This calorie counting is hell

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CharlieWolt
CharlieWolt Posts: 15
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay - So I'm 19 and I'm not severely overweight, BUT there is alot of excess skin that I wish was not there.
I've started counting my calories, and all cereals, muesli bars, and all that packet jazz is easy to record and punching it in to the system could not be easier, but when it comes to a home made sandwich or dinner, when we eat I dunno, rice with stir fry.
I have the calorie in take for a cup of long grain rice, but I don't know how many calories are in the stir fry, let alone how much I'm eating?

I come from a family where my parents tell me I'm fine and a sister that has a metabolism not to mention body of a rocket ship, and I got the dud genes - so in keeping calorie counting a secret, whilst having to eat....is a tad tricky.
I know there's a part to add in recipes, however I can't seem to configure this as I don't know the specifics of all home cooked stuff.

Replies

  • megsta21
    megsta21 Posts: 506 Member
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    If your only worried about loose skin I would not bother counting calories cause that wont do too much for you....

    But i would highly recommend doing some low weight, high rep weights to tone up.... =)
  • JAG995
    JAG995 Posts: 15 Member
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    For things like stir frys, I would calculate the rice and if you put any meat in it. The veggies aren't very high in calories so you may be able to fudge that. Say you are eating chicken, a 4oz portion of chicken is about the size of a deck of playing cards. You can use that to estimate how much you ate.
  • kappyblu
    kappyblu Posts: 654 Member
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    You have to plug in every ingredient and how much is used. Then you have to know how many servings it makes. Like when I make a batch of spaghetti sauce, I know that it makes appx 12 cups. So I say that is 12 servings. And then when I serve myself the sauce, I measure it out with a measuring cup. If you didn't cook the dinner, politely ask what the cook used and how much. But if you really have no idea of say the stir fried rice, just measure it out with a 1/2 or 1 cup measuring cup. Limit yourself to 1 cup of the stuff, and you will probably be ok.

    As for the sandwich, if the package doesn't measure by the slice, then use a food scale to measure by the ounce or gram or whatever. If you don't have a scale, they are pretty decently priced. $20 at Wal-Mart. A couple of sets of measuring cups and spoons are great to have.

    Hang in there!! :smile:
  • avalonfloyd
    avalonfloyd Posts: 44
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    What I do when I'm trying to input homemade stuff is I just put in the food, like 2 pieces of bread, for example, and see what calories it gives me on here. Then I put in what's next - a slice of cheese, ham, whatever's on a sandwich, say. Then I add it all up and create a new food. Some of it is guesswork, but you can get the general idea. Sometimes I'll over estimate the calories, just to give myself a little extra to work off. It takes trial and error.

    You might keep it a secret from your family, but you'll have a great support system here. I only joined recently. I'm 24 and basically the biggest of all my siblings, cousins, and family, and I'm tired of it.

    Good luck with the calorie counting!
  • leggymomma64
    leggymomma64 Posts: 66 Member
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    This is probably not what you want to hear, but the thing is, if you are going to count your calories, you have to be able to know exactly what you're eating, or it's never going to work. I understand about homemade stuff, but at some point you have to be accountable for all that you eat to get a true calorie count and see results. You have to measure what your putting into everything you cook/eat and be mindful of your serving size. If you're not, you won't see the results. Start with baby steps, for example, I had to stop buying lunchmeat at the deli and start with prepackaged stuff so I could regulate exactly how much I was putting on a sandwich. This is coming from someone who HATES to measure, but after you do it for a while and start to see results, it's a lot easier to habit to follow. Don't get discouraged, keep with it!! Good luck!!!
  • FlashBang
    FlashBang Posts: 136
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    If I knew at 19 what I know now, man what difference it would have made. Keep it up. As you build your own personal database it gets easier. I spend less than a minute logging anything. At first you have to google stuff and find things that look similar to the thing you just ate but as long as you get close, maybe err on the side of caution and overestimate a little you will be fine. The recipe thing is a snap just play around with it and make the best guesses your can. Pretty soon you will have entered just about everything you will ever eat. But I can not stress enough, get fit now and stay fit, it will make a difference in your life.
  • RaeN81
    RaeN81 Posts: 534 Member
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    Okay, so for the times you are in charge of your own meals, read all the labels and input things properly. This will help you to get a basic understanding of actual serving sizes and calories. Then, using the data base, guesstimate approximations of the food you eat with your family. Take some time to watch it being prepared (or better yet, surprise them and cook!) and then you'll get a feel for what's actually in it. Remember to account for sauces in family prepared meals: this is where alot of those extra calories can creep in. After a few weeks, if you keep at it and you are observant, you will likely get pretty good at guessing or finding similar foods in the database.
  • haroldz123
    haroldz123 Posts: 20 Member
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    google ur calorie intake (stir fried rice) then create ur food.
    being 19, ur metabolism just need a little kick from to to rev it up...

    internal / tabata / javorek workout to save time
  • AdventureVia
    AdventureVia Posts: 84 Member
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    So I know my calorie intake is way higher than probably most people on this site, I'm a big guy but I when I am counting, I always just put in what I ate and then take whichever option it comes up with that is close to what I made and has the highest calorie count. I figure anything I make at home will probably be less than a restaurant and I am not in the mood to do my taxes everyday, know what I mean?

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