I tried counting calories several times, it is an exercise in frustration, TBH. So I quit.
Calories Burned
Instead, I decided to count calories burned. I worked out my BMR, then recorded my weight at a starting point. Since I was already exercising and had lost a bit of weight, I was able to determine how much weight I’d lost with a simple formula in calorific terms.
So if my starting weight is 100kgs, and my BMR is 1975 (assuming height is 1.75m), then losing 10kgs means I burned about 77000 calories more than I consumed. Over a 100 days, that means I’d have a total energy output of about 2745 calories per day estimated or approx. 770 calories more per day. (BMR Calculator)
- Weight Lost = Start (100kgs) – Now (90kgs) = 10kgs.
- Calories Burned = 10kgs * 7700 calories = 77000 calories burned.
- Calories Burned Per Day = 77000 / # of days (100) = 770 calories per day.
- BMR + Calories Burned = 770 +1975 = 2745 calories per day.
If I’d lost less than that, I’d know that I was consuming more than my BMR. The numbers will never be exact, but it’s informative enough to know if one’s eating right. I’ve tracked a discrepancy between weight lost and calories burned for quite a while, it’s never exact.
There are flaws in the assumptions: that BMR is always the same (it’s not: it decreases with weight loss); that calories burned is constant; and that calories are always processed the same by your body (they’re not).
Portion Control
In terms of food, anything that is highly processed is likely stuffed with calories: fried, preserved, iced, fatty… it doesn’t matter. You will learn to tell pretty much just by looking whether something is high calorie or not. If you need a yardstick, just look at the lunch boxes in 7-11. They typically range around 500~600 calories, though sometimes more. Salad boxes are typically around 200 calories (inc. dressing). Sandwiches range from 200~300 calories, occasionally more.
If you’re going to eat high calorie foods, then portion control will become essential. Realize what portion sizes means here, and you’ll realize that bento boxes from small stores can easily top 1,000 calories for a meal. Add in egg roll and soybean milk for breakfast, and an iced milk tea with boba during the day… that’ll be approaching 3,000 calories a day. Easily.
Calories in Chinese
While many products have nutritional details on the back of the box, learning to read them is a pain. However, Google is at hand. Take a photo of it with your phone, then run it through Google Lens >>> Translate. You’ll be able to get the basics that way, and you’ll become familiar slowly with the characters for the nutrition you want.
This is a nutritional label that highlights the basic data for ice cream. It tells you that each portion is 75grams, and there are five portions in this pack. Co-pilot translated this HaagenDazs label for me:
- Per Serving (????):
- Serving Size: 75 grams
- Energy (??): 235 kcal
- Protein (???): 3 grams
- Fat (??): 15 grams
- Saturated Fat (????): 8 grams
- Trans Fat (????): 0.2 grams
- Carbohydrates (?????): 22 grams
- Sugars (?): 20 grams
Remember that these values are approximate and based on the provided label. Often, though restaurants do not provide nutritional estimates… so the best you can do is familiarize yourself with the products in the supermarket that equate to the restaurant food you’re eating and study those nutritional labels.
Remember: if it tastes good, it’s probably higher in calories! Hah! I just rewatched the Frozen Yogurt episode of Seinfeld. The Non-Fat Yogurt – Wikipedia
Good luck