Not logging fruits & veggies?

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  • lisafrancis888
    lisafrancis888 Posts: 119 Member
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    When I make myself a salad at home I tend to use the same amounts...ie four cherry tomatoes etc. once I've logged them once it's easy to tick them off next time.
  • Sweet_Pea4
    Sweet_Pea4 Posts: 447 Member
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    Yes I think that's the whole point of tracking. You should track everything you eat to reach your goals.
  • linamisiute
    linamisiute Posts: 124 Member
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    Thanks for clarifications. Even if some of you have an attitude problems...
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited March 2015
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    arditarose wrote: »
    linamisiute wrote: »
    It just a question, i dont think fruits or veggies will make you gain weight or make you fat!
    I was asking that because my friend on weight watchers and they don't count fruits and veggies( im not talking here about high calories veggies like avocados and potatoes) .

    No food in particular makes you fat. Eating over maintenance causes you to gain weight. If you're eating at maintenance, and then you add a few hundred calories in fruit every day-you will gain weight.

    I don't know what's up with weight watchers.

    I think WW gives you fewer calories (through the bizarre points system) and then free fruits and veggies with the thought that you will fill up on those and it will encourage you to eat more. I hate the idea that people eat more if free and not if you log--I think it encourages a distinction between "bad" and "good" foods and the idea that logging foods is bad and eating (or logging) less is more. I like to think of my log as a picture of what I eat where I encourage myself to eat (and log) foods, not merely a record of calories (so adding food is a generally positive thing, as it contributes to my health or enjoyment).

    In addition to just wanting to be accurate, it's another reason why logging everything is important.

    Also, it's quite possible to get lots of calories from apples or even brussels sprouts, as others have said. I too estimate greens from time to time.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    linamisiute wrote: »
    Thanks for clarifications. Even if some of you have an attitude problems...

    LOL post a thread and complains about the comments.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
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    If you add up the calories of the daily WW points on the current program, you will see that the daily calorie amount is lower - this is to leave a buffer for what they think you will eat in fruits and veggies. They're not really free - it's just a different system.

    I don't find it too irritating when I make my own salad - I make each one individually - so I usually just use even amounts (i.e. 50 g of each veggie) I don't worry if one is 49g and one is 53g - the calorie count on veggies is so low that if I'm off by a gram or two it won't matter much.
  • Josalinn
    Josalinn Posts: 1,066 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    linamisiute wrote: »
    It just a question, i dont think fruits or veggies will make you gain weight or make you fat!
    I was asking that because my friend on weight watchers and they don't count fruits and veggies( im not talking here about high calories veggies like avocados and potatoes) .

    No food in particular makes you fat. Eating over maintenance causes you to gain weight. If you're eating at maintenance, and then you add a few hundred calories in fruit every day-you will gain weight.

    I don't know what's up with weight watchers.

    I think WW gives you fewer calories (through the bizarre points system) and then free fruits and veggies with the thought that you will fill up on those and it will encourage you to eat more. I hate the idea that people eat more if free and not if you log--I think it encourages a distinction between "bad" and "good" foods and the idea that logging foods is bad and eating (or logging) less is more. I like to think of my log as a picture of what I eat where I encourage myself to eat (and log) foods, not merely a record of calories (so adding food is a generally positive thing, as it contributes to my health or enjoyment).

    I tried weight watchers several years. They give you a fair amount less calories (I calculated out my points into calories). Personally I found the point system more confusing than straight up counting calories and then I found MFP. And it was FREE!

    I didn't lose any weight on WW and I think it was because I ate a lot of fruit, that I didn't count. Also WW only gives you like 5 free fruits or something a day.

    Right now my lunch is an apple, banana, kiwi and an egg and all of that is about 300 calories. So if I ate to deficit and then had that lunch I would really be eating at maintenance.

    It sucks to weigh all the parts of a salad. But if you are making it at home you can just throw the bowl on the scale, zero it out and just keep track as you add.
  • meremaid2014
    meremaid2014 Posts: 18
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    linamisiute wrote: »
    Its just so annoying when you have to do a salad to weight and count everyyyything...

    If you make the same salad every day, weigh/measure it once and create it as a "recipe." Then you can easily add it without having to type in all the numbers again and again. And if every day you eat a red bell pepper in your salad, you don't HAVE to weigh it every time. Weigh it once and log it. Then the next time, even if the pepper is sliiiiightly bigger or sliiiightly smaller, it's close enough. Veggies like that have such a low calorie content that I think a little estimation can be healthier than being totally rigid!

    I make different salads all the time, so I just leave a half cup measure next to my cutting board, and cut bell peppers until I fill it, then dump in the salad bowl. Then cut carrots until I fill it, etc. It takes a few extra minutes, but it isn't too bad. Weight Watchers is a different system, MFP requires you to count all your calories. Frankly, I enjoy it because I often find myself surprised at the nutritional content of my meals. It isn't that vegetables aren't good for you, but you can still overdo it.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    linamisiute wrote: »
    It just a question, i dont think fruits or veggies will make you gain weight or make you fat!
    I was asking that because my friend on weight watchers and they don't count fruits and veggies( im not talking here about high calories veggies like avocados and potatoes) .

    No food in particular makes you fat. Eating over maintenance causes you to gain weight. If you're eating at maintenance, and then you add a few hundred calories in fruit every day-you will gain weight.

    I don't know what's up with weight watchers.

    I think WW gives you fewer calories (through the bizarre points system) and then free fruits and veggies with the thought that you will fill up on those and it will encourage you to eat more. I hate the idea that people eat more if free and not if you log--I think it encourages a distinction between "bad" and "good" foods and the idea that logging foods is bad and eating (or logging) less is more. I like to think of my log as a picture of what I eat where I encourage myself to eat (and log) foods, not merely a record of calories (so adding food is a generally positive thing, as it contributes to my health or enjoyment).

    In addition to just wanting to be accurate, it's another reason why logging everything is important.

    Also, it's quite possible to get lots of calories from apples or even brussels sprouts, as others have said. I too estimate greens from time to time.

    I didn't see your post when I added mine. :)

    The OLD WW FlexPoints system was better, IMHO - it assigned a points value based on calories per serving (more complicated than that, it also took into account fiber and fat). Most fruits, except for bananas and avocado, if I recall correctly, were 1 point PER SERVING. Bananas were 2 points. Strawberries had a larger serving size but were still 1 point.

    Most veggies, except for peas, carrots, and corn, I think - were less than 50 calories per serving so they were given a 0 points value. They did make it clear that it is per serving. Peas, corn, and carrots, (I think carrots...I forget, it's been so long) were 1 point per serving.

    This new system makes no sense to me and seems more complex than the old one. I bet they came up with it because the Flex system was easy to research and figure it out without having to join WW and pay their fees. Changing the system made it new and hard to search the web for rogue information leaks and making people join to learn how to use it. LOL that's my suspicion anyway.

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Yeah, that old way makes more sense to me too.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I hate the idea that people eat more if free and not if you log--I think it encourages a distinction between "bad" and "good" foods and the idea that logging foods is bad and eating (or logging) less is more. I like to think of my log as a picture of what I eat where I encourage myself to eat (and log) foods, not merely a record of calories (so adding food is a generally positive thing, as it contributes to my health or enjoyment).

    The upside to the WW system is that it encourages people to get in the habit of eating more fruits and veggies. This may be better for a lot of people in the long run than simply logging points with WW's.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    ahamm002 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I hate the idea that people eat more if free and not if you log--I think it encourages a distinction between "bad" and "good" foods and the idea that logging foods is bad and eating (or logging) less is more. I like to think of my log as a picture of what I eat where I encourage myself to eat (and log) foods, not merely a record of calories (so adding food is a generally positive thing, as it contributes to my health or enjoyment).

    The upside to the WW system is that it encourages people to get in the habit of eating more fruits and veggies. This may be better for a lot of people in the long run than simply logging points with WW's.

    Yup when I started my weight lost journey last year in April. The bold was my first habit to start.

  • scottacular
    scottacular Posts: 597 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I don't log vegetables, they're so low calorie it's never been a problem. Always log fruit though, look at the nutritionals for a banana or avocado for example, you don't want to not log those sort of numbers. For simplicity you could just take your carb macros target and take 10% off it for veg and leave it unlogged. But fruit really can't be ignored if you're trying to hit certain numbers.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    linamisiute wrote: »
    Its just so annoying when you have to do a salad to weight and count everyyyything...

    I admit that I do not weigh my leafy salad greens, but I log them. I do weigh and log the tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, etc that I put on my salad.

    I was in WW before they started the free fruit and veggie thing. At the time, most non-starchy veggies were 0 points but things like peas and corn and all fruit had points.

  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    linamisiute wrote: »
    Thanks for clarifications. Even if some of you have an attitude problems...

    tactless =/= attitude problems.

    tact-2.gif
  • ghettofarmchik22
    ghettofarmchik22 Posts: 2
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    I don't count fruits and veggies. As long as they are raw and I don't add anything to them. I use to do weight watchers, because of money reasons I decided to switch to mfp. I just lowered my calorie intake by 200 to help balance it out. But I don't think if your diet is 75% raw fruits and veggies you would gain weight. Look at vegan diets they have to eat mass quantities of fruit, vegetabls, and nuts. Just saying
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited March 2015
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    ahamm002 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I hate the idea that people eat more if free and not if you log--I think it encourages a distinction between "bad" and "good" foods and the idea that logging foods is bad and eating (or logging) less is more. I like to think of my log as a picture of what I eat where I encourage myself to eat (and log) foods, not merely a record of calories (so adding food is a generally positive thing, as it contributes to my health or enjoyment).

    The upside to the WW system is that it encourages people to get in the habit of eating more fruits and veggies. This may be better for a lot of people in the long run than simply logging points with WW's.

    Maybe, but I don't think it really teaches them about creating a balanced diet.

    What I dislike is the idea that if a food is "good" there's no need to log it (as if it doesn't have calories) and the seeming equation between "good" and assumed low calories. And, especially, the idea that the only reason to log would be to keep track of calories, which should be kept at a minimum. IMO, logging is more likely to encourage you to eat more, if you think of actively trying to get more (and get a variety too).

    I log to keep track of whether I'm getting enough of various things, like protein and fiber and fruits and veggies, so not logging them would not allow me to count. My thought is that it's better to see the goal as a positive one--actively trying to eat things that are good for you--and not merely avoiding calories.

    Beyond that, of course, it's best to be accurate and be able to see what you really ate in a particular day. If you were really hungry one day and ate few veggies and felt great another where you ate more, you couldn't see it if you never logged them.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    ghettofarmchik22 wrote: »
    I don't count fruits and veggies. As long as they are raw and I don't add anything to them. I use to do weight watchers, because of money reasons I decided to switch to mfp. I just lowered my calorie intake by 200 to help balance it out. But I don't think if your diet is 75% raw fruits and veggies you would gain weight. Look at vegan diets they have to eat mass quantities of fruit, vegetabls, and nuts. Just saying

    Vegans come in all shapes and sizes. Our food has calories, we can also put on extra weight.

  • sarahlifts
    sarahlifts Posts: 610 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I log everything. my 248 g apple has about 120 calories....track your food. Period. Weigh it, log it, eat it. Simple
  • kpw818
    kpw818 Posts: 113 Member
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    Occasionally, I will ignore a small amount of veggies (lettuce on top of a chipotle bowl, couple of cucumber slices), but not fruit. If you eat one cucumber slice, I don't see any reason in logging that.

    But, I am also logging for nutrition, not for weight loss.

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