Who really counts the BLTs?

sbarella

When I log my food I usually round up on the safe side so I won't have to weigh two peanuts if I want them. It works for me, but I usually try to avoid food-BLTs so it's no big deal.

Val_from_OH

Depends on what it is. I would count a whole chicken nugget, half a slice of cheese, a spoonful of cookie dough or something like that. In general, I do not count tasting while cooking, I just consider to be part of my dinner. If I am eating 1 cup of chicken and broccoli, does it really matter that it was 1 cup + 1 tablespoonful? I don't measure THAT accurately

mccindy72

Let's be real. The errors (uncertainties) in your big calorie items are bigger than all the calories in gum, diet drinks, many condiments, most green veggies, your BLTs, etc. Yes, think about everything you put in your mouth before you put it there, but don't waste your life's precious time counting senselessly. We all have lives to live, so let's live them. I've often just added up the big ticket items and then added a few hundred calories for miscellaneous. That's only dangerous if you find yourself stuffing yourself with the miscellaneous stuff. Good luck to you!

unless your BLTs include big-calorie items like peanut butter - use it in a recipe and lick it off the spoon or your finger a couple of times, you can eat a teaspoon or two of it easily. Since one tbsp can be nearly 100 calories, that can add up pretty quickly.

waltcote

:bigsmile: I rarely count BLT's. I did make some Buffalo Chicken wing soup a couple weeks ago and had lots of tastes so I accounted for those but the number on the scale is what counts for me, not just weight but also body fat,which my scale does track. If I wasn't progressing I would pay more attention to it but I feel that I use MFP as a tool. It's a help aid and not the end all. I know I can not possibly accurately count every single calorie going into my body without going crazy. Going out to eat I try to calculate what I am eating as close as possible but I am not bringiing a scale out to eat.

lporter229

Let's be real. The errors (uncertainties) in your big calorie items are bigger than all the calories in gum, diet drinks, many condiments, most green veggies, your BLTs, etc. Yes, think about everything you put in your mouth before you put it there, but don't waste your life's precious time counting senselessly. We all have lives to live, so let's live them. I've often just added up the big ticket items and then added a few hundred calorie items for miscellaneous. That's only dangerous if you find yourself stuffing yourself with the miscellaneous stuff. Good luck to you!

While I agree with the point you are making here, this is probably the reason why there are at least 100 post a week saying " I have been eating 1200 calories and exercising like crazy and I am not losing any weight". There was a post last week on another thread stating that people on restrictive diets tend to subconsciously eat way more calories than they think because they are depriving themselves. When they up their calories, they pay closer attention to all of those little things and are probably consuming less in the long run. I tend to agree.

jfauci

I don't log them.......but I try to leave myself at least 100 calories for the "BLT's"......just in case.

geebusuk

BLT = Bacon Lettuce and Tomato.
Expected to be in a sandwich form.

I generally don't, but at the moment I've generally been trying to eat a bit extra as been losing faster than intended.

On a really good day when there's loads of tasters out in the local supermarket, I reckon I've had at least 300 calories - small bits of - two types of cheese, pork pies, samosa, then pasties and sausages on the hot counter, then two sets of cookies. If you're cheeky, go past on the way back to the tills for seconds of everything .
Or more than once in supermarkets elsewhere I've found them putting out massive plates of whole custard pies and the like because they were well over stocked and going out of date - they were selling them for 5p, but happy for you to munch on as many as you wanted at the time too .

PhearlessPhreaks

I've gotten a lot better about the excess peanut butter on the knife, etc... and I am that rare mother who does not eat her kids leftovers... I'm not a germophobe, but kiddle slobber and snot are not what I want to be putting in my mouth.

Having said that, I cook everything at home. Pre-packaged foods are few and far between, usually used as a supplement (ie, canned tomatoes or soup, the occasional onion soup packet) in an otherwise homemade dish. Consequently, I have to taste things as they're progressing, and I do not count them. I account for these minor things in a few different ways, mostly by rounding up on ingredients and portion sizes. My diary, while accurate as to *what* I eat is not always perfectly precise in quantity, but thus far it hasn't proved to be an issue.

Arydria

I make sure I leave enough calories in my day to account for BLT's, since I like to make sure the food I cook tastes good.

As for after dinner, if there is food left on the plate, it immediately goes under running water into the disposal. That way I'm not tempted to have seconds. I also put any leftover food away before sitting down to dinner.

Has worked so far! (*knocks on wood*)

RLeighP

Counting them takes too much time. I log every bite I take, so I don't nibble anymore. Yeah, it wastes a bit of food when my 2 year old decides that she doesn't want to eat all her dinner, but it's not such a big deal when it comes down to it.

pammypurple

I don't have any BLT's. That's part of how I got where I am in the first place! But I do log absolutley everything that I eat or drink.

TheEffort

I want a BLT now. :sad:

Me too.

1two3four

I don't count them, I just try to limit them. Like the Cheetos in the bag stay there. The mayo on my hand gets wiped off. The food left on the plate goes in the trash.

The spoon from the batter may or may not get licked. It depends on if I know there is wiggle room in my day. I taste all of my food while it's cooking for seasoning but I stop there, I don't eat bites of the ingredients. It's unnecessary and it adds up.

I don't count tastes of other's food unless it's 10 different tastes and then depending on what it it's I'll add 5-15 calories per taste.

If I go to a store that's having sample day I guesstimate those calories at the end of the day.

Every calorie counts and I try to keep it all in check, my calorie budget is not huge right now (1400-ish). I can't exercise a ton and I'm a short woman. I'd rather spend my calories on a piece of chocolate than someone's left over pizza crust.

MissSarahAllison315

I do try not to eat them, but sometimes they look too good to resist (tee hee!!!). Usually if it's cookie dough or mayo or something that is high calorie, I'll just log a little bit extra of it (over estimate my food intake, so to speak).

Mother_Warrior

I've just started, but I do count my BLT's because they can add up... and it also makes me conscious of food I am "nibbling" on through out the day.

So how do you weigh or measure them?

For one, I TRY not to, but sometimes just a "taste" is nice. I tend to guess. 20-50 cals usually. I always estimate high.

megantischner

Forcing myself to post every single "BLT" is a significant reason why I'm losing weight, because these BLTs really add up! At the very least, I'll guestimate the calories and do the quick add feature.

skullshank

for anyone else who was disappointed by this thread like i was...

MommyToAllieB

I don't count them...I figure my tracked calories are not really exact anyways. Usually if I take a BLT it is some fruit or veggie that my daughter is eating so it has minimal calories anyway...

helenwilliams78

I don't count them but I do try to limit them. On the otherhand, I have a desk job and so put myself at sedentary. I do log my walk to and from the railway station but I don't count every time I walk to and from the toilet, walk to and from the kitchen with drinks for meetings or walking up and down stairs to deliver documents.

I'm still losing so I guess they cancel each other out!