Calorie question for any and all who want to answer!

gdb86 · November 2011

I absolutely love love love the barcode option on the MFP app. it makes it super easy to count and adjust without having to spend hours upon hours on it. My only issue is the unexpected mystery calories, i.e. social situations/eating out/etc. I know to make healthy choices and I know I can generalize what I'm eating by looking up the ingredients and logging something similar, but let's face it - I want to know exactly what's going in and going out. (I'm aware that this may be impossible unless I choose to never eat out again or only eat things where I can ask about specifics)

For example, I ordered a portabella mushroom wrap at a local restaurant and instead of fries I got grilled veggies on the side and asked for them to be cooked with no oil or butter just plain and for the wrap itself to be wheat. All good food choices (I think.... anyway haha) but I just generally looked up the highest option I could find so I could compensate for any calories I may not know are in my food, but I just never know.... I'm probably just being too anal and what it comes down to is I just want to lose weight and be healthy so I'm venting about the woes of the process! As always, thanks for listening MFP community - you're the best!

Does anyone else have this issue or frustration and what are you doing about it?

Pebble321 · November 2011

I think you just have to accept that there are times when you won't get accurate calories.
And that really.... it doesn't matter! Every food or exercise we enter (even ones that have a barcode!) are estimates, you can't guarantee that every food is exactly the same as the packet states, I think I read today that they are allowed to have a 20% variance.
As long as you are making a reasonable estimate and this isn't happening at every meal, you'll be OK.

Remember that this isnt' just about "being on a diet" - you are learning good eating habits that will last a lifetime, so learning to make smart choices when you are eating (at home or eating out) is a critically important life skill.

abellante_0205 · November 2011

I just do my best... It always happens to me, I rarely know what my mom does in preparing dinner most days since I am in school 4 out of the 7 days (M-TH) so I don't watch her cook like I used to... So I just estimate!!!!! Just do the best you can! Drink LOTS of water to make up for it if u over do it.

Athena413 · November 2011

Even calories on nutrition labels are just an estimate, and the FDA only requires that they report the minimum calories, so you may even be eating more calories than you think you are, even if you're weighing and measuring everything - and people wonder why Americans are so obese...

I think you're just going to have to accept the fact that you're not going to be spot-on with everything.

MrsRAW712 · November 2011

I agree, I think making an attempt towards healthy choices is a start. Getting enough exercise in can kinda help compensate too when you're uncertain about your calorie intake because you can make a little room for those extra calories.

MissMaryMac33 · November 2011

I usually look on the web for the restaurant before going and if they have the nutritional info posted, I decided what to order in advance. In a lot of cases, i've found meals in the database already for restaurants.

If it's a restaurant without this info you'll just have to wing it best you can and figure out how to adjust.
For me, sodium is the thing I worry about most so I try to drink a whole lot of extra fluids that day to counteract it.

lhg005 · November 2011

I have the EXACT same frustration. I hate not knowing so much that I even entered in the 1 Tums tablet I had (MFP had it in their food dictionary thing).

I also started doing some weight training so I can get firmed up, and I despise the fact that I don't know how many calories I'm burning because obviously free weights and the weight machines don't measure that.

One thing I'm considering buying is an arm band by Body Fit that measures your heart rate, sweat, skin temp, and other things to measure how many calories you burn all day, sleeping too. For a little extra money it will send everything to your phone, and there's a screen that lets you know the exact count all day.

As for knowing exact calories when eating out, I also always try to overcompensate. There's just no telling what they use to cook with! That's why I like sticking to diet menus at places like Applebee's cause the cal count is right there for you. I also like googling nutrition facts of chain restaurants and have a plan before I go out (I pretend to look at the menu to be a little inconspicuous).

good luck!

hooah_mj · November 2011

I hear ya...I went thru two years of counting/logging every little bit (yeap even the cough drops), but mostly for education. You gotta know what you're putting in in order to correct the problems...eventually, I just realized what I could not eat when.
Now I can simply estimate and the rest really doesn't matter. I eat when I'm hungry and get in plenty of water.

My ultimate goal is to stay healthy and not go crazy in the process :bigsmile:

Hayesgang · November 2011

I feel the same way as gdb86.

Even food that I scan and don't finish I don't adjust, for example I had 2 Tbs of hummus and carrots for a snack and I finished the carrots and there was some hummus left (probably 1 teaspoon) I didn't adjust my calories and I do that every day.

Some servings are just too big and hard to weigh out (just got a digital food scale) - raisins for my oatmeal, no way I'm gonna eat 1/4 cup, I count out 10 and guess, some of these items you need to be a math wiz to figure out the grams, etc. I figure some things I'm over and some I'm under on calories so I think it all works out. I am honest and do my best so I'm comfortable with that.
Just do what feels right to you.

gdb86 · November 2011

Thanks all for listening to me vent about being picky/anal about calorie counting! (Because I know that's what it is and I just need to get over it), but it's nice to know there are others out there that feel the same way and try to record to a T. I know it's a lifestyle change and it's not about the exact number - on the contrary though, I feel it is imperative in the early stages of weight loss to be as conscious and precise as you can be to eventually ween off of recording everything daily later on. Thanks again!

Calorie question for any and all who want to answer!

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