Eating out? It's pretty easy to underestimate your intake!
rainbowbow
Posts: 7,490 Member
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE2lna5WxuoFound this video pretty darn interesting and wanted to share. We all know that calorie counting is a guessing game and we do our best to be as accurate as possible. With packaged products they can have a 20% margin of error (both positive and negative) according to the FDA. With restaurants usually exceeding this.
What are your thoughts?
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You can only do as well as you can. I try to be as accurate as possible, but when eating out, I pretty much assume I'm going to be way over on calories. To compensate, I lengthen any workouts on that day and drink lots of water, but in the end, I enjoy it and move on.0
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I eat out all the time and just go by what the restaurant's nutritional info says, I've never had any issues with things being way off.0
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That was really interesting! I don't eat out much and part of the reason is because it's so hard to stick to my calorie goal because you don't really know how much you're getting. I agree though that what is the point of asking restaurants to put calories if no one ever makes sure that it's accurate?
I suppose people still might make lower calorie choices. I know I always defer to the lower calorie items when they are listed, though I understand that they might not be accurate.0 -
Interesting. It would have been cool if he'd tested the same stuff over a whole week to see how much the same item might vary from day to day or location to location.
I only eat out one meal a week and it didn't stop me losing weight at the rate I wanted. I choose things without cheese or a lot of condiments though and drink water or unsweetened tea so there aren't so many things that can change based on someone being more generous one day than the next.0 -
ReaderGirl3 wrote: »I eat out all the time and just go by what the restaurant's nutritional info says, I've never had any issues with things being way off.
I eat out at least three times a week, and I'm still losing.0 -
I'm having a veggie burger and salad right now. Even if the condiment quantities are off, it's only mustard, tomato and onion. And the salad might vary, too, but it's salad.
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I eat out (fast food) a LOT. Like probably 4-5 meals a week minimum, sometimes 7-8 probably.
Yes I am still losing weight, but about a month ago I noticed my math wasn't adding up. First thing I addressed was making sure my exercise calories were accurate. I started to use some online formulas that were a LOT less generous than MFP or even my HRM stated.
Secondly, I decided to start adding all my fast food items as 1.1 or 1.2 for exactly this reason. I know a lot of "1 serving" on food I prepare is not really 1 serving (like two pieces of bread or one English muffin can vary a lot, especially something like 1 egg) and was weighing all those things to get them to be accurate. Sometimes if the restaurant includes grams I'll weigh the food and estimate how much over/under it is (usually over).
And just want to say, basically, my math started working again. The amount I expected to lose was the amount I WAS losing. Obviously I changed two things at once, but I agree. 1 big mac might not be 1 big mac, I always put in 1.1 or 1.2 to be safe.0 -
Well, we can only do what we can do. We all don't have access to bomb calorimeters to figure out whether the label on any item is correct or not.
The margin of error though doesn't seem to make any huge difference as far as losing weight goes, ime.0 -
I don't eat out a lot but when I go to restaurants I usually only eat half and take the leftovers home. I weigh the leftovers and put that down as my meal. I usually eat at hole-in-the-wall places so even then I have to guess of a comparable place to log my food. I'm not too concerned since it's once in a while anyway.0
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I'm in a remote area where I can't make my own food and I have no access to using a food scale so I've been estimating. I'm basically "eating out" every single meal. I've still lost almost exactly a 1lb/week and that's what MFP is set to. I think it is great to be precise but it hasn't seemed to affect me much.0
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The worst experience I have eating out is from Subway. Sometimes I get a veggie delight salad and they pretty much double everything because OH Em Gee Veggies Have No Calories and I don't want to stand there and tell them to quit adding so much crap because I have special dietary needs. I hate those sort of people when I worked on the other side of the counter.
The margin of error is why I weigh my take-out food. I can handle being called crazy, obsessive, and told I have disordered eating because of it.0 -
We can only do the best we can.
I'm still losing weight with what I'm tracking, so it must be at least close.
Very interesting video though!0 -
Great video.
I've tried my best not to eat out at all since starting my diet (about 2.5 weeks in) the only thing I have eaten while eating "out" where Chinese chicken and broccoli with white rice (but usually I make it last 2 to 3 servings.) Subway (black forest ham and turkey on whole wheat with light mayo, vinegar, and lettuce. Wish I liked more veggies on my sandwiches but it's just ick to me, haha.) I went out with a friend visiting and the bar had NOTHING healthy on their menu so I just got a small plate of fries and hot sauce, didn't finish. I know I went over on sodium for sure. This video makes me not want to eat out!0 -
Ohjeezitskim wrote: »Great video.
I've tried my best not to eat out at all since starting my diet (about 2.5 weeks in) the only thing I have eaten while eating "out" where Chinese chicken and broccoli with white rice (but usually I make it last 2 to 3 servings.) Subway (black forest ham and turkey on whole wheat with light mayo, vinegar, and lettuce. Wish I liked more veggies on my sandwiches but it's just ick to me, haha.) I went out with a friend visiting and the bar had NOTHING healthy on their menu so I just got a small plate of fries and hot sauce, didn't finish. I know I went over on sodium for sure. This video makes me not want to eat out!
There's nothing wrong with eating out, just make choices that fit within your calorie parameter and you'll be fine. For all the times a serving size is over, there will also be times when the serving size is under (this seems to always be the case with fries grrrr). I lost 50lbs while eating fast food several times a week 0 -
If you are eating things that can easily be measured wrong and calorie dense like fries, mayo, salad topping/dressing than yeah. I say the nutritional info is likely on the lighter side big time. If you play it safe and have chicken breast (no mayo) or a steak with grilled veggies you will likely be dead on or better. This is why its a double whammy when a "cheat meal" out is the loaded big burger and super size fries.0
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When at home, I weigh everything. everything.... it drives my husband crazy. lol. but when i eat out, i can only hope what they are telling me is somewhat accurate. so in the long run i can only hope that i'm under calories (or at least within a few hundred if going over) because i'm still TRYING at that point. it's better than when i was eating whatever i wanted whenever i wanted. starbucks for breakfast, fast food and starbucks again for lunch, and maybe half a pizza+ for dinner? and not care at all about those calories and wonder why i've gained 60 pounds in the past 10 years... at least with tracking, via my scale or their nutritional information, i'm losing so i'll take it!0
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That's what she said.0
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blues4miles wrote: »I eat out (fast food) a LOT. Like probably 4-5 meals a week minimum, sometimes 7-8 probably.
Yes I am still losing weight, but about a month ago I noticed my math wasn't adding up. First thing I addressed was making sure my exercise calories were accurate. I started to use some online formulas that were a LOT less generous than MFP or even my HRM stated.
Secondly, I decided to start adding all my fast food items as 1.1 or 1.2 for exactly this reason. I know a lot of "1 serving" on food I prepare is not really 1 serving (like two pieces of bread or one English muffin can vary a lot, especially something like 1 egg) and was weighing all those things to get them to be accurate. Sometimes if the restaurant includes grams I'll weigh the food and estimate how much over/under it is (usually over).
And just want to say, basically, my math started working again. The amount I expected to lose was the amount I WAS losing. Obviously I changed two things at once, but I agree. 1 big mac might not be 1 big mac, I always put in 1.1 or 1.2 to be safe.
I do this with my coffee drinks, I over log it to help protect against potential discrepancies. Usually I log 1.5 though.0 -
The worst experience I have eating out is from Subway. Sometimes I get a veggie delight salad and they pretty much double everything because OH Em Gee Veggies Have No Calories and I don't want to stand there and tell them to quit adding so much crap because I have special dietary needs. I hate those sort of people when I worked on the other side of the counter.
The margin of error is why I weigh my take-out food. I can handle being called crazy, obsessive, and told I have disordered eating because of it.
Ironic that I was eating a veggie delight sub as I read your comment lol. It was yummy!
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I personally had a much easier time losing weight by eating out only sparingly...same for maintenance. I eat out primarily at local establishments that do not have nutritional information available in the first place...I don't particularly care for fast food nor do I really care for institutionalized franchise food...so it's always a true estimation when I go out.
There have been a couple of added benefits of this...for one, my wife and I really appreciate our nights out and we don't hesitate to just order what we truly want...we've also saved quite a bit of money. Pizza night out with the boys also just seems that much more of a special thing to do.0 -
Was at work, so sorry for not responding to this thread after making it!
I just wanted to say, i am NOT saying "oh my god guys, it's so innacurate, you might as well not even count it!". I just thought it'd be interesting to point out the fact that according to the labeling guidelines, these foods can have a margin of error up to 20% (and this is only on the calories per 100 gram).
Let's give a hypothetical scenerio:
Package of Chips
Serving size 1 bag (30g)
Calories per 100g 200
Calories per bag (30g) 60
What you'll find sometimes with weighing items, is the serving size/container will state the calories for 30g but the item really weighs 40g. So, if the calories per 100 gram are off by the maximum 20% the real value is 240 calories per 100 grams. Then your bag is actually 40g, or actually 96 calories.
Is it that big of a difference? Obviously with only one item it is not. My main point was that even when you are tracking your calories diligently and using accurate information to be best of your ability, it is still possible to eat more than you think you are. Sometimes i see people with a very small calorie deficit .5lb or they're trying to lose their last few pounds. For these people the small discrepancies can make or break your success, so this is something you can look into.
Of course as someone else said above when you have more to lose this becomes less important. Also certain foods will obviously have a higher level of discrepancy such as sauces, condiments, etc. And also, the 20% can be less as well! You might be eating less than you think too.
Just find all of this information pretty interesting. 0 -
Oddly enough fast food joints running on low margin tend to have fairly accurate calories compared to what they post in nutritional information when tested by independent labs, likely because their product preparation is very controlled unlike restaurants where cooks/chefs can get very liberal with things like oil, sauces, and butter.0
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rileysowner wrote: »Oddly enough fast food joints running on low margin tend to have fairly accurate calories compared to what they post in nutritional information when tested by independent labs, likely because their product preparation is very controlled unlike restaurants where cooks/chefs can get very liberal with things like oil, sauces, and butter.
yep! I know for example mcdonalds, and the like have condiment guns which dispense the exact amount. They also have strict rules on 3 pickles for this, etc. I know some places like chipotle try their best with their leveled scoops, etc.0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »rileysowner wrote: »Oddly enough fast food joints running on low margin tend to have fairly accurate calories compared to what they post in nutritional information when tested by independent labs, likely because their product preparation is very controlled unlike restaurants where cooks/chefs can get very liberal with things like oil, sauces, and butter.
yep! I know for example mcdonalds, and the like have condiment guns which dispense the exact amount. They also have strict rules on 3 pickles for this, etc. I know some places like chipotle try their best with their leveled scoops, etc.
3 pickles is just a tease.0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »rileysowner wrote: »Oddly enough fast food joints running on low margin tend to have fairly accurate calories compared to what they post in nutritional information when tested by independent labs, likely because their product preparation is very controlled unlike restaurants where cooks/chefs can get very liberal with things like oil, sauces, and butter.
yep! I know for example mcdonalds, and the like have condiment guns which dispense the exact amount. They also have strict rules on 3 pickles for this, etc. I know some places like chipotle try their best with their leveled scoops, etc.
3 pickles is just a tease.
i know. i'm always the person saying "no, really, extra extra extra pickles".0 -
I tend not to eat out much when eating a deficit because all the extra sodium makes me retain water and it makes me crazy as a daily weigher. But I don't worry about it too much. Twenty percent off of 1000 calories is 200 calories, and that's just not much in a week. And if 20 percent is an average, it can go the opposite way as well.0
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rainbowbow wrote: »rileysowner wrote: »Oddly enough fast food joints running on low margin tend to have fairly accurate calories compared to what they post in nutritional information when tested by independent labs, likely because their product preparation is very controlled unlike restaurants where cooks/chefs can get very liberal with things like oil, sauces, and butter.
yep! I know for example mcdonalds, and the like have condiment guns which dispense the exact amount. They also have strict rules on 3 pickles for this, etc. I know some places like chipotle try their best with their leveled scoops, etc.
And they make you ask for ketchup with your fries...like anyone is eating fries without ketchup...but that's a whole other pet peeve of mine.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »rileysowner wrote: »Oddly enough fast food joints running on low margin tend to have fairly accurate calories compared to what they post in nutritional information when tested by independent labs, likely because their product preparation is very controlled unlike restaurants where cooks/chefs can get very liberal with things like oil, sauces, and butter.
yep! I know for example mcdonalds, and the like have condiment guns which dispense the exact amount. They also have strict rules on 3 pickles for this, etc. I know some places like chipotle try their best with their leveled scoops, etc.
And they make you ask for ketchup with your fries...like anyone is eating fries without ketchup...but that's a whole other pet peeve of mine.
Don't worry, the country i live in (in Europe) charges you for sauce. Most commonly fries are ordered with mayo, but regardless both mayo and ketchup cost roughly 1$ per packet (and no... not "big" packets). They also charge you for water here.
Imagine my surprise as an American when they told me that. LOL0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »rileysowner wrote: »Oddly enough fast food joints running on low margin tend to have fairly accurate calories compared to what they post in nutritional information when tested by independent labs, likely because their product preparation is very controlled unlike restaurants where cooks/chefs can get very liberal with things like oil, sauces, and butter.
yep! I know for example mcdonalds, and the like have condiment guns which dispense the exact amount. They also have strict rules on 3 pickles for this, etc. I know some places like chipotle try their best with their leveled scoops, etc.
And they make you ask for ketchup with your fries...like anyone is eating fries without ketchup...but that's a whole other pet peeve of mine.
Don't worry, the country i live in (in Europe) charges you for sauce. Most commonly fries are ordered with mayo, but regardless both mayo and ketchup cost roughly 1$ per packet (and no... not "big" packets). They also charge you for water here.
Imagine my surprise as an American when they told me that. LOL
In France they charge you for water but usually they brought you bottled water.0 -
rileysowner wrote: »Oddly enough fast food joints running on low margin tend to have fairly accurate calories compared to what they post in nutritional information when tested by independent labs, likely because their product preparation is very controlled unlike restaurants where cooks/chefs can get very liberal with things like oil, sauces, and butter.
Very true--the chain restaurants (like McDs) have set rules on how things are prepared (I used to work in McDs).
Calorie charts are usually posted in the individual restaurants. If they aren't, try looking online.0
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