How to record food you didn't prepare?

elphie754
elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss
So I typically weigh all food I prepare and eat. The only exception is things that are individually wrapped, such as Greek yogurt. I never eat out (due to allergies) so I'm used to being a me to weigh and log food. However, this week (since it is my birthday) I have a family member who made for for me, and will be making food again Friday. Friday I'm not too worried about since they will be cooking here and I can weigh the food. However, how would you recommend logging the dish (with multiple servings) that they made yesterday and will have for a few meals this week? I tried asking them how much of each ingredient they used to put it in the recipe builder, but they don't measure anything lol. They just add various amounts of ingredients to taste. I know this seems a bit obsessive but I try to log as accurately as possible (even if I over eat) so I can compare scale fluctuations with my food and nutrient intake so I can tweak accordingly if need be.

Replies

  • Falcon
    Falcon Posts: 853 Member
    edited January 2015
    just weigh the food and search the database for each dish. Or you could just say today is my birthday and don't worry about it. One day of bad eating doesn't wreck a week of clean eating. Don't worry about it. Go for a walk and enjoy the day :)
  • emilyc525
    emilyc525 Posts: 23 Member
    This is hard though - I agree! I usually just make estimates. I don't have scales at home either, so I am often guessing. It's super hard at a restaurant when you can't tell what all the ingredients are or just quite how much butter they are using!
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    Falcon wrote: »
    just weigh the food and search the database for each dish. Or you could just say today is my birthday and don't worry about it. One day of bad eating doesn't wreck a week of clean eating. Don't worry about it. Go for a walk and enjoy the day :)

    If it was just the one day, I would, but the meal made will be lasting a few days. I have no idea the percentage of each food added to the dish, and since there are 5+ ingredients it is a bit hard to straightly weigh it.

    And no offense but I don't follow the "clean eating" hype. Other than my allergies, I don't eliminate any food from my diet (diet meaning how I eat, not just a plan for weightloss).
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    guestimate

    or find a pre-made high quality store bought version and use their calories as a guideline - over here I'd choose Marks & Spencers or Waitrose ready-meals
  • ravlomama123
    ravlomama123 Posts: 49 Member
    I realized after logging my food for a while, I had an idea of how meny calories a type of food should have. Basing on my knowledge, I would just guess. I'm sure you couldn't be off by that much. And even if you are, it's your birthday!
    Happy birthday by the way! ;)
  • Falcon
    Falcon Posts: 853 Member
    edited January 2015
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Falcon wrote: »
    just weigh the food and search the database for each dish. Or you could just say today is my birthday and don't worry about it. One day of bad eating doesn't wreck a week of clean eating. Don't worry about it. Go for a walk and enjoy the day :)

    If it was just the one day, I would, but the meal made will be lasting a few days. I have no idea the percentage of each food added to the dish, and since there are 5+ ingredients it is a bit hard to straightly weigh it.

    And no offense but I don't follow the "clean eating" hype. Other than my allergies, I don't eliminate any food from my diet (diet meaning how I eat, not just a plan for weightloss).

    Then eat everything in moderation. That way you won't feel too bad. I find a couple of high calorie days tends to give my system a boost for dropping weight. I stopped allowing those kinds of days get me down, I just shrug it off and start fresh after everything is said and done.

    Happy Birthday

    Mines in two and a half weeks from now and I don't plan to allow that to bother me.



  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    guestimate

    or find a pre-made high quality store bought version and use their calories as a guideline - over here I'd choose Marks & Spencers or Waitrose ready-meals

    I am trying to guesstimate with the recipe builder. I think it is pretty close. I added 150 quick add calories to each meal though just in case.
    ravlomama123 wrote: »
    I realized after logging my food for a while, I had an idea of how meny calories a type of food should have. Basing on my knowledge, I would just guess. I'm sure you couldn't be off by that much. And even if you are, it's your birthday!
    Happy birthday by the way! ;)

    I'm a tuallyctually terrible at that lol. I am always either waaaaay over or way under. I think I came fairly close though.

    And thank you.
    Falcon wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Falcon wrote: »
    just weigh the food and search the database for each dish. Or you could just say today is my birthday and don't worry about it. One day of bad eating doesn't wreck a week of clean eating. Don't worry about it. Go for a walk and enjoy the day :)

    If it was just the one day, I would, but the meal made will be lasting a few days. I have no idea the percentage of each food added to the dish, and since there are 5+ ingredients it is a bit hard to straightly weigh it.

    And no offense but I don't follow the "clean eating" hype. Other than my allergies, I don't eliminate any food from my diet (diet meaning how I eat, not just a plan for weightloss).

    Then eat everything in moderation. That way you won't feel too bad. I find a couple of high calorie days tends to give my system a boost for dropping weight. I stopped allowing those kinds of days get me down, I just shrug it off and start fresh after everything is said and done.

    Happy Birthday

    Mines in two and a half weeks from now and I don't plan to allow that to bother me.



    Unfortunately higher calories days for me don't give me a boost to lose weight :(. For me, it undoes the deficit and and then I don't lose anything that week, or even gain. Then I wind up discouraged and it becomes a bad spiral of over eating for sometimes a week or two.

    And thank you :).
  • Falcon
    Falcon Posts: 853 Member
    How many calories do you eat to do that kind of damage? It takes 3500 cals to gain a pound, 3500 pounds to lose a pound....
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    Falcon wrote: »
    How many calories do you eat to do that kind of damage? It takes 3500 cals to gain a pound, 3500 pounds to lose a pound....

    If I dont weigh my food and just let myself splurge, I can easily eat 3000+ cals in a day.
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