Not trusting the Calories in Labels?

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VaneenHarra
VaneenHarra Posts: 20 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello MfP:-)

I'm wondering how many others add on more calories to what certain menus say the calories are. Iike..if I go out to eat and when I'm really being conscious of calories..I will add on anywhere from 50-200 calories more than what a meal out to dinner says that it is.

For instance: if I eat at a chain restaurant,with the calories on the website and there menu shows that a certain meal is 600 or so calories, I look at the meal and I think they are under-estimating. so I will log it (in my personal food diary, not on here) that it's 100 or so calories more than what they say.

yes, I know that I can break it down to each ingredient, I don't feel like doing that sometimes..but ...still. I think that most if not ALL fast food, and restaurants semi-grossly under estimate how many calories are in the meals.

At the "end of the day"..I know that portion control can over come those under estimates.:glasses:

Replies

  • ElsaVonMarmalade
    ElsaVonMarmalade Posts: 154 Member
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    I don't. Serving sizes in restaurants are never 100% accurate/uniform, so it probably wouldn't hurt. But it is enough work to track without second-guessing.
  • ritchiedrama
    ritchiedrama Posts: 1,304 Member
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    I actually got fat from eating too many labels.
  • kaityfarrance
    kaityfarrance Posts: 6
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    I do this too to allow for any margin of error! And also because I am really bad a guesstimating how much of each ingredient I am eating. I feel like this way I can allow for any calories that may have been 'missed'.
  • VaneenHarra
    VaneenHarra Posts: 20 Member
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    I actually got fat from eating too many labels.

    lmao! stop, I'm serious. lol
  • ritchiedrama
    ritchiedrama Posts: 1,304 Member
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    On a serious note:

    I eat at McDonalds/KFC etc

    All the time, my weight loss never stopped

    So I wouldn't worry about it too much.
  • VaneenHarra
    VaneenHarra Posts: 20 Member
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    I do this too to allow for any margin of error! And also because I am really bad a guesstimating how much of each ingredient I am eating. I feel like this way I can allow for any calories that may have been 'missed'.

    Cool, that's how I mostly think too.
  • VaneenHarra
    VaneenHarra Posts: 20 Member
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    I don't. Serving sizes in restaurants are never 100% accurate/uniform, so it probably wouldn't hurt. But it is enough work to track without second-guessing.

    thanks for your reply, in three months I hope I'll be able to lift a bike too, like your avatar, but I'm so darn lazy with working out! though I did work out today a little tiny bit:-)
  • evgenythe2nd
    evgenythe2nd Posts: 36 Member
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    On a serious note:

    I eat at McDonalds/KFC etc

    All the time, my weight loss never stopped

    So I wouldn't worry about it too much.


    mcdonalds is perhaps the most accurate calorie measurement there is. their dressings, meat, buns , everything is standardtized and measured. (except fries)
  • VaneenHarra
    VaneenHarra Posts: 20 Member
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    On a serious note:

    I eat at McDonalds/KFC etc

    All the time, my weight loss never stopped

    So I wouldn't worry about it too much.

    k..I'll try not to. but I still know "they" are way off.
  • VaneenHarra
    VaneenHarra Posts: 20 Member
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    On a serious note:

    I eat at McDonalds/KFC etc

    All the time, my weight loss never stopped

    So I wouldn't worry about it too much.


    mcdonalds is perhaps the most accurate calorie measurement there is. their dressings, meat, buns , everything is standardtized and measured. (except fries)

    hmph...well I will perhaps get a small something from that menu...and prove you other wise...urr, next week :glasses:
    but I have a strange feeling you may be right with certain items. definitely not all.
  • ngyoung
    ngyoung Posts: 311 Member
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    I don't worry too much about it. I know restaurants are going to vary a lot based on portion control. If you do the math and ate at maintenance we'd have to be accurate within 20 calories/day to not gain 1 pound a year. Fortunately our bodies don't work like a bank account with only deposits and withdrawals. They are very complex and use calories for many different things. Humans for the most part did just fine before they even knew what a calorie was and i doubt anyone can be that accurate. So as long as you're in the ballpark I think things will be just fine.
  • taeliesyn
    taeliesyn Posts: 1,116 Member
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    On a serious note:

    I eat at McDonalds/KFC etc

    All the time, my weight loss never stopped

    So I wouldn't worry about it too much.


    mcdonalds is perhaps the most accurate calorie measurement there is. their dressings, meat, buns , everything is standardtized and measured. (except fries)

    hmph...well I will perhaps get a small something from that menu...and prove you other wise...urr, next week :glasses:
    but I have a strange feeling you may be right with certain items. definitely not all.
    Unless you're going to pay for nutritional testing, (or do it yourself in a lab) there isn't any way to 'prove' one way or another.
    Restaurants are definitely a bit varied, but Fast Food joints like Macca's and HJ's (Burger King) are pretty standard and shouldn't be too far from what they state.

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