eating more than you think....

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  • auzziecawth66
    auzziecawth66 Posts: 479 Member
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    I was just debating this morning if I should get a scale when I was grating cheese for my egg thinking I have no idea how much an actual serving of cheese is... This post might have just convinced me lol...
  • angelamangus1
    angelamangus1 Posts: 164 Member
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    Be aware that it goes the other way, too. I weighed the mayo on the last sandwich I made and what looked like a full tablespoon to me ended up being half of a one tablespoon serving going by grams.

    And maybe I scoop differently than everyone else, but my 1T of peanut butter is actually 1T of peanut butter when I weigh it.

    Me too! I started weighing a lot of my foods and found I was underestimating, such as my protein powder, peanut butter, salad dressing, oatmeal, even chicken breasts...etc. I fill the spoons to a level point (not spilling over). I used to eyeball meat (card deck size) and found by measuring I was under 4oz. I also found that different brands equate to different calories for meat. For example, Perdue, Daily Chef ( a Sam's Club brand), and Tyson all have different calories and nutrient for their chicken. Makes you wonder what they feed them...

    I did however, notice (same as another post) that my creamer is way off. I do not measure my eggs so now I wonder what they really are....

    Thanks for the post!
  • SPPutnam
    SPPutnam Posts: 51 Member
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    Thank you for sharing this! It will help me in logging my foods appropriately from now on!
  • fatfudgery
    fatfudgery Posts: 449 Member
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    Relevant:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/opinion/calorie-detective.html
  • lydiaannepage
    lydiaannepage Posts: 172 Member
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    bump! :tongue:
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
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    a video that you may want to watch.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
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    Thanks to a thread like this, I weigh everything now. The 1/2 cup of oatmeal every morning, that was supposed to be 40 grams? The 1/2 cup was actually about 52 grams. Peanut butter is a big offender so I weigh every sandwich when I'm making it. At dinner, I weigh everything. Obviously you can't when you are eating out, but you can make best guesses there. So thanks to the OP for posting this subject again. Always someone out there can learn this hard lesson.
  • jillmarie125
    jillmarie125 Posts: 418 Member
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    Thanks to a thread like this, I weigh everything now. The 1/2 cup of oatmeal every morning, that was supposed to be 40 grams? The 1/2 cup was actually about 52 grams. Peanut butter is a big offender so I weigh every sandwich when I'm making it. At dinner, I weigh everything. Obviously you can't when you are eating out, but you can make best guesses there. So thanks to the OP for posting this subject again. Always someone out there can learn this hard lesson.

    The thread that made me look into weighing my food mentioned peanut butter. The poster said that what you think is 200 calories of peanut butter can easily be 400 calories. I eat peanut/almond butter everyday.
  • minky_r
    minky_r Posts: 95 Member
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    You are absolutely right!! At first I thought I wasn’t losing because I have been on low carb diet for so many years, that it will take time. It has been 4 weeks now and I think its all about the weighing. I use the measuring cups and read labels. I am completely satisfied at every meal, and I am sure Im going over !! I definitely cannot bring in the scale. My daughter is so obsessed about losing weight (she is at a perfect weight). If I bring in the scale, I think I will be giving her the wrong message. I will have to either up the exercise, change or cut out a snack or two…. Thank God I am not gaining.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
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    Because I don't weigh my food, I dialed in a more dramatic calorie deficit—knowing full well that my actual calories consumed would probably have a margin of error that would wipe out a razor thin deficit. I log everything as accurately as I can, but since I eat out so often, weighing and measuring foods just isn't an option. I literally never cook my own meals. I also eat a lot of fast food, but that's easy to track, and whenever I eat at a national chain restaurant, that's easy to track too, but local restaurants and Chinese takeout? Kind of a minefield, and I always try to be on the safe side when counting calories at those places. :drinker:
  • peasantsong
    peasantsong Posts: 107 Member
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    Because I don't weigh my food, I dialed in a more dramatic calorie deficit—knowing full well that my actual calories consumed would probably have a margin of error that would wipe out a razor thin deficit. I log everything as accurately as I can, but since I eat out so often, weighing and measuring foods just isn't an option. I literally never cook my own meals. I also eat a lot of fast food, but that's easy to track, and whenever I eat at a national chain restaurant, that's easy to track too, but local restaurants and Chinese takeout? Kind of a minefield, and I always try to be on the safe side when counting calories at those places. :drinker:

    I do the same thing, although I do also weigh my food whenever I am able to.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    In...

    ...to spread the awesomeness that is this thread.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    I mean most of these people on the street you see that have been skinny all their lives, they don't weigh out ....... corn flakes do they?!!! Instead they just get a bowl and tip the box until they see the amount they want

    Seriously, you don't want to see my skinny son pouring out breakfast cereal, it has to be patted down to make room for the milk, he eats about 4000 calories a day and keeps his abs and 30" waist. So jealous :cry:

    trust me its not all as it seems...
    he might be more active or might not have much inbetween the day. there is always something
    maybe even like my friend who has a fast motabilism and i didn't think that actually had a effect untill i met her, i just thought it was all myth

    I'm an old guy, but I maintain at ~2700 *without exercise*. When I add in exercise, my daily maintenance can get into the high 3000s. I have no problem believing that an active young guy would maintain at around 4000.
  • amandaragan
    amandaragan Posts: 4 Member
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    How do you know the difference in what the package says and the truth? How do you weigh your food?
  • wowgirl30
    wowgirl30 Posts: 40 Member
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    I love my food scale. Not just to make sure I'm not having too much, but also to make sure I am getting a full serving of things I need and like. I find it hard to measure leafy greens by volume. I have also been pleasantly surprised by how much finely shredded cheese is by weight vs by volume. One thing I haven't been weighing is slices of bread! Thanks OP for tips
  • enkennon
    enkennon Posts: 161 Member
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    Thank you for putting this into perspective! I hear this all the time and i'm like.. "nah, i definitely log my food right" but event hough the package might say one thing you have to double check! never realized that the company themselves could be wrong… going to try to measure out my food a bit better. I don't' have a food scale anymore but i will be getting another one!
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    I mean most of these people on the street you see that have been skinny all their lives, they don't weigh out ....... corn flakes do they?!!! Instead they just get a bowl and tip the box until they see the amount they want

    Seriously, you don't want to see my skinny son pouring out breakfast cereal, it has to be patted down to make room for the milk, he eats about 4000 calories a day and keeps his abs and 30" waist. So jealous :cry:

    trust me its not all as it seems...
    he might be more active or might not have much inbetween the day. there is always something
    maybe even like my friend who has a fast motabilism and i didn't think that actually had a effect untill i met her, i just thought it was all myth

    I'm an old guy, but I maintain at ~2700 *without exercise*. When I add in exercise, my daily maintenance can get into the high 3000s. I have no problem believing that an active young guy would maintain at around 4000.
    Agreed. A coworker of mine saw my Bodymedia and bought one for himself about 3 months ago. We often challenge each other on our daily calorie burns. He is 27, 140lbs and active but does not go to the gym or do formal exercise, he just stays busy at work and at home, and he always burns at least 4,000 calories. I'm lucky to hit 3400, that's with kickboxing, lifting, walking dogs.... But, if I was 300lbs again, I could probably beat him on occassion.
  • Susie_Ot
    Susie_Ot Posts: 7 Member
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    Great post. Definitely an eye opener that's finally answering many questions I had. Thanks!
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    How do you know the difference in what the package says and the truth? How do you weigh your food?
    Buy a digital scale that weighs in grams. Weigh everything, especially for the first while. Put on the plate/bowl/cup, zero it out. Add one ingredient, weigh it, zero it out, add another... It doesn't take long and it is worthwhile.

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