6 teaspoons to every ounce - wow

[Carmy 0]

did you know...... there are 6 teaspoons to every 1 ounce???

I know why am i thinking of this now. Well I was at Target this morning and found a rubber teaspoon that is used for portion size. You scoop whatever into it and you turn it upside down and push on the back side rubber and push it out (makes 1/2 ball shape). So anyway I got one and thought this would be a great way to measure my food. i.e. applesauce, ricotta, cottage cheese, refried Beans, even eggbeaters before i cook them. So as soon as i got home i had to calculate teaspoons to ounces. Holy Crap!!!! 6 TEASPOONS TO 1 OUNCE!!! Do you know how much food that is??? 12 TEASPOONS A MEAL. Really I am suppose to eat 12 TEASPOONS OF FOOD per meal??? According to my Doctor I should be eating 2-3 ounces 3-4 times a day. NO WAY!!!

I am 11 days post op and I have gotten sick twice now. I don't stuff myself by no means but when i feel like i am still hunger there has been that last bite that gets stuck in my throat and wants out in a bad way. Is this how i should be feeling? Has anyone else experienced this???

[Ali W 2]

That is a cool tool, might have to check that out!

I am about 11 days out as well. I usually can not eat what I am supposed to. Like I was supposed to eat 1/2 a cup of refried beans!!! Yeah, right. I ate about a 1/4 of a cup and waited and then drank the rest protien drink from lunch which was about 4 oz. I wasn't able to down a hard boiled egg, but a scrambled was much better. 1/2 a cup of yogurt or pudding with a scoop of protien drink mix in it makes a lot...I can only do 1/2 of it right now too. I guess it will get easier...but I stop when I am full.

[NJMOMof2 17]

I was told that you should START with a 1/4 cup then advance to a 1/2 cup. Remember your stomach is still inflamed. eggs didn't sit well with me either. Now I am 20 days out and tolerating them fine.

Don't focus on the quantity of food, focus on re-learning how to eat and paying attention to your new body signals.

[LESLIEH 68]

Ya the Dr had me at 3-4 oz a day too but that was impossible. I'm lucky if I eat 3 times a day and 3 oz. Thanks for the idea on the spoon, must go and get me one. I pretty much eyeball my food or use one of my kids lil baby bowls, lol. The only time I got sick was in the hospital but now I eat slowly and I start to fill full and wont even dare have that last bite, I'm a chicken don't want that yucky feeling. I have noticed that if I try and cheat with like a chip smoothered in guacamole or maybe a bite of an enchilada omg the tortilla kills me even though its mushy, nope no can do. As with NJ I still can't have eggs they get stuck.

[MINI-Me 196]

Pulled this from Answers.com:

1 Fluid ounce = 6 teaspoons of Fluid. Note that this is for liquid ounces, not dry ounces. A liquid ounce is a measure of volume, and a dry ounce is a measure of weight. A teaspoon is a measure of volume. You cannot go from teaspoons to dry ounces without knowing the density of the thing you are measuring. Dry ounces are a measure of weight. Teaspoons are a measure of volume. A teaspoon of lead weighs a lot more than a teaspoon of Water. Most liquids that we are going to measure using a teaspoon are going to be close enough to the ratio shown above to be OK, but don't confuse the two.

As for volume after surgery ... just do your best. BUT ALWAYS stop when you are full. Don't get in the habit of overeating or eating just because it is on your plate.

Good luck ... it gets easier as each day/week passes.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

good point mini!

[Susanne 32]

I was just about to say what Mini said. I HIGHLY discourage using those spoons or cup measures - HIGHLY!!!! Did I say HIGHLY?

Have you ever read something to the regard of "product settling may occur"? Did you ever wonder why your Cereal box is half empty when you buy it? Well, believe it or not, the Cereal box was much fuller when it left the plant. They would NOT waste that much packaging material if they didn't have to.

Measuring material other than liquids by volume is WRONG, that's why ONLY the physical default unit for liquids is in volume and all other materials are measured by weight.

Here are a few examples:

• Measure a cup of cereal with a cup measure. Pour it in a plastic bag, and drop it on the floor. Now pick it up and pour it back into the cup. You will see it has lost a lot of volume. Now imagine how many times the cereal box got bumped, hit, dropped and bounced between the plant and your place - measuring it by volume would give you a lot less cereal at the plant and a lot more after your 3 year old kicked the box through the kitchen.
• Measure a cup of strawberries with a cup measure. Now cut them in half and measure them again. Is this still a cup of strawberries? Cut them in half again...you get the point. Consider the difference in size between berries, the big juicy summer berries probably make 3 to a cup, the smaller early berries probably make 10 to a cup.
• Try it with anything. Put a container on your scale and tare it so it shows 0 (or do math in your head...yikes). First try your Protein powder. It usually says 1 scoop (35 grams) or so. Take a scoop and put it in the container - does it come out to the weight it is supposed to? Probably not. I recently tried it with Benefiber. 2 teaspoons are supposed to be 3.5g. Well, 2 of my little metal teaspoon measuring tools is pretty much TWICE the weight and came out to 6g. Another good example used to be the PB2 Peanut Butter powder, which also came out with twice the weight it was supposed to. So, when I used two tablespoons thinking that is one serving, I actually had 2 servings.

Keep a scale handy, and measure your stuff, you'll be surprised...and not in a good way. If you find the scale cumbersome, at least doublecheck your frequently used items - you may be surprised how often you had 2 servings when you meant to take one...and those calories certainly add up.

Other than that - you'll eat those amounts in no time, no worries.

[thinoneday 445]

did you know...... there are 6 teaspoons to every 1 ounce???

I know why am i thinking of this now. Well I was at Target this morning and found a rubber teaspoon that is used for portion size. You scoop whatever into it and you turn it upside down and push on the back side rubber and push it out (makes 1/2 ball shape). So anyway I got one and thought this would be a great way to measure my food. i.e. applesauce, ricotta, cottage cheese, refried Beans, even eggbeaters before i cook them. So as soon as i got home i had to calculate teaspoons to ounces. Holy Crap!!!! 6 TEASPOONS TO 1 OUNCE!!! Do you know how much food that is??? 12 TEASPOONS A MEAL. Really I am suppose to eat 12 TEASPOONS OF FOOD per meal??? According to my Doctor I should be eating 2-3 ounces 3-4 times a day. NO WAY!!!

I am 11 days post op and I have gotten sick twice now. I don't stuff myself by no means but when i feel like i am still hunger there has been that last bite that gets stuck in my throat and wants out in a bad way. Is this how i should be feeling? Has anyone else experienced this???

Im sorry but that is really funny to me. . . i can just see you with this melonballer measuring out your food. . . but I guess we all did things like this in the beginning. . .Good luck your on your way to a thinner you!

[MINI-Me 196]

I will say that surgeons and nuts are very different on how they tell you to measure your food.

Some will say that your stomach is based on volume & tell you to eyeball what would fit in a 1/4c, 1/2c or 1c. Others are just the opposite and go on weight & using a digital scale.

I was so honestly confused that I did a little of both. I measured out 3 ounces of meat & then once cut, I would see what would fit in a 1/2 cup.

After a time, I can sorta tell by looking at food how much I will be able to eat. (Unless you get me on movie theatre popcorn I can eat HEAPS of that stuff! I know one day it's going to get even with me, but so far - knock on wood - it hasn't had a negative impact).

My best advice? Pick one measuring method and stick with that. If you can eat 4 teaspoons right now, learn to tell how much that is on your plate & serve it up. When you feel like the swelling has gone down & you can eat more, add another teaspoon.

Please don't get too worried about this. We all did at the beginning, but it really does become easier. PROMISE!

[wishes 125]

This was just what I was looking for in regards to measuring food. I just didn't get it. Thank you for breaking down food measuring for me!

[snowfie9 6]

I did not want to deal with spoons trying to calculate 1/4 cup. So I found these 2.5 oz stainless steel condiment cups at Walmart. $1 for 4 and they'll be my main "dishes" for a while. I also got a couple nicer looking 3oz clear plastic condiment cups for $.88 each to take to work. Something to amke it look more like an actual bowl (but really really tiny).

But it might be easier than the spoons.

[samantha209 19]

this is hilarious because my doc told me I should be able to eat 4oz of food...which for the most part I can.

i am also on mushies which i am sure factors into it, but I can finish 4 oz with no problem....and was wondering if I should be eating 4 ozs weight wise or volume wise and whether they were one in the same.

One day last week I weighed a piece of salmon my mom cooked...because it was solid, and then I pureed it and put it in the 4 oz container and it fit..

All I know is I am eating WAYYYYYYY less that I have ever eaten and I hope this works

[Susanne 32]

One day last week I weighed a piece of salmon my mom cooked...because it was solid, and then I pureed it and put it in the 4 oz container and it fit..

IMHO, this is exactly what you should NOT do. The 4 oz container is holding 4 Fluid ounces - a unit of volume. The salmon is 4 solid ounces - a unit of weight. It's not the same.

Use a scale. If you are really interested in accurate measures of food, t really isn't that hard to use a scale.

[wishes 125]

Susanne, what kind of scale do you use?

[samantha209 19]

IMHO, this is exactly what you should NOT do. The 4 oz container is holding 4 Fluid ounces - a unit of volume. The salmon is 4 solid ounces - a unit of weight. It's not the same.

Use a scale. If you are really interested in accurate measures of food, t really isn't that hard to use a scale.< /p>

I know how to use a scale. I just wanted to verify that it isnt over 4 ozs either way

in my understanding your stomach is 4 ozs in volume no??? The only reason I weighed it is because I didnt want to puree more than necessary.