Why does weight loss have to be for rocket-scientists?

sirant

sirant

New member
Hi all,

I just wanted to see if I am the only one noticing this. Ever wonder why some companies make their nutritional information so damn deceptive and/or complicated? Let me explain.

This morning I was looking for a quick little protein boost and looked at a package of dried soy milk powder. I knew it was sweetened so I wanted to see what I was looking at for calories. But damn it, why do I need a frickin calculator to figure out such things? Here is what I mean:

The package is 560 grams made up of 20 individual packets you mix with hot water. The calories are measured per 100 grams, not per serving. So first you have to figure out how much a single serving is, then how many calories are involved.... and it leads to all sorts of funky non-round numbers.

I would assume that each packet is 28 grams (based on the overal weight). Therefore one packet does not easily go into their 100 gram measurement.

So if it is 1500-2300 Kj (nice spread too....) for 100 grams, then it should be 15-23 kj per gram. So in other words 420-640kj per packet. Then converting to calories brings it to 100-154 cal. Oy! I guess there really is a reason we learn mathmateics in school....

So on top of making sure I am not eating too many calories to gain weight, and eating enough calories to not go into starvation mode, I have to go through frickin hoops just to find out what is in the food in the first place?

Anyone know of any particular reason they make it so difficult? I know this is not an exception. Would it not make more sense to provide the information about the serving itself? Instead of the information based on 3.57 servings of their product?? Perhaps it is simply an attempt to get people to eat more without thinking about it. Either way it sure is annoying.....

Grumble mumble..... My apologises for ranting. It just seems so stupid sometimes the things we must do to be health conscious... I just wanted breakfast damn it! Ah well....

Good Morning to everyone otherwise!

:)

sirant
 
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Hi.
I also find it annoying that only a few products indicate the number of calories per serving. I think companies are required by law to indicate the nutritional information per 100 grams/mililitres.
 
A word from one of the other sides of the world..
To survive the above mentioned problems I do the following:
I have kitchen scales. I use a spreadsheet program for calculating everything I put in my mouth. I've made a form, where I enter the weight of the ingredient in 100 grams and the nutritional information per 100g in the package or (for fruit and veg etc.) given by an independent source (health authorities etc.). And my ss counts the nutrients in what I eat. I also have a form for counting the total info for home cooked things (soup, pasta sauce, casserole..). Get it in my diary: http://weight-loss.fitness.com/weig...liette-cross-training-romeo-5.html#post215688
This one does the trick for you, I think. :D
Feel free to ask questions, if you need..
Juliette
PS. We don't use any kind of info per serving here, since the servings tend to vary soooo much if you don't weigh them. So when I sometimes get a product (usually from US or Far East) with the info by serving but no info on the serving size in my hands I tend to get a little frustrated. So I kinda get how you feel..
 
I get frustrated too, especially when it's something that most people would consume in one sitting...aka a serving, but they divided by wierd numbers. Totally annoying.
 
haha yeah ive noticed that on packets
or when the serving size is 3 cookies or whatever it is instead of the 1.
 
You do have to be careful about what packets quote as a 'serving' cerial packets are one of my pet peeves, "A 30g serving has X calories", when I measured out 30g it was about half a bowl! and I dont use big bowls! Nobody pouring their own serving is going to use that much...
This is why I switched to eating wheetabix, 2 biscuits, easy to do by eye :D
 
If you want I can maybe program up something for windows that will do the math for you, but it may mean checking all your food ahead of time as part of meal planning.
 
Thanks for the offer!

KissMyHuman said:
If you want I can maybe program up something for windows that will do the math for you, but it may mean checking all your food ahead of time as part of meal planning.
Click to expand...

But I dont really need something to add it up for me, its just silly that it is so annoying to begin with. :) The math isnt the problem, nor is the actual work of doing it, its just simply the fact that manufacturers could, but don't, make it easy for us.

For example, if the single serving packages are 28g why give caloric intake on 100g? I know there are industry standards and such, doesn't mean I have to like them. :) If I owned that company.... :)))

Thanks again though, I am currently compiling my own list of the most common foods I eat and figuring out the calories of each based on my consumption and serving sizes. I am trying to make my diet as consistent as possible these days so I can identify trouble areas. Once that is done it is downhill. Now I know for example that the 28g packets of sweetened powdered soy milk are 100-150 calories each (time to buy unsweetened) and can now work them into my daily calories.

And you are right, meal planning is the key. Based on the fact I finally kicked my month long plateau, it must be working....

sirant
 
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kitchen scale and fitday... god i love fitday. enter a custom food, indicating what the label says in grams is the seving size... from that point on just weight it first then enter how many grams in fitday and it does the work for you! god i love this program!
 
Yet more praise for fitday.....

RJAZ520 said:
kitchen scale and fitday... god i love fitday. enter a custom food, indicating what the label says in grams is the seving size... from that point on just weight it first then enter how many grams in fitday and it does the work for you! god i love this program!
Click to expand...

Well, I am sold! Whether I use it religiously or not, whats $20....?

However I did notice that if you go to buy the program first, without using the free online calculator it is $29.99. But once you sign up for the online one it becomes $20. Interesting, but I will take it!

Thanks so much!

sirant
 
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