Logging accuracy, consistency, and you're probably eating more than you think.
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One example of accidental inaccuracy. Someone I know believed that there were only 3 servings of 37 calories in a bag of popcorn that she has been consuming for years. There were actually 7.5 servings. So she sometimes would have two bags a night. 111 calories turned into 277.5 calories. Now multiply that by two over years and you can see how some may believe they are at a plateau when in reality they are at maintenance or in a very small deficit.4
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Just want to give this a fresh bump.0
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Giving this a Monday morning bump.0
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http://www.bbc.com/news/health-36988065
The Behavioural Insights Team points to scientific and economic data showing people eat 3,000 calories, compared to the 2,000 cited in official surveys.
http://38r8om2xjhhl25mw24492dir.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/16-07-12-Counting-Calories-Final.pdf1 -
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Bumpity.1
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Seems like there are a few threads that could use a bump today...
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »
I used to do that. Pain in the rear! Grams into ounces, ounces into the serving size. Ugh.lynn_glenmont wrote: »
You also can't assume that because an entry in someone's diary lists the measurement in cups that the person doesn't weigh their food. I use many entries from the database that are accurate (i.e., match the package label), but the person who created them used the volume measurement rather than the weight measurement when both are given on the package, e.g., 1/2 cup (113 g) for cottage cheese. I can weigh my cottage cheese and divide by the grams in a serving size to determine how much I'm serving myself, and still use that entry, and it doesn't mean I'm being inaccurate.Good point, especially these above. People often think they can look at someone's diary and tell how well they're logging based on the units of measure and such, but a reader has no way of knowing what they didn't log, which is probably a bigger source of error than using a cup measurement vs. a scale.
I just hate to say people think that using a food scale automatically means good logging, and that not using one automatically means bad.
If you manually enter the cottage cheese into "My Foods" with the grams, not only can you enter grams, but the option for One Gram will magically appear, so then you can just enter the 89 or whatever it is. And it will always be in My Foods.
I mention this only because I found it so helpful and not to criticize you!
OK - I'm not taking it as criticism, but just explaining that I'm not converting grams to ounces. I put my bowl on the scale, tare the bowl, add as much cottage cheese as I want (120 grams tonight), divide (120/113 = 1.06), and enter 1.06 servings, even though the serving is listed as a half cup.
Exactly. And as stated by a previous poster, the perfectly round number of "1/2 cup" every single time is one clue that the person might not be weighing. I did have a user come back and say she actually cuts the chicken each time down to four ounces exactly, but most people I've encountered who logged the perfect serving size each time and were asked about it were not weighing. To be clear, when we review diaries, that's what many of us are looking for - clues. We still have to ask the user to verify what process they actually follow
You can also get clues as to whether items are being skipped. Missing meals, missing days, chicken with no oil butter, or condiments etc. Yeah they could be boiling the chicken in water and eating it plain, but we would just quickly ask to verify
That's why a single day copy and paste is not really the same thing as an open diary when performing this review for the user
Sometimes the perfect log is on purpose though! I will weigh out precisely 70g of ice cream because thats the serving (half cup just to continue that point too), or pull of the tiniest amount of deli meat from my sammich to make it exactly 4oz or exactly 30g of ranch dressing (I've used a spoon to take some out) or similar... Course that isn't everything... Have never cut a cherry tomato in half to get to 100g or anything. Can kinda go either way: Figure out a serving and weigh that precisely, or pull out what I want and weigh and log that.2 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »
I used to do that. Pain in the rear! Grams into ounces, ounces into the serving size. Ugh.lynn_glenmont wrote: »
You also can't assume that because an entry in someone's diary lists the measurement in cups that the person doesn't weigh their food. I use many entries from the database that are accurate (i.e., match the package label), but the person who created them used the volume measurement rather than the weight measurement when both are given on the package, e.g., 1/2 cup (113 g) for cottage cheese. I can weigh my cottage cheese and divide by the grams in a serving size to determine how much I'm serving myself, and still use that entry, and it doesn't mean I'm being inaccurate.Good point, especially these above. People often think they can look at someone's diary and tell how well they're logging based on the units of measure and such, but a reader has no way of knowing what they didn't log, which is probably a bigger source of error than using a cup measurement vs. a scale.
I just hate to say people think that using a food scale automatically means good logging, and that not using one automatically means bad.
If you manually enter the cottage cheese into "My Foods" with the grams, not only can you enter grams, but the option for One Gram will magically appear, so then you can just enter the 89 or whatever it is. And it will always be in My Foods.
I mention this only because I found it so helpful and not to criticize you!
OK - I'm not taking it as criticism, but just explaining that I'm not converting grams to ounces. I put my bowl on the scale, tare the bowl, add as much cottage cheese as I want (120 grams tonight), divide (120/113 = 1.06), and enter 1.06 servings, even though the serving is listed as a half cup.
Exactly. And as stated by a previous poster, the perfectly round number of "1/2 cup" every single time is one clue that the person might not be weighing. I did have a user come back and say she actually cuts the chicken each time down to four ounces exactly, but most people I've encountered who logged the perfect serving size each time and were asked about it were not weighing. To be clear, when we review diaries, that's what many of us are looking for - clues. We still have to ask the user to verify what process they actually follow
You can also get clues as to whether items are being skipped. Missing meals, missing days, chicken with no oil butter, or condiments etc. Yeah they could be boiling the chicken in water and eating it plain, but we would just quickly ask to verify
That's why a single day copy and paste is not really the same thing as an open diary when performing this review for the user
Sometimes the perfect log is on purpose though! I will weigh out precisely 70g of ice cream because thats the serving (half cup just to continue that point too), or pull of the tiniest amount of deli meat from my sammich to make it exactly 4oz or exactly 30g of ranch dressing (I've used a spoon to take some out) or similar... Course that isn't everything... Have never cut a cherry tomato in half to get to 100g or anything. Can kinda go either way: Figure out a serving and weigh that precisely, or pull out what I want and weigh and log that.
Glad I'm not the only one who does this! I think I do it because I'm often pre-logging and I'm too lazy to go back to adjust my entry so I'd rather just adjust the food. I find it kinda fun trying to get exactly 227g of yogurt. I admit I don't use my scale for absolutely everything, though. For example today I had a Lean Cuisine... I'm just gonna let that one go for now. Don't worry, I won't make a thread if this backfires on me one day 1 -
bump
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »
I used to do that. Pain in the rear! Grams into ounces, ounces into the serving size. Ugh.
If you manually enter the cottage cheese into "My Foods" with the grams, not only can you enter grams, but the option for One Gram will magically appear, so then you can just enter the 89 or whatever it is.
I did not know this. Thank you!!0 -
Could use a bump.2
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diannethegeek wrote: »Could use a bump.
We all could from time to time amirite8 -
Everyone should read this. I'm fairly new to the forums and found, despite diligently logging, I tend to forget the small things like the extra cup of coffee (with milk), or the cheese I decided to throw in my salad at the last minute. And while I'm not above weighing out 3 oz. of chicken, I'm just as much under than over the amount and usually don't log the difference. I'm loosing weight at a steady rate, no plateau yet, but I'm thinking in the long run the not logging of food can add up to a lot of extra calories.2
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Don't tell me I'm not logging properly, ya big potato head!
brb - have to kick start my metabolism with some African Mango extract and Raspberry Ketones cos I've been gaining weight while only eating 1200 calories a week...9 -
I can see this to be possible and even very likely...
A teaspoon of something for example, if you use a real teaspoon... teaspoons come in heaps of sizes, is it heaped or not (heaped would be twice as much as a teaspoon) etc...
A cup of something can be almost impossible to measure.... because things are never chopped into a cup shape.
Plus the human mind would rather err on the side of delicious rather than sparse 2 -
Don't tell me I'm not logging properly, ya big potato head!
brb - have to kick start my metabolism with some African Mango extract and Raspberry Ketones cos I've been gaining weight while only eating 1200 calories a week...
LOL! I was thinking about you the other day dude. I hope you are doing well.
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Don't tell me I'm not logging properly, ya big potato head!
brb - have to kick start my metabolism with some African Mango extract and Raspberry Ketones cos I've been gaining weight while only eating 1200 calories a week...
LOL! I was thinking about you the other day dude. I hope you are doing well.
I'm good thanks Patrick - it has been a while!
I might flick you a message rather than derail the thread, but it has been an interesting year or so, and I've had some learnings (and further questions...) that might be relevant to some of your clients around adherence, injury and sedentary work environments.
Right now I'm focused on a short term fat loss goal before heading over to Murica (California only I'm afraid) in April (where I will no doubt be stuffing my face with burgers and pizza
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Fantastic information0
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great thread. Thank you.0
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Friday bump..1
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Mid-July bump... 1
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I am very accurate when I report...why lie your only hurting yourself if you can't be honest with yourself...2
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Marzetta42 wrote: »....why lie your only
I have an MFP friend who very blatantly tells..."When i eat a pint of Ben & Jerry's I just can bring myself to enter '1 container' I enter '1 serving'"
I kind of get it, but kind of don't.
My philosophy is if you aren't going to strive for accuracy, blow off logging the steamed broccoli and rice cakes, but be precise in logging the trigger foods. It is all about self-awareness and knowledge. Not online-appearance.
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I try to over estimate1
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fantastic post0
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I am still trying to be more accurate, and yet not increase the time and energy to track...accurate and simple.0
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I read a lot of posts on logging accuracy when I started out and took on board the various viewpoints.
I guess, if you have a lot of weight to lose, you could get away with eyeballing and estimating and deal with the hassle of weighing everything later, when it matters more.
Or (preferably, in my humble opinion) develop the good habits now that will see you through to goal and onto maintenance.2
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