food scale? should i get one

alise_lmx
alise_lmx Posts: 292 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
I was just wondering about food scales. I've been thinking of getting one because I am not always that good at estimating, and also to learn what 1 portion of different foods REALLY are. Just wondering what someone who uses one thinks - does it help you a lot? Is it harder to log food on mfp with one? I know that a lot of items in the database have food in grams, but I don't want to constantly have to be entering new foods if something isn't in grams.

Also, what brand do you have, how much was it, and should I buy it? :)
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Replies

  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,330 Member
    It is one of the best purchases I have made.
  • Starlage
    Starlage Posts: 1,709 Member
    I use mine EVERY DAY. It's a cheapo non-digital scale for less than $10 but it gets the job done and like you said- taught me what serving sizes REALLY are. get one!
  • nicehormones
    nicehormones Posts: 503 Member
    I got the cheapest one available at Walmart. Might not be the "most" accurate, but it's great for measuring meat out because I'm trying to eat more protein and eyeballing it just doesn't really do it for me.
  • AmyWalsh711
    AmyWalsh711 Posts: 41 Member
    bump
  • tistal
    tistal Posts: 869 Member
    I use mine daily. On Sundays I use it to portion out my meats, pasta, veggies and cereal for the week! I baggie up everything that way during the week I can just cook and go! I got a Biggest Loser digital scale at WalMart for $25. Well worth the money! You really see how out of control portions are when you start measuring your own stuff!
  • emuhawk
    emuhawk Posts: 62 Member
    Absolutely! I bought mine online for about $25, and it was more than worth it. I had no idea how small some "servings" of food were until I started weighing them.
  • celindaasmith
    celindaasmith Posts: 12 Member
    Hi Buy It! Not questions asked! Buy a cheap one to get your started. It's great for meat/fish and even weighing out veggies/fruit for recipes. I love mine. Got it from Amazon for not much $$$.
  • vickie28
    vickie28 Posts: 68 Member
    Use mine daily-- not an expensive one either-- but a good one-- I weigh my meat, potatoes & snack chips like baked tostitos, the veggie straws ect ....
  • rubysphoto
    rubysphoto Posts: 254 Member
    I got the cheapest one available at Walmart. Might not be the "most" accurate, but it's great for measuring meat out because I'm trying to eat more protein and eyeballing it just doesn't really do it for me.

    Same here. Nothing fancy but does the job.
  • verymuchalivex
    verymuchalivex Posts: 7
    Thanks for posting this because I was thinking of getting one but I didn't. Now that I have seen everyone else's responses I am going to get one! Thanks EVERYONE!!! I love the tips I find on here. Anyone can add me if you like.
  • Clarimusic00
    Clarimusic00 Posts: 96 Member
    Yes Yes Yes!! It's an amazing tool! I use that and my measuring cups all the time!
  • alise_lmx
    alise_lmx Posts: 292 Member
    thanks everyone! I think i will definitely get one then!
  • mrsmel55
    mrsmel55 Posts: 168
    I got a digital one at K-Mart for around $20. Before that I really had no idea what a single boneless chicken thigh weighed or what a talapia filet weighed. Now I measure lots of things and I know I can acturately record what I eat. I was over estimating some things so I found out I could acutally eat more! If you are going to do MFP you almost have to have a scale to measure your foods.
  • alise_lmx
    alise_lmx Posts: 292 Member
    Thanks for posting this because I was thinking of getting one but I didn't. Now that I have seen everyone else's responses I am going to get one! Thanks EVERYONE!!! I love the tips I find on here. Anyone can add me if you like.

    yep I am going to get one too. I learn so much from mfp too! i would never have thought of using a food scale before I joined this site. Actually I don't even know if I knew that was a thing. haha
  • mrsmel55
    mrsmel55 Posts: 168
    Oh and the one I got measures ounces or grams.
  • RachelsReboot
    RachelsReboot Posts: 569 Member
    Yes! It is one of the best tools you can have in your kitchen!
  • babybig
    babybig Posts: 1
    I got mine for 30 bucks, its a digital scale and very accurate. I use it alllll the time and if it broke down id buy another immediatly!! 30 bucks in Alaska so down in the lower 48 states it will be cheaper!
  • SoSheDid_
    SoSheDid_ Posts: 16 Member
    It is one of the best purchases I have made.

    Absolutely, I have had mine for over a year and still use it at least once a day. It's very eye-opening when you actually weight out your portions.
  • Hopelessbird
    Hopelessbird Posts: 133
    It is one of the best purchases I have made.

    I totally agree.
  • taramaureen
    taramaureen Posts: 569 Member
    YES! Get one! I have a simple one from KMart that only cost like $6.
  • TheUnwritten
    TheUnwritten Posts: 158 Member
    Yes get one!! Totally shocked on how many calories where really in the chicken breasts I eat.
  • misrical
    misrical Posts: 66 Member
    once I got my scale I realized that I had been eating much larger servings than I should have.
    I use mine everyday and its one of the best tools I ever bought to help me lose weight.
  • maf66
    maf66 Posts: 211 Member
    It is one of the best purchases I have made.

    Ditto. I wish I would have bought mine sooner!
  • mblair1968
    mblair1968 Posts: 323 Member
    I got a cheap digital one from Walmart, and love it. Just like mfp, I dig the numbers. I find it amazing just what a serving, say 3oz is, and how full you can get by staying at 1 serving.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    AB.SO.LUTELY.

    Best thing ever for accurate calorie-tracking!!! I LOVE MINE. It's an EatSmart and was only $15 online. It has been through a cross-country move and inestimable kitchen abuse and it still works like a charm over a year later. :) I weigh EVERYTHING. Even my wine! :)
  • JanieJack
    JanieJack Posts: 3,831 Member
    LOVE IT!!

    I had a $5 manual one from WalMart that worked great for YEARS, and really opened my eyes to portion sizes! Couple months ago I bout a new digital one from Avon ($19 on the site, but I'm an Avon rep, so I got a discount).

    It's easy to use, easy to zero out if I want to measure my stuff as i"m putting it into the bowl, easy to switch back and forth between grams, kg, and oz. You can get them at almost any store for about the same price.
  • Narisong
    Narisong Posts: 191
    We have 2 of them and weigh everything that we eat. Measuring is not nearly as accurate because everyone sees "1/2 cup" as a different level of full.
  • captainlindarg
    captainlindarg Posts: 229 Member
    I'm just going to reiterate -- YES! Seriously, I was so shocked when I started weighing stuff how small some portions were. Like cereal. I weighed it instead of using the standard 3/4 cup measurement they give and I was shocked.
  • dinosnopro
    dinosnopro Posts: 2,177 Member
    I wonder what people would think if I pulled out an old school portable scale at restaurants?
  • alise_lmx
    alise_lmx Posts: 292 Member
    I got a cheap digital one from Walmart, and love it. Just like mfp, I dig the numbers. I find it amazing just what a serving, say 3oz is, and how full you can get by staying at 1 serving.

    I never thought of it, but I think that's why I'm interested in one too - i love the numbers too, haha! I'm about to get my masters in accounting, so I guess that explains it :)
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