How strictly do you calorie count?

healthypath14

Hi everyone!

I am back to calorie counting to get my diet started again. It helps me to be able to see just how much I'm eating so that I don't overeat. I did well last time I calorie counted, but I became very restrictive and obsessive over counting each and every calorie.

What do you think is the most effective way to count calories so that you don't feel like you are being controlled by it?

xomorganjc

Commenting to save post... I would like to know the answer to this as well! I have found myself obsessing over every little thing including a piece of gum.

professormudd1

I strictly record everything. Making it out to be a math challenge is part of what keeps me level.

shayjgordon

I'm not an expert by any means, but I lost 35lbs in 2012 before baby number 2 but counting calories. I never weighed my food, I just estimated what I ate but almost always had 100-150 left at the end of the day just in case I under estimated. I tried to log everything but some times I missed things but I was still successful. Of course there were some days that I would eat half a pizza and be way over in calories, but what's life without pizza haha. Everything in moderation. Don't stress out about it. Not logging a piece of gum, or a bite of something isn't going to sabotage your diet.

QueenBishOTUniverse

I have done a lot of cooking and baking. Because of this I have found that I can estimate my portions with a decent level of accuracy. I will still weight out items like my fish fillets and pork chops or things that I know are very calorie dense since being off on these can have a significant affect on my calorie measurement, but when the difference between 1tbs and 1.5 tbs is only going to be 20 calories total, I'm just not going to worry about it.

Also, I have built in safety margins. For instance, the bread I log for my lunch actually has about 20 calories more per serving than the bread that I actually eat. Same thing for the jelly I use. I know I've overcounted on those items, so if I'm off a little bit on something else, it's not that big of a deal.

Last trick I use, if I have a 32 oz container of greek yogurt, that will be 8 days of 4 oz servings. As long as it takes me 8 days to finish off the container, I'm not worried about if I'm a little over one day, because I've been a little under on some other day.

Francl27

I strictly calculate everything too. I even weigh most packaged stuff. My deficit is small on some days so if I was off by even 100 calories, it would make a big difference. When I started I had no scale and left myself extra calories at the end of the day, then I figured out that it was dumb and I could probably eat more if I weighed everything... plus really it would give me peace of mind to know for sure that yes, it's ok that I had two cookies.

emdeesea

I'm fairly restrictive, I weigh and measure most everything, but two meals a week, usually Wednesday and Friday evening, I have what I want, in moderation of course.

I don't count gum, mints, or whatever. Don't really need to because those are pretty rare anyway. Not much of a snacker.

DownsizingAaron

I log anything over 50 calories. So if I had a single Lifesaver, I'm not going to bother. If you aren't seeing weight loss in several weeks, 50 calories/day isn't going to be the culprit, so that's why I don't bother.

Some people log everything, some people measure everything, and others may log only occasionally or only most things and eyeball all the food portions. The key is to find the system that works best for you, helps you lose weight, and is something you'll stick with.

kgeyser

I don't log absolutely everything, I just leave a small calorie deficit each day to account for it.

bumblebeez86

I am pretty strict and weigh everything however I don't usually log my granulated sweetener and I once missed out a mint and some diet pepsi. it is a bit controlling and I hate eating out as I cant weigh the food!

red869

I weigh and measure pretty much everything that I eat to the gram or ml. I know it's a bit obsessive but this is what works for me and I honestly don't mind doing it. If I was to just guess the amount, I'd probably under-eat by quite a bit as I tend to overestimate everything.

rockmama72

I log everything, but I try not to obsess too much about being exact. For example, if I make homemade BBQ ribs, I search the database and find one that's close enough and use it as my entry. The trick for me is really in the portion control, so if I'm weighing or measuring most foods, I'm doing WAY better than before.

MinMin97

I don't. I do log everything, but the portion sizes? Probably not.
Still thinking about getting a scale just for the exercise of it.

luckydays27

I log nearly everything. I weight nearly everything I eat so I can log it.

When I make foods at home, I create a recipe here on MFP with all the ingredients and after its done cooking, I weight the food to determine how much of it should be one serving. This helps keep portions in check.

I dont log tastes when cooking or a bit of something small but I dont sample foods to the point that its going to be a huge amount anyway

I dont obsess about being exactly perfect but I do my best. I also try to leave around 50-100 cals "in the bank" to cover for the times that I am not spot on.

Some people call it anal and tedious to weigh and log everything but its the only way I can do it right now. I am not ready to step out on my own and think that I have a handle on it. I know I dont. I will forget how much I ate earlier in the day and go ahead and get the ice cream or potato chips thinking I have plenty of cals left. Its one of the reasons I got fat and I am not interested in being fat again.

girlschmoopie

If I'm making the meal or creating the recipe, I'll log it all accurately, so I have it in the database when I have leftovers or make the recipe another time.

If I'm eating something that I didn't make, I will just do a search on MFP and there is usually several options that look like it could work. I make an educated guess based on what I know of the cook and how "from scratch" they cook.

My 10yo has been experimenting with her easy bake oven and inventing basic cookie recipes from scratch. I never count the two cookies she gives me because they are about the size of my thumbnail.

randomtai

I log everything accurately and weigh my food. If your data is inconsistent then it is hard to figure out where things go wrong.

wendybird5

I am not terribly obsessed with being super precise when counting. For me, just the fact that I'm paying attention is more than enough. I realize that the counts on here may not be right on, but I refuse to get so obsessive with it. Trying to get into shape is stressful enough. I've done great with it. I do little things like try not to eat all my exercise calories (but still eat some especially on heavy days when I could use a little more fuel) and use the calorie counts on the cardio machines which tend to be lower than the numbers MFP gives me to help keep me from over estimating how much I burned. I log everything I eat that is over 10 calories, but I don't weigh anything except cuts of meat and those I round up to make it easier. I'll measure my food when I need to, but other wise I guesstimate and don't try to over think it. I have too much else going on to add any more unnecessary stress and what I've been doing has worked for me so I'm happy.

thegilly6

Yeah. I'm sort of a dork. If it goes into my mouth, it's on the dairy. My wife thinks I'm an absolute nut.

wk9t

I do not weigh everything or go overboard with that.

But I try to account for what I eat and drink as best and honestly as I can on a daily basis and it works out.

This works for me also.

BaoCat

I try and log everything, even if it's a guesstimate... It keeps me honest to myself.

I find it very helpful to measure and weight at home, but for some things I also use standard containers. I know what a cup of greek yogurt looks like in my little blue rice bowls or in my 'to-go for work' container. Things like that, that are 'standards'. I've measure the item and tossed it into that bowl enough, I know what it looks like.

When I make soups or chili, I enter the recipe online, then when I store it in the fridge I measure the stuff by cups into the storage container. That way I can gauge the size of the serving when I scoop it out and know what to log. It helps to measure it into the storage container because I find what I WANT to eat as a serving size is often bigger than the recipe assumes (when I've copied someone elses.)

I like to experiment a bit, so the whole measuring thing really isn't a bother. I usually find when I'm slacking it's from guilt and not wanting to admit to myself I've slid off track.

Todays experiment was soy / lupin flour pasta! Actually wasn't too bad - better than the last attempt at straight soy flour pasta...

NaomiJFoster

I count everything I eat, but I do not weigh my food. I count pieces or slices or percentage of the package, and I sometimes measure with cups and spoons. Since I know I'm not being accurate, I tend to 'round up' and overestimate the amount. But I do log pretty much everything I eat. A handful of grapes, probably not. A bowl full of grapes, yes. Unsweetened tea, no. Sweetened tea, yes. I try to be responsible and log the things that will have an effect on my macros and total calories. I do log exercise, but not general daily walking-around.

briana12077

I try to log everything but usually I'll mess up if I snack. Which I try to avoid. By snacking I mean eating a few chips, then a spoonfull of ice cream, then a few bites of this, and a tiny handful of that throughout the day. If this happens I take note and try to best figure out the calories and just add them in by quick add calories or something. I realized that weighing is important for high calorie foods such as peanut butter and salad dressing. If I don't measure those I could be WAY off and then wonder why I'm not losing weight but I just try to average out the best I can.

FattyFatsoMcTubby

I count every calorie. If I go over on calories, I almost always do some extra walking or other calorie burning exercise to make it up, if not the same day, the next day.

lmd_1979

I log everything I eat. But I have gone over my calories today so will go for a long walk tomorrow. Btw does a day log go from Midnight to Midnight?

QuietBloom

When you say you became restrictive, what do you mean? That you restricted your calories too much?

meaganrh19

I log everything, but don't have a scale to weigh. I have to eyeball some stuff, but so far it is working for me.

LunaGreen

I log nearly everything. I weight nearly everything I eat so I can log it.

When I make foods at home, I create a recipe here on MFP with all the ingredients and after its done cooking, I weight the food to determine how much of it should be one serving. This helps keep portions in check.

I dont log tastes when cooking or a bit of something small but I dont sample foods to the point that its going to be a huge amount anyway

I dont obsess about being exactly perfect but I do my best. I also try to leave around 50-100 cals "in the bank" to cover for the times that I am not spot on.

Some people call it anal and tedious to weigh and log everything but its the only way I can do it right now. I am not ready to step out on my own and think that I have a handle on it. I know I dont. I will forget how much I ate earlier in the day and go ahead and get the ice cream or potato chips thinking I have plenty of cals left. Its one of the reasons I got fat and I am not interested in being fat again.

^^^This

LessthanKris

I do not weigh anything. I think that may be too tedious for me but who knows as I get closer to my goal and if I hit a snag. MFP has my calories are set at 1200 plus exercise calories so I am not too concernced if I go a little over since I am eating at such a low net.

I cook a lot at home so I do enter all of my recipes every week. I am trying to get better at logging everything I put in my mouth but right now I do not log if I have a couple M&Ms or a few goldfish.

Mr_Knight

What do you think is the most effective way to count calories so that you don't feel like you are being controlled by it?

I count *everything* - and I made the choice to count calories - so I'm not the one being controlled, I'm the one doing the controlling.

SarahBGoodGirl

I'm not strict at all about counting calories. I never have before I joined this site a few days ago. I like to eat until I feel satisfied and right now, I'm just starting to figure out what kinds of things make me feel full but give me the nutrition and calories my body needs without too much excess. I'm actually not worried about going over my calorie "goal" so long as I see improvements in my own body and feel good!

CharityGC

I typically do 90/10 or so. I weigh/measure most everything and count calories 90% of the time. But I generally have a meal here and there (usually out or at friends' houses) where I don't count at all. I may "quick add" some calories but I'm fine just skipping it entirely. It works for me.