Logging accurately
dagrees
Posts: 32 Member
I have had good success thus far.
25 pounds since Jan 8.
Things have stalled for the last few weeks.
I inderstand this is typical as one gets nearer to goal weight .
I have 13-14 lbs to get to goal of 140.
I know the advice is to tighten my logging, make sure I weigh everything( which I do). However how do I handle the inaccurate data base?
For example ground beef 95% lean has many entries, all varied, without verification.
Yes, I have managed well this far, but will need to be more accurate in order to continue to lose.
After 6 months I still don't know how to find the accurate entries!
Thanks for any help
25 pounds since Jan 8.
Things have stalled for the last few weeks.
I inderstand this is typical as one gets nearer to goal weight .
I have 13-14 lbs to get to goal of 140.
I know the advice is to tighten my logging, make sure I weigh everything( which I do). However how do I handle the inaccurate data base?
For example ground beef 95% lean has many entries, all varied, without verification.
Yes, I have managed well this far, but will need to be more accurate in order to continue to lose.
After 6 months I still don't know how to find the accurate entries!
Thanks for any help
2
Replies
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Try the USDA website.1
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L1zardQueen wrote: »Try the USDA website.
Yep, they have a database: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list3 -
In short, you are looking for entries that either match the info on the package, or if there is no package, match it to the USDA published info. Avoid "generic" or "homemade" as those were created by other users and who knows what they used. Find the actual brand name whenever possible (if there is one).
This thread may help:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10621050/how-to-use-the-usda-food-database-mfp-food-database-for-accurate-logging/p1
Just to add, once you're under 15 lbs, the small amounts of weight you will be losing per week can easily hide behind natural weight fluctuations (especially if you have a hormonal cycle). For my last 10 lbs I could go 3-4 weeks of bouncing around the same one or two lbs, and then all of a sudden see 1 or 1.5 lbs drop off and then go through the whole cycle again. so keep that in mind too
11 -
I have had good success thus far.
25 pounds since Jan 8.
Things have stalled for the last few weeks.
I inderstand this is typical as one gets nearer to goal weight .
I have 13-14 lbs to get to goal of 140.
I know the advice is to tighten my logging, make sure I weigh everything( which I do). However how do I handle the inaccurate data base?
For example ground beef 95% lean has many entries, all varied, without verification.
Yes, I have managed well this far, but will need to be more accurate in order to continue to lose.
After 6 months I still don't know how to find the accurate entries!
Thanks for any help
That is an awesome success story. At this point in your success a "stall" of 6-12 months is to be normal. Keep up your good work and give the last 10% some time perhaps.
As to accurate entry numbers they just do not exist the research on the subject identicate. They are ball park figures and are very helpful as you know.
https://berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/article/can-you-trust-calorie-counts12 -
Thanks for the replies and well wishes.
Regarding the usda site that was copied and pasted above; lol I must be missing something, as I could not find calorie info.
I do look up calories on a lot of my foods as I don't trust mfp data base,
Guess this journey is not an exact science
and I will come to to terms with that .2 -
Thanks for the replies and well wishes.
Regarding the usda site that was copied and pasted above; lol I must be missing something, as I could not find calorie info.
I do look up calories on a lot of my foods as I don't trust mfp data base,
Guess this journey is not an exact science
and I will come to to terms with that .
They have a ground beef calculator. https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/beef/show
Also, make sure to click on the entry to get detailed info. It is listed as kcal.3 -
Thanks for the replies and well wishes.
Regarding the usda site that was copied and pasted above; lol I must be missing something, as I could not find calorie info.
I do look up calories on a lot of my foods as I don't trust mfp data base,
Guess this journey is not an exact science
and I will come to to terms with that .
https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list
If you're not searching for a brand-name item, select "standard reference" from the drop-down menu in the "filter on database" field. Then type what you're looking for in the "enter one or more keywords" field. When you get a list of results, click on the one that describes the food you're looking for. You'll generally see columns for nutritional information based on different serving units (e.g., per 100 g., per 1 cup, per piece for fruits and veg, etc.). The first row will generally tell you the mass of water in each of those serving sizes. The second row will generally tell you the kilocalories for each of those serving sizes.4 -
Staying patient and consistent is the key. Consider only your weight averaged over several days (at least 4, but 7 is more accurate). It's best to weigh in the morning after the toilet in the same level of dress. Daily fluctuations can be as big as 2 pounds or more and it can be disconcerting. Just keep trucking on and you will be in control of your weight!
Best of luck.1 -
Thanks for the replies and well wishes.
Regarding the usda site that was copied and pasted above; lol I must be missing something, as I could not find calorie info.
I do look up calories on a lot of my foods as I don't trust mfp data base,
Guess this journey is not an exact science
and I will come to to terms with that .
It is not an exact science. Pretty much all of weight loss comes down to hitting the mark of "good enough". I try to be as accurate as possible in my logging for all the times it is impossible or ridiculous to do so. Impossible is a restaurant meal that you have to match to another restaurant and hope it is close enough. Ridiculous is spending too much time worrying about measuring how many calories are transferred from bones and vegetables into homemade stock or broth.10 -
The line that says energy= calories
349 = calories for 4 oz
312 = calories for 100 grams2 -
I also like to use this site, but haven’t seen it discussed on mfp
I like all the extra information it gives you. I used it when I first found out I had some vitamin deficiencies to make sure I was getting more of those particular vitamins.
1 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »I have had good success thus far.
25 pounds since Jan 8.
Things have stalled for the last few weeks.
I inderstand this is typical as one gets nearer to goal weight .
I have 13-14 lbs to get to goal of 140.
I know the advice is to tighten my logging, make sure I weigh everything( which I do). However how do I handle the inaccurate data base?
For example ground beef 95% lean has many entries, all varied, without verification.
Yes, I have managed well this far, but will need to be more accurate in order to continue to lose.
After 6 months I still don't know how to find the accurate entries!
Thanks for any help
That is an awesome success story. At this point in your success a "stall" of 6-12 months is to be normal. Keep up your good work and give the last 10% some time perhaps.
As to accurate entry numbers they just do not exist the research on the subject identicate. They are ball park figures and are very helpful as you know.
https://berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/article/can-you-trust-calorie-counts
A 6-12 month "stall" is not a normal part of weight loss. It's common for people who are close to their goal to go several *weeks*--say, 4-6 weeks--without seeing the scale go down, but not several *months.* If someone's weight has not changed in 6-12 months, they are not in a deficit.15 -
^^^I took it as a stall occurring after losing for 6-12 months(which I am in ); not a stall that is lasting 6-12 months😳3
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GaleHawkins wrote: »I have had good success thus far.
25 pounds since Jan 8.
Things have stalled for the last few weeks.
I inderstand this is typical as one gets nearer to goal weight .
I have 13-14 lbs to get to goal of 140.
I know the advice is to tighten my logging, make sure I weigh everything( which I do). However how do I handle the inaccurate data base?
For example ground beef 95% lean has many entries, all varied, without verification.
Yes, I have managed well this far, but will need to be more accurate in order to continue to lose.
After 6 months I still don't know how to find the accurate entries!
Thanks for any help
That is an awesome success story. At this point in your success a "stall" of 6-12 months is to be normal. Keep up your good work and give the last 10% some time perhaps.
As to accurate entry numbers they just do not exist the research on the subject identicate. They are ball park figures and are very helpful as you know.
https://berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/article/can-you-trust-calorie-counts
A 6-12 month "stall" is not a normal part of weight loss. It's common for people who are close to their goal to go several *weeks*--say, 4-6 weeks--without seeing the scale go down, but not several *months.* If someone's weight has not changed in 6-12 months, they are not in a deficit.
I think you may have misunderstood. I'm sure that @GaleHawkins meant that a stall AFTER 6-12 months is normal. The OP states that it's been a few weeks.1 -
corinasue1143 wrote: »The line that says energy= calories
349 = calories for 4 oz
312 = calories for 100 grams
How much fat is in that though, is it 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%?? That will affect the calories a lot.0 -
corinasue1143 wrote: »The line that says energy= calories
349 = calories for 4 oz
312 = calories for 100 grams
How much fat is in that though, is it 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%?? That will affect the calories a lot.
There's a ground beef calculator two tabs over. It let's you enter the fat%.5 -
Does the meat you eat have a nutrition label on it? That's usually where I start. For example, if I eat Laura's 96% ground beef I will search for that specifically in the food database. I also have the nutrition label on hand to compare. If I find an entry that doesn't match exactly, I will edit the entry with the information I have on hand. Either that or create a new entry completely.2
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Have used labels, yes.
Thanks to all for the information, advice, and encouragement!1 -
corinasue1143 wrote: »The line that says energy= calories
349 = calories for 4 oz
312 = calories for 100 grams
How much fat is in that though, is it 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%?? That will affect the calories a lot.
30/112 = about 27%0 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »30/112 = about 27%
OK @lynn_glenmont , as long as you promise not to hate me in the morning!
Or 26.79g per 100g which at a guess would tend to be close to 27%
2
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