Calorie Counting 101
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But what if you enjoy chips and cookies? I ate/eat those things all the time. You simply need to track them, and account for them. Why ban foods? You can't hide from cookies forever. Eventually you will come face to face with these foods and rather then binge when faced with cookies at work or a friends house you can just have 1 cookie because you practice moderation.In my humble opinion... someone that is making so much effort to get every calorie to the point of using a scale to measure Ketchup...is trying to get to a low BF% but for most of us... trying to lose 10kg or more wouldn't have to be so strict in our counting... weigh the big stuff.. and exercise...
Clearly missing counting 5 carlories of mustard on our double cheese hamburger is not the problem...
I know.... that for some calorie counting is almost a religion and to say you can eyeball it ...is almost as bad as killing a baby seal... however for most of us losing weight is about changing our life style... eating smaller portions... pulling away from the table... putting down the bag of potato chips and walking instead of watching tv or staying on the computer....
Yes, it is pretty extreme. It's kind of like the vegan who scours every label, making sure that the product does not contain a micro-milligram of an animal product.
And you're right. Keep the chips and cookies and crap out of your house, and you've won half the battle.
Because most people do not have the same will power that you have. A person has two cookies and an hour later, although he/she is not supposed to, has two more cookies. And then two more cookies.
Once you've reached your weight goal, have cookies. Gain weight? Get rid of the cookies.
Other than you, I have never heard anyone encourage people who are desperately trying to lose weight to keep cookies, and ice cream and chips, and sugar-loaded high calorie junk in their house, so long as they track them.
NOT TRUE. I made a batch of cookies 4 days ago and I have a total of 3. One a day so your "theory" is BS sir.
There are lots of people that keep the "bad" food in their house and still lose weight successfully...maybe YOU need to learn some self control, hhhmmm?
Thanks for the insult. Go to a Walmart. Look around. Do you think most of those shoppers have self-control? We have a 25% to 30% obesity rate, for goodness sakes, because people have no self-control. Start by keeping crap out of your kitchen.
Also, you set a calorie goal, which also is not easy for most people. Why would you set aside calories for something like pretzels and ice cream, which does nothing for satiety?
There is no "crap/bad" food...it's food. We need it to live. I've learned self control and moderation and I'm losing weight. I buy snacks for my daughter all the time. Do I go hogwild and eat them all...no. I barely touch them. As previous posters have said, it's called self-control and that starts with you.
Thank you for letting me know that Coke and donuts are as healthy as a piece of grilled fish or an avocado. I did not know that. 99.9% of nutritionists will tell you that Coke and donuts are junk food and fish and avocados are healthy. But I will listen to you.
You're welcome! Trust me, you've received some really important education, and for just $0
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You can't quantify health. Is a coke a 5.2 health while fish is 150.8 health? Comparing foods in a vacuum is useless. Sure coke and donuts have less micro nutrients and different macro nutrients then fish, but if I am at the end of my day (or I've prelogged) and I've met all the required nutrients for the day, then what's wrong with the coke? You must look at foods as they relate to your diet in a whole. If you diet consisted of nothing but donuts, cokes, and the like, that would be a poor diet for almost anyone. Eating lots of fish would be a poor choice for someone who doesn't enjoy (or is allergic to) fish. You can't make blanket statements like "food A is better then food B". You must look at everything you are eating and ask how it helps to hit your goals. Now you might think, coke won't help anyone their goals. Well if having 1 coke takes care of someone's sweet tooth, and allows them to fill the rest of their calories with minimally processed whole foods, then the coke just helped them hit their goals. Also, lets bring this topic back to what it's about. None of this has anything to do with how to count calories which is what this thread is about. Let's debate whether or not moderation is a viable option and what foods are "healthy" in the over 9000 other threads devoted to those topics. Whether you are eating coke, donuts, fish, or dirt, this thread is about how to accurately log and track those foods.
But what if you enjoy chips and cookies? I ate/eat those things all the time. You simply need to track them, and account for them. Why ban foods? You can't hide from cookies forever. Eventually you will come face to face with these foods and rather then binge when faced with cookies at work or a friends house you can just have 1 cookie because you practice moderation.In my humble opinion... someone that is making so much effort to get every calorie to the point of using a scale to measure Ketchup...is trying to get to a low BF% but for most of us... trying to lose 10kg or more wouldn't have to be so strict in our counting... weigh the big stuff.. and exercise...
Clearly missing counting 5 carlories of mustard on our double cheese hamburger is not the problem...
I know.... that for some calorie counting is almost a religion and to say you can eyeball it ...is almost as bad as killing a baby seal... however for most of us losing weight is about changing our life style... eating smaller portions... pulling away from the table... putting down the bag of potato chips and walking instead of watching tv or staying on the computer....
Yes, it is pretty extreme. It's kind of like the vegan who scours every label, making sure that the product does not contain a micro-milligram of an animal product.
And you're right. Keep the chips and cookies and crap out of your house, and you've won half the battle.
Because most people do not have the same will power that you have. A person has two cookies and an hour later, although he/she is not supposed to, has two more cookies. And then two more cookies.
Once you've reached your weight goal, have cookies. Gain weight? Get rid of the cookies.
Other than you, I have never heard anyone encourage people who are desperately trying to lose weight to keep cookies, and ice cream and chips, and sugar-loaded high calorie junk in their house, so long as they track them.
NOT TRUE. I made a batch of cookies 4 days ago and I have a total of 3. One a day so your "theory" is BS sir.
There are lots of people that keep the "bad" food in their house and still lose weight successfully...maybe YOU need to learn some self control, hhhmmm?
Thanks for the insult. Go to a Walmart. Look around. Do you think most of those shoppers have self-control? We have a 25% to 30% obesity rate, for goodness sakes, because people have no self-control. Start by keeping crap out of your kitchen.
Also, you set a calorie goal, which also is not easy for most people. Why would you set aside calories for something like pretzels and ice cream, which does nothing for satiety?
There is no "crap/bad" food...it's food. We need it to live. I've learned self control and moderation and I'm losing weight. I buy snacks for my daughter all the time. Do I go hogwild and eat them all...no. I barely touch them. As previous posters have said, it's called self-control and that starts with you.
Thank you for letting me know that Coke and donuts are as healthy as a piece of grilled fish or an avocado. I did not know that. 99.9% of nutritionists will tell you that Coke and donuts are junk food and fish and avocados are healthy. But I will listen to you.
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Sure they have it. Using it and having it are two different things...Thanks for the insult. Go to a Walmart. Look around. Do you think most of those shoppers have self-control?
No, because people don't exercise their self control...We have a 25% to 30% obesity rate, for goodness sakes, because people have no self-control.
Start by loving and accepting yourself the way you are. Start by not body shaming others and telling them what they should and should not do. We are not animals, we have the ability to reason and exercise self control. Start by not letting food have so much power over you. Own your successes and failures, chill out and get on with your life...Start by keeping crap out of your kitchen.
What's so hard about setting a calorie goal?Also, you set a calorie goal, which also is not easy for most people.
Because it is pleasurable and pleasure is a nutrient.Why would you set aside calories for something like pretzels and ice cream, which does nothing for satiety?
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If it was alllll just self control there wouldn't be many people on this site. Ticks me off when people say 'it's all self control' ..... NOT helpful at all to ANYONE to say that!!!!0
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Self control is going to be necessary to lose vast amounts of weight. I don't know a single individual who did not have a good handle on self control that lost weight and kept it off. You can learn to exercise self control better. It's not a matter of you either have it or you don't. When I was obese I still had self control but I was very poor at utilizing it. Through time, I learned to exercise my self control better and better. It did not happen over night, it was something I worked very hard on. And please, lets divert this conversation back to the focus of the thread, which is CALORIE COUNTING, There are a million other threads out there about self control.If it was alllll just self control there wouldn't be many people on this site. Ticks me off when people say 'it's all self control' ..... NOT helpful at all to ANYONE to say that!!!!
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I like your condiment trick! No added dishes0
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This was so helpful! The condiment trick is genius. I do hope you could add exercise estimates eventually (if you're knowledgeable on that subject) because that's so hard to track. Would we maybe reverse the adding 10% like you did with the food and subtract 10% of the exercise calories? Definitely sticky this!
MFP grossly overestimates EVERYTHING! I often wear my heart rate monitor and I find that the only thing that's right is the stationary bike (probably because weight has less to do with it). I suggest cutting everything in HALF (I do this when I enter it and then don't worry about having to eat less.)
Also, interval training is not as accurately measured by HRMs, so I usually knock it down.
And, if you're ever taking a Les Mills class or something that says "burn up to____calories!" I usually end up burning about 2/3 for my weight.
Finally, I found that when I started my workout stuff back up I "burned" more calories say, on the elliptical, than I do now. Why? I'm in better shape, so my heart rate is lower. But, the machine will always tell me I'm still burning 30% more than I am...and it will record the same calories burned in both cases.0 -
But what if you enjoy chips and cookies? I ate/eat those things all the time. You simply need to track them, and account for them. Why ban foods? You can't hide from cookies forever. Eventually you will come face to face with these foods and rather then binge when faced with cookies at work or a friends house you can just have 1 cookie because you practice moderation.HappyCampr1 wrote: »I managed to lose my 70 pounds while eating a dessert each night after dinner. I pre-logged my dessert so I could make sure I saved enough calories for it.
The way to do that is to learn to incorporate the occasional treat into your diet without going overboard and/or beating yourself up for enjoying a brownie. And I agree it does nothing for satiety, but it does do something for my mental state and my ability to live with this long-term.
I think that eating 'clean' isn't realistic long term, and people do realistically need to deal with having SOME junk or some treats in the house.
For me, I'm quite strict about things like cheese (I could eating a wheel of Brie right now, easy) and milky chocolate. Instead, I do allow some hard parmesan - I'm not going to just eat that on its own like most cheese, and i get the added flavour in meals or salads. For chocolate, I substitute something like HobNobs to Jaffa cakes - I get that little hit of chocolate that I might crave that day, but even if I have 4 instead of 2 it's manageable within my daily calorie limits.
People like Barry have very fixed ideas of what is right and wrong for people - to be fair, each person needs to face their challenges and manage fitness, weightloss or whatever themselves.
If your methodology is counting calories, then it's your business how you choose to spend those calories. No-one here is advocating eating ONLY junk or fast food. But let's not pretend we don't crave a bit of trash every now and again! As long as we do it sensibly and count the calories.2 -
Speaking for myself and myself alone, I can tell anyone here that my weight loss has always been and will continue to be MY battle. Nobody else's. It is all about self control. I told myself I didn't have self control and I would fail. Guess what. I did. I finally decided to be accountable for what I shoveled into my mouth and guess what. I have lost over 60#. If you say you don't have self control, and you say your weight problem is because you don't have it, then you are lucky! You know what the problem is! Practice your self control and you will win. If you don't, and instead you try and "trick" yourself by not allowing all those yummy high calorie foods in your home, then sure you could lose the weight. But what happens when you reach your goal, and you start letting those foods into your home again? If you admit to yourself that YOU are responsible for YOUR actions you will be ready for life AFTER you reach your goal weight. If not, you'll fail.0
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I'm loving this post!!0
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I am finding that I get closer towards my goal that calorie counting is getting stricter for me. So I decided to invest in an additional scale to have at work. It is identical to the one I have at home. I actually tell coworkers if they need to use it please feel free. I keep it on my desk. Makes me feel more accountable and maybe I can help someone else.0
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Thank you for your informative information and links. The more you weigh food items the less it becomes a burden. Thanks again!0
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I find this to be the case with most people. In the beginning you can lose weight without being strict. You can estimate a great deal. You can even have several days a month where you do not track at all. The closer and closer you get to your goal (and the more aggressive your goal is), the more consistent you need to be.mattyc772014 wrote: »I am finding that I get closer towards my goal that calorie counting is getting stricter for me. So I decided to invest in an additional scale to have at work. It is identical to the one I have at home. I actually tell coworkers if they need to use it please feel free. I keep it on my desk. Makes me feel more accountable and maybe I can help someone else.
I agree. After weighing things for a few years, its second nature. I don't even think about it anymore. I just do it.Thank you for your informative information and links. The more you weigh food items the less it becomes a burden. Thanks again!
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very informative! I like it thanks for sharing0
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Hi and thank you vismal 0
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Great post! I bought a new scale so I could weigh grams. Turns out the PB2 that I love has a major discrepancy in tablespoons vs grams. The serving size is 12 grams (2tbsp) but 2 level tbsp is actually 19 grams! I'm still confused on the best weigh to record meat though. If I portion out 4 oz raw meat but then it cooks up to be 3 oz, should I go weigh it as 3 or 4?0
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As stated in the main guide, weigh it based on what your nutritional information says. If the label says 4 oz raw. weight it raw. If it says 4 oz cooked, weigh it cooked. If it doesn't specify, always assume raw. If you have no nutritional info with the food you have and are going to use the usda information found on MFP, then weigh raw. Basically unless your packaging or data specifically says cooked, weigh it raw.gingermarie11 wrote: »Great post! I bought a new scale so I could weigh grams. Turns out the PB2 that I love has a major discrepancy in tablespoons vs grams. The serving size is 12 grams (2tbsp) but 2 level tbsp is actually 19 grams! I'm still confused on the best weigh to record meat though. If I portion out 4 oz raw meat but then it cooks up to be 3 oz, should I go weigh it as 3 or 4?
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What do people do when food is cooked for them? I don't mean by friends or partners when you can influence it, but when you're a guest of someone else's?
I had a roast dinner today, and I have NO idea how many calories it included.0 -
Simply do you best to estimate, and purposely overestimate to be safe.LazyButHealthy wrote: »What do people do when food is cooked for them? I don't mean by friends or partners when you can influence it, but when you're a guest of someone else's?
I had a roast dinner today, and I have NO idea how many calories it included.
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Thanks, vismal! 0
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