MFP database is a minefield :'(

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  • mortuseon_
    mortuseon_ Posts: 257 Member
    I agree that it can be a pain. Recently I've had a lot of trouble with inaccurate entries - for example, today I tried to log 70g of uncooked Tilda wholegrain basmati rice, which the top entry assured me would be just 161 kcals. Luckily, I checked the label so I knew that listing was bunk and probably ACTUALLY referred to the cooked rice (actual raw value was more like 250 kcal), but it makes logging more stressful and time-consuming than it needs to be. Likewise, a tub of vanilla Halo Top came in 40 kcal lower than the label, so I had to spend a while looking for the correct listing. If you're short and female and don't have too many calories to play with, these inaccuracies can really add up, and having to be SO careful can take the joy out of eating.

    Agreed on restaurants as well...unless I 'bank' calories throughout the week, I don't feel that it's 'safe' to eat at non-chains. Which sucks, when so much of my social life was previously food-related. I do feel that it's a delicate balance and MFP's bloated database can tip it to the side of frustration.
  • boomerising
    boomerising Posts: 43 Member
    Thank you @mortuseon_ You understand my feelings quite exactly and the "taking the joy out of eating" hazard is a serious one. Wishing you good luck and plenty of joy.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    Do not let it rob your joy. Even food labels can be inaccurate. Ya just do the very best you can with what you have. Some times you will eat a little more than you think, sometimes a little less - eventually in the grand scheme of things it will all even out - I just try to pick the very best entry I can find. I often rely on the USDA database to verify...eating out is a hazard to accuracy to be sure. Even chain food entries are not always accurate esp. if the chain restaurant changes their recipe / ingredients along the way and the info isn't updated right away.

    Just relax and do the best you can.
  • Kst76
    Kst76 Posts: 935 Member
    I ate a vegetable omelette in a diner this morning. There were no cheese, and if it was it certainly wasn’t 2 oz. I dissected the omelet and all I saw was broccoli, peppers, onions and of course egg.
  • boomerising
    boomerising Posts: 43 Member
    Sounds like a smart choice. Unfortunately when my brain says “omelette” it always says “cheese” no matter what other ingredients may be available. :D When I have an omelette anywhere other than this one neighborhood place where I am so stuck on the chili-cheese version, I normally do include veggies. Broccoli-and-cheddar and spinach-and-swiss are favorites.
  • boomerising
    boomerising Posts: 43 Member
    BREAKING: For brunch at one of the great (and non-greasy) local joints, I just ordered an omelette WITH NO CHEESE. Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply here for kicking my butt. Difficult as this is for me, I’m impressed with the value of MFP and hopeful for success. Another new low on the scale this morning, to about 6 lb down since January 18 start. I do also have a perfect record of 3 workouts per week—after completely blowing off the gym for the entire last quarter of 2017. I know that has been crucial and will have to continue indefinitely. I have to regularly remind myself the gym is not primarily about weight loss or even maintenance, it is about fitness which at 65 means heart health, bone density, strength, flexibility, balance. Key things. But MFP helps with perspective on this too, because when I had a bad day earlier this week and went over by “only” 260 calories, it told me that if every day were like that day I would be half a pound HEAVIER in 5 weeks than now. That was sobering, because if correct it tells me just how tiny my margin for error will be in maintenance mode and that exercise will always be needed to prevent those errors from repopulating my fat cells :)
  • ckdprevent
    ckdprevent Posts: 105 Member
    I'm 50 and just try not to eat out. My husband loves to eat out; so I allow myself sometimes and eat 1/2 serving. I have to watch my salt, sugar, protein; so whenever I eat out my salt is through the roof. If you travel a lot make pack food. That is what I do. Have fruit, veges, etc. If you can eat nuts, pack them for a great protein source.
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