CALORIES IN/CALORIES OUT

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  • standy73
    standy73 Posts: 26 Member
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    hc10npresg1b.png
    My ‘lean cuisine’ meal is 202cal for the entire serving.
    I dont often eat these pack meals but are great for when ppl over & i have cooked them a meal (eg:
    full cream cabonara w’ all the trimmings incl sour bread Mmmm!!
    Best I stick to my Lean cuisine 202 cal :-D
  • standy73
    standy73 Posts: 26 Member
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    Heres my diary.. & ive changed to public
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,070 Member
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    Others have already made observations about consistently using a food scale, which is good advice (even for packaged products). It's not that weighing food is *absolutely essential* for success, but if someone is not losing weight on a calorie level that should trigger weight loss, it's a good idea to tighten up logging practices to rule that out as an issue.

    In general, other than the portion precision issue, I'm not seeing huge issues in your logging. There are a few things in your diary I wonder about, but most are somewhat rare so likely not a total answer. For example, some of the entries look like they might be database entries for foods created by others (eggplant slice, chicken dinner, tomato relish). If that's so, we can't really be sure what people put in those recipes, so the calorie info is suspect. Also, is it the case that you're using no oils whatsoever in cooking, for things like the eggplant? Oils are calorie-dense, so if used it's important to log them. I do see some dressings & beverages, so I'll assume you're logging all of those (it's another thing folks often overlook). There was one day that looked like it might not be fully logged (this past Thursday), so I wonder about that, too.

    Another question: I see that you have a baby in your photo (super cute one, by the way - that red hair, pink cheeks!). Have you given birth relatively recently, by any chance? (That can be a source of water weight fluctuation for a surprisingly long time, make scale results misleading).

    I does seem to me that you should be losing weight on the calorie level you're logging, very likely, though maybe not super fast. (I skimmed back through looking for your current height/weight and didn't see it, though I may have overlooked it by skimming too fast.) How are things looking on the scale now, with the overstated Zumba out of the picture?
  • standy73
    standy73 Posts: 26 Member
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    Thanks ANNPT77, how does one go look at ppls food diary's??
    Last Thurs, yes i was out for dinner w’ GF’s.. its a write off i just try eating lil less in early part of day.
    I hardly use oils, if i use olive ill note it sometimes spray a pan a touch for extra tefflon. Yes i log dressings very rare i have them, 1/2tsp ect...
    Baby... no that bubba is my 2nd is now 9 lol but size of 14yo! Still big cheeks n’ blue eyed Ranga lol.

    The only thing i can come up with is obviously not moving enough, during days i work im a merchandiser on my feet 2/3 days in outta stores...how to measure AMR?
    My weekly zumba still 60min two nightly ill be generous as i go hard big sweat 400cals.
    So as i have my AMR as twice weekly that doesnt incl work and home duties!



  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    standy73 wrote: »
    My ‘lean cuisine’ meal is 202cal for the entire serving.

    Yes it is - if it weighs 280 g.

    Does it?

    Just trying to point out an example to you it appears you missed.
  • standy73
    standy73 Posts: 26 Member
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    Yes incl packaging all up weighed 280g
  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
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    standy73 wrote: »
    Yes incl packaging all up weighed 280g

    It shouldn't really weigh 280g with the packaging, if so then the actual food was less and the calories are off in the other direction.
  • standy73
    standy73 Posts: 26 Member
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    Its a packaged item that in Australia the food packaging rules are so strict why wouldn't i go off the front 202 calories???
  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
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    standy73 wrote: »
    Its a packaged item that in Australia the food packaging rules are so strict why wouldn't i go off the front 202 calories???

    Because it's no guarantee that every package weighs exactly 280g. Often, there is a margin that manufacturers are allowed to operate within, for example between 275g and 290g. Sometimes, the strictest requirement is that they cannot sell you less than stated, not so strict on more. Often, weights are checked using random sampling. I'm not in Australia, but a quick skim suggests some of these things may be true there as well: https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/guide-to-the-sale-of-pre-packaged-goods/pre-packaged-goods

    As Ann said, it's not a requirement to weigh food for weight loss, it can just be a useful tool, especially if you are not losing as expected. On low calorie items an extra 10g may not make much difference but on higher calorie items, and things you eat regularly, it can.
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,190 Member
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    standy73 wrote: »
    Its a packaged item that in Australia the food packaging rules are so strict why wouldn't i go off the front 202 calories???

    I'm in NZ. The packaged food can be +/- 10% of the stated weight. It's common sense, it would be almost impossible to get them exactly right all the time. And I'm my experience manufacturers tend to err on the side of extra because people complain about not enough.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    So my whole point of emphasis on that discovery is that unless you weighed it, even packaged items - you don't really have correct calorie info.

    I have many items like that - weighed once to see how much over and I don't keep weighing - just log the extra serving size from then on.

    This was merely because there seemed to be a lot of trust in servings and calories when I didn't see weight being used at all.

    Merely for the knowledge of where errors can be.
    Some are acceptable levels, some can be checked if needed - all need to be aware of at least with knowing.

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