Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Calorie counting

41 replies

MinnieTruck · 02/09/2023 11:10

Posting here for traffic.

Am I just stupid or do other people not understand how to calorie count? I understand scanning a barcode of something you’ve eaten in order to track your calories, that makes a lot of sense. However, how do you calorie count for home cooked meals?

If you use half a jar of sauce, do you scan the sauce and say how much measurements you’ve used? I have no measuring tools and I’m shit at estimating anyway! Do you have to weigh some items to figure out how much you’ve used?

I’ve just started my fitness journey after a long time of being inconsistent and I’d like to track what I eat but I don’t understand how to flipping do it😅 pls help:)

OP posts:
MrsPepperp0t · 02/09/2023 11:15

I've got some scales - the digital kind. I weigh everything I eat for breakfast, lunch and snacks but don't bother weighing dinner as it's too complicated. As long as i don't eat more than 300 cals each for breakfast and lunch, I know I'm basically on track and can eat a normal sized dinner.

If you've got my fitness pal, you can work out smaller quantities eg by selecting 100g, then if you've say had a banana that weighs 77g, you select 0.77 in portion size.

MrsValentine24 · 02/09/2023 21:13

There’s a book called Carbs and Cals which you might find helpful? It’s basically just photos of different foods (pasta etc) in different portion sizes on a plate with a list of the calories etc in each portion size. Lots of photos on the Amazon product listing if I’m not being clear.

Otherwise yes, if you can’t estimate you’ll have to buy a food scale and weigh everything.

saltinesandcoffeecups · 02/09/2023 22:22

MinnieTruck · 02/09/2023 11:10

Posting here for traffic.

Am I just stupid or do other people not understand how to calorie count? I understand scanning a barcode of something you’ve eaten in order to track your calories, that makes a lot of sense. However, how do you calorie count for home cooked meals?

If you use half a jar of sauce, do you scan the sauce and say how much measurements you’ve used? I have no measuring tools and I’m shit at estimating anyway! Do you have to weigh some items to figure out how much you’ve used?

I’ve just started my fitness journey after a long time of being inconsistent and I’d like to track what I eat but I don’t understand how to flipping do it😅 pls help:)

Yes you will need a scale to do it properly. So let’s say you’re making pasta with jar sauce. First weigh your pasta before adding it to water. Then, when you’re ready for sauce you can do it one of two ways. Either put a bowl on the scale and tare it then add sauce. Or weigh the jar, pour the amount of sauce you want to use, then weigh the jar again and subtract the 2nd weight from the first.

Hopefully you’re using MFP or similar, it will make things a lot easier. Also check out their forums for more help.

FrogandToadAreFriends · 02/09/2023 22:34

My fitness pal has (or used to have) an option where you could put in all the ingredients of the recipe you're making and say how many servings it is. Then you just divide the recipe and have one serving.

greenspaces4peace · 02/09/2023 22:38

digital scale, measuring cups and spoons.
mfp has some member-entered information which is inaccurate, all items purchased can be out by 10% legally.
nutricheck and cronometer are both more accurate.

Original poster
MinnieTruck · 04/09/2023 00:19

Thank you for the comments all. I’ve read each post nearly 5 times and I cannot get my head around it.

So let’s say you’re making spag bol for dinner. You’d weigh how much sauce you use for what reason exactly? How does knowing how much something ways translate into how much calories a meal is?

My brain really doesn’t get this😂 looks like I’ll be fat forever!

OP posts:
gwenneh · 04/09/2023 00:23

You’d weigh how much sauce you use for what reason exactly?

To determine how much of the sauce you are actually consuming. You can then mathematically translate that amount into how many calories you have consumed based on the legally required energy information on the label.

CoopAndWheels · 04/09/2023 00:26

FrogandToadAreFriends · 02/09/2023 22:34

My fitness pal has (or used to have) an option where you could put in all the ingredients of the recipe you're making and say how many servings it is. Then you just divide the recipe and have one serving.

^ this. It does all the hard work for you and works out the calories for you.

How does knowing how much something ways translate into how much calories a meal is?

If your 400g pack of mince is 400 calories and you use half then add 1/2 of a 500 ml jar of sauce that is 100 calories per 100ml then by weighing the meat exactly and measuring the sauce you use exactly then you know your ingredients add up to 450 calories, although you have to also add the oil used and onion, carrots, peppers or whatever else you add. Then add the amount of pasta.

Original poster
MinnieTruck · 04/09/2023 12:39

Oh God, maths is involved. No wonder why my brain doesn’t understand what the fuck is going on.

I’m going to find a clear video on YT explaining how to do this as I think it’ll help me massively. Thank you all!

OP posts:
Hufflepods · 04/09/2023 12:44

So let’s say you’re making spag bol for dinner. You’d weigh how much sauce you use for what reason exactly? How does knowing how much something ways translate into how much calories a meal is?

It's pretty obvious that how much you eat of something will directly translate into how many calories you've consumed.

Original poster
MinnieTruck · 04/09/2023 12:50

Hufflepods · 04/09/2023 12:44

So let’s say you’re making spag bol for dinner. You’d weigh how much sauce you use for what reason exactly? How does knowing how much something ways translate into how much calories a meal is?

It's pretty obvious that how much you eat of something will directly translate into how many calories you've consumed.

Weird of you to search up my name and comment on another thread of mine but okay!

What you’ve said is obviously a given. For those that calorie count they’ll understand my question. I was asking how you’d know how many calories you’ve consumed just by knowing how much something weighs…. It’s not a difficult question to get you head around

OP posts:
BarbaraofSeville · 04/09/2023 12:53

Calorie counting is a lot easier if you eat a repetitive and mostly packaged diet.

If you mostly cook from scratch and you have to count up the calories in all the ingredients in your recipe then work out the calories in the fraction you ate, it's complicated and tedious.

If you mostly cook from scratch, you'd probably do better with something like Weight Watchers or Slimming World, both of which do a plan where you don't have to measure/count most basic ingredients (fruit, veg, lean meat, fish, eggs, pulses, eggs, some dairy and carbs like rice, pasta, cous cous etc).

Then you can have a small amount of bread and milk/cheese and a strictly limited amount of junk like crisps, chocolate, alcohol etc so you only have to count a minority of what you eat and you can really simplify this down, eg a small wholemeal roll, a glass of wine. Makes it a lot easier.

Sagedragon · 04/09/2023 12:55

Kitchen scales are your best friend when trying to calorie count. Most people are really bad at guestimating weights.

Thelnebriati · 04/09/2023 12:57

I cook from scratch and its not that complicated. I don't just calorie count, I also calculate the glycemic load. I'm not even that good at maths.Tins and packets have the calorie count per 100g and per portion. Other info is online.Weigh your portions. Work out the calories per 100g, or half a jar, or however that food is calculated. Write it down. Thats the recipe sorted and you only have to do it once.

Nuca · 04/09/2023 12:58

Weird of you to search up my name and comment on another thread of mine but okay!

I don't think that's how mumsnet works haha, your thread is showing up on the first page of aibu so people are going to see it without needing to search for it

Iliketulips · 04/09/2023 13:02

If working out calories is a bit much for shared meals, I'd say allow yourself so many calories a day for breakfast, lunch and any snacks. Accept you're going to have whatever for evening meal, obviously thinking about portion sizes and limiting bad choices. So say it's spag bol tonight, I'd cut down on portion size and if you had cheese on top you can avoid that or have less.

Original poster
MinnieTruck · 04/09/2023 13:02

Nuca · 04/09/2023 12:58

Weird of you to search up my name and comment on another thread of mine but okay!

I don't think that's how mumsnet works haha, your thread is showing up on the first page of aibu so people are going to see it without needing to search for it

Yep I’m very aware of how MN works:)
The poster knows why I said that to her/him

OP posts:
Hufflepods · 04/09/2023 13:03

@MinnieTruck Yep I’m very aware of how MN works:)
The poster knows why I said that to her/him

What on earth are you talking about???

Hufflepods · 04/09/2023 13:05

I was asking how you’d know how many calories you’ve consumed just by knowing how much something weighs…. It’s not a difficult question to get you head around

Because you if you know how much the total calories are and you've weight your portion then you know how much you've eaten can can work out the calories. You're making this sound really long winded and complicated but it isn't. You're weighting it to see how much you consume.

Original poster
MinnieTruck · 04/09/2023 13:06

BarbaraofSeville · 04/09/2023 12:53

Calorie counting is a lot easier if you eat a repetitive and mostly packaged diet.

If you mostly cook from scratch and you have to count up the calories in all the ingredients in your recipe then work out the calories in the fraction you ate, it's complicated and tedious.

If you mostly cook from scratch, you'd probably do better with something like Weight Watchers or Slimming World, both of which do a plan where you don't have to measure/count most basic ingredients (fruit, veg, lean meat, fish, eggs, pulses, eggs, some dairy and carbs like rice, pasta, cous cous etc).

Then you can have a small amount of bread and milk/cheese and a strictly limited amount of junk like crisps, chocolate, alcohol etc so you only have to count a minority of what you eat and you can really simplify this down, eg a small wholemeal roll, a glass of wine. Makes it a lot easier.

I think you’re absolutely right about this tbh! I’m just imagining cooking every meal and getting my scales out. Then I’ll be there with my calculator trying to figure out how many calories I’ve racked up in line with the portion size. It seems annoying and tiring.

I’ve actually looked into WW and liked the concept of their point system. It seems like nothing is off limits but it’s all about how much of something you eat. I may give that a go instead, thanks so much

OP posts:
Purpleavocado · 04/09/2023 13:08

Buy some digital scales.
If I'm cooking something with a jar then I'll put in 0.5 of that in my fitness pal

Purpleavocado · 04/09/2023 13:09

Don't waste money on Weight watchers or anything else, once you know the calories and get into the swing of it, it's easy

Crunchymum · 04/09/2023 13:10

You can enter your own meals into MFP so you don't have to enter all the info each time.

So just say you use the following to make your spag bol

500g mince beef
1 carton passata
3 celery sticks
1 carrot
1 onion
1 tbs tomato puree
1 oxo cube

You work out the total number calories, divide it by number of portions (I'd get 6 out of that - just for me and if I am really trying to stick to 1200 cals a day) then you save it as a meal. Obviously you add any your extras too IE 60g pasta
half pack rocket into the "meal"

Cakesandbabes · 04/09/2023 13:10

Thelnebriati · 04/09/2023 12:57

I cook from scratch and its not that complicated. I don't just calorie count, I also calculate the glycemic load. I'm not even that good at maths.Tins and packets have the calorie count per 100g and per portion. Other info is online.Weigh your portions. Work out the calories per 100g, or half a jar, or however that food is calculated. Write it down. Thats the recipe sorted and you only have to do it once.

I agree. It's not that complicated. It takes week probably to get used to it. I cook feom scratch and usually more portions, it's actually fine. Worth to pay for mfp premium for this as well.
I don't weight final portions if it's a big pot of something but count how many portions and amend a bit if they are all different.

Covidiokilledtheradiostar · 04/09/2023 13:12

Buy digital scales and use an app. I use nutracheck but My fitness pal is similar. You can create recipes using all the ingredients and then either set its exact weight and weigh your portion or just say how many servings it’s made and it will tell you what 1/6th of the recipe is.

You do need to weigh it out mostly but you can always guesstimate I guess for things like sauce from a jar. The database on nutracheck is very comprehensive so makes it very easy