How accurate is your logging

lynn_glenmont

I actually don't normally drink coffee at all , actually I have never measured out milk for a coffee and I don't drink milk so I have no idea of calorie amount in milk nor measurements
This is part reason why I refused the coffee , I only ever drink hot drinks coming into winter months when it starts getting very cold so now the cold has been creeping in I have more tempted to start drinking a few coffees here and there

Well, you said in your OP that you refused the coffee because you couldn't measure the milk. If you really refused it because you don't normally drink coffee and didn't want it, that's a totally different thing. Do you drink milk, so you know how many calories are in a cup? You say you measure everything, so presumably you know what a half cup or quarter cup of milk looks like, and how long it takes to pour that amount. It seems like you could see that were getting a quarter cup of milk or less (probably less - the two ounces I mentioned is a lot for a single cup of coffee - mine was in a mug, and it was very strong coffee, so I was intentionally adding extra milk). I mean, heck, you could see how much the level of the coffee moved in the cup when you add the milk, and mentally compare that to a measuring cup.

So, yeah, if you wanted the coffee, it seems excessive to worry about not being to exactly measure the amount of milk you were using. Have the coffee, take your best guess about the milk, and move on.

lynn_glenmont

I just ate 2 slices of toast which came from the same loaf beside each other and they were completely different sizes. I just assume it all works out in the end though - one day I'll have the fat slice and another the skinny one. I did weigh the page I put on the toast though as it's more calorie dense plus I'm less able to guess the quantity.

What's page (on the toast)? (Honestly, not trying to be a smart aleck. If this a typo that should be obvious too me, I'm just not seeing it.)

MACnificence

Ya I don't normally drink coffee only in the colder months so I wouldn be used to adding milk to coffee , but I actually did want the coffee because it was so god damn cold
I don't drink milk so I'm not used to weighing milk so I really have no idea what a certain amount of milk looks like
I generally don't drink any drinks that have calories

But ya moral of the story is I specifically refused the coffee because I wouldn't know how many calories was in d milk
I know that makes me sound abit crazy but that's why I posted this thread I'm curious to see how accurate everyone else is about weighing things

igotabulletproofheart

Not very. I set my calories to 1000 because I tend to snack a lot between my last meal and bed.

So long as I'm on a deficit, I know I'll be losing something so it's cool.

W8G0

I'm somewhat surprised (and impressed) by people who weigh out all of their food. I don't and have no intention to, but kudos to those who can. My solution to the problem is to err on the side of overestimation of amount if I feel it's ambiguous. (Then again, I also don't log my calories from exercise, so I'm almost guaranteed a daily deficit if I stay under my mark - which I always do)

WalkingAlong

Even those who think they're very accurate are usually overestimating the accuracy of the methods. We use databases of average values for what we burn and what we intake, even if you're using a Fitbit and a Polar and a food scale.

You can drive yourself nuts trying to micromanage it or try to capture the big picture. One milky coffee isn't going to blow your diet. If you think like that, you're going to quit logging altogether sooner or later. Or people will quit inviting you over or wanting to eat with you. You'll avoid parties and restaurants and it's just bad. Been there. You get in that 'black or white' thinking and it's as if one mislogged food is going to make your whole log worthless and your whole weight journey will reverse. I think it's just a control thing. Learn to trust yourself and the process, be as honest as you can without going nutso over details that aren't material, and try to relax.

drshona

I just ate 2 slices of toast which came from the same loaf beside each other and they were completely different sizes. I just assume it all works out in the end though - one day I'll have the fat slice and another the skinny one. I did weigh the page I put on the toast though as it's more calorie dense plus I'm less able to guess the quantity.

What's page (on the toast)? (Honestly, not trying to be a smart aleck. If this a typo that should be obvious too me, I'm just not seeing it.)

Pâté
Autocorrect...it corrected it something else first (can't remember what) but then I missed this!

lynn_glenmont

Ya I don't normally drink coffee only in the colder months so I wouldn be used to adding milk to coffee , but I actually did want the coffee because it was so god damn cold
I don't drink milk so I'm not used to weighing milk so I really have no idea what a certain amount of milk looks like
I generally don't drink any drinks that have calories

But ya moral of the story is I specifically refused the coffee because I wouldn't know how many calories was in d milk
I know that makes me sound abit crazy but that's why I posted this thread I'm curious to see how accurate everyone else is about weighing things

(Honestly trying to be helpful here, so if you're just looking for a mental check rather than ways to deal with the practical problem, just ignore me.)
You could have had the coffee black -- then it would have been even hotter, which would have better met you need for the hot drink.
Or, if you only drink it with milk on those rare occasions that you have it, make an estimate. When it comes to measuring volume, milk isn't some mysterious substance. All liquids measure the same by volume. So, like I said, just eyeball the amount the level of the coffee moves in the cup, and mentally compare that to the volume of a measuring cup.

MACnificence

I don't count on Sundays , I usually have my normal lunch and have a meal out at a restaurant I have done this from the beginning of my journey
I actually am quiet happy not eating at other people's houses like if it was an occasion or something I would make an exception but as far as a normal day goes where I just call to visit and they offer me dinner or something else to eat I'm happy enough refusing
I usually have my meals preplanned and macros accounted for

MACnificence

Ya I don't normally drink coffee only in the colder months so I wouldn be used to adding milk to coffee , but I actually did want the coffee because it was so god damn cold
I don't drink milk so I'm not used to weighing milk so I really have no idea what a certain amount of milk looks like
I generally don't drink any drinks that have calories

But ya moral of the story is I specifically refused the coffee because I wouldn't know how many calories was in d milk
I know that makes me sound abit crazy but that's why I posted this thread I'm curious to see how accurate everyone else is about weighing things

(Honestly trying to be helpful here, so if you're just looking for a mental check rather than ways to deal with the practical problem, just ignore me.)
You could have had the coffee black -- then it would have been even hotter, which would have better met you need for the hot drink.
Or, if you only drink it with milk on those rare occasions that you have it, make an estimate. When it comes to measuring volume, milk isn't some mysterious substance. All liquids measure the same by volume. So, like I said, just eyeball the amount the level of the coffee moves in the cup, and mentally compare that to the volume of a measuring cup.

Ha I think the whole coffee example is becoming a new topic in itself , I get what your saying but what I'm trying to say I generally won't eat/drink anything that I can't somewhat track
In other words I weigh everything

So was just curious does other people weigh everything aswell ? Or do they make exceptions for things relatively low in a calories like lettuce etc ...

Ibleedlipstick

I weigh everything I eat at home, and when I go out I look up what I ate, use my best guess, and add 25%. I don't freak out too much if I go over one week, because I know it will be better the next.

michable

So say If you had a slice of bread and on the package it says x calories for 35g , would you then weigh the bread and if it was 40g adjust the calories accordingly ?

Yes, I weigh bread and adjust the cals. It is never the weight it says on the packet.

I also weigh lettuce, and the 10ml of skim milk that goes in my tea.

When I drink tea out, I say just a dash of milk, and estimate the amount.

texerus

I make it simple for myself and just added a column called “20% Daily Overage Estimation” and multiply my daily calories consumed by .20. It works for me but as I see many are on a stricter regimen and I often find myself eating what is being served and have no idea except a best guess. In this case I just have to eat what gives me the most energy.

lynn_glenmont

I just ate 2 slices of toast which came from the same loaf beside each other and they were completely different sizes. I just assume it all works out in the end though - one day I'll have the fat slice and another the skinny one. I did weigh the page I put on the toast though as it's more calorie dense plus I'm less able to guess the quantity.

What's page (on the toast)? (Honestly, not trying to be a smart aleck. If this a typo that should be obvious too me, I'm just not seeing it.)

Pâté
Autocorrect...it corrected it something else first (can't remember what) but then I missed this!

Mmmm, pate on toast. Saddest thing about not hosting Thanksgiving is not having leftover "pate" (family tradition of making "pate" -- more like chopped liver, with mayo, chopped egg, onion, and lemon juice) with the turkey liver, then I started augmenting it with chicken liver (and sauteing the onion, and adding some thyme and a little kirsch, mmm), because there just wasn't enough liver in one turkey, and sometimes they didn't even give you the liver, or not the whole liver:grumble: Using a pound of chicken livers meant there actually would be leftover pate, which I would have on toast for breakfast, or use in place of mayo on bread or toast for leftover turkey sandwiches. Mmmmm. Maybe I'll get some liver at the store tomorrow....

eazy_

I am not accurate. I will get over the top precise once i get closer to my goal and it becomes harder to lose weight.

fruttibiscotti

Pretty accurate. I try to report as best as I can - don't want to give myself an excuse to fudge the numbers. It helped me learn a lot about food, and how the proportions of the various macronutrients can make a significant impact on my weight loss.

arabianhorselover

I do the best I can. I'm pretty good at logging everything I eat. I don't actually weigh much of anything. I do measure with measuring cups and spoons. With homemade or restaurant foods, I just estimate the best I can. I hope to put more recipes in here as time goes on.

smc864

I'd say my logging is as accurate as physically possible. I weigh EVERYTHING. I like it that way though... fits my semi-obsessive personality :bigsmile:

littlehedgy

I don't weigh anything really. Sometimes meat but not usually. I don't eat back my excersize cals and try to over estimate all if my food. For example this morning I put 3 TBS of creamer in my coffee and only drank about 2/3 of it, but I still log the 3tbs. It seems to be working so far at least. Now I just need to up my protein intake and lower my carbs. Sigh

Necron33

@MACnificence Yup, I just add it as a food here on MFP and then measure it, MFP automatically divides 35g into calories/g which makes it easy to just put in whatever number the scale reads and the calories are automatically added.