Calorie Counting

[Wonderlust]

I've been told that I need to start calorie counting.

I am allowed 800 a day so started to use Myfitnesspal (MFP).

But...

I've noticed a few discrepencies between the values they are giving me and the values marked on the products I am consuming.

IE today I've had the following :-

Mug of Tea with aprox 25ml SS milk
1 Tesco Value Wheatabix (I really don't recommend these) with 100ml SS milk
and a mug of Coffee made with 300ml SS milk

Values from the packaging
Tea 12.5
Breakfast 117.5
Milky coffee 150
Total 280

MFP
Tea 17
Breakfast 85
Milky Coffee 101
Total 203

When I am only allowed 800 a discrepancy of 77 is nearly 10% of my daily allowance.

Should I scrap MFP and do my own thing or just carry on using MFP and be happy?

 

[Caren]

blimey!!! ive just been going by mfp!!!

 

[Jane]

The problem with mfp is that lots of their values are added by other users so may not be accurate. I bought a calorie/fat/protein book that I use sometimes when I am not sure. I also added a couple of foods to mfp myself as some did not record the protein.

 

[Caren]

The problem with mfp is that lots of their values are added by other users so may not be accurate. I bought a calorie/fat/protein book that I use sometimes when I am not sure. I also added a couple of foods to mfp myself as some did not record the protein.

what about the ones you scan?

 

[Jane]

what about the ones you scan?

Sorry Caren, that's beyond my technical ability, I am purely a laptop girl!

 

[angeeb]

Since using it i've found loads and loads of discrepancies

 

[Yvessa]

You know what, you can never calorie count exactly accurately. I will calorie count a meal then eat 3/4 of it. I don't bother going back and changing my values. I aim for around 800 cals. And if I'm over, so what? I watch my protein more carefully. 77 cals may seem like loads when you're thinking about 800, but realistically its not going to make a difference to your losses.

 

[Nuxley]

I use the scan facility on mfp even on items that have already been listed so that I get the most up to date information. Doesn't seem to matter what I eat though as I never get enough protein. (

 

[pandora]

How do you scan ?

 

[dinkydink]

I scan it and check its the same if it's not I change the amount until the calories are right!!

 

[Caren]

How do you scan ?

scan is on the iphone Cheryl x

 

[pandora]

I'll see if its on Android , is it specifically for mfp ?

 

[pandora]

Ignore that last post , its on the app itself lol , how dumb am I ?

 

[penelope1008]

I use the protein levels more than the calories although I try to stick to 1000cals give or take. I don't worry if I go over if I've exercised which I also log but then not to the levels I could have I try to stay under those & not use them all if any where possible. But at times I do if I'm having a tough day food wise or fancy a treat, but try to limit those as well.

 

[Wonderlust]

How close should I be getting to the magical 800 a day?

At the moment I am struggling to get any where near it...

Ie today I've had:-

Mug of Tea with 2 teaspoons granulated sweetner 16.5
1 fake wheatabix with 100ml of SS milk 117.5
Nas Squash 10
65g Skinless chicken breast 88
60g mashed swede 18
50g Broccoli 19
40g Birds Eye garden Peas 22.5
Nas Squash 10
Mug of Coffee with 2 teaspoons sweetner 16.5
Nas Squash 10

Giving me a total of 328 so far today.

I am planning on having half a tin of soup (left over from yesterday) for my evening meal 85

leaving me the best part of half my days intake to go...

I can add a petits Filous which will add another 48.5

Am I doing something really wrong?

So tempted to go back to sugar in my drinks to make up the calories but I now this is wrong as they are just empty calories...

 

[JO28172]

You're a meal short aren't you? Try snacking on protein too as that's not much chicken x

Sent from my iPad using WLSurgery

 

[Wonderlust]

That's three meals? once I've had my soup, which is being nuked as I type.

 

[Yvessa]

Try 6 meals of around 100 cals each. Will also up your protein. I have 4 200 cal meals.

 

[Wonderlust]

Is that ok?

Was told at my 6 week post op that I should be on three meals a day...

 

[chrisa]

Yes i think it is, they like you to have 3 meals eventually and have snacks in between, somedays i don't need more than 1 snack now. Just gets you back to normality meals, if that makes sense.