My boyfriend and I very happily go over to my mums for dinner every Sunday. It's been like this since I moved out over a year and a half ago, since my mum wasn't ready for me to leave it gives us a chance to stay connected. When I started eating healthy and working out she was all for making healthy options for us! She would make up chicken and salad's and have lots of veggies around for us to munch on. Lately, its been rather unhealthy dinners on Sunday's. We still go over and eat, just much less then usual and fill up on our healthy fruits and veggies before we go over to avoid being ravenous and consuming our weight in food. It was never a big deal, she wasn't trying to sabotage us but she did not want to have to make up a separate dinner since her and her boyfriend are extremely unhealthy eaters.

Yesterday however, dinner took a turn for the worst. We went over to find a cheese baked pasta dish, so my boyfriend and I had a little bit and tried to get the pasta with the least amount of cheese on it. Since TOM is due my self-control and willingness to deprive myself is at a current low, We both went for seconds. Later that evening after having that and a cookie for desert my mum asked me to help her with her computer. I opened it to find a recipe for the pasta sauce, its serving was 177ml - 983 calories. Just the sauce. My jaw dropped.

What did I just do to myself! She went on to tell me she knew it was that bad but didn't want to tell me because she knew I wouldn't eat it. Of course I wouldn't, that's an insane amount of calories! I'm not even sure how you fit that many calories into one sauce...

Anyway, I went home feeling a little sabotaged. I know its my responsibility to know what I am putting into my body, and no one sat there and force fed me but she couldn't have made something slightly healthier? I am resigned to the fact that I did it to myself, and climbed onto my treadmill for an hour after I got home from her place. Probably didn't even burn 1/4 of what I ate, but at least I tried right?

Feeling gross today, extremely sore stomach, bloated. I can't believe I used to eat this way all the time! Anyway, that's my whine for the day, Thanks for listening 3FC!

WOW how does a sauce get that many calories? Was it a cream and cheese sauce? Even then, it makes me realise I need to look more closely at what I am eating. I know I underestimate calories of food.
:-(

Good for you though for getting on the treadmill!

See, this is why I hate eating anything I don't cook anymore. My husband's granny makes all kinds of stuff, and my husband just says not to ask what's in it. She still cooks with solid Crisco shortening and lard. She makes boxed mac and cheese and adds heavy cream and Velveeta to the mixture. Eek! I just avoid that stuff as much as possible.

As for what to do, just take it as a lesson learned. Not everyone will follow our diets or submit to our lifestyle changes. All you can do is move on and remember it for next time...

Good grief! How do you fit nearly 1000 calories into one serving of sauce? No wonder you feel a little sick about it. But don't feel too, too badly. If you think about it, 1000 calories is less than 1/3 of a pound. You aren't going to derail too badly from this one dinner.

I'm with MindiV, I hate eating anything but what I cook. There's just no telling what's in something. We were out of town the other day and had to find a place to have dinner. My daughter wanted to go to Buffalo Wild Wings, so I looked up their nutritional info on my iPad. The wrap I used to get? 1020 calories (half of them from fat), 59g of fat and 2120 mg of sodium! And that's just the wrap, not including chips or fries. We went to Extreme Pita instead, which was much better.

Ugh how do you get that many calories in one serving?

It's one meal though, don't fret! At least you didnt eat so many calories knowingly!


I'm glad I'm not the only one who is averse to eating other's cooking! I'm often wary of eating at my fiancé's house because I'm not quite sure how his mother cooks. When my mom cooks at my home I'm usually helping her and even if I'm not I know she cooks healthy.

It's one of the reasons I'd much rather go out to eat when at my fiancé's house. I can at least look up the nutritional information that way or order something where I'm generally sure of the calories. I also want to eat more protein and this way I have a bit more control over that!

That is insane. It sucks that your mom doesnt have the curtesy to just tell you. That she won't cook healthy is fine. If she doesn't know what she is cooking and how much calories it has then that is fine also. But if she KNEW it was so many calories and did not mention, i'd really not appreciate that.

What kinda sauce was it? I am so never having any sauce that my grandma makes. She's probably able to make a 1000calorie sauce too. lol. She can turn scrambled eggs into 3 dinners calorie wise.

Hold on. Perhaps 900 calories per recipe, not per serving! You would have to eat 9 tablespoons of olive oil to consume that many calories, or 9 tablespoons of mayonnaise. So unless you ate 9 tablespoons of that sauce it is doubtful you consumed that many calories of sauce.

Isis, next time you go to your Moms, you make the entree at home and bring it.If she still wants to make an entree, OK, so you have 2 entrees. You will know which one to eat.

thats why i dont eat things other people make unless im out a restaurant and even then i go for the healthy choices and usually stick to salad... when i go to my moms for 5 days at a time with my son to visit i bring ALL my own food and drink for the week... they all understand what im doing and respect it... is it hard when theyre all sitting their eating pizza and hamburger helper and lasagna ....sure but i know what im doing is much better... as for the 900+ cals im thinking its as the above poster said said maybe 900+ cals for the recipe not per serving...

That's a very good suggestion. It would also give others the option to eat healthy.

Yes, its very unfortunate all your hard work on staying true to your healthy living habits went a rye but don't stress out too much, at some point everyone makes a mistake or gets derailed..just learn something from it (ie next time you go to moms bring something you can eat without guilt) it's not the end of the world, do a little extra cardio or take a short walk (for several nights) and watch your calories very closely for the next few days..and youll soon be back where you should be!

Bargoo that's a wonderful suggestion. I'll have to remember that next time I'm invited over for dinner

I assure you I read the recipe correctly, it was per serving size of 177ml. Recipe made 4 servings.

Thank you for all your suggestions! I have learned from this experience and will be making sure I am either there to make dinner with her or bring my own food. I also will be upping my cardio for the week

I was thinking along these lines too...How about inviting your mom and her boyfriend to your place... or alternate places... or bring a huge salad to fill you and your BF up before eating the unhealthy entree... That way you'll be fuller before eating the high fat entree... Helping her with the meal is a great idea too...

Wow, I'm kind of impressed that there could be that many calories in one serving. I generally cook with butter, heavy cream, cheeses, etc (I go with portion control, not really limiting the types of things I eat), and I've never made anything that calorically intensive. What was in it?