Tracking opened your eyes to……???
mlrtri
Posts: 425 Member
What has tracking opened your eyes to?
It made me realize how many extra calories I was eating by taking bites while preparing meals and/or eating what was left over when cleaning up meals. (Still calories even if no one sees you eat it - LOL)
Even if I was plating my food sensibly- these before/after dinner bites were adding up.
If you would have asked me before if I ate fast food often I would have said no. But now that I am tracking I realize that I went to fast food more than I thought. Now I am much too stingy with my calories to blow them on that.
I learned how much condiments were adding to my weight gain. Wow!
I would love to hear what you have learned about yourself, food, or anything else through the tracking process. 😀
It made me realize how many extra calories I was eating by taking bites while preparing meals and/or eating what was left over when cleaning up meals. (Still calories even if no one sees you eat it - LOL)
Even if I was plating my food sensibly- these before/after dinner bites were adding up.
If you would have asked me before if I ate fast food often I would have said no. But now that I am tracking I realize that I went to fast food more than I thought. Now I am much too stingy with my calories to blow them on that.
I learned how much condiments were adding to my weight gain. Wow!
I would love to hear what you have learned about yourself, food, or anything else through the tracking process. 😀
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Replies
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Tracking has shown me that I need way more than 1200 calories to survive. Also I can drink and still lose weight. :drinker:3
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How many calories samples, nuts, seeds and calorie dense foods have. It showed me that proper balance makes a big difference in how I feel. It taught me how to incorporate my favorite foods and to have things I once did not eat. It taught me accountability and honesty. It also showed the inaccuracy in many food labels and measurements2
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How many calories samples, nuts, seeds and calorie dense foods have. It showed me that proper balance makes a big difference in how I feel. It taught me how to incorporate my favorite foods and to have things I once did not eat. It taught me accountability and honesty. It also showed the inaccuracy in many food labels and measurements
I am just a couple months in— I haven’t figured the inaccuracy of food labels part yet. Yikes. Can you provide more info? How do you know it is wrong?
I agree with the honesty thing. I promised myself that I would log everything. I would do my best to stay within my goals but either way I would log accurately. That was the only way I would get solid data.
I didn’t realize how many calories Walnuts have. They are very good for you - but watch out how many you eat.1 -
How many calories samples, nuts, seeds and calorie dense foods have. It showed me that proper balance makes a big difference in how I feel. It taught me how to incorporate my favorite foods and to have things I once did not eat. It taught me accountability and honesty. It also showed the inaccuracy in many food labels and measurements
I am just a couple months in— I haven’t figured the inaccuracy of food labels part yet. Yikes. Can you provide more info? How do you know it is wrong?
I agree with the honesty thing. I promised myself that I would log everything. I would do my best to stay within my goals but either way I would log accurately. That was the only way I would get solid data.
I didn’t realize how many calories Walnuts have. They are very good for you - but watch out how many you eat.
Yes. Examples are protein powder, dressings, cereal. I measure in grams. If it states 1 Tbsp is 15 grams, it may be anywhere from 8 to 17. Things like that. Cereal, 1 cup 42 grams on box but if you weigh 1 cup it may be 37 to 48.
Most nuts are deceiving. Macadamia are a good example1 -
Yes. Examples are protein powder, dressings, cereal. I measure in grams. If it states 1 Tbsp is 15 grams, it may be anywhere from 8 to 17. Things like that. Cereal, 1 cup 42 grams on box but if you weigh 1 cup it may be 37 to 48.
Most nuts are deceiving. Macadamia are a good example
Thank you for sharing that information. I have been using a measuring spoon/cup to measure if that info is provided. I really only weigh meats and a few other items. It looks like I need to utilize my scale more.
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I realized it's a darn shame I'm so obsessed with peanut butter.
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Yes. Examples are protein powder, dressings, cereal. I measure in grams. If it states 1 Tbsp is 15 grams, it may be anywhere from 8 to 17. Things like that. Cereal, 1 cup 42 grams on box but if you weigh 1 cup it may be 37 to 48.
Most nuts are deceiving. Macadamia are a good example
Thank you for sharing that information. I have been using a measuring spoon/cup to measure if that info is provided. I really only weigh meats and a few other items. It looks like I need to utilize my scale more.
Scale's easier/quicker than cups/spoons, too, once you know the tips.
Peanut butter, mayo, whatever: Put the whole jar on the scale, tare/zero, take out the amount you want with the knife or spoon; read the negative; that's the amount you took out. Same idea with something like a hunk of cheese or meat: Whole thing on the scale, tare/zero, cut off the portion you want, read the negative. Ditto with cannister of flour, bottle of catsup, spray oil, anything.
Making a sandwich or salad: Put the plate or bowl on the scale, zero. Add the bread, note the weight zero. Squirt on some mustard, note the weight, zero. Add some cheese, note the weigh; zero. Etc. Same thing with a pot of soup or stew: Start with the pot and zero, note and zero as you add each ingredient.
Chopping veggies/nuts/whatever to add to something: Chop on cutting board, put board with chopped food on the scale, zero, dump the chopped stuff into whatever you're making, put the board back on the scale, read and note the negative.
So quick, so easy, more accurate, no extra cups/spoons to wash. It's a win in every way, IMO.
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AnnPT77- That makes so much sense!! I am going to start doing this. Thank you!2
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I realized that there are no "free" foods. I never did Weight Watchers, but I still thought that I could eat as much as I wanted of "healthy" foods. Amazing how many calories "healthy" foods can have.4
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In my head, oil and butter had fewer calories than they do and every other food had way more.
Also I learnt that I cannot eyeball amounts at all.
But mostly my problem was the amount of cookies, cakes, ice cream and other such things I ate, which I fixed before I started tracking my food by teaching myself to eat more fruit so now I'm mostly making sure I don't undereat and that my surplus days (which are rare) are limited to below like 3700 calories so the weekly average still evens out into maintenance or loss.1 -
Substitutions and half portions. I learned nonfat Greek yogurt is a great and tasty substitute for sour cream. I learned that 4g of butter is enough for one serving of anything. I learned that walnuts are worth the calories
I learned that one slice of bread makes a satisfying open-face sandwich but that two servings of potato chips are the least I can eat. RIP potato chips with lunch. I learned salsa has way too much salt so I make my own.
I also learned not to under-eat or that would blow up in my face. I learned I need to exercise (and eat the exercise calories) on most days to maintain my weight.6 -
cmriverside wrote: »Substitutions and half portions. I learned nonfat Greek yogurt is a great and tasty substitute for sour cream. I learned that 4g of butter is enough for one serving of anything. I learned that walnuts are worth the calories I learned that one slice of bread makes a satisfying open-face sandwich but that two servings of potato chips are the least I can eat. RIP potato chips with lunch. I learned salsa has way too much salt so I make my own.
I also learned not to under-eat or that would blow up in my face. I learned I need to exercise (and eat the exercise calories) on most days to maintain my weight.
Those are all great! And I agree with the not under eating. In previous attempts I tried to over cut calories and always crashed and burned. Hard. This time I am finding out how to feel satisfied within my calories. It’s not about starving myself. It’s about eating better and slowly chipping away at the excess fat.
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You don't choose calories, you choose foods. To control calories, you need to control the foods.1
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How little protein I was eating.3
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I'm learning (after three days now of tracking) that I have NO idea how to eat or what to eat going forward...I'm eating at least 1,000 calories more than the app says I should be eating. And way too much fat.
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I'm learning (after three days now of tracking) that I have NO idea how to eat or what to eat going forward...I'm eating at least 1,000 calories more than the app says I should be eating. And way too much fat.
Give yourself some grace right now. You are just beginning. This is a learning time. Learn what foods help you feel full and learn what foods have high calories. Learn how your body does best with spreading food out over the day. You will learn what your body needs (as far as macros) and how to feel satiated within your calorie limit. But don’t expect perfection right away. Be proud that you are starting down a better path. Be mindful of what you eat and learn from the data.3 -
I'm learning (after three days now of tracking) that I have NO idea how to eat or what to eat going forward...I'm eating at least 1,000 calories more than the app says I should be eating. And way too much fat.
It'll get easier over time I found that it was really hard in the beginning but over time I would find things I could cut out, or swap with something else, to get my calories where I wanted them. 1 -
SuzySunshine99 wrote: »I realized that there are no "free" foods. I never did Weight Watchers, but I still thought that I could eat as much as I wanted of "healthy" foods. Amazing how many calories "healthy" foods can have.
So what are you supposed to do when you get the munchies? Starve yourself? Go to bed hungry?
I don't normally get the munchies at this time of year, because summer heat is the best appetite suppressant. On the other hand, cold weather gives me a large appetite, and bitterly cold weather gives me a gargantuan appetite. I rely on winters to try out new recipes and try out new healthy foods that I'm not sure about. Now that I'm avoiding all junk foods (due to the pandemic), my winter diet is healthier than my summer diet. I use my Big Fat Winter Appetite to eat a larger quantity and variety of vegetables than I consume in summer.0 -
BuellerFerrisBueller wrote: »SuzySunshine99 wrote: »I realized that there are no "free" foods. I never did Weight Watchers, but I still thought that I could eat as much as I wanted of "healthy" foods. Amazing how many calories "healthy" foods can have.
So what are you supposed to do when you get the munchies? Starve yourself? Go to bed hungry?
I don't normally get the munchies at this time of year, because summer heat is the best appetite suppressant. On the other hand, cold weather gives me a large appetite, and bitterly cold weather gives me a gargantuan appetite. I rely on winters to try out new recipes and try out new healthy foods that I'm not sure about. Now that I'm avoiding all junk foods (due to the pandemic), my winter diet is healthier than my summer diet. I use my Big Fat Winter Appetite to eat a larger quantity and variety of vegetables than I consume in summer.
When you get to doing this for a while, you'll find snacks that work for you. I find myself wanting to munch at work sometimes. I have figured out that carrot sticks and bell pepper strips are perfect for this. I happen to love carrots, so there's that. But in the evening when we will sit and watch TV, that's when my inner snack monster comes out. And my partner is a total snack bandit, so we're terrible together. For those times, I keep snacks like Quaker mini rice cakes (sweet chili), SmartFood popcorn, or something like that. And I weigh it out. Do I only stick to "one serving"? Not always. Sometimes I go over just because. But log it. I also pick berries like a crazy person all summer so that I can have them all year. Berries are surprisingly low in calories. Frozen blueberries are a good munching snack. I'm a volume eater, so if I want to eat a lot and stay in a deficit or at maintenance, there has to be low calorie snacks in there. I could probably eat something more tasty (candy or a cookie), but it's gone too soon and doesn't satisfy my need to chew for a while.0 -
But to answer the OP's question-portion size. Oh boy was I lying to myself. Once I started weighing out what I was eating, I saw how small most reasonable portions are. Also, snacks. My downfall. SO many extra calories in mindless eating. I might be one of the people who needs to log for the foreseeable future, even after getting back to a reasonable weight.2
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BuellerFerrisBueller wrote: »SuzySunshine99 wrote: »I realized that there are no "free" foods. I never did Weight Watchers, but I still thought that I could eat as much as I wanted of "healthy" foods. Amazing how many calories "healthy" foods can have.
So what are you supposed to do when you get the munchies? Starve yourself? Go to bed hungry?
I don't normally get the munchies at this time of year, because summer heat is the best appetite suppressant. On the other hand, cold weather gives me a large appetite, and bitterly cold weather gives me a gargantuan appetite. I rely on winters to try out new recipes and try out new healthy foods that I'm not sure about. Now that I'm avoiding all junk foods (due to the pandemic), my winter diet is healthier than my summer diet. I use my Big Fat Winter Appetite to eat a larger quantity and variety of vegetables than I consume in summer.
I eat whatever I want, but I make sure it fits in my calories for the day. I have never starved myself or went to bed hungry. The point was that you have to account for ALL your foods, whether they are "healthy" or something you consider "junk food".0 -
Sodium!
I don’t add salt to recipes or sprinkle it on my food and avoid packaged foods with high sodium content. But my protein shakes, cottage cheese, veggie burgers…..oh my!0 -
Once upon a time I'd stop at the Burger King drive-thru every morning on the way to work to pick up a "snack" of French toast sticks, miniature cinnamon rolls, and an OJ. Figured it was so small and not-filling that it wasn't a problem, and blamed my weight gain on other things. Years after I'd broken this habit I learned through logging that I was putting away 1500 calories in this "snack," let alone the full day's worth of food on top of it. Yep, that weight-gain makes sense now...3
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It was really eye opening to see how many calories I was simply DRINKING each day. My coffee with creamer and lemonades/Kool-Aid's had me drinking more than 900 calories a day.3
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I learned that a short walk (or even a longer one) around the neighborhood didn’t “erase” that family pack of DoubleStuff, bag of Geneva cookies, half a key lime pie, or sack of Cadbury’s Crispy Eggs (or all of the above, as was often the case).
Logging helped me realize the correlation between what went in my mouth and what stayed on my hips.
I learned that counting calories was a lot like creating and sticking to a family budget. That, I could do, and thinking of it that way made it easier.
I learned that spending calories here was more satisfying and satiating than blowing them in there.
I learned that not logging something doesn’t simply make it “not count” or go away.
I learned that a lot of what I eat is simply through boredom, and that if I logged it before I ate it, I’d think twice about eating it and step away from the snack food. That led to prelogging my entire day, often my entire week, which I learned what’s a great strategy for staying within my goals.1 -
Tracking has shown me that if I make sure I have fiber and a healthy fat with each meal I stay full longer.
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