Subtracting weight

callumwalker1995

The raw chicken entry on this app has many different variations some quote 21g per 100g raw others as high as 26g. Wouldn't the packaging be more trustworthy?

Sued0nim

callumwalker1995 wrote: »

The raw chicken entry on this app has many different variations some quote 21g per 100g raw others as high as 26g. Wouldn't the packaging be more trustworthy?

They differ because all foods differ - one chicken may have a higher fat content than another because it's a little porker, another might be more lean .. one cut of chicken is absolutely different from another - tbh the same happens with all foods eg fruit, one apple will not be exactly the same as another - how ripe it is will determine sugar / carb levels etc.

The margin of error allowed is 20% on packaging and that is good enough. Some are up, some are down it balances out

You need to let go of expecting exact numbers - because even if you get a number it's not absolute

A good place to double check is the USDA database

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/Chicken_Turkey_Nutrition_Facts.pdf

dlkfox

I recommend weighing raw and using USDA entries (that you double check).

I also respectfully suggest professional help with your OCD/anxiety.

pebble4321

In your situation, I would use the MFP recipe tool - enter your raw chicken (using an entry from the database that matches the USDA numbers), add the oil (and any other additions), then save it as three servings.

Then you have that entry ready to go when you eat it again tonight or tomorrow. And you can modify it if you choose to add garlic next time or use more or less oil, or your chicken weighs more or less.

You are also going to have to let go of the need for 100% accurate numbers. They can't be and won't be. Ever.
Accept that they are estimates (both calories in and calories out) and use your common sense to make adjustments if you find that you aren't losing or gaining weight as you should expect.

callumwalker1995

But the USDA amounts differ greatly from those I buy.

pebble4321

Is that because usda numbers are for raw chicken and yours is cooked?

If it's just raw chicken with no other ingredients then I would use the raw usda numbers.

Or if you don't like that option, cook all the chicken in the packet, weigh it cooked and use that data in the recipe tool,

Really though, you are WAY overthinking this.
Everything is an estimate, enter your best guess and move on to the next item.

callumwalker1995

I weigh it cooked as someone else cooks it for me

teetertatertango

Just take your best guess, and if you do not lose at the rate you expect, tweak your calories down a bit to account for inaccuracies.

It seems unnecessarily stressful to worry so much about this when you are unable to take the steps needed to make your calculations more accurate (i.e. weighing raw ingredients, separately).

If you are using MFP values for protein and fat, there is quite a bit of leeway for those to be higher as long as your overall calorie intake is within range. If seeing red in any category is causing the stress, you might want to consider whether just tracking calories and not worrying about macros might be a better choice for a while.

callumwalker1995

Many people weigh their food cooked though so it isn't just me

TavistockToad

callumwalker1995 wrote: »

Many people weigh their food cooked though so it isn't just me

Doesn't mean they're doing it right either! :laugh: