Accuracy of counting cals?
misterfish77
Posts: 6 Member
How do you know you're counting the calories accurately? I mean I make the majority of my own meals but I'm not entirely sure I'm adding the cals in correctly at all...I believe this is the depressing part of my app experience is not really knowing how much I'm inputting or outputting.
Does anyone have any advice or tips on this matter?
Much appreciated. Thank you.
Does anyone have any advice or tips on this matter?
Much appreciated. Thank you.
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Replies
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For starters you should weigh your food on a food scale and be sure to use proper entries, not generic homemade entries marked with an asterisk.
If you are making recipes with several portions, there is a recipe builder on here that I'm sure will be helpful.0 -
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
A couple of the threads that are essential to those starting out
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I use the recipe calculator when I cook at home. Be sure to measure and weigh everything you put in and the servings per recipe is important also. Most foods you can get a fairly accurate calorie count, etc. You will probably be off a little but it is really helpful to me0
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You never know, for sure. It's all estimates.
A lot of people weigh their food. It's not really necessary to lose weight, but it'll help you get a closer estimate, if that's what you seek. 0 -
You never know, for sure. It's all estimates.
A lot of people weigh their food. It's not really necessary to lose weight, but it'll help you get a closer estimate, if that's what you seek.
I think with only 20 pounds to lose, she should be weighing her food. Her calorie deficit is narrow enough already without adding inaccuracy from eyeballing or measuring cups to the mix.0 -
Hmmm....thank you for everyone's input!
A little confused on the conversion of weighing food and finding calories though. But I. sure I could figure it out once I invest in a scale.0 -
Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives, one has to figure out how to eyeball portions and eat without the weighing. The closer to my goal I get, the more I practice eyeballing my portions. When I'm at 20 pounds to go, I'm going to log each week as it ends, to see how I'm doing, I already log when the day is done and am doing well that way. Soon, I'm going to go two days. Then three.barbecuesauce wrote: »You never know, for sure. It's all estimates.
A lot of people weigh their food. It's not really necessary to lose weight, but it'll help you get a closer estimate, if that's what you seek.
I think with only 20 pounds to lose, she should be weighing her food. Her calorie deficit is narrow enough already without adding inaccuracy from eyeballing or measuring cups to the mix.
When I'm done, I plan to just be able to lead my life without weighing my food before I eat it.
If I weighed everything until I hit my goal, then what? Start learning how to eyeball when I'm done, I guess. I'd just rather learn now,
There are different ways of looking at it. That's mine. Yours is a valid choice and I'm not slamming it. Many paths lead to the same place.
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misterfish77 wrote: »Hmmm....thank you for everyone's input!
A little confused on the conversion of weighing food and finding calories though. But I. sure I could figure it out once I invest in a scale.
Your package will say something like this:
Potato chips
Serving size: 15 chips (20g).
You weigh out 20g for one serving (which is much more accurate than just eating 15 chips). If you weigh out 50g, you had 50/20 servings, or 2.5 servings.0 -
Total bull crap.
Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives, one has to figure out how to eyeball portions and eat without the weighing. The closer to my goal I get, the more I practice eyeballing my portions. When I'm at 20 pounds to go, I'm going to log each week as it ends, to see how I'm doing, I already log when the day is done and am doing well that way. Soon, I'm going to go two days. Then three.barbecuesauce wrote: »You never know, for sure. It's all estimates.
A lot of people weigh their food. It's not really necessary to lose weight, but it'll help you get a closer estimate, if that's what you seek.
I think with only 20 pounds to lose, she should be weighing her food. Her calorie deficit is narrow enough already without adding inaccuracy from eyeballing or measuring cups to the mix.
When I'm done, I plan to just be able to lead my life without weighing my food before I eat it.
If I weighed everything until I hit my goal, then what? Start learning how to eyeball when I'm done, I guess. I'd just rather learn now,
There are different ways of looking at it. That's mine. Yours is a valid choice and I'm not slamming it. Many paths lead to the same place.
I weigh my food at home only and food I am taking to work.
It's not just about over estimating it can be about under estimating.
If you don't like to weigh don't but why bash it all the time.????
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Please re-read the last few lines.
Total bull crap.
Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives, one has to figure out how to eyeball portions and eat without the weighing. The closer to my goal I get, the more I practice eyeballing my portions. When I'm at 20 pounds to go, I'm going to log each week as it ends, to see how I'm doing, I already log when the day is done and am doing well that way. Soon, I'm going to go two days. Then three.barbecuesauce wrote: »You never know, for sure. It's all estimates.
A lot of people weigh their food. It's not really necessary to lose weight, but it'll help you get a closer estimate, if that's what you seek.
I think with only 20 pounds to lose, she should be weighing her food. Her calorie deficit is narrow enough already without adding inaccuracy from eyeballing or measuring cups to the mix.
When I'm done, I plan to just be able to lead my life without weighing my food before I eat it.
If I weighed everything until I hit my goal, then what? Start learning how to eyeball when I'm done, I guess. I'd just rather learn now,
There are different ways of looking at it. That's mine. Yours is a valid choice and I'm not slamming it. Many paths lead to the same place.
I weigh my food at home only and food I am taking to work.
It's not just about over estimating it can be about under estimating.
If you don't like to weigh don't but why bash it all the time.????
I'm glad that you like it and that it works for you. My plan is to learn to eat without having to weigh food. It's a crutch that helps me until I can do that.
Both are valid choices.
0 -
Please re-read the last few lines.
Total bull crap.
Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives, one has to figure out how to eyeball portions and eat without the weighing. The closer to my goal I get, the more I practice eyeballing my portions. When I'm at 20 pounds to go, I'm going to log each week as it ends, to see how I'm doing, I already log when the day is done and am doing well that way. Soon, I'm going to go two days. Then three.barbecuesauce wrote: »You never know, for sure. It's all estimates.
A lot of people weigh their food. It's not really necessary to lose weight, but it'll help you get a closer estimate, if that's what you seek.
I think with only 20 pounds to lose, she should be weighing her food. Her calorie deficit is narrow enough already without adding inaccuracy from eyeballing or measuring cups to the mix.
When I'm done, I plan to just be able to lead my life without weighing my food before I eat it.
If I weighed everything until I hit my goal, then what? Start learning how to eyeball when I'm done, I guess. I'd just rather learn now,
There are different ways of looking at it. That's mine. Yours is a valid choice and I'm not slamming it. Many paths lead to the same place.
I weigh my food at home only and food I am taking to work.
It's not just about over estimating it can be about under estimating.
If you don't like to weigh don't but why bash it all the time.????
I'm glad that you like it and that it works for you. My plan is to learn to eat without having to weigh food. It's a crutch that helps me until I can do that.
Both are valid choices.
Agreed but you don't see those that do weigh saying that those who don't weigh are doomed to be fat? no because it's not true.
You make weighing food the devil with statements like "Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives"...please....and you are slamming it...repeatedly...
If you choose to eyeball and are doing great for now wonderful but by your own admission you have/had a lot to lose so it is easier to be in a deficit while larger..when you get closer to goal weight and want it off it might be a different story.0 -
misterfish77 wrote: »How do you know you're counting the calories accurately? I mean I make the majority of my own meals but I'm not entirely sure I'm adding the cals in correctly at all...I believe this is the depressing part of my app experience is not really knowing how much I'm inputting or outputting.
Does anyone have any advice or tips on this matter?
a) Open your diary, then your friends (and others) can observe and comment on your logging
b) if after 4 weeks there is no weight loss, or worse, then you're probably under reporting your intake.
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I have made a small hobby of figuring out calorie counts. If I can't find an entry that is in grams or ounces, I look on line at the USDA information. Then I make my own entry. I use the recipe calculator, which is a small pain but now most of what I make is in there. I think it's kind of fun to guess the weight of something and then slap it on the scale and see how close I am.0
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SherryTeach wrote: »I have made a small hobby of figuring out calorie counts. If I can't find an entry that is in grams or ounces, I look on line at the USDA information. Then I make my own entry. I use the recipe calculator, which is a small pain but now most of what I make is in there. I think it's kind of fun to guess the weight of something and then slap it on the scale and see how close I am.
Lol I like this idea. Makes it a bit more entertaining than strenuous. Some people take this stuff really seriously I can tell from above, it's nice when we can turn it into a bit of fun and not a chore. Thank you.0 -
misterfish77 wrote: »How do you know you're counting the calories accurately? I mean I make the majority of my own meals but I'm not entirely sure I'm adding the cals in correctly at all...I believe this is the depressing part of my app experience is not really knowing how much I'm inputting or outputting.
Does anyone have any advice or tips on this matter?
a) Open your diary, then your friends (and others) can observe and comment on your logging
b) if after 4 weeks there is no weight loss, or worse, then you're probably under reporting your intake.
This is it.
The only real way to figure out your logging accuracy is to see if your actual weight change matches your expected weight change.
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Please re-read the last few lines.
Total bull crap.
Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives, one has to figure out how to eyeball portions and eat without the weighing. The closer to my goal I get, the more I practice eyeballing my portions. When I'm at 20 pounds to go, I'm going to log each week as it ends, to see how I'm doing, I already log when the day is done and am doing well that way. Soon, I'm going to go two days. Then three.barbecuesauce wrote: »You never know, for sure. It's all estimates.
A lot of people weigh their food. It's not really necessary to lose weight, but it'll help you get a closer estimate, if that's what you seek.
I think with only 20 pounds to lose, she should be weighing her food. Her calorie deficit is narrow enough already without adding inaccuracy from eyeballing or measuring cups to the mix.
When I'm done, I plan to just be able to lead my life without weighing my food before I eat it.
If I weighed everything until I hit my goal, then what? Start learning how to eyeball when I'm done, I guess. I'd just rather learn now,
There are different ways of looking at it. That's mine. Yours is a valid choice and I'm not slamming it. Many paths lead to the same place.
I weigh my food at home only and food I am taking to work.
It's not just about over estimating it can be about under estimating.
If you don't like to weigh don't but why bash it all the time.????
I'm glad that you like it and that it works for you. My plan is to learn to eat without having to weigh food. It's a crutch that helps me until I can do that.
Both are valid choices.
Agreed but you don't see those that do weigh saying that those who don't weigh are doomed to be fat? no because it's not true.
You make weighing food the devil with statements like "Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives"...please....and you are slamming it...repeatedly...
If you choose to eyeball and are doing great for now wonderful but by your own admission you have/had a lot to lose so it is easier to be in a deficit while larger..when you get closer to goal weight and want it off it might be a different story.
I am absolutely not slam in weighing. I weigh, too, lol.
I have said three times, now, that I'm not slamming it and even specifically stated so before you posted that I was, just so that there'd be no confusion. If you wish to believe that I am slamming it, that is your choice, but it's not real.
I may give different advice than you do. That's cool. Not everyone gives the same advice, has the same opinion or outlook.0 -
OP - get a food scale and weigh all your solid foods is the most accurate method, IMO. If you do that long enough you should get pretty good at guestimating portion sizes. I would also say that finding the right balance between being accurate and realizing that you can't be accurate all the time is key. When I am home I know that my logging will be spot on because I can weigh out all my portions and what not; however, when I am out and about at a function, restaurant, etc, I also realize that my logging will not be accurate, but I am OK with that.
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Please re-read the last few lines.
Total bull crap.
Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives, one has to figure out how to eyeball portions and eat without the weighing. The closer to my goal I get, the more I practice eyeballing my portions. When I'm at 20 pounds to go, I'm going to log each week as it ends, to see how I'm doing, I already log when the day is done and am doing well that way. Soon, I'm going to go two days. Then three.barbecuesauce wrote: »You never know, for sure. It's all estimates.
A lot of people weigh their food. It's not really necessary to lose weight, but it'll help you get a closer estimate, if that's what you seek.
I think with only 20 pounds to lose, she should be weighing her food. Her calorie deficit is narrow enough already without adding inaccuracy from eyeballing or measuring cups to the mix.
When I'm done, I plan to just be able to lead my life without weighing my food before I eat it.
If I weighed everything until I hit my goal, then what? Start learning how to eyeball when I'm done, I guess. I'd just rather learn now,
There are different ways of looking at it. That's mine. Yours is a valid choice and I'm not slamming it. Many paths lead to the same place.
I weigh my food at home only and food I am taking to work.
It's not just about over estimating it can be about under estimating.
If you don't like to weigh don't but why bash it all the time.????
I'm glad that you like it and that it works for you. My plan is to learn to eat without having to weigh food. It's a crutch that helps me until I can do that.
Both are valid choices.
Agreed but you don't see those that do weigh saying that those who don't weigh are doomed to be fat? no because it's not true.
You make weighing food the devil with statements like "Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives"...please....and you are slamming it...repeatedly...
If you choose to eyeball and are doing great for now wonderful but by your own admission you have/had a lot to lose so it is easier to be in a deficit while larger..when you get closer to goal weight and want it off it might be a different story.
I am absolutely not slam in weighing. I weigh, too, lol.
I have said three times, now, that I'm not slamming it and even specifically stated so before you posted that I was, just so that there'd be no confusion. If you wish to believe that I am slamming it, that is your choice, but it's not real.
I may give different advice than you do. That's cool. Not everyone gives the same advice, has the same opinion or outlook.
no, you are passively aggressively trying to slam it, and then say that is not what you are doing.
There was no need for the initial line about "unless you want to weight every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives…" bit, which translates to "unless you want to be an obsessive compulsive weigher for the rest of your life, you should learn how to eyeball portions…"…
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Most important advice you'll receive is to invest in that food scale. Good luck!0
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I wasn't cloaking and did, in fact, suggest weighing if the OP wants a better estimate.
Please re-read the last few lines.
Total bull crap.
Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives, one has to figure out how to eyeball portions and eat without the weighing. The closer to my goal I get, the more I practice eyeballing my portions. When I'm at 20 pounds to go, I'm going to log each week as it ends, to see how I'm doing, I already log when the day is done and am doing well that way. Soon, I'm going to go two days. Then three.barbecuesauce wrote: »You never know, for sure. It's all estimates.
A lot of people weigh their food. It's not really necessary to lose weight, but it'll help you get a closer estimate, if that's what you seek.
I think with only 20 pounds to lose, she should be weighing her food. Her calorie deficit is narrow enough already without adding inaccuracy from eyeballing or measuring cups to the mix.
When I'm done, I plan to just be able to lead my life without weighing my food before I eat it.
If I weighed everything until I hit my goal, then what? Start learning how to eyeball when I'm done, I guess. I'd just rather learn now,
There are different ways of looking at it. That's mine. Yours is a valid choice and I'm not slamming it. Many paths lead to the same place.
I weigh my food at home only and food I am taking to work.
It's not just about over estimating it can be about under estimating.
If you don't like to weigh don't but why bash it all the time.????
I'm glad that you like it and that it works for you. My plan is to learn to eat without having to weigh food. It's a crutch that helps me until I can do that.
Both are valid choices.
Agreed but you don't see those that do weigh saying that those who don't weigh are doomed to be fat? no because it's not true.
You make weighing food the devil with statements like "Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives"...please....and you are slamming it...repeatedly...
If you choose to eyeball and are doing great for now wonderful but by your own admission you have/had a lot to lose so it is easier to be in a deficit while larger..when you get closer to goal weight and want it off it might be a different story.
I am absolutely not slam in weighing. I weigh, too, lol.
I have said three times, now, that I'm not slamming it and even specifically stated so before you posted that I was, just so that there'd be no confusion. If you wish to believe that I am slamming it, that is your choice, but it's not real.
I may give different advice than you do. That's cool. Not everyone gives the same advice, has the same opinion or outlook.
no, you are passively aggressively trying to slam it, and then say that is not what you are doing.
There was no need for the initial line about "unless you want to weight every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives…" bit, which translates to "unless you want to be an obsessive compulsive weigher for the rest of your life, you should learn how to eyeball portions…"…
You are reading things in that aren't there.
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