Question On Counting Up Daily Calories

First of all, thank you so much for the daily menu posts - I have learned so many great food ideas... and all of them tried and true by you wonderful peeps!

Here's my question:  In these daily menu posts at the bottom, most of you list your calorie total for the day (as well as protein, vitamins, etc.).  It's the calorie number I wanted to ask about.  

I've been using MyFitnessPal for about 3 weeks now, and I log EVERYTHING in there.  It was a real wake-up call for me from the way I was doing it by hand before.  By the time I add my chewable multi-vitamins (20 cals), my chewy Calcium Bites (45 cals), my Benefiber (can't live without that - 30 cals), VitaFusion Fiber Gummy Bears (need that, too - 10 cals), maybe a Diet Snapple (15 cals), Crystal Lite (10 cals), Unsweetened Cashew Milk for my protein drinks (25 cals)... etc, etc, etc... it adds about ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY extra calories to my daily food intake.  It's frustrating!

Do y'all count this, too... or do you just count the food items in your daily menu posts?

Its in my plan that I count everything. A calorie, is a calorie no matter its source. So I count them all. I have heard of people not counting their vitamins because they are usually minimal but the Milk and Snapple and CL you should definitely be counting. That being said there are a lot of people who do not count calories at all. So really it depends on your plan.

Thanks, Triksy, and good luck tomorrow!

I have never counted vitamin or mineral calories. I never counted calories period until I reached maintenance and then only when I am up a few pounds. Since I take my vitamins and supplements daily, that part never changes, so I never include them. By trial and error, I know how many I need to maintain and how many I need to cut back to lose. 

I have never counted my calories officially... I have done periods on MFP so I knew my range at those times. I never added my vitamins. If you are counting calories, I think a range is better... My surgeon only wants us counting protein and water/fluids... so far that has been great for me.

I count every single thing. I think all my supplements add up to about 53 calories a day. Some of those calcium chews have a LOT of calories -- you could get over 150 calories a day just from calcium.

If you are going to count, count it all.

I count it all through MFP. Keeps me in check.

Good question!  I count everything....and I, too, was shocked about the little "extras"....I also watch my carbs, sugars and of course proteins.  

I think it is really important to have a record for a number of reasons.  If you are in a stall you can see if your calories or carbs crept u*****w I am trying to go on maintenance and have been so used to keeping my calories so low, I keep loosing weight even if I think I have eaten more calories...

A good new life long habit to develop, I think!

Good luck!

Joan

If you don't count it your hips will.

Thanks for all the great input, gang.  I really appreciate your time.

I do count it all, but like I said it's frustrating!  For example:  Yesterday my food intake was only 1 Premier Protein Drink, a Laughing Cow Wedge, 1/2 of a L&F Yogurt, 2 ounces of dark meat chicken (carefully weighed), and a S/F Jello.  By MFP - those calories are only 353.  

But when I add in my vitamins, calcium, fiber supplements, 1 Snapple and 1 glass of Crystal Lite... it comes to 488.  That's what I put in the menu thread when I post.  I guess I just wanted to justify why the calorie amount looks so high for the amount of food I'm listing, and wondered if everyone did the same.

Anyway... thanks again (you can see I get a little overly meticulous about some of this stuff, but I like doing things strictly by the book!)