Help for those frustrating, imprecise counting days

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EmbeeKay
EmbeeKay Posts: 249 Member
in Food and Nutrition
When I count my calories, I want the effort to be worth it. I want it to be precise. I weigh all my vegetables, every splash of milk in my coffee, I create recipes and weigh them by the gram so I know exactly how much that cup of soup is. So when I have an eyeball-it day, it's so frustrating!

Today was a clean out the freezer kind of day, and I thawed some chicken noodle soup for the family for lunch. It's homemade, with boneless thighs and big homemade dumpling-style noodles. I really wanted to have a bowl (I knew it would be a good healthy option if I pulled out the noodles) but I had no clue how many calories were in it. I ended up just weighing my whole portion and logging it as boneless skinless chicken thigh meat which worked, but I'm sure I overestimated it because a lot of it was celery and carrots. Whatever.

Then dinner was chili with a venison/beef mix; I made the chili about three months ago and didn't bother with the calorie count at the time. I had absolutely no clue it was in a cup of this! The database had wildly varied counts. I felt like I was totally winging it. Sure I could have made myself a sandwich while everybody else was eating chili, but I'm thinking, this is good healthy food and why should I skip out on it just because I don't know how many calories are in it?

So what do you guys do in situations like these????

Replies

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    I just do my best, probably overestimate a bit and move on. You're right - it's good food and it would be a shame to skip it because you can't put an exact count on it. Real life sometimes means that we can't make the perfect choice, just the best one.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    I've lost most of my weight so far by eyeballing. I weigh once in a while just to recalibrate my eyeballing. But thats just me:) I do lose weight faster when I weigh my food but I'm lazy I guess:).

    But maybe take the time to really look at the portions as you weigh because you will always have times where you will need to eyeball. If its only occasional try not to stress too much about it.
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
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    I just estimate...maybe look for a restaurant recipe that may be similar?

    I'm actually going out for Indian food tomorrow night and it is a local place, with only one location. I looked up the calorie counts for the food I wanted, took an average, and quick-added 100 extra calories just to be safe. IF I am off, it doesn't matter because I tried my best, and it's just one meal. I don't want it to bother me. I just want to enjoy my food.
  • CaptainHandsome
    CaptainHandsome Posts: 127 Member
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    I'm down 40 pounds in about three and a half months. I only put exact calories for thing that are packaged and have nutritional information somewhere. I've almost never weighed anything until recently and mostly guessed at everything. If I homemade something, like I just did with banana bread, and eyeballed all the ingredients, I just go through the list and find the "worst" calorie count of the bunch and use that when I enter it here. I know I'm usually overestimating - but to me that's a good thing. If I'm overestimating, and still under my goal for the day, I'm happy. I never record oils and such things while I cook either. Shredded cheese, other toppings, I record, but I guess at it. Even when I'm a couple hundred calories over for my goal, I don't worry about it, I know I've overestimated a bunch for the week or the day anyway.
  • atlchris1987
    atlchris1987 Posts: 4 Member
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    As others have stated, go for the highest entry. I hate to burst your bubble but even packaged item's nutritional facts are based on averages. Unless you are a chemist with a whole lot of free time, you're not going to get an exact figure. I love using all the tools available and coming up with the best estimate.

    It is irritating, especially when eating out when you have to guess what that restaurant monstrosity actually contains. I'm looking at you over-sized taco salad. The fact that it bothers you demonstrates that you're paying attention and acting with discipline.

    Just don't over do it. You control your food, not the other way around. That's probably what got you here in the first place, right? Don't give these estimated numbers power over you.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I have those frustrating, imprecise counting days every single time my husband cooks. I just estimate as best i can.. It makes me twitchy and slightly anxious when i fill out my diary on those days :grumble:

    I blame him for my weight loss not going as smooth and fast as it should :wink:

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