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Calorie counting/ exercise and social/everyday life
JustDoIt987
Posts: 120 Member
Does counting calories or exercising ever interfere with your everyday / social life? For example : wanting to go to a restaurant but not knowing how much calories are in their meals or wanting to go to a staff party at work but not knowing how much calories are in the food/drinks. Do you experience similar situations? And how do you deal with them?
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Replies
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Nope, not really. I am as exact as possible when I can be, so it alleviates damage from any guessing I need to do when I can't be accurate. I also try to be in control of my food most of the time, so social situations are really the only times I do have to guess.
I usually use one of two strategies:- Find some other restaurant entries for the meal in question and log the highest one.
- Try to mentally deconstruct what I ate into ingredients, and log them separately, estimating the portion size.
I find especially at buffet or cocktail party type situations, knowing I'm going to try to log it helps me make smarter, simplified choices, rather than loading everything I see onto the plate. Also, the more experience you get weighing out portions, the better you get at eyeballing what's on your plate at a restaurant.
I'm not at all minimizing that this is an issue for people when starting out, just saying that it gets easier as you go. :drinker:9 -
I've been at this for a long time now, and it does get easier to handle those kinds of situations the further along you go. We're spending the day at an amusement park tomorrow and I've got my food plan in place and ready to go, I'll stay on track and hit my calorie target. A few years ago I would have freaked out about the change in routine but now it doesn't phase me at all
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It can be a struggle, especially when you are relatively "new" to all of this stuff (I have no idea whether that's the case for you, or not).
I don't know what it is like if you have a VERY hectic and busy lifestyle or travel more than 20% of the time for work. I typically find myself in situations like you describe 1-2 times per week (going out for drinks or dinner with friends, having dinner at my parents' homes). Bigger parties, holidays, and/or events maybe every other month.
I've been on MFP for over 4 years, lost 90-ish lb here through calorie counting and have been maintaining an overall weight loss of about 130 lb for 2 years. I don't say that to brag, but give you a little background.
Anyway, the way I handle these things is to go about it in a methodical way. I'll eat a much smaller breakfast and lunch when I'm going to have a high calorie dinner. Get in extra exercise if possible. Keep up with drinking lots of water no matter where I'm having a meal, and if I drink alcohol, I drink water before and after anything alcoholic.
I'm not on a low carb diet and I don't think bread/chips are the devil. But one thing I've done for a long time is just don't eat that part of a restaurant meal or don't grab chips/rolls at parties. I stick with veggies, protein & sweets (because I have a sweet tooth). I won't deny myself a piece of fudge or slice of pie. But I will just have one plate at a potluck-style dinner, and I'll pile on vegetables and/or salad first, then add bits of whatever else looks appetizing.
As for restaurants, more and more restaurants do have calorie counts...but if you're like me and really enjoy local, independent and/or ethnic places...it's far less likely. I just try to practice moderation and portion control as much as possible.
When traveling, my husband and I love to check out local restaurants so we typically have one big meal (usually at lunch after hiking or sight-seeing) and then get relatively healthy snacks to keep in the mini fridge wherever we're staying...veggies, prepared boiled eggs, yogurt, etc. Similarly, when I travel for work (a few times per year) I usually grab something "healthier" from the continental breakfast offerings and then have a light lunch so I can go out for a bigger dinner.
I am all about "crunching numbers" when it comes to food. I've learned to see things in a certain way over the past few years, thanks to MFP. Now if someone offers me a slice of German chocolate cake (which is not a favorite) I'm calculating in my mind "eh, I could have a feta omelet and like 14 raspberries AND a piece of chocolate". Or sometimes I'm the one getting a double burger and large coffee at Steak & Shake (for example) when everyone else is getting chicken strips with fries and a soda or shake. My order doesn't seem strange or even healthy/light, but it's well within my calorie allotment (roughly 550) especially compared to a combo meal (900-1600). Just doing the "numbers" can surprise you sometimes.
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It has not caused much of a problem for me.
I have been logging for some time. I know foods that are likely to be high calorie. I look up restaurant nutritional information.
If I know I am going to eat out or there is an event/holiday I just get reasonable portions, may eat lighter for other meals that day or week, get some more activity.
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I had that issue to tonight. I had dinner with my family at benihana. I wouldn't have picked such a large portions place. Well what did I do?First I left extra dinner calories. Then I realized I had some extra calories from earlier in week. I ordered what I thought would be a healthy option fitting my macros . I also made sure that it would even if over would be over by less the maintenance. I was driving so no alcohol.but if not driving would have probably kept and eye on alcohol. Not due to alcohol calories but 3 drinks and my desire to eat all the things will defeat the idea of balanced nutrition.0
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I try not worry too much - eating out is rare for me so I want to enjoy it! I just estimate as best I can, err on the side of too high, and make sure I leave a bit of leeway from the previous few days. I also try and eat more slowly, finish the veg/low calorie bits and leave some chips/high calorie stuff if I'm getting close to full.1
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It's not a problem for me. I strive to be extremely accurate most of the time (double-checking database entries, weighing food, using the recipe builder) so that when I'm going out or socializing and I have to estimate, the impact of any mistake will be minimal.1
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Like others, my logging is accurate and I exercise most days so I have a reasonable amount of wiggle room. I naturally eat lighter earlier in the day so even if unexpected I can usually make eating out work. I even splurge on 1200 calorie Japanese take away semi-regularly. I have it often and generally similar orders, results tell me my guessing is pretty accurate. I also have other food out pretty regularly, again my eyeballing is pretty good and it's never had an impact.
If you are logging accurately otherwise then you should have a reasonable idea of how many calories are in a breakdown of the meal. Allow extra for any oils etc you might not know about and you should be okay. Alcohol is mostly known values so pretty easy to make choices there.
At the end of the day, you've got to figure out how to do this for a lifetime and getting anxious every time a social event happens isn't really a way to live!4 -
In the beginning yes. I used to get stressed out because I was scared of gaining weight back that I worked so hard to lose.
For example, after eating regular pizza I would always be up a couple of pounds the next day even though I didn't overeat. Now, I know that was from consuming too much sodium.
Or, I wouldn't trust myself from going overboard by overeating when going out. Now, I've learned how to control my portions and stay in control.
Also by having an idea of calorie counts and planning ahead, I learned that I could have things I wanted and I didn't have to settle for "diet foods" or a salad.
The following also helped me to overcome my fears:
- Planning by looking at menus ahead of time if possible.
- Putting in a little extra work in my workouts to earn some calories.
- Banking calories during the week for the weekend/that special occasion.
- Looking at my calories on a weekly basis, not daily (sometimes I have high days and other lower days).
- Realizing that I do not have to "clean my plate". Just stop eating when I'm close to getting full.
I had a lifetime of unhealthy eating habits to unlearn. Plus going from eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted my whole life to being aware of what I was eating was a heck of a challenge.
Learning about my body and how it operates, identifying my triggers, staying consistent and working hard for what I wanted (a fit body, physical fitness and great health) made being aware of what I was consuming things go easier for me. I have lost a lot of weight and have kept it off without any regain. It took lots of time for me to figure things out however.4 -
Some great wisdom in the replies.
I think there's a mandatory learning curve to this to be successful. You have to measure everything initially to understand what portions should look like and how much food you need. Once you've mastered this it becomes increasingly easier to guess how many calories something has and to apply your fudge factor.
This process has made me more mindful in my eating. Whereas I would previously just eat and power through the following day I now think ahead and plan my nutritional needs around my activities. In doing so have created a positive feedback loop.1 -
I second (third? forth?) that learning what accurate portion sizes are over time makes it easier to estimate portions when you're out at social events. If I'm at an event with food, I try to get all of my food on a plate in the beginning and take a picture. I don't add or take away anything over the event if at all possible. At the end of the event, I take a picture of what's left on my plate. That's helped me estimate logging quite a bit.
I tend to order the same dish at restaurants when I go out. So, I try to get take out and measure once I get home. I know that my favorite Mexican restaurant's Camarones En Diablados with all the sides and the chips that I'm going to eat runs about 950 calories for everything on the plate. Then, it's easier to estimate when I'm in the restaurant. Same with my favorite sandwich from Subway and my favorite combo from the deli in Monterey that I like.
If I'm at a restaurant with a dish that I don't know, I mentally section it out and try to take home half or 1/4 of the dish as "leftovers" when possible. When I get home, I weigh what's left and do the math to get an estimate of the entire dish. If it's a special occasion or a truly spectacular meal, I take a rough estimate, eat all the delicious food, and don't worry about it
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I think we all develop strategies over time that help. It saddens me when people feel like they can't enjoy their lives because they're on a 'diet'.2 -
It used to to a problem for me.
I was very underweight for about five years while I worked as a model, and am still technically anorexic (while classified as an eating disorder, anorexia is actually entirely mental - it is characterized by being obsessed with weight loss/being thin; actually being thin is merely a result of the obsession). I checked my weight twice a day, limited myself to 500-800 calories (very dangerous) and exercised 2 hrs a day. I still thought I was overweight, ugly, and hated my reflection. I wouldn't eat out, or eat fast food, or anything that I didn't know the calorie value of. I tracked it religiously on a calendar (exact calories, exact workout time, and weight at the beginning of each day). I was absolutely obsessed with being thin so I kept getting paid for work. Eventually, I realized it was destroying me -- and could quite literally kill me as my body began shutting down "non-essential" organs (example: my body no longer released eggs for my menstrual cycle, and I was very fatigued from low iron and blood sugar).
I still get fixated on wanting to count calories, and have to force myself to not look at the side of food packages. I mentally berate myself if I ever have a cheeseburger or fries. I tell myself I'm ugly and a failure because I gained so much weight after I quit working.
It's about finding a balance that doesn't become an obsession. If you can do that, awesome! But if you struggle like me, STOP logging calories and instead just focus on how healthy you're eating instead.0 -
I eat out all the time especially this time of year when it's so hot and I lose all motivation to cook at home. I don't sweat it too much. Tracking definitely keeps me aware of what I'm eating and my choices are much better than they used to be. For example, tonight we went to a local bar & grill to watch college football and I really wanted a greasy, fried appetizer but I didn't order it because I didn't have the calories.
In the past I would have gotten what I wanted and justified it as a special event that merits heavy, fried foods. But watching a football game on TV, really not even close to special. So I opted out.
I will say that I've accepted that I'm losing weight slower than I could if I were really strict on myself. But I know this is how I want to live so I decided at the beginning to learn to manage my weight by eating in a way I know I can do for life. Because of that, I'm totally ok with taking it slow.1 -
As so many have already stated, it gets much much easier the longer you do this.
What I might like to add to the conversation is that this becomes a life-style. Sooner or later, this will all be a moot issue. Now, what I mean by that is that this will all just be what you do, day-in and day-out. You will not think twice about this stuff.
But, you have to get to that point first, right? And that is the struggle.
Mind-set is everything. Just know that you are going to succeed. Just accept that you are human and that there will be days when you will go over. You might be good with calories (that is the most important number) but go over in Carbs or Fats. That is okay....
Keep this in mind.....
Say that you consume 1,500 calories a day. Say that your breakdown is:
*120g Protein
*150g Carbs
*50g Fats
And, no, those macros do not add up to 1,500 calories a day....just keeping the math simple for this example.
What you are really doing is a weekly intake. So, over seven days you have the following:
*10,500 Calories
*840g Protein
*1,050g Carbs
*350g Fats
So, if you are off one day it is not necessarily the end of the world. Is it best to hit your numbers each and every day? Of course it is. I am just suggesting that we have some flexibility in this and that what is important is the big picture. Unless, of course, you are a competitor and you have a show coming up in six days.....
So, if you are a little over on one day.....you have an opportunity to resolve that over the course of the week. And, you have another opportunity to see why you were a little over or a little short! Meal prep is a GREAT thing!
So, mind-set is everything. I might have said that a few times. It really is.1 -
I take control as much as I can...
- Can I influence the choice of restaurant to one that I know publishes calorie information and has some good choices on the menu?
- If I can't pick the restaurant (or even if I can), can I look at the menu online in advance and figure out a good choice, and perhaps pre-log it based on some conservative weight assumptions?
- Even if I can't look at the menu in advance, I can make good choices from what's available, in particular swapping out carbs for extra veg or salad where needed.
- If it's a drinks party (where there may also be nibbles), can I eat in advance and work out my drinks allowance for the occasion then sticking to it? (I did this for a school reunion on Friday. Worked beautifully.)
...but sometimes it doesn't go to plan because it's too exciting of an occasion, or the chocolate cake is just too good. And that's ok too. Maybe I try and limit the damage through extra exercise, but occasionally (a few times a year, not a few times a week!) just roll with it and enjoy it. Do the best you can, enjoy it, and get straight back on plan the next day.0 -
It takes planning! I've also learned that my enjoyment with my friends doesn't have to surrounded by food. Often we will eat and then go for a walk. I am now usually 'sharing' my appetizer or dessert.1
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I am struggling with this very thing currently. I can stay on track pretty well during the week, because I do some meal prep on Sundays and have standard go-to meals in the fridge, but special events, holiday meals, and weekend family get-togethers are still rough.
One trick I used successfully last holiday season was that I took apack of playing cards with me in my pocket. I could have as much vegetables as I wanted, but anything starchy, sweet, and even my protein, I made sure I didn't take more than about the size/weight of the deck of cards. Sounds silly, but just having a physical reminder at hand of what a serving size should be helped. I was able to have a little of all my favorite holiday foods, but with an after dinner walk, stayed within my goals.0 -
I wish that MFP had a rolling 7 day total on the dashboard. Or potentially allowed you to show adjusted calorie and macro goals based on some rolling total.
Edit: well now I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow. Excel ho!!1 -
Nope. It takes all of 30 seconds to log food. I make time to exercise as part of my daily routine.1
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Not a problem for me. As soon as I realized that the occasional less accurate meal does not undo weeks of accurate logging things were easier from there.I wish that MFP had a rolling 7 day total on the dashboard. Or potentially allowed you to show adjusted calorie and macro goals based on some rolling total.
Edit: well now I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow. Excel ho!!
I have an excel for that, I use a 30 day rotation to plan in advance and some handy features like up to how many calories I can have, predicted weight loss vs real weight loss for accuracy check, averages, calculations..etc. I just kept adding to it gradually and it's out of control now.
When I'm not feeling like being organized and just want to eat as I go, I use MFP to crudely roll calories to next day at the end of every day by utilizing the quick add. If you're rolling extra calories use a negative sign, and if you're rolling a calorie debt don't use a negative sign.0 -
VeronicaA76 wrote: »Nope. It takes all of 30 seconds to log food. I make time to exercise as part of my daily routine.
I want to know how this is possible. The only way logging takes me "all of 30 seconds" is if I copy meals from a previous day. (If I copy everything from the day before and don't have to look for the day, it can take less.)
Do you never eat anything new?2 -
well you can copy the bar code of the meals and add them, also if at a restaurant if you hit the location button it may find the place and upload the menu where you can select your meals, if updated.
I need to do a better job of logging... it's not hard, I just brain fart and forget.0 -
JustDoIt987 wrote: »Does counting calories or exercising ever interfere with your everyday / social life? For example : wanting to go to a restaurant but not knowing how much calories are in their meals or wanting to go to a staff party at work but not knowing how much calories are in the food/drinks. Do you experience similar situations? And how do you deal with them?
Yes, counting calories did for me. Not so much restaurants as we don't eat out often enough for that to be a big concern. But I love to cook and I hate to measure anything while cooking. That was a huge problem for me. I finally decided logging wasn't for me and just lost weight by eating less without measuring or logging.
Exercise does not, but I don't do a lot of exercise for the sake of exercise.0 -
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JustDoIt987 wrote: »Does counting calories or exercising ever interfere with your everyday / social life? For example : wanting to go to a restaurant but not knowing how much calories are in their meals or wanting to go to a staff party at work but not knowing how much calories are in the food/drinks. Do you experience similar situations? And how do you deal with them?
No because these aren't everyday occurrences...these types of things tend to be occasions which in the big picture aren't really all that relevant.
Pretty much all of my friends are fitness and nutrition junkies...we all exercise regularly and often have outings that revolve around "exercise" like hiking and rock climbing, group rides, etc...then we go back to each others houses to enjoy some cold beers and good food...so regular exercise only enhances my personal life...doesn't get in the way.1 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »
It's not available for me so I'm going by what I remember reading here. Apparently there is a location icon next to the barcode scanner that can be pressed to search for menus from local restaurants in some areas.0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »
It's not available for me so I'm going by what I remember reading here. Apparently there is a location icon next to the barcode scanner that can be pressed to search for menus from local restaurants in some areas.
not for me either...*cries*clicketykeys wrote: »VeronicaA76 wrote: »Nope. It takes all of 30 seconds to log food. I make time to exercise as part of my daily routine.
I want to know how this is possible. The only way logging takes me "all of 30 seconds" is if I copy meals from a previous day. (If I copy everything from the day before and don't have to look for the day, it can take less.)
Do you never eat anything new?
I usually go for what's under my frequent foods or recent.
Most people do eat similar or same things frequently.
I live in North amercia so Chicken, beef, pork etc are staples sometimes fish etc.
For me my logging doesn't take long either because I do eat similar/same foods a lot.
Dinners become leftovers for lunch. My breakfasts are saved as "meals" to log quickly et.c
ETA: variety can also mean you eat something once a month but have it as a recipe. or time of year can dictate what you eat as well...
and searching doesn't take that long...I won't claim 30 secs but a 2-5 mins max for each day and in the large scheme of things...1 -
clicketykeys wrote: »VeronicaA76 wrote: »Nope. It takes all of 30 seconds to log food. I make time to exercise as part of my daily routine.
I want to know how this is possible. The only way logging takes me "all of 30 seconds" is if I copy meals from a previous day. (If I copy everything from the day before and don't have to look for the day, it can take less.)
Do you never eat anything new?
I'm always amazed by the times people claim to spend logging too. I guess they must eat the same foods over and over. Not me. I crave variety.0 -
No, not really. But then I've only been at it for 2 months. When I've gone out to eat with friends I just gave myself permission to eat "whatever" or I planned ahead of time what I would eat by looking up the restaurant menu. I don't work in an office so I don't have any of those issues related to office culture. If I'm going to a potluck (work or social) I will make something healthy that I will eat just to be sure that I can eat something decent that I like and won't be astronomical as far as calories.
It doesn't take me long to log in my meals. Breakfast and snacks are usually the same. If it is a new recipe that is my own, that does take some time to log in. I just discovered that you can put the URL of recipes online and it figures it all out on MFP. I love this since I have used some recipes from different websites. Saves some time. Also I will usually log in the night before what I plan to eat. It does change during the day sometimes but it is easy enough to remove it and put something else. I also log in whenever I eat during the day (if I have to change something) and do not wait to do it all at once at the end of the day. That means you have to "think" and remember what you ate. Much quicker to do it right before or after you eat.0
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