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Way too OCD for me personally...
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,759 Member
    Eh, I used to take a food scale with me to Whole Foods when I'd buy lunch at the hot bar and nobody said a word. Same when I didn't have it with me and had the behind the counter prepared foods people weigh it for me.

    OP, I think you should do whatever will keep you on track since the catered meals happen often enough.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i have some pretty food OCD issues, but even i dont do that

    the more you weight and log food at home, the better you get at estimating it when out
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    I have one in my office at work. I don't take one when i go out to eat, but you do you, boo.
  • Teabythesea_
    Teabythesea_ Posts: 559 Member
    edited January 2019
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    They make foldable travel scales, so if theres a market for them you're obviously not the only one to want to do it. Me personally I'm fine with guessing, but I can see there being certain circumstances that warrant the need for a portable scale. Whatever works for you.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    You should be able to develop a pretty good eyeball judgement of portion sizes by comparing them to the size of your fist, palm of hand, finger, etc. As suggested above, practice at home to develop this skill.
  • buffalogal42
    buffalogal42 Posts: 374 Member
    Gonna be the one who disagrees with most of the comments here. Lol - I bought this small scale which fits fine in my purse. I have never had a comment using it. If I did, I’d explain how I have goals ... and I wanna meet them! (I have a thread somewhere of an older lady in the airport with a food scale who inspired me).

    https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-AWS-600-BLK-Nutrition/dp/B000O37TDO?ref_=Oct_CARAsinC_289787_2&pf_rd_r=83CR9BYD5ZM0H610AEFZ&pf_rd_p=1ce8c036-9de7-5bd3-a871-92ae11d6cc9c&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-8&pf_rd_t=30901&pf_rd_i=289787&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    buffalogal42 wrote: »
    Gonna be the one who disagrees with most of the comments here. Lol - I bought this small scale which fits fine in my purse. I have never had a comment using it. If I did, I’d explain how I have goals ... and I wanna meet them! (I have a thread somewhere of an older lady in the airport with a food scale who inspired me).

    https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-AWS-600-BLK-Nutrition/dp/B000O37TDO?ref_=Oct_CARAsinC_289787_2&pf_rd_r=83CR9BYD5ZM0H610AEFZ&pf_rd_p=1ce8c036-9de7-5bd3-a871-92ae11d6cc9c&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-8&pf_rd_t=30901&pf_rd_i=289787&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

    I still remember that thread! @buffalogal42 :smile: You'd find it in "My Discussions" at the top of the forum/reply page.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,304 Member
    I don't think you are crazy and yes, there must be people who use those travel scales, not neccesarily for weight loss or even for food of course.

    But me - no, I wouldn't do it myself. I would just estimate.
  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
    I think you can do whatever will work for you. Personally, I would have no problem having one in my office, taking it on business trips or maybe even using it at lunch with friends or close colleagues. I probably wouldn't use it at a restaurant or catered meeting, or take it to the office canteen every day.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    The problem with that, catered food is cooked by someone else, no way to tell what the food is cooked with to get an accurate calorie intake.

    Eating out, catered food, social events will all be a part of weight loss and maintaining weight after you reach goal. For me this is way overkill, but my OCD about my weight loss in the beginning had me not eating too much food I couldn't accurately guage intake... overtime you get good with this and will find a balance in your eating in these circumstances.
  • sivyaleah
    sivyaleah Posts: 51 Member
    I see no problem with it either if it helps keep you on track. I have a small scale I keep on my desk at the office, it's actually a postage scale meant just for envelopes but does the trick weighing my meals at work. I've gotten good at eyeballing but still prefer to know for sure any time I can. It's lightweight and only a few inches in size. Was quite cheap too. Does ounces and grams, and has a tare function. Easily would slip into a purse.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    Guess I am OCD. Though after 3 years of rigid living dietarly... I can freestyle a little better than I used to.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    I have the same mini scale as @Orphia inspired by the same “lady at the airport” post. I keep it in my desk and use it once in a while for bag nuts and other calorie dense foods, but it doesn’t leave my office.
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