How the heck to you log a bite?

aevonvett

I want to be a good little logger and mark down everything that goes into my mouth. But how in the heck to you log something that seems too small to be logged? For example, samples at grocery stores, licking the peanut butter off the spoon, a bite of my boyfriend's pizza/sandwich. Ok, hivemind, give me the best you got.

Michael190lbs

saturday I had 2 jelly beans logged them Sunday I took a bite of a friends chicken finger and logged it as 1 ounce

fabulousmomma

If it's just a bite of something a couple times a day, then don't bother logging it. You'll lose those couple of calories by walking!
However if your taking bites of different foods excessively in a day, then your going to have to log in as something as a whole. Better to over estimate than underestimate.

Laurend224

Don't lick the peanut butter off the spoon! Ack! Kidding.... well, sort of. If I am sampling things throughout the day I would use a best guess estimation and quick add the calories. I try not to sample things throughout the day though.

avskk

I estimate bites as percentages of the whole thing -- if I made chili I'll log a bite I took to taste it as ".05 serving" or whatever, same deal for a bite of pizza (".1 slice") or a sandwich (".02 sandwich"), etc. If it's a grocery store sample, say of a particular cheese on a particular cracker, I'll log one cracker and half an ounce of cheese.

Single bites are really always going to be estimations, and that's probably okay as long as you're accurate with the rest of your logging. Don't get so hung up on the small stuff that you become paralyzed.

jhall260

This is the only spot where I'll estimate. I am losing weight and maintaining as I want to so it works for me YMMV.

This is where I'll do quick calories 25, 50, 100. Something to account for the food that I ate.

SomeGirlSomewhere

For the peanut butter----if you weigh the jar BEFORE you take out any PB and then weigh it again afterwards and subtract the difference then you will be logging ALL of the PB you ate including whatever you licked off the spoon.

As for the other things, I typically log small bites of things as 25 calories...50 calories if it was something really fattening....like the single french fry with bacon and melted cheese I ate off my friend's plate when I was at the bar a couple weeks ago!

blukitten

I log it as .15 of the whole serving-- like others have said- better to overestimate than under estimate. I figure I didn't eat a full 25% of the thing but for most things a bite would measure out to half of a quarter or just under- so I log is at .10 or .15= 1 bite.

shadowfax_c11

Weigh the spoon in grams before you lick off the peanut butter and then weigh it again after. the subtract the second number from the first number.

Liftng4Lis

When in doubt, guesstimate up.

Lounmoun

aevonvett wrote: »

I want to be a good little logger and mark down everything that goes into my mouth. But how in the heck to you log something that seems too small to be logged? For example, samples at grocery stores, licking the peanut butter off the spoon, a bite of my boyfriend's pizza/sandwich. Ok, hivemind, give me the best you got.

I just don't log licking a spoon or a drop of jelly from my finger. I don't do samples at the grocery store or take bites of other people's food.
If you do a lot of licks or bites of food in a day then maybe just quick add 100 calories to your day.
If you want to be totally accurate logger either stop that behavior or be ready to weigh bite sized amounts and do the actual math.

mbcieslak87

Bites are tricky - they can be so innocent but jeeze they add up fast. The lick of the spoon can be any easily 25 calories, that tiny cracker with chicken salad sample at the grocery store can easily pack 50 or more calories, etc.

I honestly try to avoid taking bites here and there during the week and then on the weekend will allow myself that sample at the grocery store, or whatever... but during the week I walk on by.

In general, you just have to find that happy medium for you, where your whole life doesn't revolve around obsessing over every calorie, but where you are aware of all the little extras. I have found my estimation skills have vastly improved over time... but when in doubt, weigh it out!

Alluminati

I don't. If I'm counting 1 bite of something for the day then I have bigger issues.

CrabNebula

I just tack on 100 extra calories a day for things like this.

AllonsYtotheTardis

aevonvett wrote: »

I want to be a good little logger and mark down everything that goes into my mouth. But how in the heck to you log something that seems too small to be logged? For example, samples at grocery stores, licking the peanut butter off the spoon, a bite of my boyfriend's pizza/sandwich. Ok, hivemind, give me the best you got.

um, stop doing that? Some of those things you listed could be 100 calories each.

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Camo_xxx

Create a new food item called "bite" make it 50 calories. Log it.

Machka9

aevonvett wrote: »

I want to be a good little logger and mark down everything that goes into my mouth. But how in the heck to you log something that seems too small to be logged? For example, samples at grocery stores, licking the peanut butter off the spoon, a bite of my boyfriend's pizza/sandwich. Ok, hivemind, give me the best you got.

First of all, I avoid those sample displays at grocery stores.

Secondly, if I can't easily calculate it, I don't take a bite. It's not worth the hassle.

Thirdly ... 10-15 grams.

BrittaniDirks

I over compensate out of fear lol for just one bite teaspoon or smaller i log as 50 or 60 calories!!

AmyRhubarb

I just don't. I snack my way through Costco sometimes, don't even count it. I've still managed to reach goal weight.

Of course it depends on just how many and how often you're having extra bites, tastes & samples, but for the most part, I don't log it and I've done just fine. If you're really worried, go for a quick walk or do a short workout to compensate and call it good.

javimendoza

I found this very interesting for what worries you...

http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/calories-dont-count-when/

Machka9

Machka9 wrote: »

First of all, I avoid those sample displays at grocery stores.

Funny thing ... I haven't encountered anyone handing out free samples in a long time. And then, moments after I typed this, I walked into Target and someone was standing there handing out chocolates!!!

I think I startled the girl handing them out by almost sprinting away. It wasn't quite that bad, but nothing like presenting me with a free sample of my weakness moments after I type something like that!!

Pre-MFP, I'd have taken it. I might have even circled around and returned half an hour later for another. But I'm on a mission now.

annette_15

Just quick add an estimated calorie guess

kcgcchit

Camo_XXX...that is absolutely brilliant! Using that one from now on.

Larissa_NY

The easy way is not to put things in your mouth if you're not going to eat a full serving. Why do you want to eat samples at the grocery store anyway? God only knows how long those things have been sitting there gathering dust or getting overcooked. And don't take bites of other people's food, ew. If you want pizza, get a slice; if you want a sandwich, make one. Use a knife to get peanut butter out of the jar and wipe it clean on the bread or whatever.

If you want food, eat. If you're not hungry enough to eat, you shouldn't be putting food in your mouth.

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cwolfman13

aevonvett wrote: »

I want to be a good little logger and mark down everything that goes into my mouth. But how in the heck to you log something that seems too small to be logged? For example, samples at grocery stores, licking the peanut butter off the spoon, a bite of my boyfriend's pizza/sandwich. Ok, hivemind, give me the best you got.

Logging helped me break these habits of nibbling here and there, licking the spoon, etc. I just don't do it.

mistikal13

I don't have those small bites that often, so I just don't log them.

Docbanana2002

I sometimes take bites of things as I"m cooking. Those I don't log because the calories are already counted in the total recipe. So as long as I eat all that I cooked it should be fine. At the store, I sometimes avoid the samples, sometimes eat them and pretend that they don't count (ha), sometimes just log them as a guestimated number of calories. Say maybe 50.

brynnsmom

I'm probably OCD here but I just don't lick spoons, take tastes while cooking, etc hardly EVER. Keeping a food diary has gotten me in the habit of avoiding that behavior.

kmsoucy457

Licking the spoon makes me happy. Sneaking a couple of fries off of my friend's plate makes me more satisfied with the choice of entrée selection I've made which is more appropriately aligned with my intake goals. For me the little bites HELP keep me on track.
But I do log them! Something that I do often is quickly log the item in a full portion, then adjust down to my (over)estimate of calories consumed when I have the free time later. That way I don't forget that I ate it, nor do I spend a half hour at the dinner table on my phone...so annoying.