Calorie Counting 101

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  • lore11a
    lore11a Posts: 166 Member
    bump
  • evarga12
    evarga12 Posts: 55 Member
    edited December 2014
    Curious about this - do many of you rely on the calories that a product has vs. the macro calorie count? For example, "fibe one - 80 calorie" cereal says it has 80 calories per 25 grams of cereal but the macros are 25 carb, *1 fat & 1 protein doesn't this equal (100cal) 25Cx4 + (9cal)1Fx9 + (4cal)1Px4=118 calories? I know there might be a variance due to rounding but it wouldn't make the # change to much. Do many of you record what is calculated or what's on the box. My calories to macros were off due to this simple fact.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    evarga12 wrote: »
    Curious about this - do many of you rely on the calories that a product has vs. the macro calorie count? For example, "fibe one - 80 calorie" cereal says it has 80 calories per 25 grams of cereal but the macros are 25 carb, *1 fat & 1 protein doesn't this equal (100cal) 25Cx4 + (9cal)1Fx9 + (4cal)1Px4=118 calories? I know there might be a variance due to rounding but it wouldn't make the # change to much. Do many of you record what is calculated or what's on the box. My calories to macros were off due to this simple fact.

    The fiber is counted in the carb grams but you can't digest it so it doesn't count towards the calories.
  • starseed777
    starseed777 Posts: 221 Member
    Vismal, you are so helpful. Thank you for sharing all this info. I also found your other hugely popular post on muscle building very helpful. Cheers.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    stevencloser wrote: »
    evarga12 wrote: »
    Curious about this - do many of you rely on the calories that a product has vs. the macro calorie count? For example, "fibe one - 80 calorie" cereal says it has 80 calories per 25 grams of cereal but the macros are 25 carb, *1 fat & 1 protein doesn't this equal (100cal) 25Cx4 + (9cal)1Fx9 + (4cal)1Px4=118 calories? I know there might be a variance due to rounding but it wouldn't make the # change to much. Do many of you record what is calculated or what's on the box. My calories to macros were off due to this simple fact.

    The fiber is counted in the carb grams but you can't digest it so it doesn't count towards the calories.
    The answer is a bit more complex then this. Not all fiber is indigestible. Certain fibers are partially digested and can add calories. That being said, it is less then the normal 4 calories a carbohydrate usually adds. Some companies reflect this in their labeling while others do not. If you were to count all fiber as zero calories, you would occasionally be eating more calories then you account for. If you counted all fiber as a carb and therefor 4 calories, you would occasionally be eating less calories then you account for. In the end you simply must pick a method and stick to it. If your fiber intake is between 30-60 grams a day, the discrepancy won't be terrible. This is one of those instances where consistency is going to trump accuracy.
  • musicandarts
    musicandarts Posts: 187 Member
    Great post. Thanks for stressing on the weighing aspect. I suspect this is where most people trip up.
  • fireburnzs
    fireburnzs Posts: 5
    Add me guys need all the support from all of you... Please..... :#
  • uneek0626
    uneek0626 Posts: 5
    paulawatkins1974 wrote: »
    Right now I don't weigh things (just haven't gotten around to buying the scale yet) However I still have quite a bit to lose and I am losing pretty steadily so far so good. Am I right to assume the closer I get to my goal, I'll have to be more exact?

  • uneek0626
    uneek0626 Posts: 5
    What are you doing to lose? Counting calories? I have been doing the low carb and thought bout switching to low calories but have noon clue where to start
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    uneek0626 wrote: »
    What are you doing to lose? Counting calories? I have been doing the low carb and thought bout switching to low calories but have noon clue where to start
    Well, this guide is a pretty good starting point to calorie counting. It pretty much details exactly how to do it. Pick a reasonable calorie goal, try it for a few weeks, and adjust your goal based on your results.

  • ChastitySchwab
    ChastitySchwab Posts: 2
    Thank you for this! I never even thought I was measuring inaccurately by not actually weighing my food!
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  • DamitJanit
    DamitJanit Posts: 1,329 Member
    I just got a new digital scale. My old manual one didn't weigh worth a crap. Now to figure out how many calories, etc. are in each ounce or gram of food. It seems most things on MFP are measured. I went to one of the websites that was listed at the beginning of this thread and it gave me everything but calories. Any suggestions?
  • Angiefit4life
    Angiefit4life Posts: 210 Member
    I can't weigh my raw meat and pasta before cooking. I am cooking for my family. So, my question is, is 4 oz of cooked meat less than 4oz of raw?
  • DamitJanit
    DamitJanit Posts: 1,329 Member
    uneek0626 wrote: »
    What are you doing to lose? Counting calories? I have been doing the low carb and thought bout switching to low calories but have noon clue where to start

    I count calories but just keep it on the low side of carbs because I'm diabetic. Using this site to count calories is so easy. Good luck!
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    DamitJanit wrote: »
    I just got a new digital scale. My old manual one didn't weigh worth a crap. Now to figure out how many calories, etc. are in each ounce or gram of food. It seems most things on MFP are measured. I went to one of the websites that was listed at the beginning of this thread and it gave me everything but calories. Any suggestions?
    Nearly ever food has a value listed in grams on the serving size. Cereal for instance may say serving size: 2/3cup (28g). Weigh 28 grams of cereal out and add 1 serving to MFP

  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    amwcnw wrote: »
    I can't weigh my raw meat and pasta before cooking. I am cooking for my family. So, my question is, is 4 oz of cooked meat less than 4oz of raw?
    It will almost always weigh less once cooked as you cook off some water. What I do is separate the piece of meat I am going to eat from the rest when I cook. The alternative is to weigh the entire portion of raw meat/pasta. Weigh the entire portion of cooked pasta/meat. Then weigh the portion of cooked meat/pasta that you are going to consume to figure out how much that equated to in raw terms.

  • HulaGirly
    HulaGirly Posts: 9 Member
    Mahalo!
  • kmahent
    kmahent Posts: 10 Member
    I'm going to try calorie counting. i will update the progress. The hardest part of calorie counting is for cooked food, calculating calories. :)
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    kmahent wrote: »
    I'm going to try calorie counting. i will update the progress. The hardest part of calorie counting is for cooked food, calculating calories. :)
    Why is cooked food the hard part? Just weigh it before you cook it...

  • Fitmomtink
    Fitmomtink Posts: 59 Member
    Love this! Thanks for sharing :)
  • uneek0626
    uneek0626 Posts: 5
    vismal wrote: »
    uneek0626 wrote: »
    What are you doing to lose? Counting calories? I have been doing the low carb and thought bout switching to low calories but have noon clue where to start
    Well, this guide is a pretty good starting point to calorie counting. It pretty much details exactly how to do it. Pick a reasonable calorie goal, try it for a few weeks, and adjust your goal based on your results.

  • uneek0626
    uneek0626 Posts: 5
    Thank u!
  • SILENTxMURDER
    SILENTxMURDER Posts: 5
    THIS. And people 'guess-estimate' their foods and wonder why they're not losing.

    You've been doing it wrong, that's it.
  • pineapple_jojo
    pineapple_jojo Posts: 440 Member
    edited January 2015
    Great post, useful tip about deconstructing restaurant food - thanks!!

    Edited for typo.
  • 57jenna
    57jenna Posts: 1
    Lol I have never seen anyone bring a scale to a restaurant and just start weighing everything. I say you just use your common sense to pick something healthy I mean don't go for anything fatty or full of carbs...a lot of restaurants have below 600 meals or whatever and they are good. You don't have to kill yourself over this stuff just don't ever give up on yourself and eventually you'll get to where you want to be :)
  • cindytw
    cindytw Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited January 2015
    I disagree about weighing the food before cooking...meat especially! Because if you cook meat, A LOT if not all of the fat comes out! Vegetables will not be the same raw or cooked either because they lose water. I think you have to pay attention to your entries, whether they say cooked or raw, and find one that fits what you have. For example, I am not going to log an entry for sausage that claims it has zero of everything but calories!! I know that almond milk has calcium, so if I see a 0 on calcium, I know that entry is bad. If I see a 0 on potassium for greens, I know that entry is bad. You have to be educated and know what you are dealing with!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    hansel2001 wrote: »
    my question is how to you weigh soup say like Campbell's chicken noodle soup weigh the liquid and noodles together or liquid then noodles and add them together just trying not to over think

    Scan the barcode and weigh per 100g
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    I have found that many people have not the slightest idea how to properly log food .. let alone read a nutritional label and understand what the numbers mean. How to properly measure food .. is right up there too.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    57jenna wrote: »
    Lol I have never seen anyone bring a scale to a restaurant and just start weighing everything. I say you just use your common sense to pick something healthy I mean don't go for anything fatty or full of carbs...a lot of restaurants have below 600 meals or whatever and they are good. You don't have to kill yourself over this stuff just don't ever give up on yourself and eventually you'll get to where you want to be :)
    What if I want to get something that is fatty or full of carbs? There is nothing wrong with eating something full of carbs or high in fat if you can fit it into your calorie and macro nutrient goals. When I am in a muscle gaining phase, I sometimes eat 450 carbs a day so why should I avoid a certain food? While I agree that bringing a scale to a restaurant is extreme, this guide was meant to show how to be as accurately as humanly possible. Really only someone who plans on competing in bodybuilding needs to consider bringing a scale to restaurant.
    cindytw wrote: »
    I disagree about weighing the food before cooking...meat especially! Because if you cook meat, A LOT if not all of the fat comes out! Vegetables will not be the same raw or cooked either because they lose water. I think you have to pay attention to your entries, whether they say cooked or raw, and find one that fits what you have. For example, I am not going to log an entry for sausage that claims it has zero of everything but calories!! I know that almond milk has calcium, so if I see a 0 on calcium, I know that entry is bad. If I see a 0 on potassium for greens, I know that entry is bad. You have to be educated and know what you are dealing with!
    Very rarely do you cook all the fat out of foods. This simply isn't the case. The most accurate data for nutritional information comes from raw meat. "Cooked beef" is to generic. Cooked how, how long? To what temperature? If you cook meat longer it will weigh less because you've cooked off more water. If you cook something medium rare it will retain more weigh (water). Thus using a generic "cooked" entry is going to be a variable whereas raw generally is not.


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