Battle of the Bulge: Food Scale

I initially purchased a food scale for accurate recipes (that's my story, and I'm sticking with it),  but upon its arrival I began to pathologically weigh nearly everything I pop into my mouth. 

It has been a mixed blessing. Did you know that 100 calories of grapes isn't that much? But on the other hand, a proper portion size of whole-wheat farfalle is actually quite a lot. 

I have been playing with my new toy to the eye-rolling exasperation of my parents, yet I have become addicted to accountability. If I weigh out nuts—walnuts can be so tricky when they're crushed at the bottom of the bag—then I don't mindlessly munch on them. I can actually figure out how many calories my breakfast is, as opposed to my fantasy-fueled under-calculations.

And, yeah, it is convenient for recipes, especially when some food items can't really be measured by the cup (try to figure out 1/2 cup of dates). The Europeans do things by the more accurate weighing method, and they are certainly on to something.