To feel so stupid over hidden calories

[Cheeseandlobster]

I have been trying to be healthier for ages. I follow a lowish carb diet combined with intermittent fasting, do hiit exercises daily, drink loads of water and get on average 9 portions of fruit n veg a day (usually 7 veg 2 fruit). Yet the weight keeps piling on

My go to healthy lunch is veggie scramble. Mushrooms, peppers, courgette, spinach and jalapeño with 1 egg. My pan is shit and the mushrooms stick to the pan or burn so I have been adding more splashes of rape seed oil when this happens. I looked at the bottle yesterday and 1 table spoon is 124 calories so I reckon I have been consuming on average 300 - 400 calories extra in oil. Maybe more. That's another meal! And I feel like an absolute idiot for not realising sooner.

So out goes the pan and I have bought a new pan where you can dry fry and some spray oil with 1 calorie per spray just in case.

I thought I was being food savvy but now I just feel stupid. Does anyone else have any hidden calorie warnings or done something similar?

Re oil sprays, Sainsbo do both olive & rapeseed with no additives.

Is there a non-processed low-calorie dressing?

I spray a squirt or two of oil (proper oil, not fry light) on to the salad and then add a dash of lemon juice or vinegar and some seasoning and then mix - does the job..

You are eating quite a lot of sugary stuff - grapes, chocolate, beans etc. Not a criticism I have a sweet tooth but personally I find I’m better on more protein and veg.
Maybe swap grapes for veg crudités or berries.
I’d check tdee for correct daily cals and log everything for a couple of weeks. Good luck.

"Better to eat an avocado or a handful of nuts say than the same calories worth of a Costa muffin. That will cause sugar swings and cravings and hunger."

I don't think everyone gets the sugar swings to the same extent though. And I don't think a handful of nuts would fill me up any better than a muffin.
For the avocado, I would just eat half with one meal and the other half with the next meal.

Do you have proper measuring spoons? A tablespoon is a lot of oil, I would be amazed if you were using 3 or 4 tablespoons to fry a meal and it not be swimming in oil.

@purplesequins

Then you eat a 'light' dressing, which then means people tell you it's evil because it's got preservatives and additives... Is there a non-processed low-calorie dressing?

mix a tablespoon plain yoghurt with herbs/spices

Worth looking into it, but I'd need the right combination of herbs and spices, wouldn't want my salad to actually taste of yoghurt.

The answer to this is not to conflate two means of weight loss. Either count carbs or calories. If you’re eating low carb, you need to up the fat, the calories are irrelevant.

"You are eating quite a lot of sugary stuff - grapes, chocolate, beans etc. "

Are beans sugary? Only if in a sugary sauce surely?
Grapes are disappointing. There aren't many fruit I like, but I like grapes and they are high in sugar and surprisingly high in calories too.

I'm trying to cut down my sugar intake. Does anyone have a suggestion for a thick drink for my 11s? Doesn't have to be incredibly healthy or low calorie, just less sugar than my current choco cappuccino. I'm thinking maybe something like Horlicks...

I suspect the most troublesome hidden calories are the ones in the packets of biscuits, handfuls of crisps and slices of toast and jam eaten in the evening when starving hungry after a day of dieting and mentally blanked out the next morning. And of course the ones that slip down under the influence of alcohol or are concealed in takeaways (I am not, of course, suggesting that the OP or anyone else on Mumsnet would do such things.)

Blondewidow it’s quite a common complaint about frylight. Personally I’ve never had an issue. Some people say it’s caused by too high heat, cheap none stick pans etc. I use frylight or real olive oil spray.
A tablespoon isn’t much measured - I used to pour oil in tray for roast potatoes - definitely wasn’t a few splashes now I use spray oil.

Why would you let a slosh of oil make you feel "so stupid".

You aren't stupid. Don't let oil think you're stupid!

What about making these little things OP? No oil needed if you make them in silicone cupcake cases

A bit of extra oil or avocado would not cause weight to ‘keep piling on.’

Are you being honest with yourself about what you’re eating?

Is there a non-processed low-calorie dressing

Lemon juice and/or white wine vinegar really perks up salad, or you could make a basic vinegrette by mixing either with olive oil and using sparingly.

I was drinking a glass of baileys every night, till I realised nearly 300 calories a glass.

Oil is pure fat, of course it has calories. But it's hard to imagine you were using that much oil. I mostly us olive oil, and I use maybe 1 T when I'm making a meal for my family.

Gwynhwyfar yes tinned beans like heinz have sugar - half a tin is a couple of teaspoons I think.
As with anything devil is in the detail. If you are piling weight on you are eating more calories than you need.
Grapes could just be a few or a punnet, beans a few tablespoons or a tin. A tin of heinz leans and a punnet of red grapes is 700 cals.

I’m impressed you still have Christmas chocolates left, OP! You must have more self control than me

Gwynhwyfar the options hot chocolates are low calorie depends how you feel about sweeteners. With milk or unsweetened almond milk.

“Dixiechickonhols

Scrollingleaves not criticism of avocado or nuts at all. Agree they have many benefits, I eat them. But some people don’t realise how calorific they are a handful of nuts might be hundreds of calories but the person is confused why they aren’t losing as they are eating healthy food. Op is quite right to have them just weigh them for a few weeks at least.”

@Dixiechickonhols
Yes, I take your point. I didn’t mean to criticise you but was just thinking how say 10 almonds at roughly 70 calories and an avocado at about 350 could be worth building into your allowance as highly hunger satisfying and healthy. But of course if they are just ‘extras’ that would definitely be a problem.

Do remember though OP that calories aren't the only things that matter when it comes to healthy eating. The rapeseed oil that you've been eating will have been of benefit to your skin and hair as it's very high in vitamin E, it's also full of omega 3 so good for your heart health.

With respect op, you sound a bit batshit! It's normal to cook with a bit of oil. Humans need healthy fats, so just cook in nice oil ( evoo, coconut or grass fed butter). I'm sure others have already pointed out that calorie counting does not help long term weight loss/maintenance, or create a healthy diet. Just aim for real food. Low carb and a bit of IF is good too.

Do you exercise OP?

Scrollingleaves no that’s fine didn’t take it as criticism. Like you say good to eat. But people are often surprised how calorific.
I was on a Facebook group last week where a lady was saying diet wasn’t working and reeled off what she’d had - smoothies, handfuls of nuts, honey, sprinkles of granola. And she’d done one aqua aerobics class too. Couldn’t understand why weight wasn’t falling off her but she was eating far more calories than she thought - she wasn’t measuring anything and in her mind ‘being healthy’.

@Harrysmummy246 why do you say that about hiit? I like it as it is quick, it uses a combination of cardio and strength based exercises, I break into a sweat and I feel it works most of my body. Despite the weight gain I have some pretty excellent abdominal muscles but then a pouch of fat in the middle which ruins the effect somewhat. My understanding was that it burns calories even after you have stopped. Oh and I get so hot that I don't need to put the heating on much in the daytime too

@thisplaceisweird they look nice. Are they oven baked eggs?

I have wondered about the grapes. I am going to start counting more of what I eat rather than a splash here a handful there.

I also still think peri menopause has a lot to answer for