Is there anything you DON'T count?

ApproachingDusk
ApproachingDusk Posts: 70
edited September 29 in Food and Nutrition
I know that we are supposed to count everything that goes into our bodies (in theory) when we're doing a calorie restrictive diet, but what are the things that you DON'T end up counting during your day?

Any time I've been recording calories in the past I have NEVER counted my olive oil when I cook.
«1

Replies

  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    One tbs of olive oil has an average of 120 calories. I always count it!
  • katiebug3268
    katiebug3268 Posts: 60 Member
    I tend to post EVERYTHING I consume only because I desperatly need to lose weight. Good luck!!!
  • FabOma08
    FabOma08 Posts: 500
    I don't count my coffee. I drink plain black coffee, and even though I know there's a minuscule amount of calories in coffee, I refuse to let myself become that obsessive! I'm trying to live a certain lifestyle not be on a diet. And if I have to account for 3 calories for the day....well, it's just not gonna happen!!!
  • moose_15
    moose_15 Posts: 29 Member
    There are very few things I don't count, but they are all drink related. I don't count tea, orange squash or diet coke. I do count the milk in the tea though.
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
    I count everything that has calories. I log all the ingredients separately for meals I cook. Helps me stay mindful of how much olive oil, etc, I'm really using.
  • Helice
    Helice Posts: 1,075 Member
    i dont count chewing gum
    or multi-vitamins, etc..
  • tamiesue2
    tamiesue2 Posts: 149 Member
    I have been counting everything. When I first started I didnt, and I realized those "little" things I wasnt counting was adding up!! It might take an extra minute or two but it is worth it in my opinion.
  • psb13
    psb13 Posts: 629
    i count everything. i have switched to the spray olive oil for cooking. the calories are in the data base. i'm pretty sure i am using much less this way.
  • Rosetta02
    Rosetta02 Posts: 7
    I don't count my gum. It's like 5 calories and not worth the hassle of counting.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    I no longer count spices (unless they are a mix that contain salt and/or sugar). Also, lemon juice used in cooking.

    Anything else that has carbs, fat, protein, sodium or sugar gets counted.
  • luvmybentley
    luvmybentley Posts: 74 Member
    Count EVERYTHING! At least for a few days...you'll be surprised how quickly condiments etc can add up! Now that I have a good idea of the calorie counts of my foods, I often don't log salad veggies and lettuce, tomato, pickle on my sandwiches because they amount to very little. But I do count the margarine, mayo and salad dressing...and the creamer in my coffee...because I have learned that those really add up for me.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    Spices and vitamins. Everything else is counted.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    My gum. I only chew it at work and I figure I'm on my feet while I'm chewing away at it, so it all works out in the end. lol.

    I always count olive oil and such because I know it has a bunch of calories in it. :)
  • husker_gal
    husker_gal Posts: 462 Member
    the only things I don't count in my calories are foods that take more calories to digest than they actually contain. The only two foods I know of like this right now are celery and cucumbers (plain of course) If I eat anything with them then I do count that.
  • ltosti
    ltosti Posts: 27 Member
    I dont count veggies on my sandwiches and zero calories beverages such as I have a diet soda with lunch. Other than that, I count everything.
  • Just_Dot
    Just_Dot Posts: 2,283 Member
    If the kids are eating Goldfish crackers or whatever, and I snag 1 or 2, I don't count those. I also don't count my spices and gum. Everything else, I count.
  • bossymom
    bossymom Posts: 41 Member
    I count everything. I chew several sticks of gum each day and those sticks have anywhere from 5-10 calories each(even sugar-free). So, if I chew 5 sticks a day at 10 cals. each, that's 50 calories, and I really feel that's important to count. Also, even my Centrum chewable vitamin has 5 calories, and I count that,too. I just want a very accurate calorie count. However, about one day per month (sometimes two) I have a cheat day.....and I don't record anything that day.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Oil definitely, it's very high in fat and calories!

    I don't count other seasonings like pepper or cinnamon.
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    Maybe gum if I'm only having a few pieces.
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
    I don't count my coffee, just what I put in it. When I use spices I don't count it, or the maybe 1-2 pieces of gum or breath spray, or if I use just a tiny bit (less than a tsp) of ketchup or bbq sauce if I have scrambled eggs. The stuff that would be a serious pain in the butt to measure and figure out the cals that MIGHT total 50 cals for the day....I don't count it. I usually have wiggle room at the end of the day anyway.
  • pmorgan813
    pmorgan813 Posts: 135 Member
    Every now and again I have to munch on some Malox...don't count those mostly because it's usually in the middle of the night. Don't count gum unless I have more than 2 pieces in a day but because I usually have plenty of room in my diary for the additional 5 or 10 calories, I figure more than that is worth adding. I also don't count the veggies on my sandwich, I mean really, how do you add in a single leaf of letture or slice of tomato? Besides, like someone else said, I'm trying to live a new lifestyle, no be on a diet and I refuse to get that obsessive over calories. Now with all that said, if I have a sudden jump back up in my weight that I can't logically explain (ie went on vacation didn't pay attention to what I was eating and gained 3lbs) then I will log EVERY SINGLE thing I put in my mouth for a couple of days to see if some of those "little things" are adding up more than I realized.

    Good Luck!!
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    I don't post my coffee. I drink it black, so it's only 5 or 6 calories.

    I don't typically post my salad dressing. I measure 1 tbsp and it's low cal stuff so only 25 or 30 calories.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Coffee, Mrs. Dash, Splenda. I often don't count condiments like ketchup, salsa, and mustard but I should due to sodium.
  • AmoreCouture
    AmoreCouture Posts: 255 Member
    I count pretty much everything when I count.
  • get_fit2009
    get_fit2009 Posts: 827 Member
    Olive oil IS good for you, but it is also high in calories. I do count it. I never feel badly for eating it, though! I don't count sugar free gum, but other than that I pretty much count everything.
  • tusher2011
    tusher2011 Posts: 201 Member
    i don't count the TB of milk i put in my coffee every morning. i also don't count the 3-4 jalepeno slices i put in my sandwich, or the oregeno/spices i put on a pizza, or the mustard i use. if i did that, i think i would be driving myself crazy...
  • MsLadyVirgo
    MsLadyVirgo Posts: 160 Member
    I don't count: gum, mint, certain spices, and seasonings.

    I pretty much count everything else, or simply add quick calories for smaill things.

    In the past, I would not count fresh fruits & veggies. I may take a month of repeating this just to see what happens. However, I will make notes in my Journal, but not count the intake towards calories or carbs, but count it towards fiber.
  • OliveLucas
    OliveLucas Posts: 84
    i don't count water, lemon water, green tea, spices, mustard.
  • gothicprophet
    gothicprophet Posts: 189
    I pretty much log everything right now and don't see why I would stop.
  • Bristle82
    Bristle82 Posts: 100
    I put it all down and then it helps if you dont lose weight/inches in those weeks :)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories