Counting fruits and veggies?

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  • taylan14
    taylan14 Posts: 34 Member
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    I think it depends on what "program" you are following. If you are counting calories - then YES - COUNT ALL CALORIES. If you are doing WW Points - then follow that. I have done both - and I must say - I am convinced I enjoy calorie counting the most :flowerforyou:
  • suzanzale
    suzanzale Posts: 14 Member
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    One can add a lot of sugar with fruit. Green veggies - free - okay. Fruit -free-no. My opinion.
  • marqcutie80
    marqcutie80 Posts: 68 Member
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    Yes...because this isn't WW. IMO, it's better. I have done both and prefer MFP much more, and I have done and continue to do better on MFP. I find it much easier to stick to, but that's just me. Fruits and veggies have calories, so why wouldn't you count them?
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
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    yes u record everything u eat
  • pushyourself14
    pushyourself14 Posts: 275 Member
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    You should absolutely count them - it's food; if you eat it, you should count it... Fruits and veggies still have calories, carbs, and sugar in them.
  • JudithEssex
    JudithEssex Posts: 34 Member
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    I agree with the consensus: if you are counting calories - then count them. I did WW as well, and loved that fruits and veggies were "free." However, this i snot the point system, where those variations are taken into account.

    I am trying for a balanced diet - not SO many fruits and enough veggies. MFP helps me do this better than WW did. Although I also like WW.

    I can get extremely off balance, and have noticed many times that eating enough protein, diary, fruits and veggies, fats and so forth helped me curb my appetite.
  • rebbylicious
    rebbylicious Posts: 621 Member
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    this isn't weight watchers- this promotes a healthy lifestyle.
  • sunshyncatra
    sunshyncatra Posts: 598 Member
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    Of course! They are food! It would look like I was starving myself if I didn't count them.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,449 Member
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    Count them! That being said, I have no problems if I guesstimate or eyeball my lettuce or peppers or whatever. If I am off by a few tablespoons of chopped onions or 1/5 cup of lettuce, it is not going to make or break my calorie goal of the day.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
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    This isn't weight watchers...and everything has calories except water. Count em.
  • chelseascounter
    chelseascounter Posts: 1,283 Member
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    I always count fruits and veggies. Even celery and spinach.
  • Brownsbacker4evr
    Brownsbacker4evr Posts: 365 Member
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    Do what works for you. If you successfully lose weight without counting them, then I say good work, you are doing something right. But for me, me personally--not anyone else, i'd call it a copout and just look at it as me trying to cut corners.

    But I am aware the WW doesn't count fruit, which is interesting.
  • xx_taytayy_xx
    xx_taytayy_xx Posts: 1 Member
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    Yes, I think it's important to count fruits & vegetables. Mainly, in my case, due to the fact that almost all fruits & vegetables carry some amount of natural sugar in them. Excess sugar = weight gain. Hence, the need to take into count these foods. I follow 2 fruits and 2-3 vegetables per day & still have lost a lot of weight by doing this. Works for me!
  • egrusy
    egrusy Posts: 196 Member
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    I'm going to go against the flow just a "little" bit (don't hurt me please folks)...I was on WW many years ago and veggies didn't count so I stayed with that on MFP (not those categorized as starchy veggies such as corn of course). I still lost the pound a week I had plugged in to MFP, keeping my calories where they suggested without counting the veggies. BUT, I didn't go bananas over it either. A small salad I consider a free pass (except for the non-veggie things such as dressing and croutons), a giant mixing bowl full of it not so much. What works for you works for YOU, you just need to keep an eye on things and adjust as need be.

    I shall now quickly run away and hide.

    ETA: When I was in WW, you had to count fruits, just not veggies
  • MexicanOsmosis
    MexicanOsmosis Posts: 382 Member
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    You should count everything including herbs and spices. Individually they may not mean much but it all adds up eventually. More importantly, though, is maintaining the discilpine of tracking everything and logging daily.

    ^^This. I made some chicken chili and decided to add all the spices I used because I was curious. Chili powder and cayenne pepper added calories and others added sodium.
  • lizzzylou
    lizzzylou Posts: 325
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    What has more calories?
    1000 calories of apples or 1000 calories of candy?

    Oh I know this! Pick me pick me!!
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    If you're doing WW then don't count them, but if you're using MFP you really should. Even on WW my previous leader always asked about amounts (of fruit especially) people were eating if they stayed the same or gained and didn't know why. I believe the suggestion was 2-3 servings of fruit with the rest made up of veggies. Eating an entire bag of grapes, a pound of strawberries, two bananas, and some water melon isn't really wise in Points talk either and logging say 2 servings of baby carrots will earn you points if you eat them at one time. Counting points isn't the same as counting calories so the answer depends on what you're doing I guess.
  • snaapz
    snaapz Posts: 41 Member
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    I'm on a low carb diet (120g per day) so I find that an apple and banana chew up too many carbs (no room for fun); but we need fruit for nutrients and vitamins.

    So I stopped counting (1) fruit a day whether it be an apple or banana. I then count any other fruits I eat. I'm still losing weight!

    So I encourage (1) free fruit a day!!! As long as it's not a whole watermelon.

    With Weight Watchers Points Plus fruit is free because people stopped wasting points on healthy foods and use the points on unhealthy food. I'd rather half a chocolate bar over an apple!!!


  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    They do have calories just like other food. I would just log everything you eat- even fruits or vegetables.

    If you prefer WW than stick with that but since you are here may b e that hasn't been working out for you.

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