Calorie shocker!

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  • elvisff
    elvisff Posts: 3
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    A peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole grain bread always shocks me on calories... upwards of 450 - 500 calories per sandwich if you are accurate on serving sizes.
  • recoveryjunky
    recoveryjunky Posts: 162 Member
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    For me, there was high calorie and low calorie.

    I just assumed that everything I put in the "low" calorie side was like 25 calories and the high calorie side was like 200. It was one or the other so pretty much everything was a calorie shocker lol
  • rlinaresv
    rlinaresv Posts: 108
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    Honestly, like everything. Lattes, Moccas, Cheese, OMG cheese I couldn't believe it. Scotch, alcohol in general, Gladly surprise beer and wine are actually not that bad. Cheese and my lattes I think were the most shocking one
  • Glynneybug
    Glynneybug Posts: 196 Member
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    Oh HELL YES!!! For me it was more of a it's really THAT bad? I knew some stuff was bad but just not HOW BAD. YIKES! Knowledge is power. Feel free to add me if you are looking for more friends/support!

    ~Glynis
  • CTCMom2009
    CTCMom2009 Posts: 263 Member
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    hey orange juice was frightening for me too, and I've delegated it to the just once in a while with breakfast group

    I was also shocked by things like bread and many of the meats, I mean I knew they had higher calories than broccoli and lettuce, but good grief! butter was my killer because I love real sweet cream butter, and move over butter is not much lower in calories either, so I only eat it on my baked potato and grilled corn, and I am reducing the amount each time

    I still use butter though it might be higher in calories because it is natural, not like margarine. I just watch how much I use.
  • karllundy
    karllundy Posts: 1,490 Member
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    I was less surprised by calories and more surprised at what a portion really is. a REAL tablespoon of peanut butter is not a lot when you thought you were only putting a tablespoon of peanut butter on your toast then find out it was closer to almost 3.

    Yep...this! Portions. Try measuring a "serving" of cereal and then put it in your normal cereal / soup bowl...scary!
  • bluejeansarah
    bluejeansarah Posts: 15 Member
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    My "OH-MY-GOD-THAT-HAS-HOW-MANY-CALORIES-IN-IT" moment was with bagels. Some days (pre-MFP, of course) I'd eat TWO WHOLE bagels. Seriously. And more often than not, those two bagels both had cream cheese on them. The first package I bought since starting MFP were 250 calories per bagel. Add on my favourite flavour of cream cheese and now my 'snack' is bordering into an entire meal.

    I have learned that I can still enjoy a bagel, though. I usually only have a half and I measure my toppings so no surprises. Plus, I use cream cheese as a treat instead of a regular topping. :wink:
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I was less surprised by calories and more surprised at what a portion really is. a REAL tablespoon of peanut butter is not a lot when you thought you were only putting a tablespoon of peanut butter on your toast then find out it was closer to almost 3.

    Yep...this! Portions. Try measuring a "serving" of cereal and then put it in your normal cereal / soup bowl...scary!

    Even better, everything but liquid has calories based on weight, not volume (liquid does too, but set weight per volume makes it easier to give volume measurement). The volume is given as rough estimate to make it easier to get a serving.

    Actually weigh that cereal for a serving, and actually see the difference between serving size given as measurement, and the weight the calories are based on.
  • Diligent1a
    Diligent1a Posts: 19 Member
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    I agree with Karllundy. I knew cereals were not great but when I checked the real sized portion I was consuming I was shocked. Last day I ate cereal.
  • hazellac
    hazellac Posts: 90 Member
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    My "OH-MY-GOD-THAT-HAS-HOW-MANY-CALORIES-IN-IT" moment was with bagels. Some days (pre-MFP, of course) I'd eat TWO WHOLE bagels. Seriously. And more often than not, those two bagels both had cream cheese on them. The first package I bought since starting MFP were 250 calories per bagel. Add on my favourite flavour of cream cheese and now my 'snack' is bordering into an entire meal.

    I have learned that I can still enjoy a bagel, though. I usually only have a half and I measure my toppings so no surprises. Plus, I use cream cheese as a treat instead of a regular topping. :wink:

    I love cream cheese, I love all cheese, I have grated cheese on almost all my meals. I need to stop but it tastes soooo good! I think the fact I find it all shocking is a good thing, it's an eye opener and something I needed to learn and realise in order to push me to really changing my habits.
  • hazellac
    hazellac Posts: 90 Member
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    I agree with Karllundy. I knew cereals were not great but when I checked the real sized portion I was consuming I was shocked. Last day I ate cereal.

    Cereal isn't great? Yikes I thought it was good for you, all that fibre? Still, I don't drink milk so never have cereal,I read something years ago that put me off and haven't touched it since which is a shame because now I never eat breakfast at all. (I know it's bad to not eat breakfast)
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Cereal for me too. Most high calorie things I always knew were high calorie even if I didn't know the exact number. So I wasn't shocked by butter, or cheese, or ice cream. But cereal was a bit of a shock, especially the first time I weighed out one portion.
  • brraanndi
    brraanndi Posts: 325 Member
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    The calorie servings on about half of the things I buy are incredibly misleading and so small it's a joke.

    Like a jar of nuts. Has anyone ever gotten a jar of nuts and counted out X amount of pieces? Peanut butter listing at 2 tablespoon and ridiculous calories.

    The way ONE soda screws up your sugar intake for the day.

    Oh and because I live in California I get to see the calories when I go out to eat on the menu. Chain restaurants will blow your mind on the calories of one meal.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I agree with Karllundy. I knew cereals were not great but when I checked the real sized portion I was consuming I was shocked. Last day I ate cereal.

    Cereal isn't great? Yikes I thought it was good for you, all that fibre? Still, I don't drink milk so never have cereal,I read something years ago that put me off and haven't touched it since which is a shame because now I never eat breakfast at all. (I know it's bad to not eat breakfast)

    It's not bad for you, it's just a lot of calories for the portion size.
  • karenh3585
    karenh3585 Posts: 27 Member
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    Coffeemate creamer! It's the devil's brew, I tell ya! 1 tablespoon is 35 cals. I had been using probably 3-4 tablespoons per cup (and I would have 2 cups of coffe a day! I now use just one per cup which took some getting used to but it's saving me calories that I can use for other, healthier options.
  • curly1986
    curly1986 Posts: 98 Member
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    Brie :( I know cheese is generally high calorie but when I realised my favourite brie was 360 calories for 100g I was a bit sad. Occasionally I have been know to eat a whole 200g block in a day, just grabbing a slice or 2 here and there when I was in the kitchen. So I haven't eaten it since I started on MFP because I dont think I have the control to not eat it all!! lol Although I really should buy some and some nice fresh bread and make an evening meal of it.
  • karllundy
    karllundy Posts: 1,490 Member
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    Like a jar of nuts. Has anyone ever gotten a jar of nuts and counted out X amount of pieces?

    I actually do this with almonds all the time! 27 almonds makes a great, filling snack for ~150 calories!
  • kschoop
    kschoop Posts: 11 Member
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    Alcohol. I opt for a diet coke on date night than my blue moon these days! Still feels like a treat, and zero cals!
  • LeslieN65
    LeslieN65 Posts: 127 Member
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    coffee creamer....so I just reduced the amount of something else to have the amount of creamer I like for my coffee...to me it is all about balance and finding what works for you....
  • sbrownallison
    sbrownallison Posts: 314 Member
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    You're smart to be getting a handle on this whole food-labeling thing before you get any older! I've been reading labels for years and thought I was pretty savvy. Then, one day I was standing in line at the grocery and picked up a packaged large cookie. The calories didn't look too bad, until I read closer and discovered that a "serving" was 1/2 a cookie! Who ever ate half a cookie? Certainly not me. I'm glad I didn't buy the damn thing! I guess the lesson here is Read the Label, the entire label including "Serving Size".

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