Caloric Accounting for Fatty Meats

[Shrew2u]

Whilst inputting my menu into my blog, I realized that I was overstating the calories I consume when I list the raw weight of a fatty meat in Nutrition Data, for two reasons. One is normal - as the meat cooks, the fat will render and will either end up getting tossed or (when it's bacon fat) in the Cup o' Drippings. One is a personal quirk particular to bacon - I can't stand the texture of solid animal fat, so I will strip the meat off of the fat. Not a huge problem since I eat back bacon, but there's still a bit of fat to strip.

So, I have a general question - how do you record your fatty meats in FitDay/FatSecret/Nutrition Data?

(Disclaimer: This is a purely technical question. I am not attempting to restrict my caloric intake. Don't you dare use this question to start a flame war over low-cal v low-carb...my ghost will haunt you!)

[Georgiana]

Re: Caloric Accounting for Fatty Meats

So, I have a general question - how do you record your fatty meats in FitDay/FatSecret/Nutrition Data?

I enter them raw and don't worry about calories too much. I only play with my caloric intake and percentages when I need to troubleshoot.

[Shrew2u]

Re: Caloric Accounting for Fatty Meats

Fair enough, G. Today is just one of those days wherein my planned caloric intake (1824) is barely below my estimated daily caloric needs (1875 for a sedentary old fat broad like myself), but my actual intake may be 150+ calories lower due to the loss of all that lovely bacon fat. Of course, the immediate fix is to EAT MOAR FAT, but it piqued my interest as to how others deal with their food logs.

[mizski]

Re: Caloric Accounting for Fatty Meats

So, I have a general question - how do you record your fatty meats in FitDay/FatSecret/Nutrition Data?

My food logs are not accurate in this area. I also don't like solid animal fat and trim ALL of it off...sometimes before cooking but mostly after. So, if I use the fatty cut listing in FitDay it won't be that accurate when I actually eat it. I use a Foreman grill for burgers and the fat drips away so that listing is off too.

I guess I don't worry about this too much. It affects the calorie/fats numbers but not the carbs which I watch like a hawk. I use a non-scientific method for calorie/fats called guesstimating. With things like steak or chops where the fat is trimmed off, I consider it more like a leaner meat and have some more fat. Same thing for ground meats on the Foreman. Ground meat in recipes where a lot of the fat stays, no added fat. Not precise, but the best I can do.

With bacon, if the fat is crisped up I eat it; if not, I pick it off. I just use the package data for the bacon which is probably not accurate once it gets to my mouth.

(Disclaimer: This is a purely technical question. I am not attempting to restrict my caloric intake. Don't you dare use this question to start a flame war over low-cal v low-carb...my ghost will haunt you!)

LOVED the disclaimer.