Why I need to keep logging . . .

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nxd10
nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
edited March 2015 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I dropped by Paneras with my teen son today to celebrate with a snack. He bought a nice cheese danish. I bought a delicious pumpkin muffin. As soon as I started eating I realized it was twice as much as I wanted and split it with him. All good - I was a little full, but not much, and just ate a little less at dinner.

Just logged - 6 hours later. That unfrosted muffin was 590 calories! 1/3 of my calories for the day before exercise!

So the good news . . . I knew it was more than I wanted without logging or even thinking about the calories and naturally followed my appetite and didn't eat too much today. But, my, I'm also glad I logged it! It was delicious and it is oh so easy to drift back into bad habits if you don't have a constantly hungry 16 year old eager to eat anything you don't want to finish. :)

What calories have most surprised you?
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Replies

  • Mech9
    Mech9 Posts: 252 Member
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    Any sweet treat ever shocks and appalls me. Why doesn't the whole world convert to offering a NSA or sweetener equivalent treat for everything with full sugar?!
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,573 Member
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    Muffins have always surprised me...also quite shocking is the amount of calories in a small mcdonalds shake!!!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    oh lots of things used to surprise me but in my 3 yrs of logging my foods I now have this huge knowledge of cals in everything - sometimes its actually a pain in the neck because I just wont eat something if I know its very high in calories!
    - what still sort of surprises me is that home made desserts such as almond tart is extremely high for a smallish piece - 500 cals! and as much as its utterly delicious, I just can't bring myself to have a whole slice lol...I am a changed woman LOL
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I eat everything, but I must admit, in much smaller pieces than I used. Carrot cake at 1300 calories! I have to remind myself that all that really good frosting is like eating butter.

    The good thing is that I don't want that much of it now either.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Muffins are pretty shocking. I had a delicious coffee cake muffin from Dunkin Donuts that was 600+ I think.

    But I'm a baker now so I'm better at guessing. Those muffins are about three times the size of the ones I make at home and I know those are usually around 200, so it makes sense.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    Everything surprised me at first, now, nothing does. My biggest disappointment is bagels though. I have only had about 2 or 3 in the 3 years since I have been on MFP. They were pretty much a morning staple for me pre-MFP. I, mistakenly, thought they were a healthier choice.
  • forevermaryb
    forevermaryb Posts: 108 Member
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    I had baked some frozen boneless chicken wing appetizers for my kids for lunch one time. They were less than an inch in diameter. They smelled good, so I popped 1 in my mouth. Since they were so small, I didn't think they would be terribly high in calories, plus they were baked so they couldn't be too bad. So I ate 2 more. Then I looked at the nutritional information on the bag and those 3 mindless mouthfuls were 200 calories! It didn't put me anywhere over my calories for the day, but those 200 calories could have gone to yummier, more satisfying food. Certainly taught me to check calories first. I have no problem fitting good, high calorie food into my diet. No food is off limits. However, I want it to be worth it!

    When I go to restaurants that have the calories for items on the menu, I'm always surprised. It's shocking how many calories can be in a salad!
  • mustloseweight2015
    mustloseweight2015 Posts: 78 Member
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    Muffins and starbucks drinks always surprise. I'd rather eat a small cupcake than a grande mocha! :)
  • RaspberryTickleChicken
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    nxd10 wrote: »
    ... What calories have most surprised you?

    oooo good one!

    There are these 'cookies' from the Kroger bakery that is absolutely to DIE for!

    It is called Apple Cinnamon Cookie but it's closer to a cake consistency. It is a very dense & savory little treat.

    The first time the hubs brought it home I had 2 thinking other Kroger cookies ranged in the 150 calories each. SHOCKER ... these scrumptious mouth-sins were 260 EACH!

    Needless to say, I had consumed just under HALF of my daily caloric allowance in a matter of 15 seconds was quite the surprise. Hence why I, like @nxd10 will continue to log.
  • jjnt007
    jjnt007 Posts: 302 Member
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    Sodium is what amazes me. The healthiest dishes at Cotton Patch or any restaurant for that matter is so high in sodium.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Sodium used to be a shocker to me until my husband went low sodium and I had to start making my own bread to keep his down. Bagels have both calories AND sodium. (Oh, and they're delicious too.)

    Subway sandwiches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • poohpoohpeapod
    poohpoohpeapod Posts: 776 Member
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    nxd10 wrote: »
    Sodium used to be a shocker to me until my husband went low sodium and I had to start making my own bread to keep his down. Bagels have both calories AND sodium. (Oh, and they're delicious too.)

    Subway sandwiches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    The everything bagel is yummy nad 110 calories. This company makes a healthier bagel.

    www.westernbagel.com
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
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    Muffins and Bagels. And Panera Cookies, you know the ones, the ones that are bigger than your head. It takes much restraint to go in there and just order a bowl of turkey chili (280 calories, which is very delicious and filling).
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    Commercially made bread products, sweet or not, are usually shockingly high in calories. Pasta.... omg! and dishes billed as "healthy" including salads.... I will never stop logging or pre-checking before I order things. I don't get many calories to work with in the first place; I have to always be on my guard.
  • DEgal99
    DEgal99 Posts: 100 Member
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    I got a small hot chocolate from Wawa with skim milk, and no whipped cream. And it was over 400 calories! I shouldn't be too surprised, but man when I logged it... Woah!
  • qn4bx9pzg8aifd
    qn4bx9pzg8aifd Posts: 258 Member
    edited March 2015
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    My biggest disappointment is bagels though. I have only had about 2 or 3 in the 3 years since I have been on MFP. They were pretty much a morning staple for me pre-MFP. I, mistakenly, thought they were a healthier choice.

    Same here...

    ...and I subsequently find myself experiencing an odd sort of emotion on various family gathering -populated mornings, feeling as though I'm some kind of partypooper-esque 'alien', when countless bagels are put out with freshly brewed coffee, along with tubs of cream cheese and butter, for all to partake of, as an easy-to-make breakfast for eating-on-the-go, prior to us all departing for a given child's soccer match, etc. -- and I end up being the only individual who refrains, and subsequently engages in prepping alternative fare (which, more times than not, I've brought with me, after having anticipated the potential reality of the bagel 'avalanche' in question ;) )...

    And just to be clear, it's not as though I don't *ever* have a bagel, but it's incredibly rare now, and requires that the bagel's composition be limited to one of the only kinds I'll even consider... and ideally, the timing would be in conjunction with engaging in enough physical activity such that energy consumption and carb 'frying' aspects of my metabolism are temporarily somewhat 'vacuum cleaner-meets-bug zapper'-like... :)
  • Zx14chick
    Zx14chick Posts: 255 Member
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    That is exactly why I try to pre-plan when I know I am going out for dinner - because I need to have at least an idea of how many calories so I won't overeat earlier in the day. I am currently looking at the menu of the restaurant I am going to for girls' night out.

    Trying to think of what has really surprised me... lots of things still surprise me, but I can't think of anything in particular right now.
  • liekewheeless
    liekewheeless Posts: 416 Member
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    Anything bread/ baked goods... If it has flour in it it's probably 200 cal. min. for a small serving. Anything I used to consider a "normal" serving is probably close to 600 cal.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,711 Member
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    nxd10 wrote: »
    ... What calories have most surprised you?

    oooo good one!

    There are these 'cookies' from the Kroger bakery that is absolutely to DIE for!

    It is called Apple Cinnamon Cookie but it's closer to a cake consistency. It is a very dense & savory little treat.

    The first time the hubs brought it home I had 2 thinking other Kroger cookies ranged in the 150 calories each. SHOCKER ... these scrumptious mouth-sins were 260 EACH!

    Needless to say, I had consumed just under HALF of my daily caloric allowance in a matter of 15 seconds was quite the surprise. Hence why I, like @nxd10 will continue to log.

    Hahaha! Love that phrase! Thankfully, I don't have a sweet tooth and don't crave bakery goods, but I'm with the posters who are shocked at the sodium content of some items! Knowing I eat many more savory foods than I do sweets I started reading labels years ago and the added sodium in so many foods is ridiculous!
  • hoyalawya2003
    hoyalawya2003 Posts: 631 Member
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    Shakes are definitely shocking, especially the good ones. And I still can't fathom how Cheesecake Factory fits so many calories in such a small slice of cheesecake. It defies the laws of nature.