Counting calories...

Ayreiya

I just started tthis whole thing last week and i am suprised by how many calories the foods that i normally eat have. Like peanut butter!!! it has 210 calories in s tbsp. i looked at it three times to make sure i was reading it right. Then i looked at ranch dressing and it has less than the peanut butter. I think this counting calories thing is going to help me get away from the high calorie foods like that. BUt i do enjoy sweets so i got sugar free jello which has 40 calories per box and i enjoy that quite a bit so i have my sweets covered.

What kind of things were you surprised to find had high calories when you started?

sweetmelissa222

I was going to Smoothie King a lot and getting just strawberries and ice. They are/ were frighteningly high in calories, I think this is because the strawberries are kept in a syrup. I found out you can get a smoothie at Dairy Queen for a lot less than you can at Smoothie King, which is just insane. Peanut butter is great in moderation, in fact I eat a piece of toast with peanut butter almost every day for breakfast. Welcome to MFP! The important thing to remember is not to restrict yourself, but rather practice substitution and moderation and remember that whenever you need the support, the community is here

BrettPGH

Cold Stone Creamery. PBC (peanut butter & chocolate) milk shake. I knew it was bad, it's a chocolate shake.

I didn't know it was 1,500 calories bad.

For the medium size.

:ohwell: Still tasty.

Miriai

Pizza. I used to eat it allllll the time, because its simple to make or even simpler, buy. I have it once in a while now, but I know better. Also bacon. It is so delicious but when you look at the calorie count you no longer want to eat it anymore!

itsuki

"Salads."

I put it in quotes because I used to make really unhealthy salads. :P Lots of cheese and dressing, crunchy fried chicken, sometimes cold pasta, croutons, the whole nine yards. I figured hey, it was on a bed of lettuce, so it was fine. Little did I know that I was eating thousand-calorie salads. Throw in a bottle of lemonade and a sour-dough roll, it's no wonder I need to lose weight (I blame whole foods and their amazing salad bars).

messyinthekitchen

What peanut butter are you eating lol. Thats a lot

rockerbabyy

actually paying attention to the meals i used to get at fast food places- id regularly get a large burger combo with sprite, and then a side of jalapeno poppers and sometimes even bacon potato wedges. i cant think of the actual cal count right now - but bleh.

What peanut butter are you eating lol. Thats a lot

my adams all natural peanut butter is 200 calories for 2 tbls - its about average.

cobracars

A few weeks after I started and was more familiar with the site I realized I could modify my food diary to show other values as well.

My big culprit besides calories is SODIUM. Update your settings to track your sodium and you will be SHOCKED how much sodium is in the pre-packaged foods. When you compare food choices make sure you are comparing similar sizes.

For example, today I was thinking red beans and rice with some grilled tuna steak. I looked at a few different pre-packaged versions. One said a serving size was 1/2 cup. Another said !/3 cup, and the third one said 1/4 cup. A 1/2 cup serving was like 1100 sodium, about HALF of what you should have the ENTIRE DAY. Just in 1/2 cup serving of red beans and rice.

So I went with brown rice and 4oz tuna steak grilled on an indoor panini-type machine.

daisyls85

I love PB. I was really surprised to find out the calories content as well. I eat the Peter Pan Whipped kind. I used to pile it on THICK! Now, I still have my PB every so often on a slice of toast for breakfast. But instead of piling it on, I use just enough to cover the bread. usually about a teaspoon or two! MMHH!

Also, when I first started out I logged a typical day of before I was counting. Like a sauage mcgriddle from McDonald's, some sort of fast food burger and fries for lunch, and something fried for dinner. I was SHOCKED to see how much I was actually eating. Even when I would have something like cereal for breakfast, it was still bad. I would think, oh this is healthy (something like Special K) and pour a BIG bowel and then probably a second....with whole milk! Now I pour the suggested serving size and use just enough 2% milk (would love skim but the fam don't and milk is expensive) to moisten the cereal. MFP really has opened my eyes and made me conscious of what I put in my body!!

ZyheeMoongazer

For my first few days here I ate like normal but tracked it all to see where I was at on daily intake. I couldn't believe the numbers at the end of the day.

btw.. I miss Noodles & Company Wisconsin Mac & Cheese (1000+ Calories)

messyinthekitchen

actually paying attention to the meals i used to get at fast food places- id regularly get a large burger combo with sprite, and then a side of jalapeno poppers and sometimes even bacon potato wedges. i cant think of the actual cal count right now - but bleh.

What peanut butter are you eating lol. Thats a lot

my adams all natural peanut butter is 200 calories for 2 tbls - its about average.

yeah for 2 tablespoons not 1 thats insane

rockerbabyy

yeah for 2 tablespoons not 1 thats insane

oh i didnt read it as 1 tbl lol i guess i saw the "s" and assumed 2..

Ayreiya

I meant to write 2 but hit the s must have been really tired or something. or trying to touch type....