mental_floss magazine
SUBSCRIBE >
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS >
DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS >
subscriber services >

After years of relentless eating, I recently signed up for Weight Watchers. A Friday afternoon brainstorm put me over the edge. With minimal assistance from Mangesh and Jenny, I ingested a whole bag of Sun Chips. The big bag. It wasn’t pretty.
That was mid-April. And so far, so good. While we’ve yet to have an ab sighting, I’ve lost ten pounds and grown super sensitive to calorie counts and fat content. Today’s quiz focuses on the former. I’ve looked up the nutritional information for several of my (former) favorite foods—do you know which item has more calories?
Take the Quiz: Counting Calories. Then let us know how you did.
Only missed one…I know my calories…and how to consume LOTS of them. (Knowledge does NOT equal eating right!)
posted by Beth on 5-28-2008 at 10:43 am
While this quiz proves that I do not pay attention at all to what’s in food (40% and mostly guessing), I will note that most of the items listed I have not or in a couple of cases will not consume.
I believe as I always have: Everything in moderation.
posted by ACute Angle on 5-28-2008 at 10:45 am
Got 7 out of 10 right. Good luck on WW. I am doing the online version and so far have lost 20lbs. It’s all about the points!
posted by JaneM on 5-28-2008 at 11:14 am
I got 70%, but please tell me these do not represent the choices you’re making, Jason. I’ve lost 35 pounds in recent months (my first serious attempt ever) but believe me – I haven’t been sitting down to a choice between triple cheeseburgers and loaded quesadillas, nor worried about “water” with 20 calories vs. 30. To each their own, but that would never work for me. Best of luck!
posted by B on 5-28-2008 at 11:42 am
WW is a crazy thing. I’ve lost 42 lbs this year (ridiculous!) and still find it easy to follow. That’s not to say that I didn’t eat half that weight in ribs and potato salad last weekend, though. Holidays are free days, right?
PS: recaptcha is ‘vegetable years’
Here’s hoping I reach mine. lol
posted by adrienne on 5-28-2008 at 11:48 am
B: Those choices represented old favorites. I’m allowed 31 Weight Watchers points a day. That chicken quesadilla is 32. I’m afraid that even looking up the Triple Whopper’s points value would disqualify me from the program.
posted by Jason English on 5-28-2008 at 12:00 pm
Wow I got 7 out of 10 right. The first three threw me off. Who would have known except I kinda suspected that the bran muffin had more calories based on the density of it.
posted by Christopher on 5-28-2008 at 12:36 pm
80% w00t! But then again, I have to count every calorie I eat for my doctor…
posted by kitsana_d on 5-28-2008 at 12:42 pm
100% and I don’t even eat any of that stuff. Maybe that’s why. Some I knew, some were educated guesses.
I know enough about nutrition to know that “low fat” does not necessarily mean low calories.
posted by Karen on 5-28-2008 at 1:37 pm
I got 2 out of 10!! Shows how many calories I count…
posted by Msh on 5-28-2008 at 1:46 pm
I got 0 out of 10 and I honestly have to say how proud I am that I don’t count calories and I get to enjoy whatever I eat, whenever :D
posted by Gellner on 5-28-2008 at 2:28 pm
I got 7 out of 10. Who would’ve thunk the weight watchers Ice Cream would’ve had as much as it did. And the chicken sandwiches weren’t fair. I blow raspberries in your general direction.
posted by Caroline on 5-28-2008 at 2:51 pm
I tried WW for a year and i lost weight but i just don’t have the self-control for it. Blah. I got 9/10 right. The astronaut ice cream threw me off.
posted by LyL on 5-28-2008 at 4:01 pm
i got a 90 also-i missed the last one, i figured that the astronaut stuff needed MORE calories….
posted by chihwikud on 5-28-2008 at 5:05 pm
7/10 and I don’t know much about counting calories! And I agree with one comment above, everything in moderation.. I did also go for the pink frosted donut but I thought that starbucks would have lots of evil in them, but I went against my instinct…
posted by Leanbeans on 5-28-2008 at 8:52 pm
80%.. missed the first two; they sounded like trick questions… I should’ve followed my gut! ;)
posted by tona b. on 5-28-2008 at 8:59 pm
I started WW online mid february and lost 15 pounds (I didn’t have a lot to lose…after that I just had 5 or so more pounds to go) and I stupidly convinced myself that weight watchers had taught me how to eat right and I didn’t need to count points, at least for the one month period between my boyfriends sisters wedding and my trip to new york.
how wrongggggggggg i was. i gained back ten pounds. if i don’t have the…accountability? that a weight loss program offers, i stuff my face. it’s all or nothing for me. i guess i’m in this weight watchers thing for the long haul.
that ice cream sandwich vs. glass of milk question wasn’t entirely fair; that looked like more than 8 ounces of milk.
posted by Kelly on 5-28-2008 at 9:35 pm
8 of 10 correct…..Most of those things I’ve never even heard of or we don’t have in our area. I’ve lost 50 pounds since last September by not eating stuff like that,except of course for the glass of milk.
posted by Cyndi on 6-1-2008 at 2:34 pm
I’m still a little surprised about the fireball being higher than the gum!
I got 6 out of 10.
posted by mamichelle on 7-1-2008 at 10:40 am
I got an 80% and a craving for astronaut ice cream! I was foiled by the bubble gum and the blizzard (which I thought might be a trick question)
posted by Kristine on 12-16-2008 at 2:32 pm