Saturday, July 25, 2009

New Toy!

Well, after more than a year of dieting, I finally have a food scale - thanks, Mom! This is the last item in my "healthy kitchen arsenal" - I have two sets of measuring cups and a cool magnetic set of measuring spoons, along with a couple of extra tablespoons, but I never got around to buying a scale. I like this one - you can put a plate or bowl on it, press the "tare" button, and it resets to zero so when you add your food item it gives you a true measurement. Plus it's pretty small so it was easy to find a place for it in my kitchen cabinet - I don't like a lot of things on my counters when I'm not using them.

In the past, I have tried to estimate a portion of meat by visualizing the "deck of cards" image, but I always wondered how close I actually was. Tonight, after we grilled pork chops I weighed one - it was 6.6 oz. Then I sliced some off, trying to get to 4 oz. and came close - it was 4.4 oz. Not too bad for my first time!
A bit too much!

Just about right!

I think this will really come in handy with meats, pasta, potatoes and cheese. For example, I have a great Cooking Light bowtie pasta recipe that calls for 6 oz. of dried pasta - and the package I bought had 16 oz. - hard to measure accurately, because the amount I needed was less than half. At this point in my diet, I'm eating small portions of whole wheat pasta or red potatoes on occasion, but I am still pretty cautious about portion size - moreso than with fruit and veggies, which I eat as much as I want.

This is something I probably should have had a long time ago, and would recommend that anyone who is serious about watching their calories get one. This particular scale was $24.95 from Amazon - not cheap, but I think definitely worth it!

And in other news, I rode my bike tonight for the first time since my surgery! I started out slow, but everything felt good so I ended up riding for four miles - not bad for someone who hasn't exercised in nearly two weeks! I will go back to my workout on Monday, and believe me, I can't wait! Yes, I will be careful in what I do...but really? I just want to get back into my routine. So any exercise is better than no exercise, and no, I can't believe I just typed that! Oh how I've changed in the past year!

19 comments:

  1. Hi--Love your blog and congrats on your weight loss. You're truly and inspiration...As for the food scale, I really need to get one too. And you're so right, especially about the pastas and meats.

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  2. A food scale is a good idea... I have looked at them several times but I have always thought it would end up in THAT cabinet. Do you know the one I'm talking about? The cabinet of appliances I thought I would use forever (yeah right) bread maker, waffle iron, yogurt maker etc.

    But guessing how much pasta I'm eating is probably dangerous. I may invest in one. :-)

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  3. I was wondering how your recovery was going! Good to know you're starting up exercise again!

    I love your scale. I couldn't live without mine, I use it all the time.

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  4. I think the scale is a great idea. When I teach my weight loss class I always tell people to make friends with their measuring cups, spoons and kitchen scales!

    I found a really nice one at a yard sale for just a couple of dollars!

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  5. Sounds like things are humming right along for you. Glad things are going smoothly post-op.

    Fun little scale. now you can see how good an eye you have!

    thanks for your encouraging comments. I look forward to them.

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  6. Cool blog! Nice your weighing your food intake! I do that one too and it really works. Cheers

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  7. I'm glad you are feeling like exercising again. And yes, adult-onset athletics is a wonderful and amazing thing. Years ago I couldn't have imagined that I would WANT (most days) to get up off the couch and get some exercise. Or that I would miss it if I didn't. That and the fact that I now LOVE vegetables. This is a wondrous turnout for me.

    Again, glad you are healing well. Don't overdo it - you've got plenty of time to get back to your routine.

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  8. I'm so excited for you as I read those last few lines, that you look fwd to getting your routine back.

    Way to go!

    You certainly have new habits, and not just a phase. Lifestyle, baby!

    ChrissyS

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  9. Hey, good work! I keep reading how hard it is to guess accurately!

    For my birthday, my husband got me a Gowear Fit armband-- one of those doohickeys that counts your calories expended during the course of the day. Toys rock!

    Am I Really That Fat?

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  10. Glad you are healing well!

    I love my food scale. I have even gotten so dorky as to weigh everything in grams LOL!

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  11. My scale was my first and best tool on this journey...when I hadn't turned it on in 3 weeks, I knew I was falling down the slope...so it has been back in business this week!

    I am so glad you are feeling better!

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  12. I heart my food scale. It's a must for baking, because most dry ingredients are best measured by weight and not volume.

    And good to read that you are recovering well!

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  13. I'm glad to hear you are recovering so quick, but I'm definitely not suprised!

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  15. YAY FOR THE BIKE RIDING!!
    and as promised here I am to cheer you on in the workout today----and to reminded you to go sloooooow.

    that it is a marathon not a sprint :)

    all those trite but true sayings.

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  16. OMG, I would be lost without my food scale! I weigh everything, which you know helps me with my insulin intake.

    It's also helpful because even like packages of hamburger buns or bagels - I've had some say a serving size is 2 ounces, and one might weigh in at 3.5 ounces! Those calories add up!

    Congrats on getting the bike ride in! :D

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  17. That is one really good-looking pork chop - can you post or send the recipe?

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  18. My scale was a definite eye opener for me, I was eating MUCH more than single serving sizes! I think my portion control has been a HUGE part of my weight loss.

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  19. I've got the same food scale - it's been invaluable, and I'll second the request for the pork-chop recipe!

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