the parable of the banana
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sheldonklein
Posts: 854 Member
I just used a banana in a smoothie. It was almost black--that's how I like them in a smoothie--and shrunken and weighed much less than it did a week ago when it was bright yellow. But, of course, it's just water loss and the banana has the exact same calories as a week ago. I could weigh it and grossly underestimate the calories or I could use the standard value for a banana, recognizing that it will be reasonably accurate on average across a bunch. And the same is happening with the big bag of grapefruits sitting on my counter because it is too big for the fridge, and the bag of carrots in the crisper drawer, and pretty much every other fruit and vegetable. So putting aside that it is a burden to weigh every banana, why do the scale purists think that it is more accurate than a standard value?
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Is this a real question?
People who take numbers serious want a true answer, or number, or whatever they are looking for.... not a guesstimate.0 -
Of course it's a real question. A banana that weighs 100 grams and one that weighs 80 grams can have the same calories, depending on the ripeness, so weighing is a guesstimate and a less accurate guesstimate than a standard value.0
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ok0
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sheldonklein wrote: »Of course it's a real question. A banana that weighs 100 grams and one that weighs 80 grams can have the same calories, depending on the ripeness, so weighing is a guesstimate and a less accurate guesstimate than a standard value.
Everything about this is always a guesstimate....anyone who believes otherwise is naïve.
Do you have scientific proof of this ripeness issue you bring up? I'd like to read about it. However, if it does exist, it must be negligible because a lot of people can continue to use standard values for fruits and veggies when weighing them and achieve goal weight.
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Wouldn't the majority of the water weight being lost come from the peel? The amount you eat should still weigh the same, no?
ETA: This is a horrible misappropriation of the word "parable."0 -
It's not a less accurate measure than a standard value in general. It's still an estimate, obviously. But assuming that the banana is a standard ripeness (or a bit green, which will actually make it lower calorie), then weighing is going to be better than assuming it's a standard-sized banana or even "a medium banana"--which seems to mean different things to different people. Of course, if you know it's overripe, take that into account.
If weighing is a pain for you (it's not for me most of the time), then get familiar with what various weights are by sight. I logged a banana I hadn't weighed yesterday, it looked about 100 grams (it also looked "small," which would have given me a lower amount), so I logged 110 grams. I regularly weigh eggs, so I'm really confident in my ability to estimate their weights and if I'm making fried eggs I don't weigh them. That doesn't contradict the fact that eggs in the same batch (at least for me, I get them from a farm) can be quite different sizes.
None of this is actually necessary, of course. I think it's easier to weigh than estimate because I'm the kind of person who second-guesses estimates. I also think people without much experience routinely under-estimate both fruit and meat in particular. But in that it doesn't matter if you just reduce your calories if not losing, if weighing is a pain for you, don't.0 -
Lol, if were to analyze each an every factor for movement, eating, how are day goes, etc., people could justify every reason why weight loss/muscle gain/maintenance wouldn't happen correctly.
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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The difference between 100 grams and 80 grams of banana is only about 20 calories. That is not "grossly underestimating your calories."
What is your standard value based on? Length? That's not very accurate because it discounts diameter and most of the length entries are "between X and Y inches." If it is volume you will run into the same issue as grams. I had a pear this morning. I weighed it. It came to about 220 grams after I cored it. According to some entries a "medium pear" is 147 calories, and others have the same calories for a large pear. What does medium mean? What does large mean? If I switch the units for those entries and use the grams, I get about the same answer regardless of the "size" of the pear. I generally go with the USDA grams.
However your standard is probably based on weight because of how a calorie is calculated.
The fact is, you are right when you say it is still an estimate, but all calorie calculation will be an estimate. Weight is just the most accurate estimate of them all, kind of like how water suspension is the most accurate way to determine body fat short of killing you and stripping you of your body fat to weigh separately.
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tincanonastring wrote: »ETA: This is a horrible misappropriation of the word "parable."
I completely agree. I got into this thread hoping for some cute story with a lesson at the end...
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sheldonklein wrote: »Of course it's a real question. A banana that weighs 100 grams and one that weighs 80 grams can have the same calories, depending on the ripeness, so weighing is a guesstimate and a less accurate guesstimate than a standard value.
People like you, who try to over analyze things, are why people hate to diet and track foods... you're making easy *kitten*, idiotically difficult.0 -
What's going on in here
*backs out slowly*0 -
I just weighed one of my bananas. I will weigh it again when black and see what the difference is. See, science :-D0
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tincanonastring wrote: »ETA: This is a horrible misappropriation of the word "parable."
Agreed. A travesty.
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martyqueen52 wrote: »Is this a real question?
People who take numbers serious want a true answer, or number, or whatever they are looking for.... not a guesstimate.
Its a science! :-)
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blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »I just weighed one of my bananas. I will weigh it again when black and see what the difference is. See, science :-D
What's your control?0 -
tincanonastring wrote: »Wouldn't the majority of the water weight being lost come from the peel? The amount you eat should still weigh the same, no?
ETA: This is a horrible misappropriation of the word "parable."
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tincanonastring wrote: »blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »I just weighed one of my bananas. I will weigh it again when black and see what the difference is. See, science :-D
What's your control?
My husband got overly excited about seeing me parading around with a banana and he went and ate the other banana so, basically, we have no control. Literally.0 -
blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »tincanonastring wrote: »blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »I just weighed one of my bananas. I will weigh it again when black and see what the difference is. See, science :-D
What's your control?
parading around with a banana...
This made me giggle. I'm not sure why, but thanks.0 -
Without a picture, I can't take you seriously.0
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So I googled "parading around with a banana" (don't do it) and this was one of the more tame images.blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »tincanonastring wrote: »blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »I just weighed one of my bananas. I will weigh it again when black and see what the difference is. See, science :-D
What's your control?
My husband got overly excited about seeing me parading around with a banana and he went and ate the other banana so, basically, we have no control. Literally.
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I just love everything about this thread. so hilarious. I needed that--was bored silly.0
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So I googled "parading around with a banana" (don't do it) and this was one of the more tame images.blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »tincanonastring wrote: »blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »I just weighed one of my bananas. I will weigh it again when black and see what the difference is. See, science :-D
What's your control?
My husband got overly excited about seeing me parading around with a banana and he went and ate the other banana so, basically, we have no control. Literally.
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