I don’t understand calories
browneyedbelle92
Posts: 37 Member
One of the biggest reasons I don’t count calories is I don’t understand how to log everything. I freak out if i couldn’t find something in my fitness pal and I’m pretty sure I log it wrong.
For example I had a cappuccino with skim milk on sugar one sweetner I don’t know how to log that.
Any calories tracking suggestions? I personally just find it overwhelming but I just wanted to see what I consume.
For example I had a cappuccino with skim milk on sugar one sweetner I don’t know how to log that.
Any calories tracking suggestions? I personally just find it overwhelming but I just wanted to see what I consume.
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Replies
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Track the cappuccino, skin milk, and the sugar one sweetner. separately4
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It was once recommended to me to start with one meal. that way you can master that after a few days or a week and then add another meal. baby steps.
personally i don't log coffee (the actual coffee) so I would in the above log the following seperately):
- skim milk (how much? 1 tablespoon? half a cup?)
- an approx measurement of the sugar (if it's a package, or a teaspoon...)5 -
I get so freaked out like tonight I had chicken treat and only chicken not chips and I couldn’t find that option lol0
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Do you think you can lose weight without counting calories1
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what is a chicken treat? is it a purchased item you can scan?
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You can only lose weight without calorie counting if you do low fat or low carb37
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You can also log everything separately or you can Add a food to the database1
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For restaurant food, see if the restaurant has nutrition information on their website. Chain restaurants tend to be better about posting their calorie info, and you may be able to use that info for non-chains. Starbucks has a lot of info that should work for coffee drinks you buy anywhere.
You don't have to count calories to lose weight, but I find it helpful to see exactly how much I'm eating. All you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit, meaning that you burn more calories than you eat. MFP helps me estimate how much I burn, and counting calories lets me know if I have enough calories left in the day for an evening snack.0 -
browneyedbelle92 wrote: »I get so freaked out like tonight I had chicken treat and only chicken not chips and I couldn’t find that option lol
You can enter new foods into the database.
Here is a How To Log thread, it will help you.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
No freaking out necessary. There is a learning curve with any new endeavor. You'll get it.6 -
savannahs21 wrote: »You can only lose weight without calorie counting if you do low fat or low carb
No. Not true.12 -
I feel that because I get frustrated or obsess it’s very hard but I will definitely try logging individually. Chicken treat is like red rooster basically thanks guys ❤️0
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Yes it is, plenty of people do itNo. Not true.20 -
Yes...if you don't see it in the database...add it by entering it in...I find a lot of foods are entered incorrectly when searching...so I often enter things from scratch...just so that I know it is accurate...there seems to be a lot of food that gets entered with just the calories (no macro break downs)...so it is probably best and will help you gain an understanding of the workings if you enter everything you are logging from scratch...1
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savannahs21 wrote: »
Yes it is, plenty of people do itNo. Not true.
It is *A* way. Not The Only Way.
That is what I was objecting to.
Many people maintain or lose without going low-carb or low-fat and without counting calories.20 -
savannahs21 wrote: »
Yes it is, plenty of people do itNo. Not true.
And plenty of people lose weight without counting calories or going low fat or low carb.8 -
browneyedbelle92-- You can look up Red lobster and log that0
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Thanks guys I get so worried but logging individually I never thought of that so thank you.
I have lost weight without calorie counting before but I either eat too little or too much.0 -
savannahs21 wrote: »What do they do? sardelsa
What do I do? I keep track of my weight and eat less calories to lose. The problem is this is not easy for everyone, calorie counting is a great way to learn and be more calorie aware.6 -
Yes i agree, less calories is still calorie counting2
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Whatsavannahs21 wrote: »What do they do? sardelsa
What I do is listen to my body and eat healthier foods (choose an apple instead of a cookie). Lots of veggies and fruit. Water. Exercise. Pay attention to when my body feels good. Avoid snacks after dinner. I also weigh regularly (at least once a week). It provides good feedback.3 -
savannahs21 wrote: »Yes i agree, less calories is still calorie counting
I don't count anything. I cut out a snack or portion. I drink less wine or eat less dinner.3 -
ItsAJourny wrote: »Whatsavannahs21 wrote: »What do they do? sardelsa
What I do is listen to my body and eat healthier foods (choose an apple instead of a cookie). Lots of veggies and fruit. Water. Exercise. Pay attention to when my body feels good. Avoid snacks after dinner. I also weigh regularly (at least once a week). It provides good feedback.
This is what I’m trying to do as well just be sensible.0 -
For a cappuccino, you should be able to approximate it by finding a Starbucks skim cappuccino entry, and then just logging it as the particular size you drank (16 oz or whatnot). Basically it's just the skim milk that has the calories, so that could be logged as well if you know the quantity. Add the sugar as a separate entry.0
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savannahs21 wrote: »What do they do? sardelsa
Some people eat slightly smaller portions. Some people cut out snacks. Some people eat more whole foods cooked at home. Some people cut out alcohol and switch to diet soda. Some people focus on meal prep to avoid mindless overeating. Some people bring lunch to work rather than getting takeaway and get up early to take a long walk. Some people use microwave meals. Some people are well aware of where exactly they are overeating and fix whatever that main problem is. Some people do low carb. Some people do low fat. Some people log their food to stay mindful but don't really monitor their calories too closely. Some people count calories.9 -
Tell me why there are fat eskimos then? They don't have a diet high in carbs?savannahs21 wrote: »
Yes it is, plenty of people do itNo. Not true.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Go to countries where obesity isn't an issue like Japan. They eat carbs. They eat processed foods. It's just in their culture to NOT eat large portions.savannahs21 wrote: »What do they do? sardelsa
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition 2 -
ok? ninerbuff--- i did say low fat OR low carb
i never said carbs are bad-- i eat them everyday0 -
browneyedbelle92 wrote: »One of the biggest reasons I don’t count calories is I don’t understand how to log everything. I freak out if i couldn’t find something in my fitness pal and I’m pretty sure I log it wrong.
For example I had a cappuccino with skim milk on sugar one sweetner I don’t know how to log that.
Any calories tracking suggestions? I personally just find it overwhelming but I just wanted to see what I consume.
It's easy to be overwhelmed in the beginning. Just take it easy at first - don't let this stress you out. Pick a meal and log the items in the meal. It may take a bit of time. I PROMISE though - it gets easier and faster over time. When you first learned to drive it took a lot of concentration, you over corrected, and were a nervous wreck. Now, you don't stress about your daily routine. Logging food is the same. Stick with it and it will be easier. I've logged every meal I've eaten now for 475 days. It now takes up maybe 10 minutes of my day in total - not a bad trade for maintaining my weight.1 -
Go to countries where obesity isn't an issue like Japan. They eat carbs. They eat processed foods. It's just in their culture to NOT eat large portions.savannahs21 wrote: »What do they do? sardelsa
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
They're also more active. Public transportation is much more widely used, and that generally means time spent walking or biking to the subway or bus stop. Additionally, smaller trips are spent walking because everything is much closer together, and traffic is so bad that walking is faster.
For many people, it was just a small surplus that caused them to slowly gain over the years, so just these "little" things like portion size and extra walking make all the difference between maintaining a healthy weight and gaining.3 -
I put this together a while back... maybe it will help. There are other excellent posts about logging in the stickies.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10640205/the-basics-of-accurate-logging#latest
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-health-fitness-and-diet-must-reads#latest1
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