Food scale? Yes or No?

BobbieLee1959
BobbieLee1959 Posts: 605 Member
edited November 10 in Food and Nutrition
:smile: Please help. I want to know how many food loggers use a scale for accurate measuring~do you, or do you guesstimate portions?
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Replies

  • amuhlou
    amuhlou Posts: 693 Member
    I couldn't live without my food scale
  • luvnthenewme
    luvnthenewme Posts: 121 Member
    I use my food scale faithfully!! I am a horrible judge of portion size!! The same goes for measuring utensils.
  • mfp_1
    mfp_1 Posts: 516 Member
    Yes. Good for counting calories. Good for accurate recipes. Every kitchen should have one.

    BobbieLee1959, do you have food scales?
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
    Yes. Good for counting calories. Good for accurate recipes. Every kitchen should have one.

    Couldn't imagine this journey without it -- make sure you have one with a "zero" function so you can add items to the bowl/plate. Saves a lot of cleanup on measuring cups.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,247 Member
    :smile: Please help. I want to know how many food loggers use a scale for accurate measuring~do you, or do you guesstimate portions?

    Never guess, guessing can mean the difference of a few hundred calories when it comes to stuff such as cheese and the higher calorie foods.

    I use a digital scale that weighs in grams, I would not be without it.

    Watch the following YouTube video - this was posted on these Forums by somebody else, but I have copied and pasted the link for you because after watching it (it's only around five minutes long), you will seriously think about buying scales. The video shows just how easy it is to misjudge, even by a tiny bit, it will send your calories out and could mean the difference between losing weight - or putting weight on.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I weigh my foods until i have a good feel for portion sizes, then i stop weighing.
  • chatterbox3110
    chatterbox3110 Posts: 630 Member
    I used to guesstimate weights, and boy, was I wrong!

    I bought a really cheap set of digital kitchen scales and they've been my saviour.
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,286 Member
    After one day of weighing food I was shocked at what an actual portion size was versus what I thought.......reality check for sure, I think it's a very useful tool
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    i think it helps a lot. things like nuts it is hard to know how much you are really eating unless you weigh it.
  • lilfurson
    lilfurson Posts: 190
    I have one at work and at home. Without it I wouldn't be able to know how many calories are in home cooked food.
  • dlyeates
    dlyeates Posts: 875 Member
    I use it to measure out meat that I have to cut!!! That way I know how many ounces I'm getting. I'm really bad and figuring our how much to eat and actually underestimate a lot!!!
  • Atarahh
    Atarahh Posts: 485 Member
    YES

    I say this because I tend to undermeasure. LIke we tend to think 3 oz is more than it really is and undereat and miss out on calories. If you dont want a food scale, buy the portioned vacuum packed meats that are already weighed and tell you the calories. Always go by the cooked weight, not the raw weight unless you are eating it raw. Most meat portions are gonna be 3 or 4 oz.


    Also, measuring cups! I have decided to buy a set for work, because my visual eye always underestimates a cup! For instance, something like rice, spread on a plate I would think is 2 cups but it is really only one cup, and as a result, I think I have taken in more calories than I really have.
  • mszebra
    mszebra Posts: 94
    I couldn't live without my food scale

    This. The food scale has been the #1 most helpful thing with regard to my weight loss. No joke.
  • SoulNeedsBeauty
    SoulNeedsBeauty Posts: 154 Member
    I can't imagine counting calories without a food scale. same as eating something that someone else cooked, all u can do is guess.
  • hope516
    hope516 Posts: 1,133 Member
    If you don't, do it!!!
  • GLJezebel
    GLJezebel Posts: 312 Member
    I ALWAYS use my food scale. Now that I use it all day every day I have realized that prior to using it I had no real idea what a portion size was. Now I know.
  • pearceda
    pearceda Posts: 29 Member
    I would vote Yes....I found that I was way over on portion size. Recommend one that can zero out the container as well. That way you just add your plate and then can add individual items very easy.
  • reedkaus
    reedkaus Posts: 250 Member
    i am going to be getting one soon. it just seems more accurate, especially when it comes to things that are harder to eyeball than a cup of milk or what have you
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
    Yes, I compare the so called "cup" to the actual weight and most of the time if you followed the guesstimate for how much a cup would be on the package you would often be eating way more than the actual weight portion.
  • journeytoahealthy51
    journeytoahealthy51 Posts: 89 Member
    I bought a digital scale at Wal-mart for $10 a year ago. Could not live without it. I use measuring spoon/cups when I can, and scales for anything that you cannot measure accurately by volume.
  • bjfrezell
    bjfrezell Posts: 241
    I have one and use it at a minimum once a day, generally more often. I simply cannot guestimate meat sizes, yogurt portions, or berries. Definitely use the "tare" or 0 button so you can put your bowl or plate on the scale
  • cowgirlslikeus86
    cowgirlslikeus86 Posts: 597 Member
    I have a food scale. I use to measure and weigh everything. Now I only use it on meat, cheese and really high caloried items where, if I guess wrong, could ruin my caloric goal. After weighing and measuring so much you start to get the hang of it.
  • litljoy2001
    litljoy2001 Posts: 79
    I def use one I got it from walmart pretty cheap and I wouldnt want to live without it at this point, you would be amazed the difference in portion control using them
  • Blessedmommy_2x
    Blessedmommy_2x Posts: 419 Member
    Just ordered me one!!!! :smile:
  • lozzae85
    lozzae85 Posts: 35
    I weigh everything apart from fruit and veg I just guess those unless I'm having potatoe.....Not sure why! I think I am going to start to weight my fruit and veg now too and see if it makes a difference!
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    I'm a pro cook, so I"m a pretty good estimator. That said...a kitchen scale is a really good tool to have and use. You'd be amazed how far off guesses can be sometimes!
  • bbysars
    bbysars Posts: 36 Member
    I use my scale everyone I cook. If you're looking to lose weight never guesstimate, you would be surprised at how much you actually use when you weigh things.
  • sharonfincher1
    sharonfincher1 Posts: 311 Member
    A must have, just ordered a new one from avon....
  • FoxyPhoenixRising
    FoxyPhoenixRising Posts: 26 Member
    I have to agree with everone here, I DEFINITELY recommend using a scale. I saw MEGA differences between my estimated cals and actual cals when I got mine! I use it all the time!
  • raevynn
    raevynn Posts: 666 Member
    I love my digital scale! Couldn't function without it!

    Even packaged food "lies" on the nutrition facts. Go by weight, not by "x pieces"... they aren't right.
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