Why I need to keep logging . . .

nxd10
nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
edited November 13 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
    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: 3,578 Member
    Muffins have always surprised me...also quite shocking is the amount of calories in a small mcdonalds shake!!!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    Muffins and starbucks drinks always surprise. I'd rather eat a small cupcake than a grande mocha! :)
  • 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
    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
    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
    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
    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: 4,590 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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: 5,741 Member
    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
    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.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Kolaches. I used to eat 2-3 of them for breakfast. 326 calories each. It's just a piece of bread, wrapped around a sausage with a bit of cheese. This made me really sad.

    Honestly bread makes me sad - bagels, muffins, rolls. I just can't really justify the calories anymore on a day to day basis.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    edited March 2015
    DP :)
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    That is awesome how your mind can detect the kind of food you are eating and you can listen to it telling you to stop.

    I log my last weight before bed, first on awaking then first after a trip to the bathroom but before eating/drinking anything. It is amazing how some meals impacts my weight the next day.

    Your post hits on how when we develop a new eating lifestyle by reprogramming our brain that weight maintenance becomes more automated like using the turn signal when driving.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Any baked good pretty much - bread, cookies, muffins, danishes, croissants... If only satiety was proportional to the calorie amount of a food, but nope...
  • dawnmcneil10
    dawnmcneil10 Posts: 638 Member
    The biggest shock to me I think was a Starbucks seasonal drink. It was long before I worried about calories so to remember it so vividly I think that's probably the big one. It was a black raspberry green tea frappuchino and while absolutely phenominal I could not believe I'd just consumed 580 calories, pure heaven in a cup but still a shock to the system. The day I looked it up was a Friday, I'd had 3 of those drinks that week. Think about that 3 X 580 = 1740 calories which is equal to half a pound. I gave up Starbucks all together at that point, gave a coworker my Starbucks gift cards and walked away embracing the knowledge. Now I visit Starbucks on occasion and fully enjoy my beverages but they're a "treat" now not a just because I feel like it moment.

    Personally I don't care about how many calories are in that slice of carrot cake, if it tastes fantastic I will gobble a few bites, take it home and enjoy a few more bites every day of the week.

    The DD coffee cake muffin was a sad moment, they're so good but sadly there's just no nutrition there and they had to become another rare moment in life.

    I did discover making my own granola which makes me just as happy as the carrot cake or muffin did especially when added to vanilla greek yogurt.......oh yeah dessert in a cup and it's healthy!
    Had to add all that on a positive note, had a relapse of sadness over the Starbucks drink. LOL
  • ryry2169
    ryry2169 Posts: 90 Member
    edited March 2015
    nxd10 wrote: »
    What calories have most surprised you?

    My biggest surprise was my favorite and about 2-3 times a week treat... Grande Mocha Frappuccino w/ whipped cream. 410 calories and 61 grams of sugar!! No bueno!!
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    I say eat what you want... just go work it off.
  • Jakefoster521
    Jakefoster521 Posts: 6 Member
    I was heart broken to find out cookout milkshakes have over 2000 calories. well, most of them anyway. :(
  • JDytmire
    JDytmire Posts: 6 Member
    When I first started watching calories, I was shocked at how many calories were in a honeybun and fast food meals (even the salads).
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Cookies and brownies are so calorie dense!
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