The pitfalls of food ignorance.
chunkymonkey423
Posts: 7
So today I learned the importance of looking up food/drinks before rushing out to go grab a quick snack/drink. As usual, I was feeling that afternoon slump at work, and decided I wanted a pick-me-up.
Thought I would have a nice iced coffee, instead of soda, assuming it would be less sugar. I know, never assume. :-( I got back to the office, and it was sweet, very sweet. I figured I got it, so I might as well drink it. When I entered it in my food diary I was astounded to discover that each serving is 25g of sugar, and I got the x-large cup which is probably 4 servings.
So often I think I am getting something that is the "better option," and it ends up being one of the worst food decisions of my day. How can anyone stay on the right track when everything around us is so deceptively bad for us? No wonder there is a diabetes epidemic.
I also have a tendency to enter food after I have already eaten it, only to tally up the day and figure out that I went completely over my goal. It is hard for me to learn a new good behavior after having that bad behavior instilled in me for so many years. My main challenge on my road to health will have to be becoming more aware of what goes in my body.
At least today’s fiasco helped me learn the importance of portion control and knowledge. Next time I feel that slump, I think I'll have an apple. :-)
Thought I would have a nice iced coffee, instead of soda, assuming it would be less sugar. I know, never assume. :-( I got back to the office, and it was sweet, very sweet. I figured I got it, so I might as well drink it. When I entered it in my food diary I was astounded to discover that each serving is 25g of sugar, and I got the x-large cup which is probably 4 servings.
So often I think I am getting something that is the "better option," and it ends up being one of the worst food decisions of my day. How can anyone stay on the right track when everything around us is so deceptively bad for us? No wonder there is a diabetes epidemic.
I also have a tendency to enter food after I have already eaten it, only to tally up the day and figure out that I went completely over my goal. It is hard for me to learn a new good behavior after having that bad behavior instilled in me for so many years. My main challenge on my road to health will have to be becoming more aware of what goes in my body.
At least today’s fiasco helped me learn the importance of portion control and knowledge. Next time I feel that slump, I think I'll have an apple. :-)
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Replies
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I log my food before I eat it...0
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So today I learned the importance of looking up food/drinks before rushing out to go grab a quick snack/drink. As usual, I was feeling that afternoon slump at work, and decided I wanted a pick-me-up.
Thought I would have a nice iced coffee, instead of soda, assuming it would be less sugar. I know, never assume. :-( I got back to the office, and it was sweet, very sweet. I figured I got it, so I might as well drink it. When I entered it in my food diary I was astounded to discover that each serving is 25g of sugar, and I got the x-large cup which is probably 4 servings.
So often I think I am getting something that is the "better option," and it ends up being one of the worst food decisions of my day. How can anyone stay on the right track when everything around us is so deceptively bad for us? No wonder there is a diabetes epidemic.
I also have a tendency to enter food after I have already eaten it, only to tally up the day and figure out that I went completely over my goal. It is hard for me to learn a new good behavior after having that bad behavior instilled in me for so many years. My main challenge on my road to health will have to be becoming more aware of what goes in my body.
At least today’s fiasco helped me learn the importance of portion control and knowledge. Next time I feel that slump, I think I'll have an apple. :-)
Iced coffee isn't black coffee with ice?0 -
I try to enter food ahead of time. Unfortunatley, you can't always do that. But it is best to avoid all liquid calories if possible, juices, coffee or tea with sugar, alcohol. Alcohol is a killer!0
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This is why I learned early- plan my food in advance. It's become an ingrained habit with me. I can see myself probably doing it for the rest of my life.
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I try to log my food before I eat it. We are going out tonight. I know I am getting sushi. I got on the computer and figured out a good option. That is what I'm having. It is already logged. This way, I usually have calories to play with at the end of the day or I know what I can have for a snack before I go out tonight. 0
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So today I learned the importance of looking up food/drinks before rushing out to go grab a quick snack/drink. As usual, I was feeling that afternoon slump at work, and decided I wanted a pick-me-up.
Thought I would have a nice iced coffee, instead of soda, assuming it would be less sugar. I know, never assume. :-( I got back to the office, and it was sweet, very sweet. I figured I got it, so I might as well drink it. When I entered it in my food diary I was astounded to discover that each serving is 25g of sugar, and I got the x-large cup which is probably 4 servings.
So often I think I am getting something that is the "better option," and it ends up being one of the worst food decisions of my day. How can anyone stay on the right track when everything around us is so deceptively bad for us? No wonder there is a diabetes epidemic.
I also have a tendency to enter food after I have already eaten it, only to tally up the day and figure out that I went completely over my goal. It is hard for me to learn a new good behavior after having that bad behavior instilled in me for so many years. My main challenge on my road to health will have to be becoming more aware of what goes in my body.
At least today’s fiasco helped me learn the importance of portion control and knowledge. Next time I feel that slump, I think I'll have an apple. :-)
Iced coffee isn't black coffee with ice?
I'm so glad I drink black coffee.
(of course put some fries in front of me and i'll always go for the large).
I try to log everything for the day as I go before I eat it, look up anything before I buy or eat it, and plan my meals for the day.0 -
I try to enter food ahead of time. Unfortunatley, you can't always do that. But it is best to avoid all liquid calories if possible, juices, coffee or tea with sugar, alcohol. Alcohol is a killer!
Exactly!0 -
The closest place to the office had cream pre-mixed in the iced coffee. I will definitely be looking up food options before I buy things in the future.0
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The closest place to the office had cream pre-mixed in the iced coffee. I will definitely be looking up food options before I buy things in the future.
Ugh, that's terrible!0 -
Tell me about it! One day I went to Jason's Deli and had the salad bar, thinking that would be fewer calories than a sandwich. I calculated everything I had from the bar and it turned out to be 1000 calories and I still felt hungry! Geez!
Do you have the mobile ap? It is free and might help you do a better job of logging before you eat.0 -
I used to get caught in that trap as well. I learned not to eat anything I hadn't investigated. My estimation of calories and in servings sizes was so skewed that I couldn't trust myself to make snap decisions. I also pre log. I plan meals and snacks days in advance and I keep a few friendly snacks in my desk for just in case.0
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The closest place to the office had cream pre-mixed in the iced coffee. I will definitely be looking up food options before I buy things in the future.
You can always make your own iced coffee.... get a regualr cup of coffee, add the sugar sub and/or creamer then put it on ice. Thats what I do....0 -
I don't drink any sugar in coffee when it's hot, but iced I find it needs a little something, it's a little too bitter for my tastes. I typically ask for it "half-sweet" so they only put in half the amount of sugar that they usually do. I'm not sure how that fits in with your plan, but I've found it works for me.0
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Tell me about it! One day I went to Jason's Deli and had the salad bar, thinking that would be fewer calories than a sandwich. I calculated everything I had from the bar and it turned out to be 1000 calories and I still felt hungry! Geez!
Do you have the mobile ap? It is free and might help you do a better job of logging before you eat.
I have the app, but I've been very bad about using it properly. I try to cook at home, but logging homemade food is so difficult compared to the pre-packaged and fast-food options. It's a catch 22. The more homemade food I make, the less I log my meals. The more I eat out, the more I keep track. I'm hoping that by forcing myself to do it every meal, it will eventually become so natural that I won't have to think about it, and will just do it.0 -
Whenever we're going out, I call up the restaurant menu on line in advance and figure out what will fit into my calorie count for that meal. Then I know what to order and what to avoid. Much easier.0
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Hi Chunky Monkey! (LOVE the name by the way)
As you continue to log your food you will begin to learn what a serving size and how many calories are in what. Don't be hard on yourself it is a learning process. I have traded my iced coffees at startbucks for iced green tea unsweetend. My best advice I think to give you is to be sure you read what a serving size is and meausre everything until you can "eyeball" it. Best of luck on your journey!0 -
Make your own coffee drinks Then you can control the sugar, and use the recipe calculator to tally up the calories for your diary. 0
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Tell me about it! One day I went to Jason's Deli and had the salad bar, thinking that would be fewer calories than a sandwich. I calculated everything I had from the bar and it turned out to be 1000 calories and I still felt hungry! Geez!
Do you have the mobile ap? It is free and might help you do a better job of logging before you eat.
I have the app, but I've been very bad about using it properly. I try to cook at home, but logging homemade food is so difficult compared to the pre-packaged and fast-food options. It's a catch 22. The more homemade food I make, the less I log my meals. The more I eat out, the more I keep track. I'm hoping that by forcing myself to do it every meal, it will eventually become so natural that I won't have to think about it, and will just do it.
I've had a lot of luck using the recipe maker to measure how much homemade recipes count for. Its been really helpful! Good luck!0 -
Moderations and pre-logging will save you a lot of the surprise. I literally pull out my phone to calculate on the go and very often plan my day before I even put a drip of water into my mouth! Keeps me out of trouble and I leave some extra calories unused so that I can splurge a little if I want and not feel guilty or feel like I need to burn it off.
It takes time to get used to doing things this way and also takes time to find a mode and method that personally works for you to keep on track. These are just minor set backs and you can certainly learn from them so you will do better in the future 0 -
So today I learned the importance of looking up food/drinks before rushing out to go grab a quick snack/drink. As usual, I was feeling that afternoon slump at work, and decided I wanted a pick-me-up.
Thought I would have a nice iced coffee, instead of soda, assuming it would be less sugar. I know, never assume. :-( I got back to the office, and it was sweet, very sweet. I figured I got it, so I might as well drink it. When I entered it in my food diary I was astounded to discover that each serving is 25g of sugar, and I got the x-large cup which is probably 4 servings.
So often I think I am getting something that is the "better option," and it ends up being one of the worst food decisions of my day. How can anyone stay on the right track when everything around us is so deceptively bad for us? No wonder there is a diabetes epidemic.
I also have a tendency to enter food after I have already eaten it, only to tally up the day and figure out that I went completely over my goal. It is hard for me to learn a new good behavior after having that bad behavior instilled in me for so many years. My main challenge on my road to health will have to be becoming more aware of what goes in my body.
At least today’s fiasco helped me learn the importance of portion control and knowledge. Next time I feel that slump, I think I'll have an apple. :-)
Iced coffee isn't black coffee with ice?
Not at Starbucks.... it is mainly milk and sugar0 -
That is exactly what logging will do for you and why this site is so awesome! You learn so much! It's all part of the process. So now you know about the coffee and you will learn more about the caloric content of other foods.
I will ask people if they have the nutritional information available at their establishment when i am ordering or I will ask what exactly are the ingredients.... This helps me very much in making those decisions on the spot when ordering food. If they can not tell me what is in it i probably will not eat it.0 -
So today I learned the importance of looking up food/drinks before rushing out to go grab a quick snack/drink. As usual, I was feeling that afternoon slump at work, and decided I wanted a pick-me-up.
Thought I would have a nice iced coffee, instead of soda, assuming it would be less sugar. I know, never assume. :-( I got back to the office, and it was sweet, very sweet. I figured I got it, so I might as well drink it. When I entered it in my food diary I was astounded to discover that each serving is 25g of sugar, and I got the x-large cup which is probably 4 servings.
So often I think I am getting something that is the "better option," and it ends up being one of the worst food decisions of my day. How can anyone stay on the right track when everything around us is so deceptively bad for us? No wonder there is a diabetes epidemic.
I also have a tendency to enter food after I have already eaten it, only to tally up the day and figure out that I went completely over my goal. It is hard for me to learn a new good behavior after having that bad behavior instilled in me for so many years. My main challenge on my road to health will have to be becoming more aware of what goes in my body.
At least today’s fiasco helped me learn the importance of portion control and knowledge. Next time I feel that slump, I think I'll have an apple. :-)
Iced coffee isn't black coffee with ice?
that would be the homeade healthy version with just a bit of milk, the stuff at the coffee shop? not so much lol0 -
Hi Chunky Monkey! (LOVE the name by the way)
As you continue to log your food you will begin to learn what a serving size and how many calories are in what. Don't be hard on yourself it is a learning process. I have traded my iced coffees at startbucks for iced green tea unsweetend. My best advice I think to give you is to be sure you read waht a serving size is and meausre everything until you can "eyeball" it. Best of luck on your journey!
Agreed!0 -
To be honest, with the exception of a little juice (and only "lite" versions), I don't drink anything with sugar. That being said, I know many people ban drinks with artificial sweeteners but I don't. For now, artificially sweetened iced teas, coffees and Diet Coke/Pepsi are treats for me that help me get through this diet. I figure, I'd rather eat my calories than drink them. 0
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I know exactly what you mean!
Tomorrow is a school day, and since my class runs through lunch time and I tend to arrive very early to do homework, I know I'll be hungry by the time class is over. Then I have a 45 min drive back home, an hour tomorrow since I need to stop at the vet on the way, so I thought it best to eat lunch at school.
At the beginning of Fall term I would stop by Fred Meyers on the way to school and pick up a Baguette sandwich for lunch. I was thinking I haven't had one in awhile, and that would be a perfect lunch for tomorrow. But wait.... FM doesn't provide any nutritional info on their deli items!
So I started searching online, and couldn't find reliable info. It was about lunchtime, and I already figured I could probably only eat half a baguette tomorrow anyway, so I stopped by FM and bought one. I asked them to make one for me without butter, since the pre-made ones come with a stick of butter spread on. I took it home, then took the sandwich apart.
I weight everything, and was in shock! 9.5 ounces of turkey, 2.2 ounces of provolone cheese, and 5.2 ounces of bread. Holy moly, no wonder I always felt stuffed after eating one of those! I used the recipe tool here to find the total calories of the baguette sandwich so I could record it. I ate half today, and will eat half tomorrow. Honestly, I could probably get away with cutting these in 3rds next time and just eating 1/3 for lunch since even 1/2 is really filling.
Anyway, counting calories can sometimes take a lot of planning ahead!0 -
Thanks for all the great advice. Although I'm still at the starting line, I am just glad that I am at least attempting the race. I know that just last year, I would have had the coffee and not thought twice about it. One step at a time, right?0
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Exactly~Thanks for all the great advice. Although I'm still at the starting line, I am just glad that I am at least attempting the race. I know that just last year, I would have had the coffee and not thought twice about it. One step at a time, right?0 -
Get into the habit of reading the label before you consume it and checking the nutrient panel. I do this at the supermarket when I go shopping.0
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If I have a drink out, I tend to have a normal americano or a cappuccino made with half milk, half water, to keep the calories down, and add my own sweetener or sugar.
It is best to get a good grasp on calorie contents of various foods, so you have some idea.
The database here is great for that.
I rarely have something unless I have a rough idea of calorie content, other than when I decide to have a 'sod it' moment and give myself a break from caring about the calorie content.0 -
I've gotten caught in that trap too, thinking you're making a "better" choice only to discover it was worse. It's so deflating!
I log my estimated food plan for the day in the morning to give me an idea of how I'm going to balance out my nutrition for the day and then update it after every meal. If I know I'm going out, going to a celebration, or other food event I make sure I have a lot of wiggle room for unexpected calories.
I periodically spend time perusing the food database to get an idea of how many calories different foods have. That has helped me have a better idea of possible calorie range when I'm trying a new food. It's also a good way to compare foods and different brands without having to go to the store. Knowledge helps to keep my estimates closer to reality and avoid the calorie shockers.0
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