I count calories, and much of what I count is based on the volume of whatever food it is. Depending on how lazy I'm feeling, I'll either actually measure everything out or I'll just eyeball it (HA!).
Weeeelll I got an email from sparkpeople that said that most people who "eyeball" it are actually eating a lot more than what they think... so for lunch today I took the time (and dirtied the dishes) to measure everything out. Turns out my guesstimates are smaller (for this meal anyway). I'm so excited because it means I get to have more peanut butter on my sandwich, ha ha!!
Just wondering if you all measure EVERY SINGLE THING or just estimate? Have you noticed a difference in results from measuring everything? Just curious
I started measuring everything, I eyeball some things now (vegetables, condiments, etc) but still measure heavier items (grains, beans, produce, yogurt, peanutbutter), and go back to measuring the others every now and again to see how my estimates are.
I also found that portions are larger if I measure than if I eyeball...and I'm with you, it's exciting to get a little more! I think I was a very conservative eyeballer, so measuring sometimes gets me a bit more.
I don't measure everything but I do weigh most of my food. I have been eating special K cereal for years and always used a measuring cup because it says 1 cup of cereal equals 110 calories. Well since I bought a food scale a cup of special k equals anywhere from 46-52 grams of cereal. On the box it said 1 cup should equal 31 grams. So yeah my calories were off. I weigh almost everything I rarely use my measuring cups unless its a liquid. Measuring cups are for liquids anyway but I was measuring solids as well which tends not to be as accurate. I rarely eye ball.
I measure (by weight) protein, fats and starches all the time because they are calorie dense and even a little extra can add up quickly. I measure veggies sometimes, but not always. I figure that even if I'm eyeballing, they are typically low enough in calories that the extra isn't an issue. As I've posted before, I'm not worried about getting fat from too much broccoli! lol! But I like to measure periodically, so my eye stays more accustomed to the correct portion size.
I use Fitday for tracking, and for most fresh fruit, it gives the option of small, medium or large along with measurements so I have a pretty good idea if I'm eating a medium or large apple, etc. If it's a little bigger, I'll put 1.25 apple or something like that.
For salad dressing, I don't measure, but I make sure 1 bottle lasts me for 8 days (it's 16 servings, so I count it double - I have BIG salads for lunch!). So on any given day, it could be a little bit more or a little bit less, but over the course of a week, I'm on target and that's a lot easier than trying to deal with the added complication of using a measuring spoon when I'm eating a salad at work.
Last edited by PeanutsMom704; 03-02-2010 at 05:58 PM.
I still measure almost everything except for low calorie vegetables. I weigh my potato, measure out a serving of corn, but I never really bother to measure things like cabbage or lettuce, things that have very few calories.
I try to always weigh my meat, because unlike a few of you, I have a really bad tendency to underestimate. I'll cut off a hunk of steak that I think weighs 4 oz and it almost always weighs 5 or 6 once I get it on the scale.
Generally, I weigh everything that is not a green vegetable. Even those I often weigh, but on something like a green salad or a cabbage salad I'm satisfied to estimate, because the process of weighing out the parts would just be too complicated.
I don't measure. I eyeball. I HAVE measured in the past to get an idea of what 4 oz of chicken looks like, 4 oz of salmon, etc..
I count an apple as 100 calories, no matter what the size - even if sometimes it may be 80 - others 120. It all evens out in the end.
I eat an enormous amount of veggies. I approximate those as well. If I approximate that I am eating 2 cups of cauliflower and it's really 2 and 1/4 it's not that many additional calories. Though I purposely estimate up.
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I'm so excited because it means I get to have more peanut butter on my sandwich, ha ha!!
I just want to mention here, that if you've always been eating a certain portion size and now you increase it, you'll be adding calories, which just may change up your current weight loss equation.
I eyeball the stuff that I've measured time and time again since I have a general idea what it looks like.
I count calories as well and often I'll tack extra calories onto a meal to account for the eyeballing. I always round my calories and I always round them up. For example if I'm eating something that is 380 calories I consider it 400. These calories add up throughout the day and allow an extra hundred or so in case I've underestimated something.
I USUALLY weigh any protein I eat, and high cal things that could differ, like potatoes, stuffing etc. Condiments and oils I measure with the proper spoons, I even have some that look like little ladles for runnier things. Grains and cereal I use the cups, but I have double-checked the grams before, and it is about right.
I do eyeball a couple of things. I use honey often enough that I don't have to measure it anymore. I check it every once in a while by measuring and then seeing if my tea is sweeter or not as sweet as usual. That gives me an indication to use more or less, but I am pretty dead-on with THAT anyway. I have also gotten really good at eyeballing steak and chicken, though I tend to over-estimate fish, except for dense ones like tuna and salmon. Low cal veggies I just add by rough estimates, for instance half a red bell pepper is usually 15, so it doesn't really matter if I am off by an ounce either way. Or, a carrot is 30 cal for a medium one, so if it's 6-8 inches, I don't care if I am off by a just a few.
I do always account for the gram of carbs in the baby dills, though, as I will munch on 2-4 at a time. It says 0 cal on the jar, but we all know 0 just means less than 5, lol.
Last edited by eratosthanes; 03-02-2010 at 08:19 PM.
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I am like Robin - I don't weigh or measure anything, it's all eyeballing. The only reason I do it that way, is because I found that I am a really good eyeballer (is that a word?! lol). I measured in the beginning and it gave me an idea of amounts. Every now and then I will spot check to be sure I am still getting it right, but if anything, I am estimating more rather than less than I am actually eating.
I'm just not sure I could imagine weighing/measuring everything. Just not me. But I'm also not one that really tries to be within 1% of my calorie goal every day. For me calorie counting is about food education. Whenever I am doubt about a portion I overestimate the amount I ate. And hope that that makes up for anything I miss.
I guess if I was on a plateau and really thought I should be losing from my count I might weigh/measure carefully for a couple of days to see if I was being accurate.
I eyeball just about everything, with a few exceptions (I keep a 1/2 cup scoop in my granola, I count out servings of crackers, etc.). Like randomcards said, I don't worry about being spot on with my goal. This is about a lifestyle change, and I'm more worried about being within healthy ranges than sticking to a very strict number. I also zig zag my calories anyways, eating anywhere from 1400-1700 (averaging 1500).
Do you measure EVERYTHING??
