BIGGEST thing you have learned since tracking calories?

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  • Elsie_Brownraisin
    Elsie_Brownraisin Posts: 786 Member
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    I agree with those who who have mentioned cereal.

    1 serving of 0.7632 of a teaspooon? Pfft, I'd eat a soup bowl full as an evening snack!
  • Leesha97
    Leesha97 Posts: 11 Member
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    I learned to eat a bigger breakfast. I thought I was saving my calories for later, but all that made me do was starve myself all day so I could eat 500+ calories dinners. I switched it up, eat a bigger breakfast, and am less hungry throughout the day. And I don't need a big dinner.

    Also, and this is just for me, but full fat dairy is awesome. It's not that many more calories, it has way more good stuff and way less sugar, and helps me feel more satiated.
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
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    Serving/portion size!
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    One serving of salad dressing really is enough and I don't need to drown the lettuce/veggies/other stuff in it
  • lmmathis86
    lmmathis86 Posts: 223 Member
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    I've learned that a salad with no cheese or dressing is so good...but the more veggies the more calories...so be careful. FOUND THIS OUT TO NIGHT! BUT IT WAS SO GOOD!!!
  • logicboy101
    logicboy101 Posts: 2 Member
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    I learned I was eating like a Dunder head. I had no idea what things added up to, and how badly I really was eating. Thankfully, I found this and all of you!
  • sally884
    sally884 Posts: 51
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    If the label says half a cup or tbsp how do you measure on the scale ?

    The label will also say, in (parentheses) next to where it says 1/2 cup or 1 tbsp, how many grams the item is (so on oatmeal it says Serving Size: 1/2 cup (40g) ). 40g is the weight.

    Some don't say this was so I just use the measuring cup/spoon but it's not as accurate :(
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    Oh man...the whole tracking thing has seriously opened my eyes to a million things I didn't realize before.

    Probably the BIGGEST though for me has been the difference between various restaurant and "bad" foods. I would have though a large chocolate shake was equivalent to a custard sundae when it's roughly twice as many calories. I'd probably choose the chicken alfredo/pasta entree in a restaurant assuming it was made with chicken and broccoli so better for me than a big ol' hamburger, right? Probably NOT!! The difference in my overall meal calories when I avoid the breadsticks, rolls, peanuts, or chips n' salsa they bring preceding the meal...that can be hundreds of calories saved by just waiting and enjoying my entree! Lots of little things that I didn't realize. It has been eye-opening and has helped me actually choose far more satisfying things when I do go out and/or indulge!!

    Also notable has been the sodium issue. I was like a lot of my friends are now..."Oh I don't have issues with salt, because I don't really like fries and I don't ever salt my food at the table". But I was eating out A LOT and eating a lot of canned vegetables, beans, sauces, etc. I was unnecessarily consuming LOTS of sodium.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    Although I am new to this board, I am not new to tracking. My biggest lesson was realizing I ate far more calories than I thought I consumed. Tracking forces you to be accountable for the food you eat.
  • jabbruz777
    jabbruz777 Posts: 8
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    Biggest for me was that in cutting down in calories I actually ended up "accidentally" eating healthier foods because I could eat more of them and feel well fed. It's way more satisfying to be full on vegetables and rice than to eat a big ole piece of cake and use up all of your calories.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    Although I am new to this board, I am not new to tracking. My biggest lesson was realizing I ate far more calories than I thought I consumed. Tracking forces you to be accountable for the food you eat.

    I agree with this too! My husband is very sensible & smart and has lost a lot of weight himself, and when I was frustrated at seeing little change in my weight after "eating healthier" (with no tracking involved) he gave me a quick rundown about the simple math and told me that to keep up my weight of 260-something at that time, I needed to be eating around 2,700 calories daily. I thought he was NUTS because it seemed like there was NO WAY I ate that much ever. But when I look back and track some of my 'typical' meals, yeah that was about right for many days of the week. Crazy as I honestly never felt like I was a "big eater" even when I was at 307 lb, nor a binge eater. And I still don't think I was -- I didn't eat unusually large portions or snack often. I just ate the wrong things and too many calories. So many of my food choices seemed fine but added up to a lot of calories - like breakfast cereal with milk, or homemade quesadillas with too many tortillas used, and loaded with cheese and sour cream (now made with the addition of beans and pico, and I use 1 or 2 tortillas for my portion instead of 4+). Calories can be really tricky when you don't quite have a grasp on them!
  • Pia_rita123
    Pia_rita123 Posts: 6 Member
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    Portion control and limited snacking.

    I used to snack a lot on tit bits that I never thought contributed much to the calories consumed but when I started tracking they contributed the most to the total calories being consumed. For such a long time I kept on thinking that I hardly eat anything and still can't lose any weight..
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
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    I learned I'm not a good judge of how much I'm eating based on being hungry or full.
  • RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle
    RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle Posts: 1,349 Member
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    I have learned that I am not a special snowflake, and I won't pass out if I miss a meal or snack:)
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
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    I've learned that feeling hungry won't literally kill me.

    Before counting calories and watching portion sizes, I would turn into a complete monster. I might have a "healthy" breakfast, and then work all day and not be able to eat a meal. I might have snacked on some chips or chocolates that were brought into work, but by 6pm I'd snap at any person who crossed my path!

    Some days I was eating WAY too many calories, and feeling full and bloated constantly. Other days, I was eating almost nothing and I'd be raging, angry, emotional because of my hunger.

    Now that I can SEE what I'm eating I can put 300 - 500 calories into each of the 4 meals I eat a day, and KNOW that my next meal is coming at 12 noon, or 3PM or 8PM. Even if I'm feeling a little hungry, I think, well I'm having my 300 calorie shake at 3PM so I don't have to kill anybody to eat for food later! YAY!

    It has made me a much happier and more rational person in regards to food. And I realized even though I didn't think I was eating much, my snacking was adding up to 2500-3000 cals a day. Oops. :happy:
  • ki4yxo
    ki4yxo Posts: 709 Member
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    If the label says half a cup or tbsp how do you measure on the scale ?

    The label will also say, in (parentheses) next to where it says 1/2 cup or 1 tbsp, how many grams the item is (so on oatmeal it says Serving Size: 1/2 cup (40g) ). 40g is the weight.

    Some don't say this was so I just use the measuring cup/spoon but it's not as accurate :(


    Close enough. A cup measures volume while a scale measures weight.
    I've never had a problem using a measuring cup. :tongue:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    - how small portions are for pretty much everything except green beans
    - that all the 'only 45 calorie per slice' etc advertising lies (it's always more - I love my scale)
    - that 99% of restaurant entrees are 1000+ calories (and desserts... ugh)
    - definitely exercise = eat more
    - biggest one was that I don't have to starve or deprive myself to lose weight though.

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