This is part 3 of the “3 part calorie counting series“.
With this final post, I’m going to address the final disconnect. This is the the simple fact that despite knowing how many calories one needs, people simply over-estimate the amount they eat.
I’ve talked about how some people under-estimate their calories is the post “How many calories are you burning?”, and this time I’m just going to say one thing: People suck at estimating calories just by looking at the food.
To support this, let’s have some pretty pictures.
Try to guess the calories before looking the the value followed up below.
First up:
Fresh Harvest
Yup, that’s an entire plate of tomatoes, about 1.1 kilos worth. Estimated Calories: 200kcal max
Next Up:
Hot Chocolate
Yum, Hot Chocolate. The glass is only about 250ml, but..Estimated Calories: 500kcal (without the cream, 300kcal. Yup, that’s what 20g of fat looks like)
Next, let’s have something more complicated:
Complicated stuff, which is a danger, hidden fats all around the place. I can’t even give a good estimate for it, since I did not prepare it myself, but anyway…Estimated Calories: 700-900kcal
Next, a household staple in the west…
That’s a 450g porterhouse steak. Using the values @ caloriecount.com for raw porterhouse steak, this puts the calories at 173/85×450 = 915kcal (for the meat alone). Including the oil, etc used to cook it, I’d say…Estimated Calories: 1050-1200kcal (depending on how much oil was used in cooking)
Alright, lets make things simpler, one of New York’s favourite foods:
Bagels!
This time I’m sure of the calories. Total weight of bagels = 300g (yup these are DENSE). Estimated Calories: 750kcal (And that’s not counting the cream cheese and what not)
Next up, something natural:
That is 1kg of potatoes (weighed when raw), a heck load for anyone to eat, however…Estimated Calories: 750kcal. Basically, 1kg of potatoes = 2 large bagels in caloric value.
And lastly, how could I leave out:
Image Credit: Poofy
The King of Hamburgers, (or at least the most commonly seen) the Big Mac. Calories (taken from websites): 480-550kcal depending on where in the world you are.
So Here’s the Summary
A big mac tops out at 550kcal, while a 450g restaurant steak is twice that.
1.1kg of tomatoes gives about 200kcal.
1kg of potatoes (raw, the weight changes depending on how you cook them) is calorically equivalent to 2 large bagels.
Hot chocolate is super high in calories for a small serving, because of the high fat content.
Complicated foods make for complicated estimates, leading to high uncertainties.
And Here’s the Take Home Message
Firstly, the more complicated a dish is, the harder it is to estimate its caloric value.
That aside, I’m sure its much easier to eat 2 bagels as compared to 1 kilogram of potatoes.
A big mac seems unhealthy, yet it is the caloric equivalent of a 225g steak. Try eating the big mac and then eating the steak, which would you have avoided?
All in all, I hope this makes you want to re-think how many calories there are in food, and never claim to know the values until you actually weigh the foods and compare these to standard tables of caloric values. Also, I hope this tells you to never trust your gut instinct on guessing calories, chances are that you are wrong.
The good thing is, that once you get the knack for it, it would be possible to give yourself reasonable assumptions, but most people simply SUCK.
And finally, I would end by saying, calories aren’t everything. Good health isn’t just about counting calories. However, obesity can develop only one way, and that is ingesting more calories than you burn. Given the huge scale of obesity and the cost to the economy it already brings, it would be wise to finally know what you’re eating by adding a number to it.
That, is what counting calories is for.
Related posts:
- How to Count Calories This is part 2 of the “3 part calorie counting...
- Why Count Calories This is part 1 of the “3 part calorie counting...
- What to Do if You’re Eating out on a Diet – Moderation is Key “Everything in Moderation”, was what I remember hearing from my...
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