How do I count?

arsherma

Hey Friends!
I was wondering if anyone could help me out. So my mother invited me over for some dinner. Her meat is going to be baked chicken in cream of mushroom sauce. I know to weigh the chicken but how do I add the calories for the cream of chicken. In fact, I made a chicken- vegetable dinner last night but I was wondering how to add that up if the chicken and vegetables are together. I didn't realize I should have weighed it before I actually put it on my plate. But when cooking for multiple people I didn't think to make mine separate. So I guesstimated...but what if I was off and didn't know it? I guess it's a game of trial and error.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

If your guess is a little off, it won't make a big difference in the long run. Just keep logging 95% of the time and you'll still make progress.

arsherma

Thanks @AllOutof_Bubblegum‌. Love your profile! lol

jacksonpt

AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »

If your guess is a little off, it won't make a big difference in the long run. Just keep logging 95% of the time and you'll still make progress.

Agreed.

arsherma wrote: »

So I guesstimated...but what if I was off and didn't know it? I guess it's a game of trial and error.

Yes, there is some trial and error involved. There are also some guestimates, especially when you aren't cooking the food. Estimate as best you can and move on. If you're eating "out" regularly then it could become a problem, but if you're logging consistently, then you'll notice the trends over time and be able to adjust accordingly.

jcim1ru

One thing to note on meats and other items, most often the weight of the meat is before cooking. Meaning a 6 oz piece of meat weighs 6 oz before it's cooked.

The other thing to think on is ingredients - meaning if you're making tacos think about the shell, the meat, the cheese, lettuce, etc as individual items you put on your plate. I play around with the MFP in a browser using the breakfast meal (which I don't eat) I add all measurements of the ingredients up in that section, note all the macronutrient information and then create a food called Homemade Tacos - then I know how much the 2 tacos I eat account for and when I make them the next time I can add it quickly and easily.

CyberTone

Search for "soup - cream of mushroom."
Estimate you ate 1 or 2 ounces.
Log it as a separate item.

lixnig

If this only happens occasionally, just use your best guess. I always try to guess OVER what I believe it actually is just in case when I am eating in a situation where there is some guessing involved.

Other than that...just remember you're in this for the long haul. Making an inaccurate guess every now and then isn't going to seriously harm your progress in the long-term unless you make it an every meal kind of thing. Just keep logging what you're sure of as often as possible, and you'll reach your goals eventually...maybe not as quickly as you'd hoped, but definitely more quickly than if you weren't paying attention at all.