So my friend told me we consume more cals than whats said?

Amptitude
Amptitude Posts: 48
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, so it's kind of freaking me out now because my friend told me "Remember that protein and carbohydrates both have 4 calories per gram, which is added onto your calorie intake" and I nearly spat out my water.

What?
I feel so stupid asking this!

.. So let's say I have (going to be unrealistic) a cookie that's 50 calories, and has 5g protein and 10g carbs..
So, 20 calories in protein, and then 40 in the carbs = 110 calories in total?... or is it included.. what...

I am SO confused! I've always taken my friends advice, especially hers, and then she says this and it completely messes with my mind. Can someone please clear this up for me?

Replies

  • ldalbello
    ldalbello Posts: 207 Member
    I sure hope not !
  • StrugglingtoMove
    StrugglingtoMove Posts: 73 Member
    It is 50 Calories! The law requires companies to put actual value on the products, they are accurate! I use my myfitnesspal phone APP and it has a scanning bar on it, so I can scan what im eating, it works awesome and takes away the aggrevation of calculating.

    your doing fine dont get confused.
  • Amptitude
    Amptitude Posts: 48
    I sure hope not !
    I know, right?!
  • Amptitude
    Amptitude Posts: 48
    It is 50 Calories! The law requires companies to put actual value on the products, they are accurate! I use my myfitnesspal phone APP and it has a scanning bar on it, so I can scan what im eating, it works awesome and takes away the aggrevation of calculating.

    your doing fine dont get confused.
    Okay, haha! Thank you! Jeez this has really been pestering my mind!
  • ShrinkingChelle
    ShrinkingChelle Posts: 187
    Im pretty sure thats included thats why you will be hard pressed to find a cookie with only 50 cals.
  • littlelily613
    littlelily613 Posts: 769 Member
    No, it is not 50 cals PLUS the protein calories, etc. When something says it has 50 calories in it, it means 50 calories in total (that is why on the ingredient list you'll sometimes see something like "fat added 24 calories"). The total is the total, you don't have to worry about that. I think your friend needs to do some research.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
    I'm not sure I understand your question. Carbs and protein both have 4 calories per gram. Fat has 9 calories per gram.

    But if you're looking at packaged food, it has the total calorie count per serving in the nutritional info section. That includes all carbs, protein and fat. You don't add those in on top of the total calorie per serving. Same with unpackaged food that you find calorie/carb/fat/protein/etc. info for here at MFP or other calorie counting sites.
  • mruntidy
    mruntidy Posts: 1,015 Member
    im wondering if she just means something like a far free yoghurt has no fat but a stack of sugar so you'll have to burn off the energy contained in there? or shes trying to motivate you, or something else, must admit the in depth science is lost on me with breaking down carbs etc to some extent.

    i spose at the end of the day just go with eat right move around more

    also, thanks to the above posters, i was also thinking surely its illegal to say 50 but contain 70
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Okay, so it's kind of freaking me out now because my friend told me "Remember that protein and carbohydrates both have 4 calories per gram, which is added onto your calorie intake" and I nearly spat out my water.

    What?
    I feel so stupid asking this!

    .. So let's say I have (going to be unrealistic) a cookie that's 50 calories, and has 5g protein and 10g carbs..
    So, 20 calories in protein, and then 40 in the carbs = 110 calories in total?... or is it included.. what...

    I am SO confused! I've always taken my friends advice, especially hers, and then she says this and it completely messes with my mind. Can someone please clear this up for me?

    Your hypothetical cookie can't exist.

    But lets say a cookie with
    2 gram protein = 8 calories
    10 gram carb = 40 calories.
    5 grams fat = 5 * 7 = 35 calories.

    The cookie would have 8+40+35 = 83 calories.

    The protien and carb calories are already included in the total calories.
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,380 Member
    No, the calories listed on the package are the *total* calories with protein/etc already factored in. The total calories are listed, then the nutritional content is broken down so that you see where those calories came from as well as the nutrition you're getting from them. The people that make nutritional labels don't expect you to do extra math, they're giving it to you straight. :-)
  • Amptitude
    Amptitude Posts: 48
    Lmao thank you everyone.
    Confused the hell out of me.

    P.S
    the cookie was nonexistent you guys! Was using it as an example and thanks to Rae, I even did the math wrong. Wow I feel SO smart today. Gotta love the weekends.

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