Logging accuracy, consistency, and you're probably eating more than you think.

spartridge89

Kudos to you!!! I'm interested in meal ideas as well, I have started to make some recipes provided by MFP. I've found some on Pinterest also by searching MFP on there.

tekkiechikk

As to eating out... when in doubt, I estimate higher than I think the portions/size/calories actually are. Better to eat closer to a deficit than to find I'm 200% over my calories for the day. OR... only eat half and take the other half home then try to weigh the ingredients. A real PITA but I've done that with some things.

mgaje

Awesome info here will have to check the sites out

jencultie

Loved this post.. Most of the time I just log for the whole day in the morning.. And don't eat any other food except for what I packed..

saf913

ssbmacdaddy wrote: »

I have been weighing especially when at home. MU am frustrated as I am stuck ina plataue for the last 7 months. Even adjusted calorues up and down. I have been doing a lot more excercise especially calisthenics like pullups pushups and squats as well as aerobics. I think I have lost fat and gained muscle yet the scale does not budge which is frustrating since I had lost 40 lb pretty well over the first 6 months. Any advice would be appreciated

The scale isn't the only way to measure success. Are your clothes fitting differently? Do you see more muscle definition? Can you run faster? Longer distance? Lift more? Were you able to stop taking meds because your health has improved? Don't get frustrated and give up. Notice ALL your successes - even if it's not translating into lbs. lost yet. All the muscle you're building at the gym is raising your base metabolic rate, meaning you're burning more calories even when at rest. The weight loss will follow. Also, vary your foods and workouts - sometimes too much routine can lead to plateaus as well. Best of luck. XOXO

wasilko

I find its common to plateau at a certain weight. I just started dieting again but always found sometimes changing the way my macros are set up can help the weight loss start up again. Muscle always weighs more than fat so don't stress but if you have more fat to lose try switching your macro % (protein,carbs,fats) around.

kalipatel102

CallMeCupcakeDammit wrote: »

In for another awesome post.

joepage612

I dont care if the middle sections of bread are larger than the ends, im logging them all as 1 slice. But that having been said, i dont log cardio if i have to take 1 flight of stairs randomly aome day.

TheSurge0n

I find very difficult for accurate calculation as i am in China, food that I prepare myself would be logged correctly but food I eat out side is very difficult to calculate.
For example
If I have mushroom dumping in the morning avg wt 160g when I search database I get very different calories count, very confusing to coose.

ssjijingi

Why you are not losing
When I started using MyFitnessPal I lost 7kg in few weeks and then the scale needle stopped despite all my 'honest efforts at portion control and increased exercise frequency and intensity'!
This might be muscle gain from the intensive Adonis weight lifting protocol I reasoned. My pictures showed however a distressing hanging belly.
As a Scientist I decided to measure energy dissipated from all exercises using a polar sports watch. I bought also a food scale and measured every morsel of food I took and carefully entered the calories consumed. After few weeks voila the needle started dropping again after a stalemate of 4 months! 2.5kg lost in 3 weeks. I hope to reach my target weight of 78 kg within 5 weeks.
I want to share with you the lessons I learnt.
1. We tend to under value calorific value of food taken in and over value that of exercise done.
2. The cursory portion sizes recommended by fitness experts using the sizes of our fists or cup sizes are very misleading. I discovered from the food scale that what I was eating was twice my estimation. Same with calories burnt exercising. So my honest efforts were not so honest after all!! So get a sports watch and buy a food scale. When you are used to the correct portion sizes your estimation will then be correct and you might not need the scale subsequently.
3. The basic energy balance formula for weight loss is almost accurate. There is no need factoring in things like eating more frequently or exercising at certain times of the day.
4. To keep within the total energy input for the day it is advisable to eat food in their natural state. Pounding, mashing, mincing or frying of food can increase the calorific density drastically.
5. Eat lots of vegetables. You can use a spoon full of cheese to improve taste.
6. Drinking lots of water will prevent those hungry pangs and help you stay in within the food allowance of the day.
7. As for exercising the best practical form is being active during the day. At work you can make it a routine to get up and walk 3 minutes or more even in the office at the strike of every hour. I answer all calls walking around the office. The Argus system can accurately predict your energy dissipation. I use 10,000 steps minimum to ensure I burn at least 300 calories per day even when I don't have time to go to the gym.
I thank you for allowing me to share this experience with you and wish you success in your efforts to stay trim, healthy and happy.
Meanwhile stay good!
ssjijingi

lanoreco

This is a super helpful post and also amazing that this is the first post I came across this morning. My weight loss has stalled and I was just thinking about re-examining my intake since my exercise has been consistent. It's good to see what I was thinking has been confirmed

KingofWisdom

I don't track calories mainly because I find it inconvenient, especially when I'm not the one who handles the cooking. However, I understand the importance of calorie counting, and I'm also considering the purchase of a digital food scale. Anywho, I have a question. Let's say I were to eat a small bag of potato chips. Would it be necessary to weigh out the potato chips to accurately calculate calories, or would using the measurement on the bag (assuming I eat all of it) be accurate enough? This is, of course, hypothetical.

MelodyandBarbells

KingofWisdom wrote: »

I don't track calories mainly because I find it inconvenient, especially when I'm not the one who handles the cooking. However, I understand the importance of calorie counting, and I'm also considering the purchase of a digital food scale. Anywho, I have a question. Let's say I were to eat a small bag of potato chips. Would it be necessary to weigh out the potato chips to accurately calculate calories, or would using the measurement on the bag (assuming I eat all of it) be accurate enough? This is, of course, hypothetical.

Personally, I don't. But if you wanted to be super accurate, you could. You could also weigh it just once to see exactly how the package contents differ from the weight on the bag. If it's a huge discrepancy, depending on how often you eat this item, you may wish to consider weighing it on a more frequent basis

booksandchocolate12

I'm with Jane. If I'm eating a single-serving bag, I put my faith in the weight stated on the bag.

Of course, if I'm taking a portion from a large bag, I weigh it. When a serving size is, say, "1 oz/about 12 chips", it's easier to measure out an ounce than to fish through the bag, searching for 12 whole chips of roughly the same size.

As for the topic of this thread, importance of logging accuracy: I agree--I know that when the scale isn't budging, or is going in the wrong direction, it's because I have been less than diligent (and yes, sometimes even dishonest) in my tracking. It's so easy for me to fall into a trap of just grabbing food mindlessly (opening the fridge for milk, and grabbing a few olives while I'm in there, for example) and not logging it in. It's probably my biggest obstacle.

mtiffany8523

I have noticed it's difficult to be accurate because I don't always measure my food. Sometimes i'm not sure how large a serving size is but I go out of my way trying to be exact so using the app will benefit me more. I appreciate the article and have been learning a lot about myself through the this site.

Melbo89

Thanks for the post! I recently bought a scale that I use for both food and shipping. I haven't had a problem losing weight but I was shocked to see how much I was under eating. When I'm on a 1200 Cal diet, those missing oz's mean a lot more. Now I have less stress and more confidence in my logging.

lburgett478

I use my app as an overall guide, I try to have a realistic goal and stay under my daily allotted calories leaving a decent margin for error. Regardless of whether I log every single calorie or not, my body knows what happened that day, to be dishonest in logging is self-defeating in nature. I have been extremely happy with my journey so far and have exceeded my goal that I set for myself on a regular basis. This is the first time that I have experienced this kind of successful weight loss.

onelonelysocknoble

Part of the reason I'm back is because in the process of beating bulimia, I put on three stone.

I always describe the progress of the eating disorder as beginning at the point I got obsessed with weighing and measuring every calorie.... newbies with a lot to lose ought to remember this is a post about those who know how to healthily lose weight, but can't shift the final lbs.
Food scales can get just as controlling as the ones that weigh you.

Also inaccuracies DO happen on the food list, I was just chuckling at a butternut soup I added where one bowl had 60g of protein. I wish!