Don't trust labels!!

shortie_sarah
shortie_sarah Posts: 177 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Weigh everything!! A prime example just happened to me. It's 11:00pm and I was left with 480 calories for the day so I went searching for something to eat because I have been under my calories way too much lately to just let it slide. Anyways, I found some Pringles (I hate turning to chips, but hey, I gotta get my cals in) and the serving size is 1 oz (approx. 16 crisps) according to the label. I weighed it because I know not to trust approximations on labels and an ounce only gave me 11 crisps, not 16. I know, I know, what's the big deal in being 5 chips off, right? Well it isn't really if you're like me and some others who typically eat under their calories, (I know, not smart but I'm working on it), but it could really hurt some people. Well I still needed something else to eat because the pringles were not enough so I got some goldfish. The serving size on that is 1 ounce (approx 55 pieces). I ended up with 45 pieces for 1 ounce. I did the math and if I would have trusted the label's approximations, I would have taken in an extra 72 calories and would not have known about it. If you go over on your serving sizes every meal of everyday and are borderline with going over on your calories, imagine how many calories you are truly taking in. So for those of you who are counting but aren't seeing any progress, this may possibly be your issue. Too many inaccuracies can make or break you. I would also advise to weigh things that are supposed to be measured in cups and spoons because everything settles differently and could result in yet another inaccuracy. I hope this is helpful to you:flowerforyou:
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Replies

  • jennpaulson
    jennpaulson Posts: 850 Member
    Thanks so much! I don't eat chips much anymore because it's just hard to stop once you start, but I did pick up a bag of baked pita chips the other day to eat with some red pepper hummis and was complaining to my mom about how was I supposed to know how much was a serving when it was supposed to be 11 pieces and they were all broken into little pieces. Next time I'll just weigh them.
  • Donald_Dozier_50
    Donald_Dozier_50 Posts: 395 Member
    Last night the same almost happened to me but it seemed the portion size was too good to be true and as the saying goes......................
    It was. I have the same issue as you most days in having difficulty getting enough calories. I am only shooting for 1,350 calories and only had 980. I was worried about overeating because I was driving much of the day.
  • jknight001
    jknight001 Posts: 745 Member
    Yes, I have seen that to. For example the jar might say it has 3 servings in it and when you measure it out it only has 2.5 . Not sure who checks on these things.

    BTW, nuts are a great alternative to chips because it is healthier fat and you get some added nutrients as a bonus.
  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
    Ya, most of them are a guide at best. If you aren't hungry don't eat just to meet the goal.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    I've had that happen as well, but I've also weighed out a serving which should have been something like approx. 11 and ended up with 15 being an ounce. Weigh all the things!
  • NYCNika
    NYCNika Posts: 611 Member
    I measure by grams. Not cups, filets, slice, patty.... Grams. It irritates me to no end when I search for something and waste time when a total bs measurement like that comes up.
  • shortie_sarah
    shortie_sarah Posts: 177 Member
    Ya, most of them are a guide at best. If you aren't hungry don't eat just to meet the goal.

    Well considering I was only at 720 calories for the day and I am usually under by a lot on most days when I'm supposed to be eating 1200, I am trying to take the advice that all the MFP members gave me, which is that I need to be eating more, so I am trying to get closer to my goal.
  • shortie_sarah
    shortie_sarah Posts: 177 Member
    I measure by grams. Not cups, filets, slice, patty.... Grams. It irritates me to no end when I search for something and waste time when a total bs measurement like that comes up.

    I know what you mean, it's tough to find the right item in right weight increments
  • shadus
    shadus Posts: 424 Member
    For what it's worth my SO and I have both been using the "American Weigh LB3000 Compact Digital Scale with Removable Bowl, 3000 by 0.1g" from Amazon. It has been absolutely spectacular, it's simple and easy to use can work on grams or oz or several other modes, has tare, etc. It's a great way to measure what you're consuming if its not just a single serving to a package item.
  • kazsjourney
    kazsjourney Posts: 263 Member
    Yep thats why I weigh everything. I am in australia so not sure if the same in other places but a classic is sliced bread. the average serving weight is basically the minimum 2 slices will weigh. Over here they generally say on bread....2 slices is 83 grams...when you hit the middle of the loaf 2 slices can weigh as much as 104 grams which is a big calorie difference when its bread and nearly a additional of 25% calories! I found with one of my protein powders too...the measurement was one scoop was 25 grams...when in fact 25 grams was one and a half scoops! So sometimes you miss out if you dont weigh and measure :)
  • Habiteer
    Habiteer Posts: 190 Member
    Good thing to keep in mind, I've noticed the same thing with some of my foods too!
  • shortie_sarah
    shortie_sarah Posts: 177 Member
    For what it's worth my SO and I have both been using the "American Weigh LB3000 Compact Digital Scale with Removable Bowl, 3000 by 0.1g" from Amazon. It has been absolutely spectacular, it's simple and easy to use can work on grams or oz or several other modes, has tare, etc. It's a great way to measure what you're consuming if its not just a single serving to a package item.

    Thanks for the recommendation. I'm looking to buy a new scale with different features :smile:
  • muhlittlepwny
    muhlittlepwny Posts: 9 Member
    For what it's worth my SO and I have both been using the "American Weigh LB3000 Compact Digital Scale with Removable Bowl, 3000 by 0.1g" from Amazon. It has been absolutely spectacular, it's simple and easy to use can work on grams or oz or several other modes, has tare, etc. It's a great way to measure what you're consuming if its not just a single serving to a package item.

    I just bought this, thanks for sharing it! :)
  • shortie_sarah
    shortie_sarah Posts: 177 Member
    Yep thats why I weigh everything. I am in australia so not sure if the same in other places but a classic is sliced bread. the average serving weight is basically the minimum 2 slices will weigh. Over here they generally say on bread....2 slices is 83 grams...when you hit the middle of the loaf 2 slices can weigh as much as 104 grams which is a big calorie difference when its bread and nearly a additional of 25% calories! I found with one of my protein powders too...the measurement was one scoop was 25 grams...when in fact 25 grams was one and a half scoops! So sometimes you miss out if you dont weigh and measure :)

    :noway: :noway: I have never thought of bread! Now I feel like I have to weigh things even if it's individually packaged, or sliced, or whatnot.. Looks like my counting obsession may have just got a bit more serious than it already has been
  • Donald_Dozier_50
    Donald_Dozier_50 Posts: 395 Member
    Yep thats why I weigh everything. I am in australia so not sure if the same in other places but a classic is sliced bread. the average serving weight is basically the minimum 2 slices will weigh. Over here they generally say on bread....2 slices is 83 grams...when you hit the middle of the loaf 2 slices can weigh as much as 104 grams which is a big calorie difference when its bread and nearly a additional of 25% calories! I found with one of my protein powders too...the measurement was one scoop was 25 grams...when in fact 25 grams was one and a half scoops! So sometimes you miss out if you dont weigh and measure :)

    :noway: :noway: I have never thought of bread! Now I feel like I have to weigh things even if it's individually packaged, or sliced, or whatnot.. Looks like my counting obsession may have just got a bit more serious than it already has been

    Sarah, I never thought of bread or a lot of things that apparently is going through your "counting obsessed" mind :)
    I did get a laugh out of that one.
  • kazsjourney
    kazsjourney Posts: 263 Member
    This is a good thread on this topic....especially the bottom link

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
  • Donald_Dozier_50
    Donald_Dozier_50 Posts: 395 Member
    This is a good thread on this topic....especially the bottom link

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    Thanks 76kilos, good stuff that I completely agree with.
  • shortie_sarah
    shortie_sarah Posts: 177 Member
    This is a good thread on this topic....especially the bottom link

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    Thanks! I didn't realize that this was addressed recently
  • ashleymm625
    ashleymm625 Posts: 86
    meh. i better break out the old ww scale lol
  • shortie_sarah
    shortie_sarah Posts: 177 Member
    This is a good thread on this topic....especially the bottom link

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    He mentioned people stalling out. That has to be taking in to consideration, it's not always about eating to much, it's also possible to stall out by not eating enough. Just to clarify that. I just don't want people to think, "I am very hungry and my calories are around 900 I must be over counting them. Since I am not losing weight."

    I agree 100%. It goes both ways... whether you are under or over, checking your measuring for inaccuracies should be the first thing you look into. You may be underestimating or overestimating, either way, it can be harmful to your weight loss/gain depending on your goal
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    When I started weighing food, I was delighted to see that I could be eating much MORE shredded cheese than I had been. If you fill a 1/4 measuring cup full of cheese, it only weighs close to half a serving size. :wink:

    On the other hand, the truth about oatmeal and peanut butter pissed me off. :explode:
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    If bread is marked "per slice" I'll take that, on the grounds it averages out over a loaf.

    But I always weigh cereal - even if I'm not trying to lose weight, because its so easy to pour double!. Also pasta is another one.

    OP instead of Pringles have a piece of cheese - more filling and nutritius. Equally nuts, or seeds - 25g of seeds is over 10 calories, and because they are small and fiddly to eat they seem to last a long time (unless you chug the whole helping).
  • LeanneGoingThin
    LeanneGoingThin Posts: 215 Member
    Ya, most of them are a guide at best. If you aren't hungry don't eat just to meet the goal.

    Well considering I was only at 720 calories for the day and I am usually under by a lot on most days when I'm supposed to be eating 1200, I am trying to take the advice that all the MFP members gave me, which is that I need to be eating more, so I am trying to get closer to my goal.

    You did good, you definitely don't want to lose muscle.
  • Daphne1994
    Daphne1994 Posts: 32
    Yep the piece of whole grain bread i just ate is labeled as 40g per slice is 100 calories, but the slices, even the smaller pieces are always a good deal over 40g. I always weight my bread and all my food.
  • SweetestLibby
    SweetestLibby Posts: 607 Member
    eh, in the US the FDA allows for a margin of error in labeling on +/- 20%.
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    I ALWAYS weigh my pop tarts...
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    eh, in the US the FDA allows for a margin of error in labeling on +/- 20%.

    They also allow for a certain percentage of bug parts in food...
  • c8linmarie
    c8linmarie Posts: 358 Member
    eh, in the US the FDA allows for a margin of error in labeling on +/- 20%.

    They also allow for a certain percentage of bug parts in food...


    Sadly, this is true ... and disturbing.
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
    Weigh everything!! A prime example just happened to me. It's 11:00pm and I was left with 480 calories for the day so I went searching for something to eat because I have been under my calories way too much lately to just let it slide. Anyways, I found some Pringles (I hate turning to chips, but hey, I gotta get my cals in) and the serving size is 1 oz (approx. 16 crisps) according to the label. I weighed it because I know not to trust approximations on labels and an ounce only gave me 11 crisps, not 16. I know, I know, what's the big deal in being 5 chips off, right? Well it isn't really if you're like me and some others who typically eat under their calories, (I know, not smart but I'm working on it), but it could really hurt some people. Well I still needed something else to eat because the pringles were not enough so I got some goldfish. The serving size on that is 1 ounce (approx 55 pieces). I ended up with 45 pieces for 1 ounce. I did the math and if I would have trusted the label's approximations, I would have taken in an extra 72 calories and would not have known about it. If you go over on your serving sizes every meal of everyday and are borderline with going over on your calories, imagine how many calories you are truly taking in. So for those of you who are counting but aren't seeing any progress, this may possibly be your issue. Too many inaccuracies can make or break you. I would also advise to weigh things that are supposed to be measured in cups and spoons because everything settles differently and could result in yet another inaccuracy. I hope this is helpful to you:flowerforyou:

    I can't function without my food scale
  • marhattap
    marhattap Posts: 149 Member
    Thank you! This is why I alwyas discard 10% of what I am eating. Its always safe to under-eat than overeat.

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