Confused about Calories

[LadyHedgehog]

Really hoping someone can help me! I am very confused about calorie counting.

As usual I have overindulged over Christmas, and I've put on a bit of 2020 lockdown weight. Healthy eating resumes this week. I got a Fitbit for Christmas, so decided to try tracking my calories, but I think I am going wrong somewhere! Yesterday was not a healthy day, but I am confused by how few calories the MyFitnessPal app says it is.

Breakfast: coffee with skimmed milk 12 kcal
Lunch: Mac & Cheese (homemade) 413 kcal
Dinner: Vegan kiev (from a packet), air fryer chips and broccoli 485 kcal

So apparently it is 903 calories, which sounds very little. I even included the 10ml of oil which went into the air fryer.

Am I getting the weights/portions wrong? I put in 75g macaroni, which was the dry weight before cooking, but it is actually 75g cooked macaroni that is 266 kcal?

No that's about looks about right although it is heavily dependent on your portion sizes. If you're having very big portions then it won't be right.

It's well worth having at least a few days where you do weight your portions just so you can make sure your perspective is right.

413 calories is low for macaroni cheese unless it was a very small portion. Did you weigh your cheese and pasta?

Did you drink anything all day?

Was broccoli the only vegetable you had all day?

Breakfast: coffee with skimmed milk 12 kcal
Lunch: Mac & Cheese (homemade) 413 kcal
Dinner: Vegan kiev (from a packet), air fryer chips and broccoli 485 kcal

The coffee depends on how much milk you put in. 12 cals seems low.

You normally weigh the pasta before cooking it. 75g dried pasta is about 265 cals The number of calories seems a bit low for a cheesy pasta dish.

Eat more veg.

A shop bought Mac n cheese for 1 portion is about 600 calories, if I make my own and use skimmed milk and reduced fat cheese (Sainsbury's is good, tastes like normal cheddar and melts well) it comes in significantly lower.

Skimmed milk is 15 calories for 30ml

Eat more veg.
Yes, I know! Yesterday was not a very balanced day, but from today I am upping my veg and whole grains.

I always weigh my portions (habit from surviving on a very low budget!) so I know the mac and cheese was 50g pasta, 30g cheese, etc. - it was a small 'lunch' portion, but it seems it's not just me that thinks it should be more - I'll go back and double check that I entered all the quantities correctly. It maybe helps that I was nearly out of milk so the sauce was mainly water!

I usually have a 'splash' of milk in my coffee (I sometimes have it black, but I'm trying to have more calcium), Maybe I should measure it for a few days.

I was just today telling my DH how funny it is that some day I barely got food into allowance and I feel bit hungrier than I should, and other days I can't think if what else to add because it's already a lot but I am 300 under the allowance😂
Veg makes big difference.

It really does @SchrodingersImmigrant on the days I properly plan out my meals and Chuck loads of veg in, I barely eat 1000 calories and end up having a hot chocolate or something to boost it.

On the days I go with grabbed stuff out of the fridge and bread bin I get to lunch and realise I can be barely afford to eat dinner 😂

Have a casserole in the oven slow cooking right now, carrots, tomatoes, onion, beans, mushrooms and beef. Each portion will be 291 calories, as opposed to last nights sausage and chips which was about 800 calories in one meal.

Exactly, it's so different when veg is well utilised.

I can highly recommend pre making meals for a freezer for when you can't be arsed to cook. It's simple, recipe in mfp, so easy to log and just microwave and eat.

Buy veg like spinach for adding to ready meals or frozen meals. All you need to do is rinse it then ping it.

I did a quick count and my pre made veg curry would be 120+ cal more if made with meat INSTEAD (not on top) of the veg and beans.
I still eat meat but I like to pre make veggie meals like curries because the sauce spend like 6 hours in a slow cooker to develop the flavours properly and I can't be arsed to do it every few days or so when I fancy it🙈 Plus it makes my husband eat vegetables😂

Atm I have a chilli in making where I substitute part of the mince for lentils. Usually 1/3 to half. So 500g mince and 300g lentils. It's really nice. Add mixed beans too and some corn. If I use "proper protion" of mince instead of extra veg and beans, I would be again much higher.

I think the homemade mac and cheese, especially ifyour'e using water instead of milk, and it was a small portion, could be that many calories. The problem for most people is that a portion of mac and cheese made that way would not be filling (or perhaps it's just me?) so would require additional food down the line to boost it.