Are the numbers correct?

schpitt
schpitt Posts: 37 Member
edited November 8 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I'm new and when I select foods from the database I get some strange numbers. I've logged my food so far today, its only 4 pm and I'm on 3000 calories. I'm not even eating any different to how I usually do yet, and I never gain weight (~88kg).

How can two small bowls of fruit muesli and 400 grams of sausage both be 900 calories?
Also, in terms of just gaining weight, is it bad for me to eat mostly meat?
My food diary is public btw.

Replies

  • algwynt
    algwynt Posts: 76 Member
    this is a learning curve for you so start believing the numbers.portion control is the key.look at your diary and see where you calories are being amassed.your breakfast seems to be very high and not leaving you much left to play with.i wish you well on your journey.
  • redfisher1974
    redfisher1974 Posts: 614 Member
    Sad to say most people have no idea how many cals are in everyday food, When you get a scale and start tracking minds will be blown...
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    Who ever made the entry for that muesli was off - Google says its 210 calories per 45 g with 125ml semi-skim milk.
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
    First, you should be comparing the nutrition info on the packages of food you're eating to the entries in the database. The database is user-generated, so there can be wrong information. There's also a difference in brands, and sometimes it can be a huge difference.

    Second, are you actually weighing your food, or at least using a measuring cup? What is a bowl of muesli to you might be half a serving, it might be two servings. Sausage, on the other hand, is pretty calorie heavy. If you ate a whole container like your diary says, then that's easily 900 calories. Make sure that your units are right: 1 link, 1 cup, 45 grams, etc. There's a big difference between one container of sausage and one or two patties/links.

    There's nothing wrong with eating mostly meat. Whatever helps you to hit your calorie goals. In fact, meat will help keep you full for a longer period of time.
  • Wondertje
    Wondertje Posts: 63 Member
    edited November 2014
    To be honest, I don't recognise the brand of muesli you're eating, but 800+ calories for what appears to be 45g seems like a HUGE amount (as in, incorrect). If you search muesli and choose the first few options it gives you:

    Muesli - Dried fruit and nuts, 340 kcal/100g
    Euroshopper - Muesli, 345 kcal/100g
    Lidl - Muesli, 324 kcal/100g

    So, either you've chosen the very right brand of muesli or I've misunderstood what it is you're eating. Another option is that it's incorrectly entered and the calories aren't correct, read your package and see what the nutrition says it should be per 100g!

    EDIT:

    From what I found here: mysupermarket.co.uk/asda-compare-prices/porridge_and_muesli/dorset_cereals_simply_fruity_muesli_820g.html

    the brand you've entered should be 337 kcal /100g, whilst you've entered 45g in your diary for 800+ calories, so there's clearly something off there.

    EDIT 2:

    Since there are multiples of most of the foods in the database, I'd suggest you search "Dorset Cereal - Simply fruity" and try one of the other options that from what I've tested seem to have more appropriate calorie amounts. What I do is that I usually create my own foods (private, not shared in database) and enter the data that I know is correct per 100 grams of the food. That way I never have to think about whether some other person has entered numbers that are just dead wrong or not.
  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
    When I first started counting calories, I was AMAZED at how much I was eating. It certainly explained where my problem was. And I definitely believe in keeping a food scale and using it regularly. With some foods, if you estimate with measuring cups, the differences can be astounding.
  • schpitt
    schpitt Posts: 37 Member
    Thanks I've changed it, only on 2500 calories now which sounds more reasonable.
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
    Looking through your diary some more, there also seem to be instances of a mix of homemade items and cafe items for each meal (1-4 and 4-7). Items made at home vs. made at a cafe vary a LOT, so if you're making it at home try to use the recipe builder or put in each item individually. For example, putting in 2 eggs, any oil/butter/milk used, a strip of bacon, and tomatoes might give you a different number than if you're using the Olin Cafe numbers. You don't know if Olin cafe adds 2T of butter to their omelettes or not. Try to only use restaurant entries if you're going to that restaurant or going to a similar restaurant.

    I'm also going to second someone else on the food scale. It's probably my favorite kitchen item. Easier to use than measuring cups, fewer dirty dishes, and more accurate.
  • sseqwnp
    sseqwnp Posts: 327 Member
    There's lots of bad entries in the database unfortunately. It's a real garbage heap with no data governance or vetting. I found an entry for raw onion that claimed to contain 30g of fat per serving .. There's all kinds of examples in here too. You'll need to confirm on other sites until you get comfortable, but do NOT trust entries here that have less than 10 or so confirmations.
  • maphillips003
    maphillips003 Posts: 7
    edited November 2014
    Yes- agreed on the entries. I like to verify things with other sites if I can!
This discussion has been closed.

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