[Autumn Gold]

It's my first day back on CC and I'm feeling anxious over whether I'm counting my calories correctly. I'm aiming for 1600 a day.

First things first. I had porridge for breakfast this morning and measured out 4oz in a baby bottle. I assumed that it would be fairly low calorie, since it didn't look like much, but I've just looked it up on the internet and apparently that equals 133 grams, which is about 365 calories (178 cals per 50 grams.) Does this sound accurate or have I messed up the measuring? This is excluding milk. It seems a lot for what looked such a small amount of porridge oats.

Unforunately I was alseep when my dinner was being made, so I couldn't measure items individually. But based on the idea that 100 g of meat is about the size of a deck of cards, I've worked out that my pork chops should have come to about 410 (but I removed the fat, so how many calories should I call it with the fat removed?)

I also had:

A portion of mixed veg - 49 calories
Seven small roast potatoes - 228
One onion ring - 55 calories
3 TBS of gravy - 150 calories
Olive oil (to cook the potatoes) - 40 calories.

Dinner total: 882

These caloies seem really high, do you think I may be overestimating or do you think that perhaps I was under estimating before? I honestly expected my porridge to come out at about 240 (inc milk) and my dinner at about 700.

Thoughts?

[beth4365]

Hi Autumn Gold,

I'm not so good at figuring out calories for foods. I often compare a couple of sites and just do the best I can.

One thing I thought I'd mention is that one of the most helpful things for me as a calorie counter has been my kitchen scale. I weigh almost everything in grams now and I don't know... I just feel I get a better feel for what I'm eating.

However, you've already lost a good amount of weight, so I'd say that whatever you're doing -- WORKS!

Woot!

Welcome back and best wishes!

[KforKitty]

To calorie count with any accuracy, you really need to get a kitchen scale which measures in small division (5g). With regards to your porridge you are confusing fluid ounces with weight ounces. Four fluid ounces is a half cup of dry oats and I would guess would weigh around 45-50g not 133g! So your porridge made without milk would be in the region of 170.

With regard to your dinner, its good that you trimmed the fat off the meat but I would go easy on the roast potatoes (I have one or two at the most) and up the proportion of veg. 50 cals per tbs for gravy seems high unless its made using the 'juices' (fat) from the meat, instant gravies are low in fat and calories.

Unless you intend living off pre-packaged and hence ready calorie counted food you will really need to be more accurate with your portions for success.

Regards

Kitty