We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Is there anything you DON'T count?

ApproachingDusk
ApproachingDusk Posts: 70
edited September 2024 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