I'm shocked at all the calories I'm consuming.

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  • KarensCanDoIt
    KarensCanDoIt Posts: 190 Member
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    It is really eye-opening to see just how many calories I was eating. I think that's why MFP has been so good for me. I've never counted calories for long because it was too much of a pain to keep track. I figured I'm eating salads. What's wrong with that? lol MFP showed me exactly what I was doing wrong, so I could fix it. :bigsmile:
  • montana_girl
    montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
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    I have not had cereal in so long because it is so high in calories. I really miss it. But one serving of any kind of cereal is not going to fill me up. So I had to stop eating it.

    This is me too! I love cereal, but it doesn't keep me full long enough to justify the calories.

    But that being said, when my hubby occasionally buys it, I will have a 1/2 a serving as a snack if I have the extra calories at the end of the day. :smile:

    Still have my PB toast every night as snack though... just not willing to give up my PB!
  • UrbanLotus
    UrbanLotus Posts: 1,163 Member
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    Yeah peanut butter is loaded with calories- try to cut down portion sizes and fill up on veggies. check out people's food diaries to see what they eat - you can add me as a friend and check mine out if you want
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
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    I found myself in shock at some of the foods that I was eating thinking I was having a healthier choice when it was just as bad as anything else I was eating.

    Though I now find it hard to eat as bad as I did before, although some days I am absolutely insatiable and thats when it gets hard.

    I eat a pasta dish, salad dish and breakfast + an extra snack or two every day and I just hit my target calorie intake. It's crazy what you can fit in when you figure out what works with your personal tastes. And when making things yourself you realize there are so many way to make what you usually ate so much healthier or lower calorie. It's crazy what options we have these day :)

    I am sure you could determine a really nice weekly menu that is satisfying.
  • Ken_Roper
    Ken_Roper Posts: 51 Member
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    I totally gave up cereal. Instant oatmeal is good -- especially the flavored varieties. Also steel cut oatmeal is more filling and still only 150 calories for one serving (unless you add fruit/sugar/etc. to it).

    I find protein sticks with me a long time. Boiled egg is great. Scrambled egg is also good.
  • peckish_pomegranate
    peckish_pomegranate Posts: 242 Member
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    Yeah, it was a shock to me too. I had to cut out a lot of things from my diet and replace it with healthier stuff, but biggest shocker yet, I actually eat more than I did before! One serving of cereal or 2% milk is the value of like, four or five servings of veggies.
  • tgigger123
    tgigger123 Posts: 1
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    Just starting on here. Hoping it gets easier learning calories for everything!
  • spookysoups
    spookysoups Posts: 8 Member
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    It really does get easier. I have been down this road before, only to pretend and 'forget' what I was putting in my mouth. I just quit caring. Oh well, time for counting again! It really does help. One secret I do is plan it as best I can. I go ahead and write down what I know I will be fixing, and try to stick to the plan for that day. I already know how many calories I will consume if I do. I even add a little snack just in case I want one, so I don't go over.

    My downfall? Wine! I miss Friday nights with friends and family, drinking several glasses with them. And the pigging out part, because I have a big family and that's 'what we do'...or did. I will have one of these nights, though, after I've dropped two more sizes. I 'think?' I'm about a size 18. I'm allllll tummy, too, as the pic don't lie.
  • ClassicStyles
    ClassicStyles Posts: 49
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    Hey friends:

    I know I counted the calories wrong.. I have stated that twice in this thread. I thought one serving was 1/4 cup when in fact it was like 5 times that... so I goofed... but the truth is.. I'm still really shocked at all the calories... I just cant give up my cereal....


    Thanks for everything...
  • lallaloopsy
    lallaloopsy Posts: 7
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    I know. I only joined here yesterday & after my first day i couldn't believe the calories in relatively little food. I couldn't understand why I'm not losing my last 10 pounds but now I see just how many calories I have been having without realising it just by putting a peace of this and a piece of that in my mouth during the course of the day. I don't eat that much but am prone to a piece of cheese like every time i pass the fridge :) oops
    Any way, this site is really good cause it's just made me aware & think before I shove something in my mouth.
  • lallaloopsy
    lallaloopsy Posts: 7
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    Yesterday was my first day of calorie counting on this site & I consumed 370 Calories in drinks alone (hot drinks only)
    I love my coffee with evaporated milk but gonna have to give that one a miss from now on. Real shocker this site!!
  • norcal_yogi
    norcal_yogi Posts: 675 Member
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    Please check the label again. The serving size is 1 1/4 cup. One cup and 1/4 cup. You can check the food database on MFP as well. :flowerforyou:

    ^^ this regarding Kix!

    good luck with your goals!
  • DesertFox15
    DesertFox15 Posts: 23 Member
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    Food manufacturers are at fault for manufacturing something according to public demand? Also, serving sizes are dictated by the FDA, not arbitrarily set by Kellogg's etc. No one other than us is to blame for the food we put in our mouths.
    [/quote]

    ^^^^^^ This
  • kristafb
    kristafb Posts: 770 Member
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    The really good news for you is once you get the hang of things & make healthier choices you will probably drop weight quickly because you haven't been making the best choices in the past. Try to get away from sugary stuff like the cereal or jam. Opt for a cereal like Kashi Golean which has protein in it or an egg white omelet for breakfast. and the best advice is to really read every lable & take your time at the grocery store making educated choices. Once you know better you'll do better :)

    All the best!

    ps - also track every little bit that goes in your mouth!! it adds up.
  • akmlebre
    akmlebre Posts: 32 Member
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    cereal was a big one for me I felt kix would be good becuase it didn't appear to have all the sugar of oh lucky charms or coco puffs lol. IT is quite shocking tho to learn how much sugar, carbs and fats some foods can have I used to get really mad when I started logging but you will learn how to adjust your eating habits. A cup is deffinately not a lot. When I do eat cereal I eat Kashi go lean it appears to be a lot better then some of your main stream cereals. Now I but seperate cereal for my son and I.
  • samcat2000
    samcat2000 Posts: 106 Member
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    I joined almost 2 weeks ago and I flipped out when I plugged in the Club Tuna sandwich from Jimmy Johns on the multi-grain bread...like over 900 freakin calories and 45+ grams of fat! I work right over a Jimmy Johns and have been eating that stupid sandwich for damn near 1x or 2x/week for 9 months!! I am disgusted!! I won't step foot in that place now. I just assumed tuna, cucumber, tomato, some cheese can't be that unhealthy. Well duh - it's laden in mayo.

    I'm in true love with this app. It's one of the most empowering things I've done in a long time...maybe that sounds pathetic but it's true! I love how I'm more motivated to workout to "earn" more calories. I'm competitive by nature and when the cold hard numbers are there it pains me to see red!

    There's days where I was under on my calorie intake and I wasn't even hungry at the end of the day and I'm left wondering if I should eat more so that I don't bonk during my workout the next day?? I've gone over on my calories 3 days so far. My biggest challenge right now is getting my fat and protein intake lower. While I'm often under my calorie and carb goal, I'm ALWAYS over on protein and often on fat...and I'm not sure how to fix that. I have low blood sugar but not diagnosed as hypoglycemia. If I don't eat protein I get sick (weak, etc.). And also, what can I say - I was raised on milk, meat and potatoes. I've been working on portion size, but still going over on the protein. On the bright side I am eating more veggies and fruit (subscribed to one of those food delivery companies that delivers a box of fresh organic fruit and veggies each week and it's really helping).

    Thanks to posters for the almond milk idea. I just can't have my oatmeal in the morning without 1% milk. I absolutely hate skim. I'm going to try the almond milk in oatmeal and coffee.
  • purplecharm
    purplecharm Posts: 446 Member
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    I shutter to think about how many calories I USED to consume in a day, before I started eating healthy and counting calories. It had to be 3,000-4000 calories a day with all the fast food, processed food, junk food and soda pop I would consume. Yikes!
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    I had no idea until I went here either......
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    Yes. You are right. That is the greatest value of MFP... it shows you what you are consuming... Realize that we got overweight by consuming more calories than we were using.... Changing direction does take some effort.. and changing foods that we eat can help... Eating healthier cereals... Granola over candy.. still get the sweets but has some nutrition and not as many calories (though certainly more than one would think... One sweet and salty bar is 160-170 cals -vs- 250-280 for a candy bar. Protein bars are 180-200 but produce up to 20 grams of protein. Eliminating EMPTY and useless calories will fill you up faster and help you stay full.. Also when you are ready, adding exercise makes it easier to stay within the bounds of your goal by increasing our activity level and making what we consume line up with our activity level. Best wishes on a safe and successful journey.
  • kamiAK
    kamiAK Posts: 100 Member
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    It is truly amazing to me how few calories I really need. The Standard American Diet contains way too many calories! We need to eat more like people in other parts of the world -- many more vegetables, less meat, and greatly reduce the processed foods and junk foods! I have lost 172 pounds since August of 2011, and am stalled out at my current weight (still need to lose at least 40 pounds), because, even on healthy foods, I am still getting too many calories, obviously. They add up so fast!

    if you are so worried about what other countries are eating you should go to them ....and eat there....America does NOT need to model itself on other countries. Other countries model themselves after us.

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