Does anyone OVER estimate what they eat?

narmowen
narmowen Posts: 18 Member
in Food and Nutrition
If I'm logging homemade food (or anything that doesn't have a barcode), I overestimate in my logs because I know I'll tend to go "Well, that wasn't quite a serving of mashed potatoes, so I can still eat a bunch of chips after dinner." By overestimating on things I'm sure I'm mentally underestimating, I'm trying to keep a more accurate account of what I'm eating.

So my one omelet I have for breakfast becomes 1.15, because I add a bit more ham than what it should be (according to my excel spreadsheet I use to figure out calories per serving for homemade things). The homemade muffins? I actually under estimate with those because according to the box, it's 210 for 12 servings (per serving, so each box makes 12) whereas I make 18 out of a box.

Anyone else do this for their log?
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Replies

  • JcMey3r
    JcMey3r Posts: 431 Member
    I overestimate on small things but the bigger things I weigh. can't really go wrong with weighing your food.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    That's why I weigh. If I have to estimate something, because I ate out, or my scale turned off after I put the cream cheese on the bagel (like this morning... bleh), I'll overestimate a bit.

    Muffins and stuff I just divide by 12 and won't bother weighing each muffin. Why can't you divide by 18 if you're making 18?
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I do.

    I over estimate food- either volumes or stuff that isn't getting weighed at all and under estimate workouts.

    safer that way.
  • pyrowill
    pyrowill Posts: 1,163 Member
    I just try to be as accurate as possible. Overestimating too much can be almost as damaging as underestimating.
  • DrewMontoya
    DrewMontoya Posts: 77 Member
    Yup. I add a 20% factor of safety on everything I have to estimate; If I think that piece of meat is 8 oz, I log it at 9.6 oz. Of course, at my weight, going under isn't going to hurt me.

    As others have said, I'd much rather weigh everything.
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    I overestimate recipe servings. I'll set a recipe as 4 servings but actually get 7 or 8 servings from it. This is because I'm too lazy to weigh the total recipe, then portion it out, then weigh each portion or the remainder in the pot, etc. I figure it's better to set a larger portion size to leave some wiggle room since I serve homemade stuff by eyeballing.
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
    If I have to estimate a portion, I always inflate my first guess by a percentage based on how big a WAG it is. If I have to guess portion size AND pick the closest match out of the database, I may even double it.
  • seilidhe
    seilidhe Posts: 1,042 Member
    I always try to overestimate, but I wouldn't be surprised if my overestimation is actually underestimated... But so far, it seems to be working for me.
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
    I enter the recipes and divide by the number of servings and try to measure as accurately as possible. When I start 'fudging' the numbers I'm more apt to cheat them so I try to just put them in as close as I can.
  • JustinePalin
    JustinePalin Posts: 4
    I don't overestimate what I eat, but I do knock off about 100-200 calories that my hrm says, depending on what I'm doing.
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
    This week has been a great teacher. Last weekend I strained a back muscle and any exercise has been out of the question so - no calories to eat back.

    I have eaten my calculated TDEE calories but with no exercise calories to eat back I have been losing around 0.5lbs every day this week.

    So I conclude that I overestimate how many calories I am burning in exercise and possibly have food calories about right; possibly even slightly under what they should be.

    I'll be eating back half of my exercise calories when I am able to work out again to address the balance.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    I thought I was getting things pretty accurate.. but I was over by a lot! Once I started weighing things I get to eat more now.. and i'm much much happier :)
  • Pooks1n1Schmoops
    Pooks1n1Schmoops Posts: 199 Member
    I do and it doesn't work. There's so many variances in calories, especially on here. Like, how many calories is 1/2 of browned hamburger. Does anyone know?????? Lol it makes me crazy sometimes, but I just try to do my best.
  • ClementineGeorg
    ClementineGeorg Posts: 505 Member
    I over estimate only when I eat what I didn't cook, because I can't really know what goes in. And most day I eat at cafeterias with my coworkers.

    I don't over estimate at home. I don't see the point. I log the ingredients myself. I don't log omelette, I log the eggs and each ingredient separate. And I make every recipies using the tools MFP gives me.

    Why search omelette on MFP and over estimate, when I can log 2 eggs, 35 g of bacon and 35 g of cheese?
  • Pooks1n1Schmoops
    Pooks1n1Schmoops Posts: 199 Member
    If I have to estimate a portion, I always inflate my first guess by a percentage based on how big a WAG it is. If I have to guess portion size AND pick the closest match out of the database, I may even double it.

    What is a WAG?
  • bkyoun
    bkyoun Posts: 371 Member
    If I have to estimate a portion, I always inflate my first guess by a percentage based on how big a WAG it is. If I have to guess portion size AND pick the closest match out of the database, I may even double it.

    What is a WAG?

    Wild A** Guess
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
    I almost never do, because I feel for me it would be the foot in the door for cheating myself. I measure everything or weigh it and log accordingly. However if for example a piece of chicken breast is 95 grs, I still log 100grs, because it's easier. But I won't allow myself to eat something extra because of the five grs difference.
    Due to age and height I eat 1200 calories a day and make each and every calorie count. That goes in both directions, because I neither want to under eat, nor do I have a big margin for careless or inaccurate logging.
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    If it's something like a casserole that I can cut into exactly 6 (or however many it serves) no. But if it's a heaping skillet full of some kind of concoction that you just take scoops of I usually over estimate how many calories I'm getting. Otherwise, I'll measure out my portions of meat, veggies, etc. so they're close to exact
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Well, since I don't weigh or measure anything, I'm sure I do. No doubt I sometimes over estimate and sometimes under estimate, though I don't do either purposely. But since I lost and maintained the loss, I guess it all evens out in the in.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I do and it doesn't work. There's so many variances in calories, especially on here. Like, how many calories is 1/2 of browned hamburger. Does anyone know?????? Lol it makes me crazy sometimes, but I just try to do my best.

    Pretty much everything in the data base can be done by weight...you're just not looking things up correctly. Just look up whatever % your ground beef is....i.e. "80/20 ground beef USDA"...the browning of said beef is not going to substantially alter the calorie content.
  • Pooks1n1Schmoops
    Pooks1n1Schmoops Posts: 199 Member
    If I have to estimate a portion, I always inflate my first guess by a percentage based on how big a WAG it is. If I have to guess portion size AND pick the closest match out of the database, I may even double it.

    What is a WAG?

    Wild A** Guess

    Lol I was way over-thinking that
  • nmpoli
    nmpoli Posts: 17 Member
    I always overestimate... and try to underestimate workouts. I think overestimating is the lesser of two evils.
  • nytrifisoul
    nytrifisoul Posts: 499 Member
    I always over estimate because i like to drink a few beers more then a few times a week, and sometimes i lose count..lol So i always over estimate and i dont eat back my exercise calories. Seems to work great for me. Now that i brought up drinking, anyone else sometimes exercise while drunk?:drinker:
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I always over estimate because i like to drink a few beers more then a few times a week, and sometimes i lose count..lol So i always over estimate and i dont eat back my exercise calories. Seems to work great for me. Now that i brought up drinking, anyone else sometimes exercise while drunk?:drinker:

    Sure, I do. Dancing, naturally. But, my husband and I often hike through the woods after or while drinking. We even tote along a softside cooler of beer and/or a bottle of wine to keep the buzz going. I love being in the woods when tipsy.
  • nytrifisoul
    nytrifisoul Posts: 499 Member


    Sure, I do. Dancing, naturally. But, my husband and I often hike through the woods after or while drinking. We even tote along a softside cooler of beer and/or a bottle of wine to keep the buzz going. I love being in the woods when tipsy.

    Glad there someone else out there that enjoys exercise while buzzed/drunk. It may just be me, but I sometimes feel more energetic exercising while drunk, more then my morning exercise routine. I even have less of a hangover the next morning because i think i sweat out most of the alcohol/impurities.

    We are definitely in the minority, and im expecting some critics on their high horse to respond.
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
    If I have to estimate a portion, I always inflate my first guess by a percentage based on how big a WAG it is. If I have to guess portion size AND pick the closest match out of the database, I may even double it.

    What is a WAG?

    Wild A** Guess

    Lol I was way over-thinking that

    Sorry :tongue: If there's some sort of support (e.g. "That bowl looks like it's about a cup.") then it may be a SWAG - Statistical Wild A** Guess
  • narmowen
    narmowen Posts: 18 Member


    Muffins and stuff I just divide by 12 and won't bother weighing each muffin. Why can't you divide by 18 if you're making 18?

    I do. ;)

    I just have NO interest at all in weighing my food. None at all. And I really can't be the only one (according to some responses here, I'm not.)
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    If I don't know the weight of something, I always overestimate.
  • sumlo30
    sumlo30 Posts: 1
    I do overestimate on my portions. I may add an extra tbs of creamer for my coffee or the milk in my cereal. I am sure there are small things I eat that may not get logged and do count. I feel it helps keep a more accurate count. I would rather over than under!!
  • LaLa482
    LaLa482 Posts: 82 Member
    I also am an over estimator. I also underestimated my workout calories. It just makes me feel better...I can't explain it.

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