Overestimating: Am I the only one?

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  • BarbieFromHellx
    BarbieFromHellx Posts: 758 Member
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    Yeah me too. I tend to overestimate my calories and underestimate how much I've burnt through exercise just to be on the safe side. It's a habit of mine now I guess haha.

    Although nowadays I do weigh the majority of my food, like 99% of the time.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
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    I always overestimate calories in and underestimate calories burned.
  • JassiBear
    JassiBear Posts: 268 Member
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    So what I mean by overestimating is this: I'm logging my food... I don't always use measuring cups, say a sprinkle of cheese.. or a tablespoon of peanut-butter. I just kind of visualize and approximate, but when I log it, I always log a larger amount than I think I actually used just to be on the safe side calorie-wise and not go over my goal...because I heard that most people eyeball larger portions than are actually the proper portion size. This is mostly just laziness on my part and lack of measuring cups lol...

    Also I just use an 8oz foam drinking cup to measure out my cups, half cups, 1/3 cups, and so on... is that okay and does anyone else do this? I also just use a leveled out table-spoon (never heaping) to measure out a tablespoon. Am I the only one that does any of these things?
    So you don't eat back exercise calories (how this site is designed) and you guess how much food you are eating.
    Wish you all the luck in the world but you are making this a lot harder than it needs to be!
    The "laziness" part alone should be a red flag! How many people got fat through laziness? How many people lose weight and keep it off successfully through laziness?
    I've always over-estimated too, it's better to overestimate than under estimated, but my over estimating is a bit of problem now ive switch to maintance, I can't stop losing weight, the needle continues to creep very slowly downwards.
    That's a huge contradiction, how can it be "better" to end up unable to eat at maintenance calories once you have hit goal weight?


    Well actually I'll have you know I did the same method 5 years ago and lost over 70 pounds... sometimes lazinesss is more like work smarter, not harder... and as for eating back exercise calories...well then if I'm doing that, I won't exercise in the first place.
  • eileen0515
    eileen0515 Posts: 408 Member
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    Anyone care to explain how estimating, underestimating, etc. is easier, smarter, faster than weighing? I guess if you are eating out a lot you don't have much choice, but preparing food at home, I just don't get it. My accuracy has enabled me to easily reach my goal of 70 pound loss, and more importantly maintain it. If I start upwardly trending, I can easily go to my reports and understand exactly why, fix it and continue on. Really weighing is so easy and fast a monkey can do it.
  • eileen0515
    eileen0515 Posts: 408 Member
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    OP you say you lost 70 pounds five years ago, so will use the same method? If it was such a good method, why are you back trying to lose it all again?
  • josparkle
    josparkle Posts: 141 Member
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    I definitely recommend the scales - and weighing in grams rather than ounces is much more accurate. Once you get used to it, it becomes second nature.

    Also things like teaspoons and tablespoons as logged on here are finite measures - a teaspoon is 5ml and a tablespoon is 15 ml. But if you were to weigh the product it would be different depending on whether it was peanut butter or flour.

    Get measuring cups, tablespoon, teaspoon and a scale - won't cost very much but it will help you know what you are eating.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,088 Member
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    OP you say you lost 70 pounds five years ago, so will use the same method? If it was such a good method, why are you back trying to lose it all again?

    Well, the same question could be asked if she lost 70 lb with strict weighing and then re gained it 5 years later.

    Presumably, for whatever reason, she stopped eating at a deficit and gradually re gained - unfortunately many people do this, regardless of which method they used to lose - doesn't reflect on the method of losing, just on what happened afterwards.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    I'm not comfortable estimating my calories unless I have to (like we just got pizza from a local joint) - and when I do I over-estimate. I measure everything I can - even pre-packaged stuff.

    I'm pretty type A though, so there's that.
  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
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    I think overestimation is a safe tool when you're not sure--so long as you're certain you're getting at least 1,000 calories/day. I wouldn't want to see you starve yourself or anything!
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    Definitely echoing getting a food scale. It's been a godsend in helping me learn portion sizes, and now I am better at eyeballing when I can't have my scale with me.

    I do overestimate certain things; marinades, for instance. I'd rather not dirty up more plates to re-weigh and calculate how much marinade was actually used, so I will log the amount I used for that recipe and wipe my hands of it. I made steak last night, and measured out 6 tbsp for the entire amount of steak I used, and logged 3 tbsp as what I had.

    Other than that, I try to keep my measurements accurate. I leave a few hundred extra calories every day in case my fitness app/MFP overestimates my calorie burns, but anything I can accurately log, I do. I want to make sure I am hitting my macros as close as I can per day, and overestimating everything is not going to give me insight into that. Also, with peanut butter, you're definitely going to want to weigh that. Measuring out a tablespoon is not going to be entirely accurate, since you're measuring a solid with something meant for liquids.
  • vickiem74
    vickiem74 Posts: 49 Member
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    My food scale has a permanent home on my counter...it is used for everything cause I know enough to know that I do not know how to properly estimate a serving!
  • fit_gal
    fit_gal Posts: 167
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    I use a battery operated scale. It measures in ounces and grams. If its liquid I have to measure them i use a measuring jug. Sometimes I guess when its milk in cereal. I only use skim milk so it's not much.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    So what I mean by overestimating is this: I'm logging my food... I don't always use measuring cups, say a sprinkle of cheese.. or a tablespoon of peanut-butter. I just kind of visualize and approximate, but when I log it, I always log a larger amount than I think I actually used just to be on the safe side calorie-wise and not go over my goal...because I heard that most people eyeball larger portions than are actually the proper portion size. This is mostly just laziness on my part and lack of measuring cups lol...

    Also I just use an 8oz foam drinking cup to measure out my cups, half cups, 1/3 cups, and so on... is that okay and does anyone else do this? I also just use a leveled out table-spoon (never heaping) to measure out a tablespoon. Am I the only one that does any of these things?
    So you don't eat back exercise calories (how this site is designed) and you guess how much food you are eating.
    Wish you all the luck in the world but you are making this a lot harder than it needs to be!
    The "laziness" part alone should be a red flag! How many people got fat through laziness? How many people lose weight and keep it off successfully through laziness?
    I've always over-estimated too, it's better to overestimate than under estimated, but my over estimating is a bit of problem now ive switch to maintance, I can't stop losing weight, the needle continues to creep very slowly downwards.
    That's a huge contradiction, how can it be "better" to end up unable to eat at maintenance calories once you have hit goal weight?


    Well actually I'll have you know I did the same method 5 years ago and lost over 70 pounds... sometimes lazinesss is more like work smarter, not harder... and as for eating back exercise calories...well then if I'm doing that, I won't exercise in the first place.
    Well done on losing the 70lbs but if you put 40lbs back on then you have to start thinking differently. You seem very set in your ways for someone so young and very reluctant to take advice.
    Definition of Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. (Albert Einstein)

    Working smarter isn't choosing a calorie counting tool and then not counting calories. Even if you only logged accurately for a number of weeks you would learn so much about calories in different foods and portion sizes.
  • kethry70
    kethry70 Posts: 404 Member
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    I over-estimate (or try to) when eating out where I have no control over weighing/measuring. But, based on experience I'll bet my overestimates are still under despite having weighed everything most of the last year. At home, I weigh everything (except raw greens some if the time). It was a revelation when I first started - I had no idea what a serving of anything looked like. And it's way easier and faster than I thought.

    As an example of why it's important: the other day I packed a lunch for the office and forgot to weigh my fruit. I guessed it to be 200 grams. Next day, I filled the same container with fruit and weighed it - it was 400 grams!! Luckily, not a huge hit for watermelon and strawberries BUT that could have been several hundred cals for something more dense.

    Long story short - if it's working for you this way - great. But it may be necessary to tighten up logging down the line. And weighing actually dirties less dishes - ultimate laziness there :wink:
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    Yeah, I've never noticed this hindering my weight loss goals...

    YET.
    You are just starting and still have good amounts of weight to lose, you probably have yourself set to 1200 and don't eat back the calories that you are supposed to..

    When you get closer to your goal this method will not work anymore. No one gets to their goal by accident, you don't just "magically" lose the last 10 lbs. It takes dedication and dead accuracy. Using ‘cups’ is grossly inaccurate and will eventually lead to issues because no one measures a ‘cup’ the same way – some go right to the top, for some it’s level, and for others its just under the rim. It’s EASY to go over your calories by hundreds just because you do not weigh. There’s a great you tube video on the differences between weighing and measuring food here: http://www.youtube.com

    As long as it's working for you feel free to do whatever you want, but if you stall you shouldn't wonder why because you already have your answer.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,088 Member
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    Yeah, I've never noticed this hindering my weight loss goals...

    YET.
    You are just starting and still have good amounts of weight to lose, you probably have yourself set to 1200 and don't eat back the calories that you are supposed to..

    When you get closer to your goal this method will not work anymore. No one gets to their goal by accident, you don't just "magically" lose the last 10 lbs. It takes dedication and dead accuracy. Using ‘cups’ is grossly inaccurate and will eventually lead to issues because no one measures a ‘cup’ the same way – some go right to the top, for some it’s level, and for others its just under the rim. It’s EASY to go over your calories by hundreds just because you do not weigh. There’s a great you tube video on the differences between weighing and measuring food here: http://www.youtube.com

    As long as it's working for you feel free to do whatever you want, but if you stall you shouldn't wonder why because you already have your answer.

    Well, I'm not just starting out and I have reached my goal, including the last few lb's and I wasn't that dedicated and I didn't have dead accuracy weighing.

    Believe it or not, some people can get all the way and not stall, using approximate methods.
  • Elana0
    Elana0 Posts: 3
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    I overestimate also, I think a lot of people do when they are keeping track of calories.

    I have measuring cups and a kitchen scale that comes in handy but sometimes when I grab something quickly I just eyeball the amount.

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