Calorie Counting 101
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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
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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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Wow! Reading these posts has been very sobering. I am guilty of saying "I can't lose weight on 1200 calories" but I've never counted calories as accurately as you describe. You've motivated me to get down to business and count and weigh everything that goes into my mouth. I appreciate you sharing your tips.0
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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?
This is really good to know about the PB2. I use it in my smoothie every morning and this makes a difference.0 -
God I learned so much from this. So I just noticed I ate 6 mini pork lumpias at 130calories, but u need to fry them before you eat them, they are frozen and raw? Im thinking, Im not sure if I have to add the oil? and how much? wow. so confusing, they are deep fried. no where on the bag did it say raw or fried. They are raw in the package. omg0
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If they are only 130 calories, I'd bet money that is before they are fried. Just 1 tablespoon of most oils is around 120 calories by itself.God I learned so much from this. So I just noticed I ate 6 mini pork lumpias at 130calories, but u need to fry them before you eat them, they are frozen and raw? Im thinking, Im not sure if I have to add the oil? and how much? wow. so confusing, they are deep fried. no where on the bag did it say raw or fried. They are raw in the package. omg
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If they are only 130 calories, I'd bet money that is before they are fried. Just 1 tablespoon of most oils is around 120 calories by itself.God I learned so much from this. So I just noticed I ate 6 mini pork lumpias at 130calories, but u need to fry them before you eat them, they are frozen and raw? Im thinking, Im not sure if I have to add the oil? and how much? wow. so confusing, they are deep fried. no where on the bag did it say raw or fried. They are raw in the package. omg
Part of the reason I said goodbye to home made fried chicken. Just confusion on how to log it properly
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