Under estimating calories in meals

futurefitgirl88
futurefitgirl88 Posts: 284
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
I'm not here to name names, or point fingers...but I've seen a few peoples diaries...where I think they are severely under estimating calories, especially when eating out!!! Is it just me who has made this observation??

Replies

  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
    I don't worry too much about it.

    What they do with their bodies is their own business.

    But at the same time if I did it on accident, I would hope someone would point it out to me.
  • 6heatherb6
    6heatherb6 Posts: 469 Member
    agree....and then wonder why they're not loosing weight!!!
    Oh well....live and learn:blushing:
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
    this always happens.
    what i find more than anything is over estimating calories burned..i mean really..burning a thousand calories from walking on a treadmill for an hour..please
  • Jade1x
    Jade1x Posts: 166
    this always happens.
    what i find more than anything is over estimating calories burned..i mean really..burning a thousand calories from walking on a treadmill for an hour..please

    Haha i love this lol. So true tho
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
    this always happens.
    what i find more than anything is over estimating calories burned..i mean really..burning a thousand calories from walking on a treadmill for an hour..please

    Agreed...
  • crobinson53
    crobinson53 Posts: 164
    I completely agree. I assume the worst when putting in restaurant foods. I normally have to substitute what I ate with things already in the database.

    I think it's out duty as friends to point out inconsistencies in each others diary. The same goes for the exercise logs too. 1100 calories getting the mail? Come on! :)
  • MelC2564
    MelC2564 Posts: 182 Member
    So perhaps a nice polite convo with the culprits would be good, rather than scoffing at it here.. Aren't we meant to help each other?
  • futurefitgirl88
    futurefitgirl88 Posts: 284
    I could run for an hour on the treadmil and the max burn I would get is 650 ....this is on an incline of 4 and really busting my *kitten*!!!
    And I also love how people add all these random chores to their exercise calories.....lol it all adds up to giving them like a 3000 calorie eating allowance!!! That's just poor sense!!! Plus all the so called 'low calorie' take out foods....

    1 cup potato wedges for 100 calories.... are u freaking insane!!!

    Off course what a person eats is their own business,but when someones diary is private it kinda makes it OK for other people to comment on ....
  • PhilipByrne
    PhilipByrne Posts: 276 Member
    I completely agree. I assume the worst when putting in restaurant foods. I normally have to substitute what I ate with things already in the database.

    I think it's out duty as friends to point out inconsistencies in each others diary. The same goes for the exercise logs too. 1100 calories getting the mail? Come on! :)

    Hmmm.... So maybe I was right to doubt the:- 2,000 cals, searching, really hard, for the T.V. remote.
  • hstallings13
    hstallings13 Posts: 306
    I think it needs to be their deal unless they ask for help or your advice. We are here to support each other. We are adults and can make our choices, but unless someone asks for opipion I'm not going to point fingers at what I see as a fault, it may work for them, it's a personal choice we are just here for support and encouagement.
  • cherrieruns
    cherrieruns Posts: 342 Member
    So perhaps a nice polite convo with the culprits would be good, rather than scoffing at it here.. Aren't we meant to help each other?

    this is what I was thinking. Pretty sure none of us is perfect.
  • Jade1x
    Jade1x Posts: 166
    They are only cheating themselves anyway :)
  • futurefitgirl88
    futurefitgirl88 Posts: 284
    I'm not pointing my finger at ANYONE...I'm just saying I've seen a LOT of people doing this....its just hindering their weight loss. Maybe this will get a message across and people will lose weight to their potential and discover their inner athlete instead of counting "cleaning the dishes" as exercise- cause quite frankly, it isn't.
  • velvetkat
    velvetkat Posts: 454 Member
    People only cheat themselves so it is them that its hurting! I read somewhere where you underestimate your calories by 40% and overestimate your calorie burn by 20%.
    I do know that calories burned depends on your weight as I burn about half what I used to when I first started this journey so I don't tend to judge others calorie burn.


    4925355.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • Page2777
    Page2777 Posts: 91
    you only cheat yourself if you lie i have to admit tho i find it hard sometimes to work out exactly what i have had for my food diary i just hope that i over rather than under estimate would rather be hard on myself than go to easy and not see any results
  • futurefitgirl88
    futurefitgirl88 Posts: 284
    you only cheat yourself if you lie i have to admit tho i find it hard sometimes to work out exactly what i have had for my food diary i just hope that i over rather than under estimate would rather be hard on myself than go to easy and not see any results

    Exactly what I try to do :) !!! Also if I don't know how much calories that kung-paw-wow chicken has from Chinese take away I'd rather not eat it....and opt for a home cooked meal or a Subway instead!!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    i kind of agree, but at the same time, its each to their own.

    i throw stuff i eat on the scales to get an accurate weight as much as i can, but not everyone does this and i see some estimates that i know are WAY out, and if it was effecting their weight loss and they asked for advice i would point it out, but until then i will just worry about my own cals, not everyone elses!
  • futurefitgirl88
    futurefitgirl88 Posts: 284
    I'm not talking about minor discrepancies........ I'm sure we all do that...but logging foods that are way over (+500 cals) is a major diet disaster....hopefully people will be more aware of this in future.
  • jamhamster
    jamhamster Posts: 98 Member
    They are only cheating themselves anyway :)

    Totaly agree :) as for the calorie burning people have mentioned, do bear in mind the cal's you burn does depend on the weight you are, a heavier person will burn more doing less Me and my friend logged the same amount of walking at the same speed but cause she's lot lighter than me she burnt alot less. I tend to try over est my calories if I do ever eat out which has been once :) and I tend to under est my burns and only log if I do a work out or go for a long brisk walk, not just gonna add every little thing cause at the end of the day I want to loose this weight not disillusion myself and I must be doing something right as have lost 25lbs so far and only been on here for just over 45 days
  • mandysjourney
    mandysjourney Posts: 260 Member
    I completely agree. I assume the worst when putting in restaurant foods. I normally have to substitute what I ate with things already in the database.

    I think it's out duty as friends to point out inconsistencies in each others diary. The same goes for the exercise logs too. 1100 calories getting the mail? Come on! :)

    Hmmm.... So maybe I was right to doubt the:- 2,000 cals, searching, really hard, for the T.V. remote.

    pmsl. Hey I reckon you could burn quite a few looking for it.
    and the checking the mail. Well myh sisters mail box is about 5km from her house so a return trip of 10km. But statring the car up doesnt really count
  • Thamantha
    Thamantha Posts: 102 Member
    I am quite possibly guilty of over/underestimating quantities when I cannot measure them. Especially in a restaurant. I still lose weight at my target rate. However I sometimes don't eat everything on the plate - resulting in tiny portions being logged into my diary. Or i have a bite of my partners food and conscientiously log that mouthful.

    I am just curious as to how you 'know' that these people are underestimating? Is it people that you have shared meals with? Or are you guessing?
  • nsimportant
    nsimportant Posts: 170 Member
    I always play around with those exercise calories, and I never eat them because I have made myself a custom goal. When I was in fat burning phase I had my whole day planed and usually left 100ish calories under the goal. I weight all my food and that helped me constantly loose for last 4 months.
    I see alot of people write in 400-800 calories in 60 minute of light workout but few years ago when i was doing the elliptical it took me 1hour and 30 minutes to reset the 1000 calorie counter on maximum resistance and i think it said that i walked around 15km or something i always had a laugh about those numbers.
    I do own a HRM but i hate carrying it on me if i want to measure my pulse i just put my fingers on my neck and count it in 10 sec time frame and if i hit 24-28 i know i am good. I think too many ppl are jacked about those HRM numbers.
    I love how i gradually become better at my exercises and cba about how much calories i actually burned because when i started i could do 0 chin ups now i do 10 easy, and wanted to push myself and did p90x plyometrics workout with extra 14kg weight on me and I fell in love with weighted vests.
    And ofc if You are loosing weight awesome keep your routine if not just freaking change it see what happens in 2 weeks and adjust.
    But I think the hardest part is now in front of me and that is gaining weight ofc in muscle :)
  • crobinson53
    crobinson53 Posts: 164
    I completely agree. I assume the worst when putting in restaurant foods. I normally have to substitute what I ate with things already in the database.

    I think it's out duty as friends to point out inconsistencies in each others diary. The same goes for the exercise logs too. 1100 calories getting the mail? Come on! :)

    Hmmm.... So maybe I was right to doubt the:- 2,000 cals, searching, really hard, for the T.V. remote.

    Oh Phillip! :noway: :laugh: :huh: :glasses:
  • 388gigi
    388gigi Posts: 485 Member
    People only cheat themselves so it is them that its hurting! I read somewhere where you underestimate your calories by 40% and overestimate your calorie burn by 20%.
    I do know that calories burned depends on your weight as I burn about half what I used to when I first started this journey so I don't tend to judge others calorie burn.


    4925355.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

    Those figures don't surprise me! I don't have an HRM, and SOMETIMES choose generic foods or meals from the database rather than calculating myself. So I always aim to be a couple of hundred calories UNDER what my total for the day turns out to be. Just to be safe!
  • soulgirl01
    soulgirl01 Posts: 5 Member
    I think.. on weigh in day each of us will get our own medicine if your eating to much with incosistant activity your going to find you gain. You follow what is suggested on "MFP" and do it consitanly you'll loose. So i say just be possitive and help one another if we ask! :)
  • u04kmm5
    u04kmm5 Posts: 46 Member
    First let me start by saying that I know that some people have their diaries private and some don’t and whether that means that they are open to scrutiny or not is your own judgement.

    I find this post quite b*tchy and unnecessary! What different does it make to your own weight loss or gain whether someone marks a baguette as 500 calories or 5?
    Nothing. Get off your high horse and realise that the fact that we are all on this site, trying to exercise and eat better is what matters.
    Not whether you think someone is “cheating themselves” or not.

    Live and let live.
    I find it extremely fickle that some people get so involved and opinionated about other people’s choices.

    (I realise that by replying to this – I am joining in. But I have only been using MFP for about 2 weeks and have only really had a look at the “community” section in the last few days. I think I will go back to just keeping myself to my own diary and exercise plan rather than get involved with people who start meaningless topics about other people).
  • tonilizzy88
    tonilizzy88 Posts: 920 Member
    this always happens.
    what i find more than anything is over estimating calories burned..i mean really..burning a thousand calories from walking on a treadmill for an hour..please

    i can burn 350 calories for 30 min on treadmill on an incline....it all depends on the person and there weight etc.....we are not here to judge people
  • sugarbone
    sugarbone Posts: 454 Member
    Whenever I eat out or have to account for a meal I can't look at the labels of, I find the closest estimates in the MFP database and choose the highest cal/least optimistic one, lol. Why lie to yourself? It's way better to have a negative margin of error.

    Also people overestimating exercise is pretty common for unfit people, as they *feel* like they worked very hard and must have burned hundreds of calories, but in reality they didn't do much.
  • HappyLuna
    HappyLuna Posts: 112
    Spend less time worrying about others. Maybe point it out nicely what you think they may need to change and re think and then move on. You've done your bit then. But having a b1tch about it on here is a little uncalled for. If it bugs you what others are doing, don't look at their diaries.

    ETA: Just remembered as well (as you are my friend on MFP :wink:) your diary isn't viewable to friends or public...? I don't get it when people look, comment and judge other peoples eating habits when they won't share their own? Focus on yourself, not others. They will get there and learn in their own time.
  • ackeebee
    ackeebee Posts: 1,042 Member
    i kind of agree, but at the same time, its each to their own.

    i throw stuff i eat on the scales to get an accurate weight as much as i can, but not everyone does this and i see some estimates that i know are WAY out, and if it was effecting their weight loss and they asked for advice i would point it out, but until then i will just worry about my own cals, not everyone elses!

    here here!

    i say we all mind our own diaries aka business and leave others to do what they wish. if they ask for assistance, it is a different story.
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