What is your preferred way to measure your food?

Hi everyone,

If you measure out your food, what is your preferred way to do so, by weight or by volume (cup)?  My manual from my surgeon kind of tells both.  It says at this point not to eat more than a cup of food at once, but then a lot of the specific measurements are done with weight, like for meat. 

I tend to weigh my food more than use a cup to measure it out (unless it's something like chili), because depending on what it is, it seems like the weight would be more accurate.  I usually measure out 4 oz of whatever meat I'm having, then add whatever else.  Then when I eat, I go with the protein first, and eat a little of the other stuff until I'm full. 

I use a combo! If the products serving size is in grams or ounces, I weigh, if it's in cups I measure volume.

That being said, early out the volume was the important thing according to my program - so if I weighed out 4 ounces of something and it looked to be too much volume, I would stick it in a measuring cup and adjust as needed!

When the rubber meets the road, volume is what matters.  We often learn over time that 4 oz (weight) of meat or whatever will "fit" but it's just a proxy for the measurement that actually counts.

I tend to use a measuring cup because we were told that the volume was what mattered.

For things like meat and cheese, I go by weight. I will take 3 oz of meat and adjust as needed while I eat. For other things, I go by volume -- 1/4 cup of potato, 1/5 cup of Kashi cereal, 1/3 cup milk, etc. I tend to eat at least part of my veggies first (I know, I know...) because I know from experience that I won't eat them if I get too full on meat, and although I need the protein I also need veggies. i've had much less problem with constipation since I started doing that.

As long as I'm getting in my protein and water, I don't worry too much about whether I'm meeting certain measurements. I generally can tell when to stop eating, and if I haven't finished my meal I may save some of it for later, or just pass on finishing it altogether. I used to feel terrible about wasting food -- gave that up early on in this process! :)

It depends on why you are measuring.

If you are measuring to make sure you don't stuff too much in there at once, measuring cups are much more useful.

If you are measuring yo track calories, protein, etc, then weighing food is the only way to go. Measuring cups will give terrible calorie readings.

Thanks everyone.  It sounds like what most of you are doing is pretty much what I'm doing.  It helps to have some reassurance.