How many Cal's should I leave for error?
Nos150
Posts: 150
I am a picker... when I feed my daughter I will have a little bit of what she eats to make sure that tastes good and not to hot or chunky, I also pick at my food while I am preparing it. And I am sure that it adds up during the day.
So to 'fix' this (I have tried not doing it and that didn’t work!) I leave a few hundred calories left over.
I also leave room for error, (not properly measuring, MFP guide being off,) I would much rather error on the side of caution.
The problem is that I don’t know how many I should leave. I have been hovering around the 600 mark. But I don’t want to screw things up for me by not eating enough.
What should I do?
So to 'fix' this (I have tried not doing it and that didn’t work!) I leave a few hundred calories left over.
I also leave room for error, (not properly measuring, MFP guide being off,) I would much rather error on the side of caution.
The problem is that I don’t know how many I should leave. I have been hovering around the 600 mark. But I don’t want to screw things up for me by not eating enough.
What should I do?
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Replies
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I would honestly try not to sample. I use to do this too and it can sabotage your cal intake. You can try chewing gum while preparing food and see if that helps.0
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I personally leave around 300 sometimes less. Right or not it has been working for me. 60 days/42 pounds lost and not starving.0
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if i take blt. bite. lick, taste, i personally count each one as 100 cal usually works for me0
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Count them all and multiply by 30....that usually gets me to around 200 of error when I log...
VERY small "tastes" not really a bite, per se.0 -
HA HA so 600 mark is FINE then...
gum was a very good idea tho thank you!0 -
If you're leaving around 600 for error, then you're either sampling a WHOLE LOT of high calorie foods, or you're leaving way too many calories for error. I agree that you should estimate 200-300 for error.
Honestly though I sample when I cook, and I just serve myself a smaller portion when I split up portions which seems to even things out for me without needing to plan leaving calories.0 -
no, i dont think that they are high calorie, i just feel like i am always taking a spoon of that and a bite of this pinch of these... and sometimes its in my mouth before i realize what i have done...0
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I personally leave around 300 sometimes less. Right or not it has been working for me. 60 days/42 pounds lost and not starving.
I agree with Will on this one0 -
Give it your best guess. I would just do a quick add to make it easier.0
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MMm i dont know calories counts that well yet. so i really wouldn't know what a best guess would be...0
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600 is a lot. Think of the total number of calories in the meal you make. You're basically crediting yourself for a full serving with the taste. Tasting while cooking is very rarely more than 10-20 calories at a time.0
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I agree with not trying to sample. I think you might be AMAZED at how many calories are hiding there.0
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I always just over estimate on everything I take in and underestimate on everything I output (exercise)... and I usually leave between 300 and 500 calories at the end of each day, shooting for a NET of between 1300 and 1700 each day - and I pick when I cook too... but it works, 70 pounds down since Feb 14 this year...0
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yes which is why i dont know how many to 'give' when my picking gets away from me.
altho i will try not to pick anymore, sometimes i dont think, and all the sudden i just ate something again...0 -
I am a picker... when I feed my daughter I will have a little bit of what she eats to make sure that tastes good and not to hot or chunky, I also pick at my food while I am preparing it. And I am sure that it adds up during the day.
So to 'fix' this (I have tried not doing it and that didn’t work!) I leave a few hundred calories left over.
I also leave room for error, (not properly measuring, MFP guide being off,) I would much rather error on the side of caution.
The problem is that I don’t know how many I should leave. I have been hovering around the 600 mark. But I don’t want to screw things up for me by not eating enough.
What should I do?
^^^Great question!^^^ I'm very curious about this too.0 -
I am a picker... when I feed my daughter I will have a little bit of what she eats to make sure that tastes good and not to hot or chunky, I also pick at my food while I am preparing it. And I am sure that it adds up during the day.
So to 'fix' this (I have tried not doing it and that didn’t work!) I leave a few hundred calories left over.
I also leave room for error, (not properly measuring, MFP guide being off,) I would much rather error on the side of caution.
The problem is that I don’t know how many I should leave. I have been hovering around the 600 mark. But I don’t want to screw things up for me by not eating enough.
What should I do?
honestly, you can see if your daughter's food is too chunky and, being a mom myself, it is easy to test for temp by barely touching to the top lip, so no real caloric intake on either of these methods...next, who doesn't sample while cooking? I think most of us do this!!! you are being way too "picky" by over-thinking this. Zigzagging calories is really the way to go anyway so keep logging your foods and enjoy yourself here! In my opinion you really don't need to worry about this so much! De-stress and relax :flowerforyou:0 -
600 is a lot. Think of the total number of calories in the meal you make. You're basically crediting yourself for a full serving with the taste. Tasting while cooking is very rarely more than 10-20 calories at a time.
this 0 -
I see my picking as a problem, I don’t stress over the picking part of it, but I do it and I think that it should be accounted for. I don’t leave 600 strictly for picking, that is just how much I have left over. But under appreciating what I have picked and sampled makes me fear to get closer to my set target intake.
That is why I am asking. To take the stress out of trying to log what I don’t know…0 -
You can also do temperature on the inside of your wrist, I used to do it with my cat's food (I was medicating him in the food, so he had to eat it all and he was picky). No way was I putting that **** near my mouth.
That said, unless you're cooking something really high calorie it shouldn't be that big of an issue. Just serve yourself a little less. 600 calories seems way too high to me, unless you're feeding your kid straight butter and eating 2/3 of a stick while you're tasting.0 -
Op I could have wrote this myself. I taste test my family dinners and my 18 month old daughters food everyday. It's almost subconscious. Atleast u are aware that you are doing this. Counting calories has made me more aware of everything that goes in my mouth and i have gotten better over time. I understand being a little paranoid about it because those calories add up! I actually made a slot in my diary called "test tasting/lailas food". I estimate about 150 calories everyday for this. 600 is a whole meal! Cut yourself some slack. I love the gum chewing idea, I'm going to try that. The last couple of weeks ive been keeping baby carrots and celery sticks in the fridge to munch on while I'm cooking for the family. It helps.........0
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i was thinking of doing that to! making something that i can 'log' i think would let me 'see' something for what i am doing.
i know that 600 is a lot but i was scared to 'let myself go' and take it right up to the limit knowing that i had actually eaten more...
thanks for the great ideas people!
i think i will go at 200.0 -
Just remember, that margin you leave is a margin to your calorie deficit. Best to go lower. If you do over, its only a little over you deficit!
I dont log my tea, little bits, etc, and give myself 250 cal margin. Works fine for me!
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