calories

[vondaboo]

how to log, am I suppose count every chip measure potatoe salad why is this so hard?

[Heybales]

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@vondaboo wrote:

how to log, am I suppose count every chip measure potatoe salad why is this so hard?

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Calories is per gram - not cup or spoonful.

So at the least, weigh the food you eat.

That's why nutrition labels always give serving sizes per weight, measurements there purely for convenience and not as accurate.

Neither is the "about 2 servings per package".

Shoot, even the package weight may be lower than reality.

So either weigh out what a serving is, and if that seems little, then live with it.

Or keep weighing out what you'd normally eat, and do the math with how many servings you ate.

Then log it.

Not really that hard unless you eat out a lot, which is usually great way to fail, as those are very inaccurate calorie amounts.

Otherwise - does your daily or weekly diet really vary that much that you wouldn't learn how much a serving is, or how many servings you eat?

[HelenaFitbit · Accepted solution]

Welcome to the Forums @vondaboo!  I would personally recommend getting a food scale and measure all of the food you consume.

Make sure you write down your meals as soon as you are about to get them; this will prevent the moment where you are holding your food log and remembering how much you ate and underestimating amounts. I have a tiny notebook where I write down the meals and their weight, so when I'm ready to write them down, they are accurate.

It may be a bit confusing or hard at first, but as soon as you get the hang of it, it will be smoother 

Let me know if you have any questions! Happy stepping 

[vondaboo]

ok so like now I'm eating a "small" salad in my terms I should measure the in the bowl...ok I know it's sounds simple to others but I have NEVER watched what I ate and I was raise eat whatever is in front of you so please don't judge

[vondaboo]

I going to start scaning the lables maybe that will help

[vondaboo]

well I am single no excuses but yes I eat out quite a bit and I guess the problem is I want everything quick I hate to cook because I don't know how to cook, but now I'm making an effort to do this right so I'm going to start packing a lunch and snacks

[josephz2va]

I'd change Cups to Pounds/Kilograms. It's an easier measure if you have a food scale that weighs it. Fitbit app accepts like 0.50 KGs/LBs versus 1 cup if you can't measure it right.

[Heybales]

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@vondaboo wrote:

well I am single no excuses but yes I eat out quite a bit and I guess the problem is I want everything quick I hate to cook because I don't know how to cook, but now I'm making an effort to do this right so I'm going to start packing a lunch and snacks

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Frankly - you don't even have to learn to cook.

Get some 15 min skillet meals, that have vege's and chicken usually in them already. Meal itself.

Even a frozen personal pizza for emergency, cans of chili, frozen bagged vege's with cheese perhaps in microwave. Easy and frozen is good too, keeps the good stuff in them.

Just have to divide package weight by frozen serving size weight for the servings you just ate.

Done.

Many national chains have their menu calories somewhere to find. Sadly it's the fast food that is more accurate, because they make everything the same basically. Nicer places would be more inaccurate.

But find a few healthier choices at fast food places you might hit.

And indeed makes some lunches, not bad. Cottage cheese with something added (I like Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix sprinkled in) and yogurt perhaps, known amounts, easy math.

Get about 5-7 dinners you'll always eat and rotate among, maybe 3-5 lunches, and 2-3 breakfasts.

Once things are frequently used and you keep the size, the difficult part is only adding new items.

[Heybales]

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@vondaboo wrote:

ok so like now I'm eating a "small" salad in my terms I should measure the in the bowl...ok I know it's sounds simple to others but I have NEVER watched what I ate and I was raise eat whatever is in front of you so please don't judge

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Ya, that's about impossible for me to judge. I have no concept of size, 2 cups, 3 cups, ect?

Finding the right item to use probably not that bad - vege's aren't high calorie, it's the other stuff that matters more than if every vege is in the list of a pre-made salad. If chicken and croutons, then that matter more then if a few slivers of green peppers was left out of list but really in your salad.