Losing Weight Now Requires Advanced Math Degrees

I’m trying to lose weight and I’m doing it the old fashioned way – counting calories. But when did counting calories become so difficult? You now have to have an advanced degree in mathematics to be able to figure it out. For example, here is the following information on a box of Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop Kettle Korn:

Calories – 3 Tablespoons, unpopped – 140 calories
Calories – 1 cup popped, 15 calories
Serving size – 3 Tablespoons unpopped, makes about 7.5 cups popped
Servings per bag – about 2

First of all, who eats unpopped popcorn? So why do I care? But then let’s figure out those calories. On one line it says “amount per serving, 1 cup popped 15 calories”. But it says on another line “servings per bag – about 2”. But that was right after it said “serving size 3 Tablespoons, makes about 7.5 cups popped”.

So is it 15 calories per serving or 140? Are there 2 servings per bag or 15? If I eat the whole bag is that 280 calories or 30?

Compared to what you get at the movies, one bag is a very small serving so a half bag is nothing. But then my cereal considers a serving 2/3 of a cup of cereal with a ½ cup of milk. I can’t even put that into a cereal bowl without it looking empty. I have to eat it out of a condiment dish. Of course, then I’m hungry an hour later.

You have to be careful and not assume. That frozen dinner that looks like a serving for one is actually 2.5 servings. So is that small can of soup. You have to budget your day very carefully or you end up with a dinner I had last week – a protein bar and a glass of wine.