What do you do?

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slimmingfairy
slimmingfairy Posts: 58 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am finding certain situations that crop up hard to deal with and then seem to let it throw me off track
If I have to eat out and don't know the calorie content of something I seem to stop tracking for example I had a really long shift and had a bacon and Brie sandwich at work - no nutritional info available what do I do?

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  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Take your best guess using generic entires. When in doubt, estimate up.

    This will continue to come up, so it's good to find a way that works for you!

    It can't throw you off track. Only you can do that. Make up your mind that you will not allow that happen. :)

    You can do it. :)
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    There's this website I use where you can look up the calorie counts for common food items. I can't remember the name of it, sorry.
  • Dansk_USA
    Dansk_USA Posts: 32 Member
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    When I eat out, and there are no entries I do the same. I use generic or similar foods. I get thrown off track when I have to create my own recipes based on foods I make. I don't like the time it takes, so I have decided to do the same for the foods I make at home. Use an estimated amount of what I've put in of each ingredient that ends up on my plate. Not ideal, but it seems to be working.

    The thing my friends have continued to tell me on MFP, and works more than anything else, is that I am doing this for myself, and I am the only one accountable for that. If I don't do it for me, no one else will. If you miss a day of tracking, start the next anew, or track as much as you can for that day. You can always add in what you've missed later so you can see what you've been eating. Remember always that you are doing this for yourself, to be a better, healthier you!

    I hope you are able to make this work for you :)
  • numinousnymph
    numinousnymph Posts: 249 Member
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    when i eat out, before i eat anything i eyeball what is on my plate and write down in my phone about how much of each food is on there. for your sandwich, start with the bread. what kind of bread was it (or if you don't know, make your best guess)? how big were the slices? if it was focaccia, for example, i'd do a search in MFP and click on several of the options. if there are ones that quantify size of the bread by inches, i use that one. i'll also double check by doing a google search of "focaccia nutrition", and compare results that i get there to results that MFP gives me. it takes a lot more time to do, but i feel it's important to at least get a correct-ish estimate of what i ate. for the bacon it should be easy -- just count how many slices of bacon were on the sandwich. the cheese would be harder since i'm assuming it was melted... depending on the size of the sandwich and the generosity of the portion, i'd stick with at least 2 servings of brie (since restaurants rarely only give you one serving!). if there were any other condiments, just eyeball them as best you can. when i pick an item from the database and add it to my log, i look to make sure more than just the calories are in there -- if everything else in the entry for that item is "0", or the calorie count seems too high or low, i tend to feel that entry is less reliable, and i'll pick another one from the database. it's just trial and error.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    You can only guess. Find an entry for each ingredient you ate as close as possible. 2 ounces of brie, 2 slices of bread, 4 slices of tomato, 2 tablespoons of mayo, etc. Be honest and overestimate instead of underestimating. You're only hurting yourself if that sandwich comes out to 200 calories when you're done instead of the 400 it probably was.

    You'll get better at this as time goes on but there may still be some days where you say "the heck with it." I'm having a day like that. It's my son's birthday and I had a donut for breakfast, lunch provided in a meeting and I'll be eating out tonight. I entered 1500 quick calories and I'm just going with that today. I've been pretty good all week so I'm not that worried about being over my goal for the whole week.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    If you standardly weigh things, you get really good at coming close when in a situation that you have to guess. This said, you enter each ingredient. When in doubt, overestimate.
  • slimmingfairy
    slimmingfairy Posts: 58 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies
    I don't think I worded it quite right (was a bit tired!)
    I am happy that I will have to guesstimate but it's a mental thing, I weigh everything and kind of feel a failure if I guesstamate but at the same time I know I am going to have to do this to live "normally"
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    I don't eat out that often (3 young kids) but when I do, I just guesstimate. We go to a café sometimes and I usually have a skinny cappuccino and a pastrami flatbread. As it's independent it doesn't have anything in the database, so I log a skinny cappuccino from a chain coffee shop, then I add a flatbread, some pastrami, a gherkin etc. I'm sure it's close enough.

    I don't know what you do about exercise calories, but I never eat mine, so I guess I have a margin for error anyway.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,732 Member
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    Guesstimating is absolutely fine when there's doubt. I've been able to track trips to Greek or Mexican buffets, Mediterranean deli, Vietnamese pho shops, etc. The hardest part is guessing the amount. I've considered getting a small travel scale, but I'm afraid people will think I'm a drug dealer :laugh:
  • kazzsj0urney
    kazzsj0urney Posts: 57
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    I would break it up...calculate an approximate of the Brie...the bacon...the bread...and any condiments and then add each item individually
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I would always choose the healthiest option and look for the closest match

    And I love bacon and Brie but would only have it where I can control the calories (eg homemade) or have a nutrition label ...if I was out and there were options I'd go for tuna or chicken salad instead

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