So I started using myFItnessPal when I got home from the hospital 3 weeks ago (had surgery 5/26) and I'm a bit of a perfectionist...I'm having trouble with measuring and estimating the calories in my food. Sometimes I do well with measuring, especially when it's only a few ingredients (like the refried Beans, salsa, cilantro combo I do for pureed), but I'm normally the type of cook who doesn't follow a recipe and just throws things in and estimates amounts.

The only problem I have with MyFitnessPal is that searching for some foods will give you several different results and it's hard to know which to use.

So my question is, for those of you who do track calories/everything, how accurate would you say you are? Do you just make educated guesses or do you really try to get it exact? How do you do it for home-cooked meals?

It's not too hard to track right now in the pureed stage, but I'm worried about when I get to normal food that it's going to very hard for me to keep tracking, so any advice now would be greatly appreciated! I've heard of people who religiously bring a measuring cup with them and measure things everywhere so they don't overeat. Anybody do that?

I used to carefully try and track everything! Water, protein, carbs. ...not anymore. How exhausting! Yeah, to this date I still an unable to drink 64 ozs of water! But I no longer feel like a failure. I eat pretty much the same everyday. Healthy proteins and low carbs. I eat until I'm done. Not stuffed. Just done. I've learned my portion size and that is so freeing. I've also learned when I'm forcing myself to eat more. Basically, I've learned my sleeve and my eating is now almost on automatic. This was the best thing I did for myself. ..ever.

So I started using myFItnessPal when I got home from the hospital 3 weeks ago (had surgery 5/26) and I'm a bit of a perfectionist...I'm having trouble with measuring and estimating the calories in my food. Sometimes I do well with measuring, especially when it's only a few ingredients (like the refried Beans, salsa, cilantro combo I do for pureed), but I'm normally the type of cook who doesn't follow a recipe and just throws things in and estimates amounts.

The only problem I have with MyFitnessPal is that searching for some foods will give you several different results and it's hard to know which to use.

So my question is, for those of you who do track calories/everything, how accurate would you say you are? Do you just make educated guesses or do you really try to get it exact? How do you do it for home-cooked meals?

It's not too hard to track right now in the pureed stage, but I'm worried about when I get to normal food that it's going to very hard for me to keep tracking, so any advice now would be greatly appreciated! I've heard of people who religiously bring a measuring cup with them and measure things everywhere so they don't overeat. Anybody do that?

MyFitnessPal has a feature where you can create your own recipes like your refried beans. I don't worry about complete accuracy myself. I just know that what I get with the app now is sooooo much closer than what I was doing for 30 years. I have tried many apps and it is the best I have found.

If I can't verify it against the label, I just pick the highest calorie option and move on - better to overestimate and quit eating early, right?

If I can't verify it against the label, I just pick the highest calorie option and move on - better to overestimate and quit eating early, right?

That's what I've been trying to do lately - overestimating when I'm not sure. I just bought a kitchen scale though so I've definitely already been more accurate!

I track everything in MFP, but not always to the exact quantities. I cook a lot from scratch, and cook by "feel" rather than recipe, so it can be a challenge at times. In the 6 months since my surgery, I've done slightly more measuring than usual, just to make sure I'm cooking like I think I'm cooking, if that makes any sense. I think it matters on the big things - big carby / starchy stuff, butter and other fats, etc - the ones that really "move the needle" from the okay range into the danger zone. All that really matters is that my Proteins stack up at the end of the day and my fats and carbs don't get too out of hand, so I try to keep that in mind when I start to obsess.

I use my kitchen scale to weigh everything at home, especially when I am making food on the weekend and packaging it up for lunches for the week. I keep reasonably good track of what's going into the recipe, then monitor portion size more closely as that's where I always used to get into trouble. I've gotten pretty good at eyeballing things that are hard to measure (condiments, shredded cheese), but will still weigh them on occasion just to make sure I don't drift too much. I'm from Wisconsin, so cheese is my kryptonite and has a tendency to creep up if I don't watch it closely.

Yeah, exactly what everyone else said..

lol truthfully. calories are such a non defined thing. You would think something we take so seriously would have a more definitive measurable quantity, but alas, not possible. even processed foods or canned, boxed anything is just a calorie estimate. even more so for natural organic foods. 1/2 cup of say broccoli, may be listed as one caloric amount, but its impossible to measure the active sugars in the strain your eating or that particular yield. I know for a hydroponics botany course i took, we had the lab test fruits from various supermarkets and found thatthe calorie amounts varied by as much as 25% from one to another. Due to things like soil, feed, climate, fertilizer, date picked etc. its such a subjective thing. Just another way to make it tougher on us. lol

Yeah, exactly what everyone else said..

lol truthfully. calories are such a non defined thing. You would think something we take so seriously would have a more definitive measurable quantity, but alas, not possible. even processed foods or canned, boxed anything is just a calorie estimate. even more so for natural organic foods. 1/2 cup of say broccoli, may be listed as one caloric amount, but its impossible to measure the active sugars in the strain your eating or that particular yield. I know for a hydroponics botany course i took, we had the lab test fruits from various supermarkets and found thatthe calorie amounts varied by as much as 25% from one to another. Due to things like soil, feed, climate, fertilizer, date picked etc. its such a subjective thing. Just another way to make it tougher on us. lol

Now I'm going to be obsessed with that 25% variation!

Sara - It is very easy to become over-concerned with correctness. I even track my vitamins' calorie counts. I think it is due to my profession - I am an auditor. HA! That being said, I work to ensure that I get in at least 65-80 oz of clear, calorie-free, non carbonated liquids each day and work to get 65 grams of Protein in. I generally make the Fluid requirement, but I do vary on the protein. The worst I have done recently (the past week) on the protein has been 40 grams. That was just a bad day for me. I did not feel like eating much that day. Fortunately, was able to get in 65 grams or more the other days. It is a challenge.

Tracking is important, and the scale will help you with that I think. I do try to only enter the verified entries on my fitness pal and since I really do not have a ton of variety it seems to be working so far.

Sara - It is very easy to become over-concerned with correctness. I even track my vitamins' calorie counts. I think it is due to my profession - I am an auditor. HA! That being said, I work to ensure that I get in at least 65-80 oz of clear, calorie-free, non carbonated liquids each day and work to get 65 grams of Protein in. I generally make the Fluid requirement, but I do vary on the protein. The worst I have done recently (the past week) on the protein has been 40 grams. That was just a bad day for me. I did not feel like eating much that day. Fortunately, was able to get in 65 grams or more the other days. It is a challenge.

Tracking is important, and the scale will help you with that I think. I do try to only enter the verified entries on my fitness pal and since I really do not have a ton of variety it seems to be working so far.

That's awesome! Your fluid and protein amounts seem great!

I'm struggling there a LOT. My best day for protein was yesterday and it was around 50g. My Water has probably been about half of what I need. I find I get busy or distracted at work and can't focus on drinking water between meals, and I know not to do it DURING or right after meals so I'm struggling.

What sort of things are you eating often to get all that protein? I haven't been doing a ton of meat because I'm not really interested in pureeing them, but I'm becoming more open to it...otherwise there's no way I can do TWO Protein shakes a day to reach 60g. I already do one a day and I don't like it sometimes. My calorie count has been around 400-550 most days, occasionally higher or lower. My NUT said not to focus on the calories right now.

I do the starkist tuna packets they are 14 to 19 g of protein, reduced fat cheese sticks 7 grams , and live active cottage cheese by breakstone 10 grams there. I do a high protein shake 30 to 40 grams for most of it, however.

I do the starkist tuna packets they are 14 to 19 g of Protein, reduced fat cheese sticks 7 grams , and live active cottage cheese by breakstone 10 grams there. I do a high protein shake 30 to 40 grams for most of it, however.

I wish I liked tuna or cottage cheese! =(

I've been doing pureed chicken salad though, and it's not too bad. I can't do cheese sticks, but I'm moving to soft foods on Wednesday so maybe I'll be able to then!

I mix 3 tbsp of fat free powdered milk to 8 oz of skim milk = 14 grams of Protein and 8 oz of Fluid. I add a touch of Torani syrup for flavor - caramel, hazelnut, etc.

My surgeon recommends this twice a day - I wouldn't be anywhere near goal if not for this. Surgeon does not recommend Protein shakes - most have too much sugar.

I used fitnesspal in 2013 when I lost 85llbs and found it invaluable in reminding myself of what I was eating on a daily basis.

Tools like these are great but I don't want to obsess over it like I did before. Having been 'dieting' for the past 23 years I feel as if i should know how many calories are being put into my mouth. For me its the Protein and carbs thats new so I will be making sure I am having enough of the former and not to much of the latter and that wil take checking and then checking again.

It might take time to settle into being comfortable about not checking every mouthful but I will get there.

Kate

I used the scale that weighed your food and than tell you carbs, Protein, cal., fat etc. from there I went to fitness pal and just entered quick calories. after awhile I was able to weigh and than use fitness pal and their food list and eventually I made up all my food choices I use on a daily basis. makes it easy.

If I'm looking up grilled chicken, I will usually try to put in grilled chicken breast, and look for one that looks about right.. if theres on that is 400 cals, one that is 100 and one that is 280, I'll pick the one in the middle. They have started "verifying" cal counts also, so look for the little green check mark. Then I make sure I add stuff like, a tablespoon of olive oil if I cooked it in that, or whatever.. I didn't really track to much in the very early stages, but I would put in things like my protein drinks and stuff..