One of the best purchases I have made recently is a food scale. My family is sometimes having to wait for me to start eating dinner, but it is time well spent. Granted, it is not always possible (e.g., eating at a restaurant or as a guest at another’s home), but when possible it is a great tool for managing one’s macros—and, of course, calories.
It isn’t always about eating less. I have found that more often than not I have room to add food to my plate. This is especially the case with vegetables.
In my current experiment with the RP Diet App (I will be writing up a concluding review after I finish my first ten-week cut on October 11th), I had a week in which my carbs were cut significantly—to 5 g per meal. I thought this impossible until I started measuring my options. It turns out that a salad consisting of one can of tuna, 3 cups of arugula, 1.4 oz of julienne carrots, 0.5 tbsp (spicy) olive oil, and balsamic vinegar is a huge and satisfying meal with 35 g of protein, 15 g of fat, and only 5 g of carbs. When the carbs are allowed back in (as they have been for the current week), I simply add in more carbs accordingly. Indeed, I have found that, when I am permitted more carbs, I actually find that I under-estimate what I can eat. Measuring keeps me spot on.
Weighing food helps us make better choices. When you compare the amounts of food on your plate, you quickly see what will be most satisfying.
Hungry for a burger? Compare the calories between 85/15 ground beef and 95/5 ground beef—or between beef and turkey or bison. See what making that burger a cheeseburger does to the size of the patty permitted, and will likely change your mind. Instead of cheese, load the burger with tasty veggies. Bun? Most hamburger buns are over 200 kcal. A good whole wheat bun might be only 180 kcal, but it still has roughly 32 g of total carbs. Instead, find a find a keto-friendly, low-carb brand. Alternatively, an English muffin is 28 g of total carbs and 150 kcal. My personal preference (after starting to measure) is Sandwich Thins at 22 g of carbs and a mere 100 kcal. At a restaurant or when there are no other options, scoop out the inside of the bun (if, like me, you are not inclined to want to eat a lettuce-wrapped burger or go bun-less). Don’t be afraid to ask for substitutions. Condiments? First, do you really need them? A good burger should taste better without ketchup and mustard. Watch for added sugars and fats. Overall, it will be quickly noted that chicken or fish will usually be the better meat option.
Fat is calorically dense. It is easy to over-estimate. A perfectly balanced salad can be thrown off by the choice of dressings—moreover the quantity of dressing. Creams in coffee. Butter on rolls. Oil in a frying pan. Etc. These can all quite easily throw off the caloric and macro balances.
A second wise purchase was a new omelet pan. The old one had lost is “non-stick” capability and was require more oil—particularly for cooking egg whites. The new pan requires no oil other than that which is needed to balance the macros for the meal. (Cleanup is also much easier.)
When a scale isn’t available, the hand guide (e.g., palm of protein, fist of vegetables, cupped hand of dense carbs, thumb of fat) is better than simply guessing. Consider, however, that every hand is different, and this may not be precise enough when precision is warranted (e.g., when cutting fat).
Weighing meals will be critical during the maintenance phase, as well. At least for as long as it takes to establish the portions of the habitual foods/meals.
Overall, weighing portions is a better option than trying to count calories—particularly when macro balance is a goal. There is never any harm in greater precision.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!