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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Original poster

I had no idea how many calories are in....

153 replies

lightand · 26/04/2021 18:13

Glass of Ribena - 107 calories

I thick slice of brown bread and butter - 100

Even just 2fl of mead wine - 90

On the plus side
Cup of tea - 1

1 strawberry - 4

No wonder I have been struggling for months to lose up to 1 stone in weight.
I had decided today to start writing down everything I eat and drink.
It has already become a lot less of a mystery as to where the calories have been hiding themselves!
More strawberries and cups of tea for me, by the looks of things.

OP posts:
FindingMeno · 26/04/2021 20:39

Watermelon.
For something that's healthy and you would think by the name is mainly water, I was shocked!

Original poster
lightand · 26/04/2021 20:43

My eyes are out on sticks at these posts!
Hidden calories all over the place.

OP posts:
FindingMeno · 26/04/2021 20:45

Actually I retract on watermelon. Its down to how much you eat of it, and I've been told nonsense Blush

RockCrushesLizard · 26/04/2021 20:45

I decided early on I'd rather eat my calories than drink them, so cut the lattes and booze.
The various low cal ice creams feel like a treat, and just really fundamentally getting my head round - do I want this bit of cake or 5 Kit Kat's, or three glasses of wine, or a cheese toastie, or a big bowl of chicken and bean stew with bread, because they all "cost" the same.
I eat what I want, but it has to be in the budget!

Theglassmakerofmurano · 26/04/2021 20:47

@Youdontknowwhatyoureonabout

Are you sure that’s right for bread and butter? Did you weigh the bread before and after spreading the butter? Grin

I lost 3 stone by logging everything on My Fitness Pal and finally educating myself about calories. I wish MFP existed when I was in my 20’s, I’d have killed to have been this size and have this figure with lovely firm skin. It’s not quite the same with saggy, wrinkly skin at nearly 50 Sad

Do you mind me asking what your start weight was and height and how many calories you allow yourself. I really need to lose three stone and am struggling to stay focused.
coogee · 26/04/2021 20:48

The amount of calories in oil is criminal.

That's why it's good for heating houses.

NutellaEllaElla · 26/04/2021 20:56

@Theglassmakerofmurano, not the person you asked but I lost 2 stone the same way. Go to TDEEcalculator.org, input your numbers and it will tell you how many calories you burn in an average day (Your TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure). If you subtract 500 from that every day in theory you would lost 1lb a week. Weight loss is never that linear and it's likely that you'll lose nothing one week, a couple of lbs the next etc.

MFP does similar calculations for you of course.

Theredjellybean · 26/04/2021 21:08

Another mum with dsd with eating disorder.. I know calorie count of everything. Sometimes shocked by how little... 99cal in a two finger kitkat tgat took an hr to be eaten.
Then bread... It varies greatly... One slice of wholemeal hocus is 86 calories, one similar sized slice of seed and linseed aldi bread is 136...
Butter...sorry OP, have you tried half a tsp... It takes 10gms of butter to barely scrape a piece of bread and that is 86 calories.
So two bits of toast, buttered frugally can be 350 calories... Easy to have as a snack...

HelenHywater · 26/04/2021 21:09

I've steadfastly avoided knowing about the reality of calories for my whole life.

I have an addiction to bread and butter. And those large sainsbury's biscuits mentioned upthread. And full fat mayo.

The reality is shocking! I might actually log my food tomorrow and see how I go.

buckeejit · 26/04/2021 21:22

@Theglassmakerofmurano I'm on a lazy semi break from dieting - had a weeks holiday 2-3 weeks ago & it turned into 2 weeks due to dh birthday & I haven't got properly back in the game in the last 2 weeks.

I lost 2 stone from Jan-March & have several more to go. I'm not aiming for thin but healthy within having fun. Food & drink are something I adore so don't want a really restricted lif

Thanks for this thread. I had meant to start logging on MFP again from today. If I'd thought about logging the cost, I wouldn't have eaten those 2 little sausage rolls earlier to get rid of them! Or that extra biscuit. I'm good at denial. Right off to write up an honest account of the day!

BagLadyy · 26/04/2021 21:25

"Unprocessed foods are mainly free, as they are low calorie density. So veg, lean meat, pasta, rice, raw fruit all free (to the point of stopping hunger).

Processed, High fat or sugary foods- bread, butter, honey, oil... are all counted."

This is precisely why Slimming World is unhealthy and doesn't work long term though.

Unlimited pasta/rice - which are highly processed foods btw - just filling you with carbs/sugar.

And low fat yogurts etc. Yet more sugar.

Butter, full fat yogurt, avocado, healthy oils, all not allowed! They just tell you to have carbs and sugar and give yourself diabetes instead!!

Fat isn't to be avoided.

All calories aren't equal.

BagLadyy · 26/04/2021 21:26
Redjumper1 · 26/04/2021 21:30

I know the calories of a lot of things coz it's helpful to know and helps make better choices. I think 100 cal for bread and butter is not quite right. Depends on the bread but in general it's about 180. a poached egg and toast is similar calories and more filling.

Mushy peas are not as low cal as I thought.

Mayo, butter, cheese v high. Salmon. Bananas,nuts also. Spreads like peanut better or nutella.mustard is better. Eggs are good also ham is less calories than I initially thought.

Lougle · 26/04/2021 21:47

It's also worth knowing that different supermarkets' bakery items vary hugely in calories. Tesco triple chocolate cookies are 459 calories per 100g. Asda's are 494, Sainsbury's are 482. No big deal if you don't need to count, but really significant if you're trying to cut calories or pack them in.

Puttheneedleontheraquet · 26/04/2021 22:03

Was just thinking this today. I’m on My fitness pal and have to stick to 1200 calories per day. Had a bit of a couldn’t be bothered to cook type day today. I had a bowl of Bran flakes for breakfast and some blueberries, 6 rice cakes with low fat cream cheese and a small pear and two brown cereal bread sandwiches with egg mayo and salad (made at home) it took me almost 400 calories over 🤷🏻‍♀️It’s the sandwiches that did it...have to quit bread! 😩

FlyNow · 26/04/2021 22:15

I have known about all this for a while, I can hardly be bothered to try to lose weight because of it. Practically nothing is healthy, everything is calories +++. The only way to lose weight is fasting, ie, not eating at all. Meh, not worth it.

Warmduscher · 26/04/2021 22:34

@Puttheneedleontheraquet

Was just thinking this today. I’m on My fitness pal and have to stick to 1200 calories per day. Had a bit of a couldn’t be bothered to cook type day today. I had a bowl of Bran flakes for breakfast and some blueberries, 6 rice cakes with low fat cream cheese and a small pear and two brown cereal bread sandwiches with egg mayo and salad (made at home) it took me almost 400 calories over 🤷🏻‍♀️It’s the sandwiches that did it...have to quit bread! 😩
That sounds a very low calorie count for MFP.

I’ve lost 3.5 stone on MFP (over two years) - my calorie allowance is 1550.

Puttheneedleontheraquet · 26/04/2021 22:39

@Warmduscher I’m not sure 🤷🏻‍♀️I need to lose 2-3 stone to get back to size 10, of line if to be as fast as possible 🙈
Well done to you! I so want to shift this

bongsuhan · 26/04/2021 22:41

Biggest eye-opener for me was that healthy and calorific are two separate categories. You can eat only really healthy food and still get (or stay) fat. This had somehow eluded me in all attempts to "wing it" and a calorie-counting app really helped.

Yoshinori · 26/04/2021 22:42

@BagLadyy

"Unprocessed foods are mainly free, as they are low calorie density. So veg, lean meat, pasta, rice, raw fruit all free (to the point of stopping hunger).

Processed, High fat or sugary foods- bread, butter, honey, oil... are all counted."

This is precisely why Slimming World is unhealthy and doesn't work long term though.

Unlimited pasta/rice - which are highly processed foods btw - just filling you with carbs/sugar.

And low fat yogurts etc. Yet more sugar.

Butter, full fat yogurt, avocado, healthy oils, all not allowed! They just tell you to have carbs and sugar and give yourself diabetes instead!!

Fat isn't to be avoided.

All calories aren't equal.

Are you implying that carbohydrates and sugars are the same thing?
Workyticket · 26/04/2021 22:42

literally everything! Years trying to follow slimming world has skewed my idea of portion size!

BeechTreeView · 26/04/2021 22:45

@bongsuhan

Biggest eye-opener for me was that healthy and calorific are two separate categories. You can eat only really healthy food and still get (or stay) fat. This had somehow eluded me in all attempts to "wing it" and a calorie-counting app really helped.
Me too. Or thinking salad cancelled out 2 slices of garlic bread with pasta...
SecretWitch · 26/04/2021 22:50

I am currently using MFP to lose a stone. I was shocked to find 28 almonds = 170 calories. I adore almonds and peanuts and could eat them by the handful.

bongsuhan · 26/04/2021 22:50

Are you implying that carbohydrates and sugars are the same thing?

Sugars are carbohydrates and more complex carbohydrates are turned into sugar by the body for digestion is how I understood it. The more refined the carbohydrates (white bread) the closer they are to sugar. The more complex, the longer it takes to turn them into sugar and the less sugar spike there is in the blood - but the total amount of sugar is the same.

bongsuhan · 26/04/2021 22:52

"the less sugar spike" = less of a spike of the sugar levels in the blood after the meal