Accuracy of counting cals?
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Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives, one has to figure out how to eyeball portions and eat without the weighing.
Kalikel, your message was clear. I don't know why people are taking that as OCD behavior because it isn't. Wanting an element of accuracy and control does not automatically indicate OCD. Many people don't understand the true definition of OCD. "OMG, I am so OCD, I cleaned my ENTIRE house today!" No. You are neat, not OCD. OCD behavior is debilitating.
I interpreted it as weighing is a good crutch to learning appropriate sizes since many of us have always been taught the wrong interpretations of portions. But eventually, weighing becomes tedious and you need to work smarter, not harder. Up until this point you should have an idea of appropriate sizes and should move on from that. Or try to move on from that. We are reteaching ourselves how to eat healthy and constantly needing a scale is counterproductive to everyday life. We will not always have a scale and we need to learn how to do without.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying to get rid of it all together. Quality control is ideal. Periodically, reminding yourself what true portions look like will be advantageous.0 -
Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives, one has to figure out how to eyeball portions and eat without the weighing. The closer to my goal I get, the more I practice eyeballing my portions. When I'm at 20 pounds to go, I'm going to log each week as it ends, to see how I'm doing, I already log when the day is done and am doing well that way. Soon, I'm going to go two days. Then three.barbecuesauce wrote: »You never know, for sure. It's all estimates.
A lot of people weigh their food. It's not really necessary to lose weight, but it'll help you get a closer estimate, if that's what you seek.
I think with only 20 pounds to lose, she should be weighing her food. Her calorie deficit is narrow enough already without adding inaccuracy from eyeballing or measuring cups to the mix.
When I'm done, I plan to just be able to lead my life without weighing my food before I eat it.
If I weighed everything until I hit my goal, then what? Start learning how to eyeball when I'm done, I guess. I'd just rather learn now,
There are different ways of looking at it. That's mine. Yours is a valid choice and I'm not slamming it. Many paths lead to the same place.
Kalikel, the problem with telling her not to weigh and to compare it to you someday not weighing your food ignores the fact that by weighing your food now, you are learning the true sizes of portions, which will allow you to stop weighing at some point. If the OP doesn't weigh her foods for a while, she won't have that basis to go forward from.0 -
misterfish77 wrote: »How do you know you're counting the calories accurately? I mean I make the majority of my own meals but I'm not entirely sure I'm adding the cals in correctly at all...I believe this is the depressing part of my app experience is not really knowing how much I'm inputting or outputting.
Does anyone have any advice or tips on this matter?
Much appreciated. Thank you.
I also vote with getting a scale. It's really quite quick and painless. I don't know about you but one of my biggest weaknesses in this journey is that I know WHAT to eat, but when it comes to HOW MUCH then I flounder. I grew up in the south, so my portions were generous and the plates were Texas-sized.
ALSO, I find a lot of things don't quite match up when I use the barcode scanner so be sure to compare the result to the packaging before logging. I find foods sometimes with a difference of 100 cals, and you don't want to over- or underestimate.
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blankiefinder wrote: »
Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives, one has to figure out how to eyeball portions and eat without the weighing. The closer to my goal I get, the more I practice eyeballing my portions. When I'm at 20 pounds to go, I'm going to log each week as it ends, to see how I'm doing, I already log when the day is done and am doing well that way. Soon, I'm going to go two days. Then three.barbecuesauce wrote: »You never know, for sure. It's all estimates.
A lot of people weigh their food. It's not really necessary to lose weight, but it'll help you get a closer estimate, if that's what you seek.
I think with only 20 pounds to lose, she should be weighing her food. Her calorie deficit is narrow enough already without adding inaccuracy from eyeballing or measuring cups to the mix.
When I'm done, I plan to just be able to lead my life without weighing my food before I eat it.
If I weighed everything until I hit my goal, then what? Start learning how to eyeball when I'm done, I guess. I'd just rather learn now,
There are different ways of looking at it. That's mine. Yours is a valid choice and I'm not slamming it. Many paths lead to the same place.
Kalikel, the problem with telling her not to weigh and to compare it to you someday not weighing your food ignores the fact that by weighing your food now, you are learning the true sizes of portions, which will allow you to stop weighing at some point. If the OP doesn't weigh her foods for a while, she won't have that basis to go forward from.
I suggested weighing for better accuracy. I don't think anyone suggested not weighing. Not everyone wants to weigh and it can be done without weighing, but if you want a more accurate estimate, weighing is a good idea, like I said.
You can learn a lot from weighing, too, like how many calories are in that bit of butter.
Other people might suggest (or demand) that when I say weighing will help you get a better estimate, it means, "You shouldn't weigh food because that makes you OCD and you can't succeed at weight loss by weighing!" But what it actually means is that it will help you get a better estimate.
There is a flip side, though. Not everyone wants to weigh their food, even at first. Some think it is way too obsessive for them. I get that. I, myself, weigh the food but am working on not having to do it. I think that it's even more important for me to work on this as I get closer to finishing weight loss so that when I hit my goal, I'm on target with my habits. I'm not going to weigh food when I'm done (except for recipes) so the time to work on it is before I finish.
So, I leave room for the fact that not everyone wants to weigh because I get it and know it is not the One True Way to weight loss.
Please don't make the mistake of thinking that what other people have created in their minds as what I *must have meant* is what I actually said.0 -
And what problem would that be?You never know, for sure. It's all estimates.
A lot of people weigh their food. It's not really necessary to lose weight, but it'll help you get a closer estimate, if that's what you seek.
I wasn't cloaking and did, in fact, suggest weighing if the OP wants a better estimate.
Please re-read the last few lines.
Total bull crap.
Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives, one has to figure out how to eyeball portions and eat without the weighing. The closer to my goal I get, the more I practice eyeballing my portions. When I'm at 20 pounds to go, I'm going to log each week as it ends, to see how I'm doing, I already log when the day is done and am doing well that way. Soon, I'm going to go two days. Then three.barbecuesauce wrote: »You never know, for sure. It's all estimates.
A lot of people weigh their food. It's not really necessary to lose weight, but it'll help you get a closer estimate, if that's what you seek.
I think with only 20 pounds to lose, she should be weighing her food. Her calorie deficit is narrow enough already without adding inaccuracy from eyeballing or measuring cups to the mix.
When I'm done, I plan to just be able to lead my life without weighing my food before I eat it.
If I weighed everything until I hit my goal, then what? Start learning how to eyeball when I'm done, I guess. I'd just rather learn now,
There are different ways of looking at it. That's mine. Yours is a valid choice and I'm not slamming it. Many paths lead to the same place.
I weigh my food at home only and food I am taking to work.
It's not just about over estimating it can be about under estimating.
If you don't like to weigh don't but why bash it all the time.????
I'm glad that you like it and that it works for you. My plan is to learn to eat without having to weigh food. It's a crutch that helps me until I can do that.
Both are valid choices.
Agreed but you don't see those that do weigh saying that those who don't weigh are doomed to be fat? no because it's not true.
You make weighing food the devil with statements like "Unless one plans to weigh every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives"...please....and you are slamming it...repeatedly...
If you choose to eyeball and are doing great for now wonderful but by your own admission you have/had a lot to lose so it is easier to be in a deficit while larger..when you get closer to goal weight and want it off it might be a different story.
I am absolutely not slam in weighing. I weigh, too, lol.
I have said three times, now, that I'm not slamming it and even specifically stated so before you posted that I was, just so that there'd be no confusion. If you wish to believe that I am slamming it, that is your choice, but it's not real.
I may give different advice than you do. That's cool. Not everyone gives the same advice, has the same opinion or outlook.
no, you are passively aggressively trying to slam it, and then say that is not what you are doing.
There was no need for the initial line about "unless you want to weight every bite of food they eat for the rest of their lives…" bit, which translates to "unless you want to be an obsessive compulsive weigher for the rest of your life, you should learn how to eyeball portions…"…
You are reading things in that aren't there.
nope we are not...you are slamming it..."if you want a closer estimate...", "if you want to weight every morsel for the rest of your life..."
truth of the matter is this...if you are stuck with your weight loss...and want to continue to lose and the current method is not working...ie not weighing foood..then start using a food scale, it's that simple and coming in here and saying "if you want to weigh every morsel for the rest of your life...." doesn't help the OP with the situation
Believe whatever makes you happy. I am done playing this "Here's what I'm saying" No, you're not! Yes, I am. No, you're not...yes, I am...game.
next time, just don't associate use of food scale with OCD behavior and you won't have this problem.0 -
I'm with Kalikel here. People need to chill out. He wasn't criticizing anyone, just being realistic and offered his opinion.
I love the part where someone accuses you of being passive aggressive, but is very aggressive himself. Makes sense.0 -
There is a flip side, though. Not everyone wants to weigh their food, even at first.
Agreed, a friend does low carb without weighing or counting anything. She would do a different plan if she had to do those things. Yes, she probably has a good handle on sensible portion sizes, but that isn't rocket science.
Not everyone's a human calorimeter regulating intake to <0.05%
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