For the food you can't log...

Jojomotivated
Jojomotivated Posts: 141 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What do you do with it? Those moments when a random pot of spaghetti shows up or those snacks that you can't find the labels for to put into your MFP. Do you just eat in small quantities until you aren't hungry? Or try your best to estimate and log?

Replies

  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    edited April 2015
    A lot of people who are tracking accurately will forego the spaghetti that shows up or the snack with unknown nutrient breakdown. They plan what they'll have, they stick to the plan, and they politely say "no thank you" to anything else.

    Not everyone has to track that accurately to meet their goals, however. Even accurate trackers have to estimate at times. Estimate the best you can. If you meet your goals, carry on. If you're not, then you might look at how to enhance your accuracy.

  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I try my best to log everything. If there isn't an exact match entry then I do my best to find something close.

    Random pots of spaghetti? lol I'm picturing you just walking along and a pot of spaghetti suddenly appears. I'm not sure magic spaghetti has calories. :D
  • AmazonMayan
    AmazonMayan Posts: 1,168 Member
    Make the best guess you can with a similar entry...then I add a little.

    Food happens lol
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    I guesstimate. For restaurant food, or while travelling, or when eating at other people's houses.

    Calorie counting is a tool, not a prison. It's helping me lose weight, but it's not going to take over my life.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,577 Member
    Jojomotivated wrote: »
    What do you do with it? Those moments when a random pot of spaghetti shows up or those snacks that you can't find the labels for to put into your MFP. Do you just eat in small quantities until you aren't hungry? Or try your best to estimate and log?

    I've yet to have a random pot of spaghetti show up ... :grin:

    But ... for things I'm not sure about, I try to do my best to estimate and log.

    For example, yesterday, I had an apricot custard tart. I hunted all over MFP for one, and finally selected something that looked close and then in the servings, I put 1.5 rather than just 1 ... just in case.

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    I don't understand, why wouldn't you be able to log it?
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    A lot of people who are tracking accurately will forego the spaghetti that shows up or the snack with unknown nutrient breakdown. They plan what they'll have, they stick to the plan, and they politely say "no thank you" to anything else.

    Not everyone has to track that accurately to meet their goals, however. Even accurate trackers have to estimate at times. Estimate the best you can. If you meet your goals, carry on. If you're not, then you might look at how to enhance your accuracy.

    This.

    For example, today at a restuarant I had a grilled chicken sandwich on sourdough with avocado, tomato, and spinach leaves, as well as fries. When making my order, I asked for mayo on the side (they provided about 3 tablespoons, and I used a smidgen, because I don't like loads of mayo on anything) and a half order of the fries (and, it was a reasonable portion). I logged everything separately but guesstimated. I'm usually pretty accurate.
  • shannonbun
    shannonbun Posts: 168 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Jojomotivated wrote: »
    What do you do with it? Those moments when a random pot of spaghetti shows up or those snacks that you can't find the labels for to put into your MFP. Do you just eat in small quantities until you aren't hungry? Or try your best to estimate and log?

    I've yet to have a random pot of spaghetti show up ... :grin:

    But ... for things I'm not sure about, I try to do my best to estimate and log.

    For example, yesterday, I had an apricot custard tart. I hunted all over MFP for one, and finally selected something that looked close and then in the servings, I put 1.5 rather than just 1 ... just in case.

    That's how I handle foods that I can't for-sure accurately log. If you're just taking a bite of something, it depends on whether you want to, but I don't log that stuff except when I need to be very accurate.
  • Jojomotivated
    Jojomotivated Posts: 141 Member
    @Liftng4Lis My family does a lot of home cooking :( and the packages are thrown away before I can get a label most of the times, so my logging won't be 100% accurate. That's what I meant.

    Thanks for the input guys :) I'll guesstimate from now on. I just didn't know what to do.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    Guesstimation is really tough at first. But as you get more accustomed to weighing your food and learning about weight and portion size, your skills at visual guesstimation will improve. Just build in a buffer, over-estimate instead of under-estimate, and do your best. It does get easier.
  • AdamImadA
    AdamImadA Posts: 74 Member
    edited April 2015
    Very title of my food has a UPC code on it and I rarely cook from a recipie. I guesstimate all the time. For instance I'll type in burrito and I'll get results 127 cals up to 1200. I know neither of those are right. I log what I feel my food is. I am losing so I am happy with what I'm doing.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    One thing I find helpful is to try to re-create the recipes of what I've eaten using the recipe builder. I don't do this for one-off foods, but if it's a restaurant I eat at often, I'll go through the exercise. It may not be completely accurate but at least it's closer than using someone else's generic database entry.

    I've also input many of my mom's recipes into my recipe builder, so if I go there for dinner, it's easier to log.
  • punkuate
    punkuate Posts: 127 Member
    I don't eat anything I can't log with reasonable accuracy.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    Jojomotivated wrote: »
    @Liftng4Lis My family does a lot of home cooking :( and the packages are thrown away before I can get a label most of the times, so my logging won't be 100% accurate. That's what I meant.

    Thanks for the input guys :) I'll guesstimate from now on. I just didn't know what to do.

    Get more involved in the cooking process and help your family understand why it's important for you to keep track of ingredients. Guestimating only works if it is occasional--if you are doing it every day, that's likely going to be a problem.

    Nobody tracks 100% accurately every day of the year. A better goal might be to get more precise over time and to learn which things need to be tracked carefully versus where you can be a little more relaxed.

    Good luck to you!
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    azulvioleta6 wrote: »
    Guestimating only works if it is occasional--if you are doing it every day, that's likely going to be a problem.

    True. But also remember that consistency is more important than absolute accuracy.

    For instance, let's say I'm always underestimating my calories by about 10%. What will happen is, I'll lose 10% less weight than I think I will. And I'll assume that my TDEE is 10% lower than it actually is, and adjust my calories accordingly.

    As long as I'm off by roughly the same amount in the same direction, it all works out.
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
    If it's home cooking you really don't need the packages, just the produce. I don't need the bag my carrots/onions/celery came in to figure out how many calories they have.
  • joshuapowell1989
    joshuapowell1989 Posts: 163 Member
    I try and avoid, but that's not always possible. Last night I had a pudding that I couldn't find any nutritional breakdown for, I deconstructed it and added calories for the individual pieces (as a quick add)

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