The Fat Loss TroubleshootThis is your place to troubleshoot your fat loss problems from nutrition to training. This section is led by Leigh Peele, author of "The Fat Loss Troubleshoot," the ultimate fat loss manual. If your results have slowed or stalled this is the place to come for advice for all your fat loss needs.
So just for funsies i decided to use the kitchen scale my wife bought me to measure out the amount of almond butter I add to my protein shakes. I believe the surving size is 2 tablespoons for about 190 cals(sorry i'm at work and I don't have the nutrition info right in front me). I usually use a regular( non measuring) tbsp and just get 2 heaping spoonfuls. So I decided this time I was gonna actually measure out with the scale 2 tbsp. I used a regular teaspoon so i could add a little at a time. After the first heaping tsp it was actually over the 2 tablespoon amount. HOLY SH*** . I think that means my 2 regular tbsp amount is around 9 thousand calories. WOWSAS! Anyway, thanks for the tips leigh!
I know! Isn't it amazing. I had also added 80-100 cals for half a cantaloupe (according to calorieking and most websites), now that I weighed my half it turns out to be about 200 to 250! Big difference. I wouldn't have thought of that in the past. The same thing happened to me with apples and grapefruit!
I would think so, Tom. And even more important (trickier in my opinion) is that most prepackaged items contain MORE than the servings indicated. For example-- A meal replacement bar. The package may say it contains one serving but if you weigh it out, you will usually find it's actually more than the one serving indicated. You will be getting more calories than you bargained for....
I just bought a scale and started using it today. For the most part I've been right on. I've even slightly overestimated my ounces of chicken. But, on a few things I've been way off. For instance, I weighed my pecans that I put in my pumpkin cottage cheese gruel. What I though was one ounce was actually 1.5 ounces. Pecans are so calorie dense that this is a difference of 100 calories. So, far I've only gotten through two meals. I'm interested to know what else I've been estimating incorrectly.
I would think so, Tom. And even more important (trickier in my opinion) is that most prepackaged items contain MORE than the servings indicated. For example-- A meal replacement bar. The package may say it contains one serving but if you weigh it out, you will usually find it's actually more than the one serving indicated. You will be getting more calories than you bargained for....
Good point Sarah - leaving nothing to chance and weighing everything is the only way to be really sure of what you're getting. My tendency is to buy as few packaged things as possible. I think it was Berardi that said something along the lines of the brighter/eye catching the packaging, the worse it is for you.
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Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
... most prepackaged items contain MORE than the servings indicated. For example-- A meal replacement bar. The package may say it contains one serving but if you weigh it out, you will usually find it's actually more than the one serving indicated. You will be getting more calories than you bargained for....
I don't do much pre-packaged anymore, but I do have a fave protein bar (200 kcals, 21g protein!). Weighed it this morning after I read this and it should be 60g/serving. It weighed exactly 60g. Whew - good to know I haven't been eating 1.5 servings or anything!
I would think so, Tom. And even more important (trickier in my opinion) is that most prepackaged items contain MORE than the servings indicated. For example-- A meal replacement bar. The package may say it contains one serving but if you weigh it out, you will usually find it's actually more than the one serving indicated. You will be getting more calories than you bargained for....
I would think so, Tom. And even more important (trickier in my opinion) is that most prepackaged items contain MORE than the servings indicated. For example-- A meal replacement bar. The package may say it contains one serving but if you weigh it out, you will usually find it's actually more than the one serving indicated. You will be getting more calories than you bargained for....
Actually this is not true. I worked for a food company for many years (M&M Mars and Cadbury) as a packaging engineer, and we have to weigh each item before they go to packaging. If the weight is off, the food gets thrown off the conveyor, as compost. Sometimes its reused for other stuff, but many times it gets thrown out. Not good for the company, as they can lose money giving away product too, so its so not true. And it would also get them in trouble by the food police......
What I will say is, do weigh your foods that say "about". So for example, I like to have Applegate Farm's uncured turkey bacon. The serving says 28g for 1 slice. But some of the slices are not even, so some of them may weigh less than 1 slice, so I just weigh it out to be safe. Same goes for nuts. Says "about 30 nuts", but better to weigh it out as 30grams instead to be safe.
That may be true getmovin, but I've weighed packaged stuff and gotten different results than what the packaging says. I'd rather be repetitive and accurate than just depend on the various companies to follow the rules.
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"Do you choose to simply know the path, or do you choose to walk it?"
Your body keeps an accurate journal regardless of what you write down...
I have given live demonstration of the weight difference of breads, protein bars, weight watcher muffins, and english muffins. Some companies have been off by as much a 20+ grams.
It may not have been true for your company, but it is very true for a lot of them.
Actually this is not true. I worked for a food company for many years (M&M Mars and Cadbury) as a packaging engineer, and we have to weigh each item before they go to packaging. If the weight is off, the food gets thrown off the conveyor, as compost. Sometimes its reused for other stuff, but many times it gets thrown out. Not good for the company, as they can lose money giving away product too, so its so not true. And it would also get them in trouble by the food police......
What I will say is, do weigh your foods that say "about". So for example, I like to have Applegate Farm's uncured turkey bacon. The serving says 28g for 1 slice. But some of the slices are not even, so some of them may weigh less than 1 slice, so I just weigh it out to be safe. Same goes for nuts. Says "about 30 nuts", but better to weigh it out as 30grams instead to be safe.
I apologize if I made it sound like EVERY prepackaged food item will be off. I probably should not have used the word "most", I should have used the word "some". But I know for a fact that some foods do contain more food than the package indicates. Back in the day, when I knew crap about nutrition, I used to make my own snack packs and I always come up with more servings than the package indicated. I would portion out things like cereal, granola, pretzels, nuts, etc. Every time, I would come out with at least a serving more than the package indicated.
I just thought it was something to be aware of and an interesting point to bring up. As Tom kind of indicated, the general population is often mislead by the nutritional labels and serving sizes--let alone the fact that it may be off. And we all know, sometimes every calorie counts.
It will probably depend on the size and origin of a company whether or not they are 'over'sizing their goods. If they work like say a chemical company where exactness is crucial, it will not be off by much at all.
If they work like a lot of the restaurants that have their menus online, it may contain more than you thought it did. Do you remember the article mentioning that most restaurant meals that are listed online, are actually containing more food & esp more fat calories than listed?
If you want to have fun sometime, look at reese peanut butter cup packaging. whether its the single cup package, the two cup package or the 4 cup package, they label them all as 1 serving.
__________________ It all starts with the mind, but the thoughts, the intention aren't enough. Action needs to come next. Dream it, believe it, plan it, execute it, celebrate it. - Wendy
It will probably depend on the size and origin of a company whether or not they are 'over'sizing their goods. If they work like say a chemical company where exactness is crucial, it will not be off by much at all.
If they work like a lot of the restaurants that have their menus online, it may contain more than you thought it did. Do you remember the article mentioning that most restaurant meals that are listed online, are actually containing more food & esp more fat calories than listed?
actuallly my experience has been the opposite. weve ordered takeout at restaurants claiming a 10oz chicken breast for example and I would weigh to find it was only 7oz! Many restaurants actually cheat you to save money.
Which all goes to say it's best to make your own food at home. It's far cheaper, and you know exactly what you're getting. Leave the restaurants for the social occasions, but keep your nutrition at home.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
actuallly my experience has been the opposite. weve ordered takeout at restaurants claiming a 10oz chicken breast for example and I would weigh to find it was only 7oz! Many restaurants actually cheat you to save money.
Was just referring to an article I'd read, not my actual experience as I rarely eat out and when I did, they weren't having online menus yet.
About protein portions I'm not surprised, but the article referred specifically to fat content.
actuallly my experience has been the opposite. weve ordered takeout at restaurants claiming a 10oz chicken breast for example and I would weigh to find it was only 7oz! Many restaurants actually cheat you to save money.
or it was 10 ounces raw.
There was some food network or fit tv show that had some idiot nutritionist talking to the head chef at some restaurant, and asked him how much his salmon weighed, and he said 6oz. She weighed it and it was less. Then the show was cut. But not before he rolled his eyes and was presumably about to explain to her how cooking it removed water in it and made it weigh less.
This is why I prefer cooking, rather than eating in restaurants. It is crazy also how much oil and butter they add to everything!
I have a question though about marinades -- how does one calculate that calorie wise? Not all of the marinade or brine is soaked up by the meat, but some of it is. Do you just do a weigh in before and one after and calculate that way??
I estimate - just a wild-ass guess - like 1 TBSP worth or else not at all. I usually allow some play in my calories to allow for things like this just not getting measured. Just like there are carbs & calories in spices and herbs but I never count them explicity. Or a lemon juice squeeze on my fish.
You could weigh the marinade before & after - and then allocate the difference across the marinated items, but I never do.
For research purposes I just weighed my Ezekiel english muffin. The package states that 1 muffin = 76 grams but in reality it weighed 96 grams bringing the calories from 175 to 219 per my calculations (which could be off, math not my strong suit). 44 calories isn't a huge amount and I only eat them 1-2/week but if you ate one every day that could really add up.
1 whole muffin. The package lists the serving size of a half muffin for 38 grams.
Well you inspired me to go check my Ezekiel buns. It says 1 serving = 1 bun or 76 grams. I weighed a bun: 110grams!! Holy crap. That is 136 extra calories. I will be weighing them from now on, and only eating 1/2 a bun at a time. More and more I realize that I am eating more than I thought.
Well you inspired me to go check my Ezekiel buns. It says 1 serving = 1 bun or 76 grams. I weighed a bun: 110grams!! Holy crap. That is 136 extra calories. I will be weighing them from now on, and only eating 1/2 a bun at a time. More and more I realize that I am eating more than I thought.
I was just going to say something about the buns...I weighed mine a few months back and was horrified!
Im starting to believe that unless you are blessed with a fast, ectomorphic metabolism, we all need to be weighing our foods in order to lose or maintain weight loss. Otherwise, the industry will indeed fool us and make us fat.
Leigh, you are right again!
. I think that means my 2 regular tbsp amount is around 9 thousand calories. WOWSAS! Anyway, thanks for the tips leigh!
More and more I realize that I am eating more than I thought.
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