Shockers when you started paying attention to calories?

Nedra19455

A few weeks before I joined MFP, I remember taking a few trips to Noodles and Co to eat lunch while I graded papers. Both times, I ordered the Alfredo Montamore. Recently my husband and I went there and I went into my MFP app to look up the calories of menu items and decide what to order before we got there (I didn't realize that they have the calories right on the menu now).

The Alfredo Montamore? 1,270 calories for a regular size. That's more than some people's daily caloric allotment for the whole day. I was totally shocked. Needless to say, if I ever want to eat that again I will need to plan my day very carefully -- and order the small or take home leftovers.

What were your biggest surprises?

msthang444

Even within my MFP I had a shocker two weeks ago that almost made me lose my mind.
We went to Chili's and I ordered egg rolls as the appetizer. I went to log them....


800 CALORIES..... A PIECE..... I really, honestly almost fell out on the floor.

Really.

I was done (and over) for the day with two dang egg rolls.

Edmond_Dantes

Even within my MFP I had a shocker two weeks ago that almost made me lose my mind.
We went to Chili's and I ordered egg rolls as the appetizer. I went to log them....


800 CALORIES..... A PIECE..... I really, honestly almost fell out on the floor.

Really.

I was done (and over) for the day with two dang egg rolls.

I hope it makes you feel better to know that it is actually 810 cals for all 3 eggrolls. It is 270 cals each or 135 per half serving.

maillemaker

Everything. A standard meal at a fast food joint consumed 90% of the calories I should eat every day.

It's why America is overweight. No one pays attention to calories and if you eat "normal" food based on hungry/not hungry cues you will almost certainly be eating a surplus, and it only takes a few years to be overweight. It can easily happen to you before you are even old enough to be in charge of what you eat.

Jestinia

Zaxby's large chicken finger plate: Calories 1592

That's over my maintenance calories!

DoctorMcCoy10

A foot long chicken bacon ranch on flatbread from subway. I really didn't think it would be that high but thank goodness I looked it up before we left for lunch that day it's 1,140 calories!!!!

SnuggleSmacks

Milkshakes from Sonic. Even the mini milkshakes, which seemed like such a good and healthy choice, are about 450 cals. I mean, what do they make it with, pure lard?

crohnsfighter

When they advertise something as having "low calories", it can be very high in fat, which offsets the 'benefit' they speak of.

cara4fit

"Everything. A standard meal at a fast food joint consumed 90% of the calories I should eat every day.

It's why America is overweight. No one pays attention to calories and if you eat "normal" food based on hungry/not hungry cues you will almost certainly be eating a surplus, and it only takes a few years to be overweight. It can easily happen to you before you are even old enough to be in charge of what you eat. " - maillemaker

This is precisely why, when one needs to get a serious handle on just how much and what one is eating, preparing one's own food at home at least 90% of the time is essential, and by that I don't mean so-called "gourmet" recipes either. But you know, a WHOLE lot of people now literally don't know anything about food prep other than "nuking a burrito". Also, take a look at what's in people's grocery baskets the next time one is at the store. Chances are, at least out in the mainstream, it's a whole bunch of processed foods and not much in the way of fresh, one-ingredient foods, when it should be in the reverse at least. If you handed them a potato, they'd have little idea what to do with it. Learning how to prepare one's own food is one of the most valuable skills in more ways than one. Then one has to look for health-conscious recipes of which there are bazillions now, fortunately, no matter what dietary pattern one prefers. omnivorous, vegetarian, vegan, flexitarian, Paleo. Primal. low-carb, whatever.
Save the restaurant meals for the very occasional big treat meal, or a very special occasion. That's kind of the way it used to be, before fast food and everyone and his relatives eating out in general so many times a week.

scyian

Mayonaise once I brought myself digital food scales!

fit2014yay

Sweet tea!! Had no idea how many calories I was drinking a day!! 600+ calories I could've been eating!

That, and Smucker's Uncrustables - 210 a sandwich!!

peter56765

"A standard meal at a fast food joint consumed 90% of the calories I should eat every day"

I think it has more to do with the evolving definition of what a "standard" meal is. A standard meal at McDonalds used to mean a hamburger, regular fries and a regular coke. That's 620 calories, 480 if you go with a diet coke. That's really not all that bad. But that's not what people want now. Today it's double quarter pounders and bacon double cheeseburgers with the large fries and large coke. When the Big Mac came out, it was considered a very large sandwich, only suitable for really big people, not your average Joe. It's even in the name of thing. Now, this one time king sized sandwich is dwarfed by half the items on the menu.

tibby531

a little slice of chocolate mousse cheesecake at olive garden has SIX HUNDRED CALORIES!

I mean, it's good, and all... but not 600 calories good.

SnuggleSmacks

Sloppy Joes. You know those Manwich commercials with all the delicious saucy meat falling off the bun? That's about 4 servings right there.

JustSomeEm

At Outback, they have these little milkshake things. They're tiny - and like 600 calories for the oreo shake. LOVE THEM, but sigh.

seltzermint555

Milkshakes from Sonic. Even the mini milkshakes, which seemed like such a good and healthy choice, are about 450 cals. I mean, what do they make it with, pure lard?

I agree with this completely. Milkshakes in general have been an automatic "NO" for me ever since starting MFP...and I DO indulge in things like chocolate, ice cream, and baked goods a couple of times every week...it's just shakes that blow my mind with their calorie counts! So not worth it.

I feel similarly about lattes, mochas, and the like. I always knew they had more sugar & calories than regular coffee with creamer or milk, but I seriously thought the difference was minor - maybe 70-100 cal more for the "fancy" stuff - compared to what it actually is (often 300-400 and up).

A lot of my fast food choices pre-MFP were actually not that terrible calorie wise (Chick-Fil-A, small burgers, etc). I never ordered fries or sugary drinks so I found that I wasn't doing quite as badly as I thought on the occasions that I grabbed something like that. I've continued eating some of them, but don't get others anymore due to fat or sodium being through the roof. Today for example I had a double steakburger with mustard at Steak N' Shake which is around 400 calories. But I used to like their Frisco Melt, which is close to 800 calories. It's more indulgent than the double burger for sure...but it just does NOT seem like 2X the food/calories!! I probably won't ever get that again unless I have a wicked craving AND got tons of extra activity that day for some reason (like a major hike or 8 hours of physical labor/moving).

Happily though, I've had good surprises too. Like a 150 calorie Cadbury egg, or 25 calorie cheese wedges.

Holly_Roman_Empire

Even within my MFP I had a shocker two weeks ago that almost made me lose my mind.
We went to Chili's and I ordered egg rolls as the appetizer. I went to log them....


800 CALORIES..... A PIECE..... I really, honestly almost fell out on the floor.

Really.

I was done (and over) for the day with two dang egg rolls.

The chips and chili con queso was about 1100 calories there! My husband and I split it, but I was still freaking out because it was an appetizer! I had the old timer burger and fries, and ended up having MORE than my day's calories just in that one outing to Chili's! GAH!!!!!

Holly_Roman_Empire

And peanuts. One bag of peanuts from the vending machine was 300 calories. I just thought I was having a small snack while waiting at the doctor's office. Nope. Not even close.

DianeinCA

The chocolate chip coffee cake at Noah's Bagels is 800 calories.

I'm still wondering what they must be making that thing with.

MBrothers22

"Everything. A standard meal at a fast food joint consumed 90% of the calories I should eat every day.

It's why America is overweight. No one pays attention to calories and if you eat "normal" food based on hungry/not hungry cues you will almost certainly be eating a surplus, and it only takes a few years to be overweight. It can easily happen to you before you are even old enough to be in charge of what you eat. " - maillemaker

This is precisely why, when one needs to get a serious handle on just how much and what one is eating, preparing one's own food at home at least 90% of the time is essential, and by that I don't mean so-called "gourmet" recipes either. But you know, a WHOLE lot of people now literally don't know anything about food prep other than "nuking a burrito". Also, take a look at what's in people's grocery baskets the next time one is at the store. Chances are, at least out in the mainstream, it's a whole bunch of processed foods and not much in the way of fresh, one-ingredient foods, when it should be in the reverse at least. If you handed them a potato, they'd have little idea what to do with it. Learning how to prepare one's own food is one of the most valuable skills in more ways than one. Then one has to look for health-conscious recipes of which there are bazillions now, fortunately, no matter what dietary pattern one prefers. omnivorous, vegetarian, vegan, flexitarian, Paleo. Primal. low-carb, whatever.
Save the restaurant meals for the very occasional big treat meal, or a very special occasion. That's kind of the way it used to be, before fast food and everyone and his relatives eating out in general so many times a week.

Processed food fearing and the one ingredient crap.
You aren't original, nor are you more correct than eating however you want in moderation.

Holly_Roman_Empire

"Everything. A standard meal at a fast food joint consumed 90% of the calories I should eat every day.

It's why America is overweight. No one pays attention to calories and if you eat "normal" food based on hungry/not hungry cues you will almost certainly be eating a surplus, and it only takes a few years to be overweight. It can easily happen to you before you are even old enough to be in charge of what you eat. " - maillemaker

This is precisely why, when one needs to get a serious handle on just how much and what one is eating, preparing one's own food at home at least 90% of the time is essential, and by that I don't mean so-called "gourmet" recipes either. But you know, a WHOLE lot of people now literally don't know anything about food prep other than "nuking a burrito". Also, take a look at what's in people's grocery baskets the next time one is at the store. Chances are, at least out in the mainstream, it's a whole bunch of processed foods and not much in the way of fresh, one-ingredient foods, when it should be in the reverse at least. If you handed them a potato, they'd have little idea what to do with it. Learning how to prepare one's own food is one of the most valuable skills in more ways than one. Then one has to look for health-conscious recipes of which there are bazillions now, fortunately, no matter what dietary pattern one prefers. omnivorous, vegetarian, vegan, flexitarian, Paleo. Primal. low-carb, whatever.
Save the restaurant meals for the very occasional big treat meal, or a very special occasion. That's kind of the way it used to be, before fast food and everyone and his relatives eating out in general so many times a week.

Did you write this in the wrong thread?