"Cheating" in your food diary

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cindy4mica
cindy4mica Posts: 777 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone else "cheat" when entering food? I don't mean cheating as in not logging properly, but sometimes there is food I've eaten, but not necessarily from the restaurant or brand that's listed. For example, I had wings and fries at a local restaurant/bar yesterday. They weren't in the MFP list, and I couldn't find the nutrition facts for them on the internet. So I just used BW3's garlic wings and TGI Friday's fry info. I'm guessing it's not 100% accurate, but I don't know how else to get the information. Any suggestions?

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  • schnarfo
    schnarfo Posts: 764 Member
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    I also do this. I got for a best fit if I dont know the exact cal count
  • CGerman
    CGerman Posts: 539
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    I do the same thing when I can't find the nutritional information for something I ate - I figure it's better than not logging it at all.
  • annapaps
    annapaps Posts: 10 Member
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    I do the same thing. I don't consider it cheating because the more you log and start to notice the nutrition values of foods, the more you'll know you're in the ballpark. 10/20 calories here or there won't hurt. However, if you purposely choose the food that much fewer calories than the other options of the food you can't quite find, then I think it's cheating.
  • FoamyRiver
    FoamyRiver Posts: 276 Member
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    I do that. Especially for small, local restuarants that don't have nutritional values listed anywhere. It might not be completely accurate but it gives me a good estimate of what I've eaten.
  • caitlinclock
    caitlinclock Posts: 528 Member
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    I have guess-timated as best I could in the past. I am still new at calorie counting and I am doing my best. I can only get better as I go along and I think I am doing well so far.

    If you want to be more accurate, a lot of restaurants now offer calorie and nutrition information on their websites. You might want to check there. I know that if I am eating out, I usually check this info beforehand and decide and plan what I am going to order before I even leave the house.

    Good luck!
  • britishstar41
    britishstar41 Posts: 140 Member
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    I think we all do it. If you're really worried, you can google the restaurant you ate at. A lot of times they have nutritional info posted, then you can enter a new food into the database. Then we all benefit! :o)
  • vickiele1
    vickiele1 Posts: 394 Member
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    Here's the thing - if you are eating restaurant prepared food, you really don't have any idea how many calories are in it. The best that anyone can do is to guess. There are some restaurants that do post or publish their nutrition information, but from what I've read the information posted is not necessarily correct, so you are still left guessing and hoping that it is close to be accurate.

    I don't see that as cheating at all - I see it as making every effort to be as honest as you can. Cheating would be just not logging it in or just "guessing" about an overall calorie content for what you have consumed.

    So, recommending to do the best you can and try to just eat as healthy as you can when you are out.

    Vickie
  • fitnesspirateninja
    fitnesspirateninja Posts: 667 Member
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    I do this as well. If I'm not sure, and I'm worried about my calorie intake, I make an effort to do extra exercise just in case (not a huge amount, just take a 30 minute walk or work out on the Wii Fit).

    Honestly, tracking just helps me realize how much I'm eating, and what I'm eating. I can go all day snacking on all kinds of crap, but keeping a diary really gives me perspective.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,129 Member
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    Another thing to consider (sorry everyone.....) I worked in restaurants for 15 years.

    The calories and nutrition posted in menus and on websites......they are just numbers based on the recipes. In real life, cooks and chefs prepare food with "guesstimates". They take a bit of this and a bit of that and often add more cheese, butter, oil, or cream than the recipe calls for.

    We were always being harped on by management to use correct portion sizes as servers and cooks. The servers may be preparing salads and desserts, and will often give you more dressing or hot fudge, or sour cream and butter, because then they don't have to go get more (like most people ask for - MORE of everything.)

    The greatest overages in food costs in restaurants is oil based - cheeses and butter, dressings,etc. Meaning the staff gives away more than the recipes allow.


    ________________________________________

    edit, cross-post.....similar to what vickie said :wink:
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
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    You can't always be 100% accurate, just do the best you can :) As long as you don't constantly run into this problem it won't affect you much, if @ all.
  • twicethespice
    twicethespice Posts: 13
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    I do.

    Some foods, especially ones prepared by other people, are hard to know the calories so I try my best to keep track of it by using other already submitted or checking the foods caloric count on google, etc.

    I try my best to log the appropriate amount.
  • MisdemeanorM
    MisdemeanorM Posts: 3,493 Member
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    I do. I figure this is more a guide than a be all end all count / tally. I also do things like over estimate the amt of PB on a PBJ so I dont have to go find and log the J. Or don't count ketchup, but just log an extra chicken nugget instead.... etc.

    I think that being aware and learning what has what amt of cals helps you guesstimate better and better at what food has in it.

    I agree on the restaurant counts being off too. Probably count on 25% more calories than it says to be safe. Have you seen cooks in a restaurant? the dish is probably supposed to be cooked on the grill in 1T of butter or oil and they probably put 8T on there! I usually add about 200 to 300 to any guess or comparison I have to make on a restaurant dish (ie, we had Chinese takeout the other day).

    Definitely the same for things like sundaes, even mashed potatoes etc. The serving size might be a flat scoop and they round it or plop it on and it's like twice a serving! Or the biscuits are 150 calories (think Olive Garden breadsticks) but how much butter sauce did they REALLY put on there? And some places the comparisons are way off - like different restaurants and their biscuits! It can be anywhere from 120 to 350 PER!

    I'm just thinking of the chocolate milk we made! You'd think 1T choc sauce? Well we got a kick out of putting in like a 1/2 cup of Hershey syrup to hype the kids up and drive the parents nuts (since it kicked in around the time they leave!). The portion sizes for dressings and dips and sauces are also ridiculously small. So watch out if you have gravy or caramel or cheese sauce - or even pasta sauces etc.

    Read how healthy the broccoli sides are supposed to be then taste it ! I have specifically started asking for mine w/out the butter sauce on it as I could have had the fries for the amount of fat on my veggies!

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