BIGGEST thing you have learned since tracking calories?

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  • Mygsds
    Mygsds Posts: 1,564 Member
    Biggest things that I have learned

    1. Portion control was a eye opener
    2.if you do have a bad food day, don't beat yourself up, just start the next meal like you should
    3. Be patient, didn't get this way overnight
    4. I've learned new recipes and different foods that I never would have tried..
    5. My food scale is my best friend.. Hate it and love it at the same time.
    6.be honest with your logging. The only one you are deceiving is yourself.

    And finally "nothing tastes as good as looking good feels" have a pair of size 10 jeans
    Hanging on my bedroom wall so I look at it every morning. Can get them on, just not zipped..
    One day soon

    7. Give yourself a incentive and a goal each month...
  • sunshine11111
    sunshine11111 Posts: 48 Member
    The biggest thing I learned is that I was eating way too much. I also learned how important it is to have short term goals and not just long term goals, and as long as I don't give up I will still get there. Each day is a new day.
  • nmcguier
    nmcguier Posts: 27 Member
    I've learned that I was snacking myself to being overweight/obese. I wasn't eating particularly unhealthy meals and I exercised 3 days a week, but the snacks... oh the snacks. A couple scoops of icecream here, a bag of popcorn there, no big thing. Heh. Now that I'm tracking calories I find myself eating relatively small breakfasts and lunches and relatively large dinners. I learned that I need to eat my dinner later in the day (7ish) and allow myself one small, well portioned snack in the evening (1c of frozen yogurt) and I feel completely satisfied.
  • Iknowsaur
    Iknowsaur Posts: 777 Member
    The caloric difference between regular and lowfat versions of many foods is very small.
    The fat is often replaced with sugar and filler crap!
  • 123stefania
    123stefania Posts: 167 Member
    Portion control
    High caloric snacking (ex: cheese and cold cut, nuts and dry fruits, ...)
    Eating and snacking while preparing supper and eating as will I hadn't eaten in a week :) LOL...
  • CharleeCali
    CharleeCali Posts: 51 Member
    Tracking beer and drinks has been eye-opening. I knew they had high calories and sugar but its crazy to see that something like a margarita has more calories in one drink than I consume for breakfast or lunch.

    I gave up drinking at home because of this. I was so annoyed when I added the calories that I just stopped. I'll still indulge when I go out socially, but at home? Just empty calories. Then again, I work with attorneys, so we'll see how long this lasts. :drinker:
  • lemur_lady
    lemur_lady Posts: 350 Member
    I have learned that I can eat WAY more than I thought to lose weight. Before I started counting calories on mfp I thought to lose weight I would need to live off bland 'rabbit food' and shouldnt eat any of my favourite treats for fear of it affecting my weight loss.

    I now get really frustrated at those on my friends list who are as big as or bigger than me who are barely eating 1000 calories a day. They have people telling them to eat more but they dont listen.
  • SecretDuck
    SecretDuck Posts: 26
    That if I crave a KFC burger/wrap...etc, I should only get that individual item and not the whole meal. Otherwise, the meal itself will have triple the calories.
  • Amandawith3kids
    Amandawith3kids Posts: 367 Member
    portion control and identifying hidden calories. i didnt know how much i was adding to my overall intake with just butter. i only had to make small changes to my diet, cutting out some of the crap, and stop the bloodletting with the snacks and hidden calories, and its coming together.
  • Shibanut
    Shibanut Posts: 2 Member
    I am amazed at what I am learning about the nutritional value in addition to calories and portion size. I love that I can see what is missing in my day and add it in. One trick for me is to enter tomorrow's food today since I essentially know what is in the fridge or pantry that I am going to eat or take to work for lunch. That give me the flexibility to add or subtract through the day without having to enter it all. Overall, very happy to have found this. :flowerforyou:
  • ki4yxo
    ki4yxo Posts: 709 Member
    That sodium is a *****!
  • yolohunter
    yolohunter Posts: 79 Member
    Need to be honest with yourself about counting everything accurately...it all adds up!

    And wow I was (and still am, but getting better) eating too much sodium!
  • bobkat80
    bobkat80 Posts: 347 Member
    That I will need to do this the rest of my life to keep myself on track.
    That my scale is my best ally in weight loss.
    That I can have whatever I want as long as I add it into my calorie goal for that day.
    How to cook! I rarely ever cooked at home before MFP.
    That I CAN DO THIS!!!
  • hospitablegirl
    hospitablegirl Posts: 64 Member
    I'm 31 days in, and I've learned that I actually enjoy some healthy foods (fruits, veggies). I've also learned how to cook better. This has been a real challenge for me since I generally don't cook. But I wanted to learn how to do this right. I've also learned that store-brand green beans, although cheaper, taste nasty.

    Oh and what amazing things my body can do! I love my body, even if it's bigger right now, because it carries me through my days and without it, I would be nothing!
  • Chickee8586
    Chickee8586 Posts: 155 Member
    Everything everyone has said, and...

    MFP calorie/exercise goals will reset themselves at will. I change them, it's good for a couple days and then suddenly Bam! They revert to a previous setting.

    But, as long as my bottom numbers go where I want them to go, I'm good.
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    That I can eat tonnes of food and still lose weight. Also that maintenance is delicious. Yay!
  • eimaj5575
    eimaj5575 Posts: 278 Member
    I learned that having enough calories for a pizza pigout only happen a couple times a year lol
  • shivles
    shivles Posts: 468 Member
    'Portion size' is bullsh*t
  • Clash1001
    Clash1001 Posts: 85 Member
    1. It is NEVER a good idea to save up most of your calories on a Friday for Friday night beer, except, because you're being healthy, you'll have vodka instead....I should have been more concerned about making sure I'd eaten beforehand than worrying about calories....ugh.

    2. I can eat smaller portions and not feel 'deprived' or 'hungry'.

    3. I now know what a portion looks like. And it's generally half of what I thought it was!

    4. Exercise makes you feel great and gives you tonnes of energy. Plus it means more noms!
  • outofworkpediatrician
    outofworkpediatrician Posts: 43 Member
    I learned how much of my eating is due to boredom rather than actual hunger. I also learned eating to finish your meal even when you're stuffed is NOT a good thing.

    +1
    - i learned that if i stay up late at night, watching tv or surfing the net, i eat huge amounts of calories even though i am not that hungry.
    - i also learned that what i add to my cooking is important, for example when i make curries, i used to add coconut milk or cream to make the curry thicker, creamier and tastier. i learned that i can add a table spoon of all purpose flour mixed in water can be added to the curry instead and makes the curry equally thicker, but with one fifth the calories of coconut milk.
    - i also learned that trying to BEAT hunger is not a good thing, when you starve yourself, later you make bad choices out of self pity. instead if i eat some thing light, healthy and filling (like a bowl of steamed vegetables) i am happier and prevent myself from over eating and killing my calorie counts for the day!
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
    Weigh as much as you can with a digital scale, even if it's a pre-packaged individual serving. For example, my quest bars are supposed to weigh60g, but they usually weigh 66-68g.
  • VanillaSmile427
    VanillaSmile427 Posts: 45
    Weigh as much as you can with a digital scale, even if it's a pre-packaged individual serving. For example, my quest bars are supposed to weigh60g, but they usually weigh 66-68g.

    Iv'e heard good things about those bars! Are they any good?
  • tiger4nikki
    tiger4nikki Posts: 112 Member
    The biggest thing I have learned is how MANY calories are in so many foods that I love, LOL!
  • caellen518
    caellen518 Posts: 14 Member
    I've learned that I am the worst kind of grazer. That "just five won't hurt..." kind of person who never realized that 5 a day, every day equaled out to lbs gained.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    That eating the proper amount of calories for my stats and activity level is key - not too much, but not too little either. Food is fuel, and my properly fueled body happily sheds fat. :drinker:
  • JackieRL55
    JackieRL55 Posts: 144 Member
    I also learned portion control as well as how much I was snacking...which was A LOT. I also learned that just because something is healthy doesn't mean you can eat 20 servings.

    Portions has to be the biggest though. My portions, in retrospect, were obscene!
  • suejoker
    suejoker Posts: 317 Member
    If left to my own devices, I would always eat 15%carbs/75%fat/10%protein. I love the pie chart! It really helps me keep my fat consumption under control.
  • creammenke
    creammenke Posts: 1
    After a low carb diet which is quite limiting in choices, its wonderful being able to go shopping for food, knowing i can eat the things on the shelves and not deprive myself, as long as i portion control. So easy to se how many calories i have left and adjusting,the type of food to fit the daily allowance. So easy! When i have not filled my quota i can splurge without guilt to get to target calories. A bedtime treat. This is great a sustainable way to lose weight. Treats at the end of the day if Ive stuck to the plan,not deprivation
  • srMN1
    srMN1 Posts: 4
    I've learned that I can eat a lot of food and still be at a deficit. It is about making the right choices at the right time.

    Also, MODERATION! is my slogan.

    I am never giving up alcohol, pizza, chinese food ... I am just NOT eating as much or as often.

    This about sums it up.
  • snapehbp
    snapehbp Posts: 64
    Portion sizes, especially pasta!! I was clearly grossly over estimating a serving size with pasta... It was a huge shock!

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