I'm not as good at estimating as I thought...

Psmileyf · 01-22-2013, 04:11 PM

I'm pretty disciplined about writing down what I eat and counting.
I write down everything I eat, every day.
But I've stopped being so good at weighing and reading labels.

So, feeling bloated this week I decided to weigh my cheese last night. My ounce was actually 2.5 ounces

but what I was counting as 120 calories per ounce is only 70. Amazing when you read the actual label instead of using a generic carb and calorie count from a book.

So, I figured I'd use my experience to remind others that no matter how good you get at estimating...if you are going to count, you might as well do it right and weigh and read labels.

Arctic_Mama · 01-22-2013, 04:27 PM

Lesson learned, I know it. If I was good with portion sizes I'd have never been morbidly obese to begin with. The lack of off switch was only part of the problem - but a lot of it was habit and portion distortion.

I regard my little scale and food log as something akin to glasses for my stomach - correcting an issue that I can't correct myself, without surgery. My eyes need glasses short of LASIK, and my stomach needs external portion control short of gastric surgery. Such is life!

JMacB · 01-22-2013, 04:43 PM

I've become the queen of the kitchen scale. Everything gets weighed and I. So glad I invested in one. Thanks for the reminder!

nolcjunk · 01-22-2013, 04:47 PM

Thank you for the reminder.

I periodically go through checking whether my eyeball measurements are accurate and there was a definite learning curve, but now after years of maintenace I finally got it just right. But, I still like to check sometimes that I haven't developed a greedy eye.

Information when you're losing weight is so important and without accurate measurements of foods the value of journaling your intake and making decisions based on it just go out the window.

My favorite moment recently was showing my friend how her so called tablespoon was really 3 because she has extra big spoons and was filling them to the brim, she figured a tablespoon was a tablespoon and whatever she loaded on there was just 1 tablespoon. I don't know who she thought she was fooling.

DiamondDeb · 01-22-2013, 04:59 PM

It is good if we can estimate within reason without weighing/measuring everything but it can backfire, too. It is a little less obsessive. But, if we do that, it can be good to go back & weigh measure for a week or so every so often. We tend to stray from accurate eyeballing-it after a while.

lisamt · 01-22-2013, 05:01 PM

I bought a digital kitchen scale a few weeks ago with some xmas money, and love it. I had the opposite experience with cheese - what I estimated to be an ounce turned out to be less when I finally weighed it. I guess I was being overly cautious!

Phranquie · 01-22-2013, 07:23 PM

I have a pocket sized digital scale that I keep in my purse. It is great to verify when I am out just how much I am eating. Makes my food tracking so much more accurate.

nolcjunk · 01-23-2013, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phranquie

I have a pocket sized digital scale that I keep in my purse. It is great to verify when I am out just how much I am eating. Makes my food tracking so much more accurate.

that's a great idea. Especially because even if restaurants post nutrition data on their website for standard portions, you rarely get a standard one, unless it's like a McDonald's burger.

I know Chipotle is notorious for this- if you get a heavy handed and generous server you might be getting 1.5 times as much or even twice as much, so you'd be totally underestimating what you ate if you go by what they list for the portion. I think they especially give a ton more guacamole, I think maybe because you pay extra for guac.

Phranquie · 01-23-2013, 10:13 AM

I got mine at Am*zon for $6. It is 2.5" x 3.6" and weighs only 3oz, so it fits in a small bag or pocket. It is more accurate than my digital kitchen scale as it weighs to the tenth of a gram.

nolcjunk · 01-23-2013, 10:23 AM

That sounds great, I never thought about there being travel sized food scales.

SeaMaiden · 01-23-2013, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phranquie

I got mine at Am*zon for $6. It is 2.5" x 3.6" and weighs only 3oz, so it fits in a small bag or pocket. It is more accurate than my digital kitchen scale as it weighs to the tenth of a gram.

Thanks for the recommendation to all! I just went to that website and bought it! I sure need the help with more accurate portions!

synger · 01-24-2013, 07:16 AM

I love my kitchen scale! So helpful.

Havefaith9 · 01-24-2013, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phranquie

I got mine at Am*zon for $6. It is 2.5" x 3.6" and weighs only 3oz, so it fits in a small bag or pocket. It is more accurate than my digital kitchen scale as it weighs to the tenth of a gram.

I just bought one from amazon!

I didn't even know they made them this small. ty!

Faith

cfine · 01-24-2013, 11:40 AM

Quote:

I regard my little scale and food log as something akin to glasses for my stomach - correcting an issue that I can't correct myself, without surgery. My eyes need glasses short of LASIK, and my stomach needs external portion control short of gastric surgery. Such is life!

Artic Mom, that made me LOL! That is the perfect analogy for my food scale.

01-22-2013, 04:11 PM	#1
Psmileyf Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Philly Burbs Posts: 3,659 Gallery: Psmileyf Stats: 215/193 on WW/167since LC Aug 1st/166 WOE: Atkins Start Date: 8/1/2011	I'm not as good at estimating as I thought... I'm pretty disciplined about writing down what I eat and counting. I write down everything I eat, every day. But I've stopped being so good at weighing and reading labels. So, feeling bloated this week I decided to weigh my cheese last night. My ounce was actually 2.5 ounces but what I was counting as 120 calories per ounce is only 70. Amazing when you read the actual label instead of using a generic carb and calorie count from a book. So, I figured I'd use my experience to remind others that no matter how good you get at estimating...if you are going to count, you might as well do it right and weigh and read labels. __________________ ___________ ____________________ Paula May 19th -85 miles walked in May May goal = 125 miles 118 miles walked in April! 115 miles walked in March!

01-22-2013, 04:47 PM	#4
nolcjunk Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 2,442 Gallery: nolcjunk Stats: Whole foods lc, 110, 5'6 WOE: Atkins - it's a diet	Thank you for the reminder. I periodically go through checking whether my eyeball measurements are accurate and there was a definite learning curve, but now after years of maintenace I finally got it just right. But, I still like to check sometimes that I haven't developed a greedy eye. Information when you're losing weight is so important and without accurate measurements of foods the value of journaling your intake and making decisions based on it just go out the window. My favorite moment recently was showing my friend how her so called tablespoon was really 3 because she has extra big spoons and was filling them to the brim, she figured a tablespoon was a tablespoon and whatever she loaded on there was just 1 tablespoon. I don't know who she thought she was fooling. __________________ More die in the United States of too much food than of too little. John Kenneth Galbraith, The Affluent Society

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01-22-2013, 04:27 PM	#2
Arctic_Mama Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 1,720 Gallery: Arctic_Mama Stats: 257/163/140 WOE: Atkins 2002 Start Date: R1 12/11, R2 3/12	Lesson learned, I know it. If I was good with portion sizes I'd have never been morbidly obese to begin with. The lack of off switch was only part of the problem - but a lot of it was habit and portion distortion. I regard my little scale and food log as something akin to glasses for my stomach - correcting an issue that I can't correct myself, without surgery. My eyes need glasses short of LASIK, and my stomach needs external portion control short of gastric surgery. Such is life!

01-22-2013, 04:43 PM	#3
JMacB Senior LCF Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Alabama Posts: 555 Gallery: JMacB Stats: 275/212/160 WOE: Modified Atkins/general low carb Start Date: Feb 2012	I've become the queen of the kitchen scale. Everything gets weighed and I. So glad I invested in one. Thanks for the reminder!

01-22-2013, 04:59 PM	#5
DiamondDeb Fat Burning Machine Extraordinaire! Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 69,686 Gallery: DiamondDeb	It is good if we can estimate within reason without weighing/measuring everything but it can backfire, too. It is a little less obsessive. But, if we do that, it can be good to go back & weigh measure for a week or so every so often. We tend to stray from accurate eyeballing-it after a while.

01-22-2013, 05:01 PM	#6
lisamt Senior LCF Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 528 Gallery: lisamt Stats: 200/187/130 WOE: LCHF Start Date: December 2012	I bought a digital kitchen scale a few weeks ago with some xmas money, and love it. I had the opposite experience with cheese - what I estimated to be an ounce turned out to be less when I finally weighed it. I guess I was being overly cautious!

01-22-2013, 07:23 PM	#7
Phranquie Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 3,258 Gallery: Phranquie Stats: 325+/166/125/ (5'-3" & 52 yo) WOE: Moderate Carb Start Date: Restart: 7/16/12	I have a pocket sized digital scale that I keep in my purse. It is great to verify when I am out just how much I am eating. Makes my food tracking so much more accurate.

01-23-2013, 10:13 AM	#9
Phranquie Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 3,258 Gallery: Phranquie Stats: 325+/166/125/ (5'-3" & 52 yo) WOE: Moderate Carb Start Date: Restart: 7/16/12	I got mine at Am*zon for $6. It is 2.5" x 3.6" and weighs only 3oz, so it fits in a small bag or pocket. It is more accurate than my digital kitchen scale as it weighs to the tenth of a gram.

01-23-2013, 10:23 AM	#10
nolcjunk Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 2,442 Gallery: nolcjunk Stats: Whole foods lc, 110, 5'6 WOE: Atkins - it's a diet	That sounds great, I never thought about there being travel sized food scales.

01-24-2013, 07:16 AM	#12
synger Major LCF Poster! Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,227 Gallery: synger Stats: Start: 310 Current: 259 WOE: Calorie and carb counting, IR Diet framework Start Date: IR/PCOS: Dx pre-diabetic 3/2010	I love my kitchen scale! So helpful.