10 Ways You're Consuming More Calories Than You Think

[anandagirl]

This hit home for me - mostly because I used to be one of those people who were eating 1200 calories a day and couldn't lose weight. At that time, I didn't track vegetables or condiments, and I eyeballed everything. For all of you who think you are stalled at a low calorie intake... Read it, learn it, live it.

http://www.healthylivingheavylifting...han-you-think/

[rockangel]

Great article!!

Too many times I see people say they "don't eat carbs" but then list the crap ton of fruits and veggies.... like fruits and veggies are still carbs and they still have calories and they still count!!!

Also, on the supps. Good one to think about there too. I find fish oil is a big cal one too.

A lot of very good points in this article. Great find!

[beezydee]

Awesome article. I've honestly never thought about tracking supplements before! I'm going to look into that as soon as I get home.

[anandagirl]

Great article!!

Too many times I see people say they "don't eat carbs" but then list the crap ton of fruits and veggies.... like fruits and veggies are still carbs and they still have calories and they still count!!!

Also, on the supps. Good one to think about there too. I find fish oil is a big cal one too.

A lot of very good points in this article. Great find!

Awesome article. I've honestly never thought about tracking supplements before! I'm going to look into that as soon as I get home.

Thanks ladies! Yes, I've heard that you should count BCAA's as 5 cals a gram or so, even if they say zero calorie :

[okayest]

Great article. This should be linked anytime someone insists they're in a deficit.
I could add a couple hundred calories in condiments alone if I wasn't aware how quickly they add up.

[lherman]

Good article. I knew about the condiments which is why I choose ketchup or mustard over mayo. Mayo has a lot of calories and fat per tablespoon. I also knew about supplements. My calcium chews have 20 calories and 3 grams carbs each and I take two a day. So I add the min to my daily totals.

[jessic2952]

What a great article! The biggest thing that threw me off in the very beginning was all the sugar free stuff. Tons of sugar-free gum (like at least 10 sticks a day to "satisfy" a sweet tooth)... there are 5 calories in a stick of sugar free gum so I was getting an extra 25-50 calories right there! Fish oil supplements I knew to track because I knew it was fatty acids, but for some reason the sugar-free stuff got me messed up. Now I know better

[hectahs]

That article just screams 'eating disorder' to me.

[jessic2952]

[LunaLifts]

I'm guilty of some of those, but it depends, if I'm not eating a ton of veggies, or it's a lot of leafy greens I won't bother. Ketchup, and mustard I don't bother, because I don't use either often, and I definitely don't use much ketchup. Mayo I track though. Fish Oil I don't because the ones we have are like 5cals.
Generally most of the smaller variables that can add up quickly, I don't consume enough of for them to really add up. lol.

Though for all the "why am I not losing weight when I eat 1200cals" threads, this and the measuring cup video should be the first post.
Also good for people in prep who need to be on point with their diet.
I also heard that people who tend to steal bites as they cook can average an extra 200cals. O.O

If someone's having trouble losing weight at what they think is a deficit, taking into account those things is important. It's not about having an eating disorder if you're consuming enough calories you're unaware of to put you at maintenance. Many people won't need to count every single thing, and can have a slight calorie difference in either direction, and be fine. However a lot of people eat a lot more than they think, and should watch out for those things that add up for them, we see it all the time. It's not eating disordered behavior to make sure your 1700cals are actually 1700cals when you burn 2100 and aren't losing weight.

[lherman]

I'm guilty of some of those, but it depends, if I'm not eating a ton of veggies, or it's a lot of leafy greens I won't bother. Ketchup, and mustard I don't bother, because I don't use either often, and I definitely don't use much ketchup. Mayo I track though. Fish Oil I don't because the ones we have are like 5cals.
Generally most of the smaller variables that can add up quickly, I don't consume enough of for them to really add up. lol.


Though for all the "why am I not losing weight when I eat 1200cals" threads, this and the measuring cup video should be the first post.
Also good for people in prep who need to be on point with their diet.
I also heard that people who tend to steal bites as they cook can average an extra 200cals. O.O

If someone's having trouble losing weight at what they think is a deficit, taking into account those things is important. It's not about having an eating disorder if you're consuming enough calories you're unaware of to put you at maintenance. Many people won't need to count every single thing, and can have a slight calorie difference in either direction, and be fine. However a lot of people eat a lot more than they think, and should watch out for those things that add up for them, we see it all the time. It's not eating disordered behavior to make sure your 1700cals are actually 1700cals when you burn 2100 and aren't losing weight.

Agree. Not eating disorder when you are trying to loose and need to be right on track with cals.

[anandagirl]

Hahaha!

I think disordered eating and actually realizing that things you eat have calories are two substantially different things. Knowledge is power.

[jessic2952]

Hahaha!

I think disordered eating and actually realizing that things you eat have calories are two substantially different things. Knowledge is power.

I agree. Anything can be a trigger for anything, we shouldn't shy away from friendly reminders like how the peanut butter you lick off the spoon has calories in it.

[anandagirl]

I agree. Anything can be a trigger for anything, we shouldn't shy away from friendly reminders like how the peanut butter you lick off the spoon has calories in it.

Right? Always cracks me up when someone like that decides to chime in. Never has a thing to say when a 5'7" girl at 115 pounds is asking about fat loss

[EPolis13]

I'm guilty of some of those, but it depends, if I'm not eating a ton of veggies, or it's a lot of leafy greens I won't bother. Ketchup, and mustard I don't bother, because I don't use either often, and I definitely don't use much ketchup. Mayo I track though. Fish Oil I don't because the ones we have are like 5cals.
Generally most of the smaller variables that can add up quickly, I don't consume enough of for them to really add up. lol.

Though for all the "why am I not losing weight when I eat 1200cals" threads, this and the measuring cup video should be the first post.
Also good for people in prep who need to be on point with their diet.
I also heard that people who tend to steal bites as they cook can average an extra 200cals. O.O

If someone's having trouble losing weight at what they think is a deficit, taking into account those things is important. It's not about having an eating disorder if you're consuming enough calories you're unaware of to put you at maintenance. Many people won't need to count every single thing, and can have a slight calorie difference in either direction, and be fine. However a lot of people eat a lot more than they think, and should watch out for those things that add up for them, we see it all the time. It's not eating disordered behavior to make sure your 1700cals are actually 1700cals when you burn 2100 and aren't losing weight.

This right here. I think if you showed this to a total noob who was just getting starting with tracking their food it could cause problems. I'm in a lot of IIFYM groups on ******** and they are FULL of people who bring their food scales out to restaurants and who weigh/measure/track 3 sprigs of asparagus. That's not really "flexible," nor is it necessary. I TOTALLY get the point of this article, but I'm so gun shy when it comes to sharing stuff like this, just because I know people have turned IIFYM into its own ED.

[LunaLifts]

This right here. I think if you showed this to a total noob who was just getting starting with tracking their food it could cause problems. I'm in a lot of IIFYM groups on ******** and they are FULL of people who bring their food scales out to restaurants and who weigh/measure/track 3 sprigs of asparagus. That's not really "flexible," nor is it necessary. I TOTALLY get the point of this article, but I'm so gun shy when it comes to sharing stuff like this, just because I know people have turned IIFYM into its own ED.

Yeah that's the trouble with these things in general. A lot of people can benefit from the knowledge, and use it to fuel their goals in a completely healthy way. Someone else may become far too obsessive. However, most of the people with issues surrounding food/EDs/control are going to be obsessive, and unhealthy regardless. They'll find plenty of well meaning tips online, they'll search for them themselves whether it's on a forum like this or not, and turn them into something unhealthy. It's either post the information and let it help those who can use it the way it's meant to be used, or shy away from posting things that may help some people because it may be taken a bad way by others.
At least on a forum, it's open to discussion, and people can talk about where to draw the line, what's healthy, what's excessive, etc. So there's more perspective than when someone reads the article,and runs with it as is.

Side note, I would be horribly anxious, and embarrassed if I brought a food scale to a restaurant. Also embarrassed for the people with me. I've heard of people doing it before, and it still blows my mind. I'd rather not eat out if I was that paranoid of what I was eating, it's not like it'll make the calorie count accurate, (considering stuff like added oils and butter for cooking).

[anandagirl]

Yeah that's the trouble with these things in general. A lot of people can benefit from the knowledge, and use it to fuel their goals in a completely healthy way. Someone else may become far too obsessive. However, most of the people with issues surrounding food/EDs/control are going to be obsessive, and unhealthy regardless. They'll find plenty of well meaning tips online, they'll search for them themselves whether it's on a forum like this or not, and turn them into something unhealthy. It's either post the information and let it help those who can use it the way it's meant to be used, or shy away from posting things that may help some people because it may be taken a bad way by others.
At least on a forum, it's open to discussion, and people can talk about where to draw the line, what's healthy, what's excessive, etc. So there's more perspective than when someone reads the article,and runs with it as is.

Side note, I would be horribly anxious, and embarrassed if I brought a food scale to a restaurant. Also embarrassed for the people with me. I've heard of people doing it before, and it still blows my mind. I'd rather not eat out if I was that paranoid of what I was eating, it's not like it'll make the calorie count accurate, (considering stuff like added oils and butter for cooking).

I won't apologize for posting this, and I can't keep someone with an ED from having one or talk them out of it. If they have one or could easily be swayed in that direction, they are going to find the information or similar information on their own. I still think it's good info for anyone to know, noob or not. Once you start talking about tracking, you're already going in the direction that can take you to a more obsessive place. If you track, you should do it accurately or else it doesn't give you the information it's meant to. If you don't want to track, you go paleo, zone or something else that people think make weight loss easy.

I agree with not bringing a food scale to a restaurant. I can't even imagine. I actually saw a bikini competitor recommend buying a "scale spoon" on amazon. Completely ridiculous.

[rockangel]

While I would not bring a food scale to a restaurant, I am conscience of what I am eating when I am eating out. Usually I make meals out a free meal (the cals still count of course but the purpose of a free meal is to not worry about the cals for one meal), but if I am staying on track and still eating out, then I make the best choices possible while keeping things like the article in mind. One of my blog posts last summer was about how I stayed on track even while eating in vegas. Didn't measure anything, had loads of tasty meals, and still did not gain a single pound all summer. The point was to show that even in sin city, being aware of your foods wasn't a big deal, certainly wasn't obsessive, and no scales. Just being aware and mindful, which to me is healthy.

If we are too scared to trigger anyone and cant post up info, then what is the point of the forum??? Because all of the things we regularly talk about here can be triggering for someone. IMO, we have an obesity problem because not enough people are aware and mindful about what they eat, the quantites they consume, or where the calories come from. Eating disorders are a mental disorder, and while I wont encourage an ED, I don't think its responsible to treat everyone as if they have an ED either.

[momchasingfit]

That was a very interesting article. Thanks for sharing it. I never thought about there being any calories in my supplements. Also the condiments. After weighing it I realized I under estimating how much peanut butter I was using and overestimating the mayo.

[DNABabe]

This is great, thanks! I am not including my omega-3, just looked it up and it should be factored in. AND I'm guilty of the stealing bites from my kids' plates, but I'm fine with grabbing a fry or two once in a while ;-)

[LunaLifts]

I won't apologize for posting this, and I can't keep someone with an ED from having one or talk them out of it. If they have one or could easily be swayed in that direction, they are going to find the information or similar information on their own. I still think it's good info for anyone to know, noob or not. Once you start talking about tracking, you're already going in the direction that can take you to a more obsessive place. If you track, you should do it accurately or else it doesn't give you the information it's meant to. If you don't want to track, you go paleo, zone or something else that people think make weight loss easy.

I agree with not bringing a food scale to a restaurant. I can't even imagine. I actually saw a bikini competitor recommend buying a "scale spoon" on amazon. Completely ridiculous.

Of course, this is a site about fitness, and bodybuilding. There's going to be discussions of all kinds of things that can be taken in a bad way by someone with an ED. Calorie counting, macro tracking, weight gain, weight loss, body fat percentage, weighing, measuring. It comes with the territory. People with those issues will have those issues, and while this may not be the best place for them, we can't stop them either.

What the fluff is "zone?" Is this another recent diet trend (no offense to people who follow those diets because it works for them, but most become "trendy" at some point) I haven't heard of?

[jessic2952]

Of course, this is a site about fitness, and bodybuilding. There's going to be discussions of all kinds of things that can be taken in a bad way by someone with an ED. Calorie counting, macro tracking, weight gain, weight loss, body fat percentage, weighing, measuring. It comes with the territory. People with those issues will have those issues, and while this may not be the best place for them, we can't stop them either.

What the fluff is "zone?" Is this another recent diet trend (no offense to people who follow those diets because it works for them, but most become "trendy" at some point) I haven't heard of?

The Zone is a really really old diet, I worked at Books A Million in 2001 and the book was coming out around then. I have no idea what it's about but copies flew off the shelves when I worked there. Maybe it's another low carb thing, I'd have to Google.

[anandagirl]

What the fluff is "zone?" Is this another recent diet trend (no offense to people who follow those diets because it works for them, but most become "trendy" at some point) I haven't heard of?

The Zone is a really really old diet, I worked at Books A Million in 2001 and the book was coming out around then. I have no idea what it's about but copies flew off the shelves when I worked there. Maybe it's another low carb thing, I'd have to Google.

Yeah, that diet is like 20+ years old now (I'm an old chick dontcha know It was based on 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat but was pretty restrictive too - no counting of calories but had calculations on how much protein you needed and then gave you servings of protein, fat and carbs you needed to eat per day. Supposedly really low calorie and lower carb which is why people lost weight. Oh and EVERY SINGLE MEAL had to be balanced, so if you had some carbs, you had to have fat and protein with it in the perfect proportions. Basically a nightmare to follow, stick to and live a normal life.

[Banbimi]

I remember the zone, you need an exact amount of protein,fat and carb every meal. Did it for about a month once.

As for counting calories, something was going wrong for me because I had stagnated at the same weight for over a month I decided to go under by 50 calories a day and on the days that I did the elliptical machine I only put in 15 minutes instead of 30 and it made the difference. That thing was giving me almost 300 calories each time. In 5 days I am down a kilo, so hopefully I am back on track.

[kimm4]

All good points and I've been using them for years. For example: when you tell me you're doing everything thing right but haven't dropped a pound in over 6 weeks...that's a problem.

You get the idea...