The art of calorie counting

Jonny303

Reading through another thread I saw rubadub saying about how he has no problem polishing off 30 pints a week aslong as he controls his calories. Just curious about this and other serious calorie counters. How does the likes of ready made food affect you (ie when you go out for dinner and your food arrives on a plate with no access to a scales) or when you go for drink, do you keep a steady track of what you've consumed. Obviouly others tend to montior it more loosely than others, but just wondering how the serious counters go about it?

Cheers

the drifter

once your doing it a while it becomes second nature and you start to be able to judge amounts from your head to within a certain degree of accuracy

rubadub

the drifter wrote: »

once your doing it a while it becomes second nature and you start to be able to judge amounts from your head to within a certain degree of accuracy

Thats it pretty much. Takeaway portions can be massive, the average microwave chinese ready meal is 500kcal, average takeaway version ~1250kcal.

They tend to use more oil in restaurants, unless specifically low fat. Once you know the look of correct portion sizes you can just eat that bit and leave the rest (though I never do :pac:). Some might ditch the bread etc.

My 30pints is ~6000kcal, however I know this does not have the same effect on me as 6000kcal worth of sugary fizzy drinks would. Studies have been done to show this, but I now it myself from personal experience. Most beer bellies are made in the chipper after the pub.

AlphaMale 3OO

Jonny303 wrote: »

Reading through another thread I saw rubadub saying about how he has no problem polishing off 30 pints a week aslong as he controls his calories. Just curious about this and other serious calorie counters. How does the likes of ready made food affect you (ie when you go out for dinner and your food arrives on a plate with no access to a scales) or when you go for drink, do you keep a steady track of what you've consumed. Obviouly others tend to montior it more loosely than others, but just wondering how the serious counters go about it?

Cheers

I have a scales and after a few weeks of measuring, you'll have a fair idea whats contained in food. You can check online what the typical calorie content of takeaway meals are. Very often I'll have an Indian and that would certainly be up around the 2500 cal mark with the volume of food I eat there. I've learned to do this over time and its never failed me. When I'm drinking, I tend to get boloxed but only very occassionaly so I never really include this in my calories. If I did it more often I would. Calorie counting becomes very easy but remains tedious. I believe that when you are approaching lower levels of bodyfat (10% or less) then calorie counting takes on added significance.

dioltas

Where do ye buy ye'r scales. how much would you get a set for?

Cookie_Monster

rubadub wrote: »

My 30pints...

Animal
:pac::D

rubadub

dioltas wrote: »

Where do ye buy ye'r scales. how much would you get a set for?

Argos have loads. I would recommend a salter digital one.

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=30001&langId=-1&q=SALTER+SCALE&pp=20&c_1=1|category_root|Kitchen+and+laundry|12160029

€13.50 is the cheapest salter one, which is suprisingly cheap since they are a decent brand.

dioltas

rubadub wrote: »

Argos have loads. I would recommend a salter digital one.

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=30001&langId=-1&q=SALTER+SCALE&pp=20&c_1=1|category_root|Kitchen+and+laundry|12160029

€13.50 is the cheapest salter one, which is suprisingly cheap since they are a decent brand.

Thanks, that's fairly sweet. Might pick one up during the week. For some reason I expected a digital one would be €50+.