Thought twice about that chocolate cake...

naechai40416
naechai40416 Posts: 12 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My wife loves to bake, and I love to encourage her to do it :smile:

So yesterday after work I came home to a beautiful chocolate cake, made from scratch, with a lovely heart in the middle :heart:

Usually we can have one snack after dinner, ranging anywhere from 150-200 calories, depending on the workouts we have been doing that day...we are both MFP users, and before we ate our piece we decided to add all the ingredients from her recipe to figure out how to slice it...uh...yeah...that beautiful chocolate cake turned out to be a whopping 6,000 calories...we split it into 30 manageable pieces, and enjoyed our wonderful rich 200 calories.

As we ate I told her that 6 months ago had she made that I would have not thought twice about getting a mega-piece about the size of 4-5 of those micro-pieces, and would have ate them in one gulp...

Ever since we have been using MFP, I have noticed that we eat much healthier, simply out of necessity...not that we don't enjoy rich foods, but that 110 calorie banana looks a lot more appealing than that 250 calories Snickers bar some days, especially when I am really hungry...

Anyone else got some foods they eat now, that they simply despised before joining MFP? Or maybe cut back on foods they use to indulge in before, when they see how much it 'cost' in calories?

Replies

  • theJTfitness
    theJTfitness Posts: 142 Member
    Ice cream. I still eat it pretty much all the time, but not to excess like I did in the past and it always fits in my calories and macros.
  • ColeCake292012
    ColeCake292012 Posts: 247 Member
    Ice cream. I still eat it pretty much all the time, but not to excess like I did in the past and it always fits in my calories and macros.

    I LOVE ice cream. But unfortunately it usually involves eating almost, if not all, of the half gallon. Its a problem.








    When I'm craving sweets, I get things in manageable portions, or make sure they're easily dividable (is that even a word?) into manageable portions...until PMS comes and I'm back to the ice cream...:grumble:
  • teresamurphy81
    teresamurphy81 Posts: 7
    I do think twice. I ask, "Do I want to waste calories on this?" I am able to eat much smaller portions of chocolate<---my weakness. I have even passed on ice cream when we take the kids out for it. I eat much less bread than I used to....even home milled, whole grain, home made bread is 100 calories per slice. I could eat 6 pieces of that daily. But now I am anywhere between 0 and 2 a day.

    I have a theory--If we knew how many burpees it would take to burn off a dessert or hamburger, we probably wouldn't eat them!
  • Lonestar5775
    Lonestar5775 Posts: 740 Member
    Sorry I don't have a comment on the topic but I love your profile pic! Children change your life don't they?
  • MadelineGraceG
    MadelineGraceG Posts: 34 Member
    So happy for you and your wife! The couple that loses together stays together! ;) I make a killer chocolate cake from scratch as well! (And my husband loves it as well!) I used to make it for him all the time, and we'd pretty much split it between us. In the 7 years we've been married, we've gain about 60-70 pounds! Darn that chocolate cake! Lol! I only make it on special occasions now like birthdays.

    And a food that I just do without now is mac n cheese. I know it sounds silly, but I used to eat an entire box for dinner without thinking. Now I can't even buy it after reading the calories. Just not worth it to me anymore!
  • miss_jessiejane
    miss_jessiejane Posts: 2,819 Member
    Now I'm thinking about chocolate cake! :grumble:
  • fittoday14
    fittoday14 Posts: 128
    If your wife loves to bake (I do too!) she can try experimenting with making recipes that have less calories and more nutrition. Like the old method of using apple sauce instead of vegetable oil, and sour cream or yogurt instead of cream cheese. They really do work!

    I have to think twice when it comes to eating chips. Those tasty chips are 250-350 calories and are NOT satisfying! I have to teach myself every time I see them begging me to buy them at the supermarket! Instead, I make my own popcorn and keep it healthy by barely putting any butter/evoo/sat and adding cayenne pepper to it.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I don't have a lot of foods that I like now but formerly despised. I have grown a bit more fond of cauliflower, steamed (used to HATE cauliflower) but I still wouldn't use it to make pizza crust or any of that business ;-)

    I do notice that some of my old favorites don't taste as good to me now. I used to be a frosting fiend, and I still prefer frosting over cake but it's just a bit sickening now whereas it used to be my favorite thing. Same with most chocolate like Snickers, Twix, etc. I would really prefer some nice dark chocolate or higher quality stuff and find it pretty easy to walk away from the rack of traditional chocolate bars (in the past I could not buy groceries w/o getting at least 1 candy bar).

    Eggs and avocado appeal to me a lot more than they used to and make up a considerable percentage of my diet. I get strong cravings for rice and cheese, and eat both in moderation. I used to be pretty blasé about both.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I would have eaten more than piece, guaranteed. Self control is still hard. I mean, I eat much less than I used to obviously... but baked goods are my weakness, especially as they're just so much better fresh, lol.

    What I've changed in my diet mostly is reducing the amount of sweets (hard to believe when you see my diary, because I still have a lot, but yeah), I've quit soda, French fries (except on very rare occasions), ribs (sadly), random dishes with sauce, fried stuff as a whole. Heck I haven't had fast food in ages either. Basically I'll make my own healthier version of everything if I have a craving (well, except ribs, is it even possible?).
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,374 Member
    Fresh baked cinnamon rolls - not that Pillsbury crap you get at the store - real cinnamon rolls from the bakery.... it take some will power, but I can now make one of them last 3-4 days instead of eating 2-3 of them for a single breakfast!
  • wihltsabow
    wihltsabow Posts: 5
    Being nutrition-conscious definitely helps make those somewhat simple decisions that can cut quite a few calories that you didn't realize were such a big deal. I use MFP with some of the Weight Watchers rules that I don't count most fruit and vegetables that I eat. I have found that by doing this I definitely eat more fresh produce than I ever had. I count certain fruits like bananas and corn, but I figure if I don 'to make my weight loss goals it's probably not because I ate too many carrots lol
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
    And a food that I just do without now is mac n cheese. I know it sounds silly, but I used to eat an entire box for dinner without thinking. Now I can't even buy it after reading the calories. Just not worth it to me anymore!

    +1
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Dunkin... I mostly skip it now- occasionally I eat there- but usually as a treat.
    It's just really high in calories and I'm not as satisfied.
    Everything else stays pretty much the same- chicken, veggies, cheese, yogurt- that's probably the one thing that changed the most- I prepack my food- so I buy big containers of plain greek and make my own fruit yogurt.

    I also eat way more eggs with veggies and bacon- I ate them before- but now I go through 24 eggs in a week no problem.
  • naechai40416
    naechai40416 Posts: 12 Member
    Being nutrition-conscious definitely helps make those somewhat simple decisions that can cut quite a few calories that you didn't realize were such a big deal. I use MFP with some of the Weight Watchers rules that I don't count most fruit and vegetables that I eat. I have found that by doing this I definitely eat more fresh produce than I ever had. I count certain fruits like bananas and corn, but I figure if I don 'to make my weight loss goals it's probably not because I ate too many carrots lol

    Wow that's a really good idea...I will definitely have to mention that one to my wife...
  • naechai40416
    naechai40416 Posts: 12 Member
    Sorry I don't have a comment on the topic but I love your profile pic! Children change your life don't they?

    Oh man...My daughter has changed our life so much already...she is only 3 months, but wow...it's been great
  • naechai40416
    naechai40416 Posts: 12 Member
    So happy for you and your wife! The couple that loses together stays together! ;) I make a killer chocolate cake from scratch as well! (And my husband loves it as well!) I used to make it for him all the time, and we'd pretty much split it between us. In the 7 years we've been married, we've gain about 60-70 pounds! Darn that chocolate cake! Lol! I only make it on special occasions now like birthdays.

    And a food that I just do without now is mac n cheese. I know it sounds silly, but I used to eat an entire box for dinner without thinking. Now I can't even buy it after reading the calories. Just not worth it to me anymore!

    I think our goal to lose between the both of us is roughly in the same ballpark, so I understand that...oh yeah mac & cheese is a good one...we used to make the box stuff, but we stick to those 220 calorie easy packs now...cheese has slowly made it's way out of a lot of my meals :/
  • naechai40416
    naechai40416 Posts: 12 Member
    If your wife loves to bake (I do too!) she can try experimenting with making recipes that have less calories and more nutrition. Like the old method of using apple sauce instead of vegetable oil, and sour cream or yogurt instead of cream cheese. They really do work!

    Wow...never heard of this one, so I gotta mention it to her...that would be a major drop off in calories between vegetable oil and apple sauce...
  • workout_ninja
    workout_ninja Posts: 524 Member
    I cook all our meals at home and I am constantly trying to make things that little bit healthier, for example when I make bolognese or chilli, i throw in alot more vegetables and use half the mince we used to eat, still filling, still tasty but healthier - the one thing I hate doing to this day is weighing my pasta! I love pasta and 150 - 200g looks like nothing on the plate! I do it, but im not happy about it. I even bought smaller plates to make it look like more!!!
  • jchadden42
    jchadden42 Posts: 189
    If your wife loves to bake (I do too!) she can try experimenting with making recipes that have less calories and more nutrition. Like the old method of using apple sauce instead of vegetable oil, and sour cream or yogurt instead of cream cheese. They really do work!

    Wow...never heard of this one, so I gotta mention it to her...that would be a major drop off in calories between vegetable oil and apple sauce...

    I second the applesauce thing. I use unsweetened applesauce for baking--in place of oil, and I also cut the sugar by about 1/4 cup because apples have sweetness to them. It also works to use only egg whites in place of whole eggs. (you may need to add an extra egg white). My pancake recipe is only 70 calories per cake.
  • slk_5555
    slk_5555 Posts: 177 Member
    This is one reason that I do not tend to bake. My husband does not have a sweet tooth, I would be left with a huge cake to consume. I bake at Christmas & Easter or when family come to stay etc, but usually cupcakes, which are easy to package up & give to friends & family. I make a lovely chocolate ganache cup cake topped with nuts, dried fruit & ginger - I usually have one & then give the rest away as quickly as possible.
  • cheripugh1
    cheripugh1 Posts: 357 Member
    Well yes... cake for my birthday. We decided (I live with my sister) to go out for lunch, the place has a free piece of cake or pie for the birthday person... oh cool! So I think we can share the cake, oh was it great! but get this it was enough for us to share and only eat 1/2 but before I'd of eaten that whole thing! From now on we will go there and get a free piece of great cake and share it instead of buying a cake that I will over eat!

    I use cute little ice cream dishes now too that I bought at the Walmart, look like little crystal ones from the ice cream place...and guess what? they look FULL and elegant with a simple real serving of ice cream! so my mind thinks it is having a LOT and my calorie count stays in zone!
  • tracydr
    tracydr Posts: 528 Member
    I've seriously decreased my starches and fat, especially butter. Before, I would have an entire 300-400 gram potato, cooked as home fries with a tsp of olive oil and 3 (smallish) eggs cooked in butter.
    Now I will eat one egg and half a potato. Use my Misto sprayer to apply a mist of oil to pan and potato surface. Often I have pan-stir fried chard instead of potato,too.
    I don't buy whipped cream or half and half anymore. I have no control with it and can literally eat a bowl of homemade whipped cream after drinking out of the carton!
  • slk_5555
    slk_5555 Posts: 177 Member
    Also - this is one reason I hated Weight Watchers cake recipes. They would sound like a really low cal option, until you realised that after baking, you were going to have to divide it into 5 billion slices. It wasn't low fat, it was just portions which effectively mounted to about 3 crumbs:-)
  • tracydr
    tracydr Posts: 528 Member
    This is one reason that I do not tend to bake. My husband does not have a sweet tooth, I would be left with a huge cake to consume. I bake at Christmas & Easter or when family come to stay etc, but usually cupcakes, which are easy to package up & give to friends & family. I make a lovely chocolate ganache cup cake topped with nuts, dried fruit & ginger - I usually have one & then give the rest away as quickly as possible.
    Same here, although is still bake some rye bread for the hubby. I might need to make a healthy zuchinni bread today with my glut of zuchinni. My husband requested chocolate cake for his graduation party, which was a small gathering. I ended up giving 2/3ds of the cake away to my step-daughters family. I felt like an enabler because she, her husband and teenage son are all overweight, by a lot. Not that it matters, it will just take the place of some of their Macdonalds and Filebertos calories for a couple of days!
    Today, we're trying zuchinni noodles with pesto or marinara!
  • Kirstie155
    Kirstie155 Posts: 1,001 Member
    I cook all our meals at home and I am constantly trying to make things that little bit healthier, for example when I make bolognese or chilli, i throw in alot more vegetables and use half the mince we used to eat, still filling, still tasty but healthier - the one thing I hate doing to this day is weighing my pasta! I love pasta and 150 - 200g looks like nothing on the plate! I do it, but im not happy about it. I even bought smaller plates to make it look like more!!!
    On the pasta thing, you should weigh your pasta dry. Check the label, but most boxes will have the serving size weight as dry, because once cooked the pieces are heavier.

    You'll get more pasta in your serving this way-and its not cheating! :)

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