3FC, do you count "the little bites"?
 

and if so, HOW do you count them? I was going to go for another cup of popcorn today, thinking "that calorie counter isn't 100% accurate, I had 1 slice of turkey today, not 2 oz." etc. But then I started thinking, yeah, but you did have 2 or 3 little bites of cornbread throughout the day.


I just realised how often I have "two or three little bites" so I was thinking about counting them, too, but- how do I count them? I don't quite understand that to even label them as. 5cal? 7 cal?

I count it all.

I count "little bites" when:

- they're of calorie-dense items containing sugar and/or fat
- the "little bite" isn't so little
- they're from my husband's plate. If we go out and he offers me a bite of something he finds delicious, I enjoy that bite--but I definitely track it and account for it in the rest of my daily plan.

I don't count "little bites" when:

- they're raw, un-dipped, un-sauced, un-dressed veggies

As for how I count them, I estimate the amount I had, then double it. If I think I only had a two-gram taste of my husband's catfish meuniere, but really had four grams, then recording it as five grams incorporates a little leeway for underestimation.

I do feel a little silly or possibly even obsessive for writing down a few grams of something, but I know me. If I don't record my bites and tastes, I'm going to wind up cramming an entire strawberry streusel muffin in my face and considering it a "bite" just because it all fit in my mouth at once. Ooh, Celeste, you sneaky wench, you don't fool me for an instant! :D

Like Brown, I count it all, and if I can't count it, I don't eat it.

A lot of my weight loss mindset has been changed by following the principles in the Beck Complete Diet Solution book, by Dr. Judith Beck (it's not the best name, but it's a GREAT book). One of her strategies is to completely eliminate non-meal time/scheduled snack eating. That strategy has worked so well for me; it's forced me to be aware of every single bite I take, and enjoy the food I'm eating, rather than just quickly shoving it in my mouth.

That's a bit more than you wanted, but yeah, if you eat it, track it! :)

I just don't take "little bites", because I know they'll be hard to measure and track later. If you want to have some cornbread, figure out the calories and have a piece with a meal or as a snack. If you're having a little bite here and a little bite there, with the reasoning that the calorie counters really aren't accurate so it's okay, that's just going to lead to the calorie counting not working. I'd rather have the calorie counter be 10 calories off and just live with it than be eating 100s of extra calories a day because I'm taking bites of things here and there.

:rofl:

Even if you don't count the little bites, your body does.

Those "little bites" are mindless eating that sneak up on you and you don't even realize it. I don't eat at all between meals and make it a point to never just have something to eat because it is there.

I completely agree with this. If I'm going to just "take a bite" I'm going to actually portion myself out an entire serving and track it. It's the only way for me to stop mindless snacking and adding hundreds of unaccounted for calories a week.

I don't take 'little bites' for the same reason as others have stated. Keeps me on track.

I don't take bites either. The only thing I don't count is gum. I only have a piece every now and then so I don't bother with those 5 calories.

I count it too. 1/4 cup for a "little bite" of something is my standard. Sure, maybe I am over-estimating my calories, but I would rather do that, than not lose weight.

When I fall off the wagon and stop counting those little bites that go into my mouth, I don't lose weight, period.

I don't usually take a little bite but if I do, I first weigh it, then run it through DietPower or another calorie software, then log it. If I still actually want it by the time I've done all that, then I eat it. Often by then the novelty's worn off!

Thanks for the reminder to return to my former state of no nibbling. Because they do add up!

When I first started I was very strict. I ate six meals a day, period. This is very helpful for when you face the little sample tables at grocery stores. ;)

I enter calories online, and I created a food called "just a bite (JAB)" and made it 25 calories -- it's basically an easy way for me to track those little bites. And then I estimate. Sometimes I record that the "bite" was 2 or 3 JABS (50 or 75 calories)

I worry less that it's exactly right in terms of calories. It's the actual tracking of those little bites helps keep me accountable.

Those little bites add up. Absolutely.

Those bites are food that you don't need and at it's really just a habit, and if you were to break that habit, you'd no longer be taking those bites or wanting them. It's food that you're eating *just because* and that can run you into trouble.

We hear all the time here at 3FC about plateaus, painfully slow losses, etc, and I'm thinking - this is a big reason for some of them.

A great way to end this habit, "It doesn't go into your mouth till you write it down on paper first". No exceptions. It will put the brakes on and before you know it, you will stop doing it.

Another great way to break the habit - make a firm rule "Never eat while standing". It'll take some time (not all that much) till these rules become automatic to you, but you will be thrilled when then do.

Another rule to help "Don't eat it unless it's on a plate".

Wouldn't it be great to not have those bites call out to you, never mind the weight loss, but to actually not even WANT them. It can happen!

I also find the 1/8 and 1/4 cup measures in the LoseIt app useful for keeping me accountable for "little bites".

I call them "tid-bits" and count them as 2 points. I count it this way because it prevents me from doing it frequently. It has worked so far :)

I never take those little bites right now. If I did, I would definitely count them though. They would add up way to quickly if I didn't...

I quit taking any "little bites" when I realized how much they added up. Especially because I have two little girls... I shouldn't be their garbage disposal.

I use the JAB method as well!

If I eat it I count it. Planning ahead is the key.

:wave: another person who has to count them. My calories can really mount up if I allow myself extra uncounted bites. Just knowing that I will have to stop and add the food to my journal will often keep me from grabbing that bite.