One of the things I have come to learn and accept about myself is that my EYES are completely broken! By that I mean I can’t tell the difference between 2oz and 10oz of food. I’ve tried the whole “eyeballing it” thing, and using the palm of my hand or a deck of cards as a reference point, but each time I’m left feeling unsure about my guesstimation. The uncertainty then fuels a tiresome food conversation in my head that goes something like this:
“Am I full? I don’t feel full, but that looked like a lot of food. I feel like I should feel full. Maybe I should skip dessert just in case. Actually, I still feel hungry so I probably didn’t eat as much as I think I did. [So and so] ate less than me and she’s not getting dessert. But then again I skipped lunch so dessert can now be my lunch. I mean I think I’m hungry. I’ll just have a few bites and share the rest. And I’ll make sure to go on a long run tomorrow to balance everything out.”
Ugh it’s exhausting just thinking about it! Then I’ll come home wishing I had better self control because I of course ate the whole piece of cheesecake and not just a few bites like I told myself I would. And that run the next day? Yeah that never happened…
So when it comes to PORTION CONTROL I really have no idea what’s a healthy vs. unhealthy amount of food. I’m better off leaving it up to the gods to decide.
I’m also horrible at gauging my HUNGER LEVELS. It’s über difficult for me to decipher between physical and emotional hunger. I used to start picking at something and then swear I’d stop when I had enough. But guess what? I never felt like there was enough! You can only imagine what eating like this looked like for me: binging all the time, grazing in and out of the kitchen and employee snack room, compulsively exercising, brain fog from eating too much sugar and refined carbohydrates, no energy, lack of motivation, low self-esteem, weight gain, isolation, etc. All this bad stuff stemming from the fact that I could not figure out how to control my portion sizes.
So what WAS my solution to all this?
My food scale!
Miraculously, my food scale solved the problem! What on earth is a food scale? It’s a small sized scale that fits comfortably on your kitchen countertop and that can accurately weigh ingredients. For example, if I want 4 oz of chicken, I simply put my plate on the scale, press the tare button to zero out the scale, and then add chicken onto the plate until it reaches the number 4 oz. That’s it. Now and I don’t have to worry in my head about under or overeating.
Such a simple tool and yet such a profound significance in my life. I discovered that by weighing my food on a scale and following a food plan, I no longer had to entertainment the food committee in between my ears. The food scale eliminates the guesstimation from the equation and leaves me with PEACE OF MIND! The tiresome chatter stops and I can enjoy GUILT FREE EATING!
“Am I full? I don’t feel full, but that looked like a lot of food. I feel like I should feel full. Maybe I should skip dessert just in case. Actually, I still feel hungry so I probably didn’t eat as much as I think I did. [So and so] ate less than me and she’s not getting dessert. But then again I skipped lunch so dessert can now be my lunch. I mean I think I’m hungry. I’ll just have a few bites and share the rest. And I’ll make sure to go on a long run tomorrow to balance everything out.”
Ugh it’s exhausting just thinking about it! Then I’ll come home wishing I had better self control because I of course ate the whole piece of cheesecake and not just a few bites like I told myself I would. And that run the next day? Yeah that never happened…
So when it comes to PORTION CONTROL I really have no idea what’s a healthy vs. unhealthy amount of food. I’m better off leaving it up to the gods to decide.
I’m also horrible at gauging my HUNGER LEVELS. It’s über difficult for me to decipher between physical and emotional hunger. I used to start picking at something and then swear I’d stop when I had enough. But guess what? I never felt like there was enough! You can only imagine what eating like this looked like for me: binging all the time, grazing in and out of the kitchen and employee snack room, compulsively exercising, brain fog from eating too much sugar and refined carbohydrates, no energy, lack of motivation, low self-esteem, weight gain, isolation, etc. All this bad stuff stemming from the fact that I could not figure out how to control my portion sizes.
So what WAS my solution to all this?
My food scale!
Miraculously, my food scale solved the problem! What on earth is a food scale? It’s a small sized scale that fits comfortably on your kitchen countertop and that can accurately weigh ingredients. For example, if I want 4 oz of chicken, I simply put my plate on the scale, press the tare button to zero out the scale, and then add chicken onto the plate until it reaches the number 4 oz. That’s it. Now and I don’t have to worry in my head about under or overeating.
Such a simple tool and yet such a profound significance in my life. I discovered that by weighing my food on a scale and following a food plan, I no longer had to entertainment the food committee in between my ears. The food scale eliminates the guesstimation from the equation and leaves me with PEACE OF MIND! The tiresome chatter stops and I can enjoy GUILT FREE EATING!
I never in my life thought I’d be able to utter those words. I am no longer trying to figure out how much to eat, fight sugar blues, burn off extra calories from binging, get over feeling depressed and guilty about eating too much, or worrying if I’ll be able to fit into the same pair of jeans I wore last month. Instead, I’m living life in between my meals. I have a food plan that tells me how much and when to eat, and my scale solves my “broken eyes syndrome.” My mind is clear of all that toxic food talk /crap and I can confidently say that my food scale has brought more joy into my life then I could have ever possibly imagined.
So whether you can relate to my portion control issues, the mind chatter or you simply want to have a better idea of how much food you are actually eating, a scale can benefit you. Why not try it out for 30 days and see how you feel. It can’t hurt! I have a huge collection of scales and listed below are links to some of my favorites. The smaller ones are great for traveling with. I even bring mine to restaurants. If anyone asks questions, I simply say “This is just what I do to take care of myself.” Give it a try and see what you think! Happy measuring!
Hugs and Health,
Got questions? You can email Mackenzie at mackenzie@jenniefagen.com, and set up a FREE More Energy, Less Stress Breakthrough Session. It only takes about 30 minutes over the phone and is a chance for you to ask questions, discuss your own health history, and the best way to reach your personal goals based on your body type, lifestyle, and preferences! You can learn more about Mackenzie here.
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Some scales we love in various price ranges:
Awesome pull-out display makes it easy to measure with big plates
OXO Grips Pull-Out Display
Another OXO with pull-out display, but mini. Great for traveling and dining out with
OXO Grips Pull-Out Display Mini Scale
Perfect for your kitchen counter
Awesome pull-out display makes it easy to measure with big plates
OXO Grips Pull-Out Display
Another OXO with pull-out display, but mini. Great for traveling and dining out with
OXO Grips Pull-Out Display Mini Scale
Perfect for your kitchen counter
EatSmart-Precision-Retro-Mechanical-Kitchen
I love these fun colors