Don't count salad

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Replies

  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    it may still have calories, but I honestly don't focus on them. Eating vegetables raw will not make you gain weight or throw you out of wack.

    No but thinking that you can have an unlimited amount of vegetables and not have to count the calories doesn't make sense because those calories WILL add up. And doing that will then lead you to over eat in general because you didn't account for the two peppers and 1 bag of carrots you ate.
  • pluckabee
    pluckabee Posts: 346 Member
    They still have calories but for most veggies the calories are SO negligible that if you didn't log them or just logged inaccurately, it would be made up for in the 5% margin of error you have on the calorie counts of ALL your other food OR the natural variance in your normal activity throughout the day.

    So I'm not going to waste my time counting every leaf that passes my lips.
  • bearkisses
    bearkisses Posts: 1,252 Member
    I know what the OP was going for, and here's the truth:

    I totally estimate my salads.

    I'm lazy. So my salads usually consist of lots of lettuce, some slices of tomato when we have them fresh from our back yard (like now), and half a bell pepper. Sometimes some cucumber. Then some protein on top. I don't use dressing.

    I use one of the "garden salads" already in the MFP data base and estimate for the actual raw vegetable part of the salad. Then I add accurate protein information and any other ingredient (like if I throw on sauteed mushrooms or onions or BBQ sauce that's on my chicken).

    So the raw part of my salad is about 50 calories. I don't care if I'm underestimating.

    If I munch on baby carrots (which I do often), I do not count them.

    Granted, I generally have a high deficit (which I'm working to lower, but that's another ED issue), but still. I just don't see how someone could be destroyed by eating lots of vegetables...unless they're deep fried or smothered in dip.

    this. I probably overestimate...but I am a recovering overeater, so I know I make up those cals elsewhere lol ;)
  • bearkisses
    bearkisses Posts: 1,252 Member
    it may still have calories, but I honestly don't focus on them. Eating vegetables raw will not make you gain weight or throw you out of wack.

    No but thinking that you can have an unlimited amount of vegetables and not have to count the calories doesn't make sense because those calories WILL add up. And doing that will then lead you to over eat in general because you didn't account for the two peppers and 1 bag of carrots you ate.

    this is false. Focusing ont he numbers actually drives me crazy and causes me to overeat!
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    No. I log everything.
  • BETIBOOPIES100
    BETIBOOPIES100 Posts: 2
    I just started counting everything in my salads...it seems to make me more accountable as to what I put in my salad. :happy:
  • bearkisses
    bearkisses Posts: 1,252 Member
    people need to do what works for them. I am on board with OP!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I count fruit and vegetables, but have never counted salad ingredients, i.e. lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, celery. Works for me. Anyone else do the same?

    I nearly always estimate and add all of them, but on occasion I will just quick add 50-100 calories, depending on how much I ate. But all of those things do add up.
  • pluckabee
    pluckabee Posts: 346 Member
    You have to employ common sense.

    Of course you log high fat items like cheese, dressing and nuts but a bit of lettuce? I'm not weighing that out. And if I have a whole bunch of different leaves in there im not figuring out how much of each I have. just say 100g of lettuce and get on with your life.
  • ladonna1119
    ladonna1119 Posts: 1
    I try and count everything as well and if I'm just not sure or feeling lazy about figuring the salad ingredients, I ensure that I'm under my allotted calories for the day. 11 weeks and just over 13 lbs. lost. Slow and steady wins the race.
  • Dharmafor1
    Dharmafor1 Posts: 32
    Even though lettuce isn't caloric dense, I try to log it as close as I can anyway. I wasn't logging things like black coffee which is technically zero calories but I have found when tracking sodium that everything seems to include it.
    Overall probably not a big deal but by keeping as close as possible with low caloric foods logging, it keeps me on track with remember to log everything. And fruits I definately make sure I log, because with all the fresh local summer produce I could load up on fresh fruit all day and easily push my carbs all out of whack!
  • RobynLB83
    RobynLB83 Posts: 626 Member
    I put tons if different veggies in most of my salads. If I don't feel like looking 1/8 cup of sprouts, 1/6 cucumber, 4 green beans, etc., which can be pretty tedious, I just add 50-100 calories and move on with my life. It's fine as long as you've been measuring and logging for long enough to estimate accurately, and you're weight is corresponding to the calorie totals your ultimately coming up with.
  • knityoupants
    knityoupants Posts: 76 Member
    The "copy meal" quick tool is really useful for salad and stir-fry if you make enough for a couple meals. Makes counting everything accurately a little less time-consuming, and holds you accountable to portions.
  • ghostrider1970
    ghostrider1970 Posts: 127 Member
    Tomatoes you should definitely log, they have more calories than lettuce, cucumber or celery.

    A whooping 20 calories for 100g... cucumber is 14.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    This isn't weight watchers.

    No it isn't. But, instead of points, this site counts calories, stresses macros, etc... So its not any better or worse, just different.
    Incorrect, weight watchers gives you points which does not allow you to eat based off of macros. This being said vegetables have carbs, fats, proteins, and fiber. Even weight watcher I'm sure factors in fiber because fiber per gram is like 2.5 calories per gram.

    I would say it's only different in the sense that MFP isn't a dumbed down version.
  • kathymhardy
    kathymhardy Posts: 267 Member
    I thought it was incredibly clear in context that she only meant the leaves and really low cal stuff that barely adds up to 50 calories.

    I think people just wanted to jump on someone and intentionally misinterpreted the question so they could criticise.

    Exactly - thank you and love you pluckabee :smile: And you too, Bearkisses :smile:
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    I count my vegetables, because I want credit, from myself, for eating them.
  • Amerielle
    Amerielle Posts: 153 Member
    I don't worry too much about logging veggies. Once in a while I've calculated my cals and it will add up to 50-100 or so. My weight gain or loss isn't riding on 100 calories. When such a day comes, I will reevaluate.

    I say do what works for you until it doesn't. I'm lazy like that I guess.
  • Derpina7
    Derpina7 Posts: 552 Member
    These bunnies don't count their salad:
    fat_fluffs_rabbits_470x312.jpg

    This squirrel logs his nuts:
    rippedsquirrel.jpg

    Hahah, awesome!
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
    "don't count salad"...


    as water.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    "don't count salad"...


    as water.


    I would count it as water, most of those vegetables have very high water content.
  • baptiste565
    baptiste565 Posts: 590 Member
    i do not log home made salads. i also dont log the 15cal dressing. trying not to get too anal with this logging thing.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    No matter what I eat for the lettuce portion of a salad, I tend to log it as 2 cups of 50-50 Mix.

    I will log Tomatoes, anything marinated or pickled (artichokes, pepperoncini, etc), carrots, dressing

    I don't bother logging cucumbers, green peppers - anything raw, low impact, and in small quantities.

    it seems accurate enough.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    Its salad. I don't count it, lettuce, salad dressing or taco salad. I'm not a marry.
    /thread.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    a salad can easily add up to 200-300 calories. I count EVERYTHING!

    by the time im done with the lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, onions, green / yellow / red / orange peppers, avocado, sprouts, jalapeno, garlic, and pomegranate seeds / juice for dressing... and in the amount of a mixing bowl... MY SALAD MUST BE LOGGED!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I thought it was incredibly clear in context that she only meant the leaves and really low cal stuff that barely adds up to 50 calories.

    I think people just wanted to jump on someone and intentionally misinterpreted the question so they could criticise.

    Exactly - thank you and love you pluckabee :smile: And you too, Bearkisses :smile:

    No, it's just confusing as hell. How can you say you count/log your veggies but NOT salads. What about salad's ingredients make it not log worthy...especially because most of it tends to be vegetables.
  • harleygroomer
    harleygroomer Posts: 373 Member
    HECK NO !!!!!!!!!!!! Do you have any idea what the count is in croutons?? dressing, tomatoes ???? IF I were going rabbit ( no dressing) I might provided all the "stuff" is picked off.
  • RunFarLiveHappy
    RunFarLiveHappy Posts: 805 Member
    I count my vegetables, because I want credit, from myself, for eating them.

    ^^^this
  • OregonAg
    OregonAg Posts: 1
    i do not log home made salads. i also dont log the 15cal dressing. trying not to get too anal with this logging thing.

    I agree with this.

    People freaking out over 50 calories must not really understand that every thing is an estimate and has a margin of error.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    i do not log home made salads. i also dont log the 15cal dressing. trying not to get too anal with this logging thing.

    I agree with this.

    People freaking out over 50 calories must not really understand that every thing is an estimate and has a margin of error.

    that being said, even more reason that I do not want to knowingly contribute to addition error. I log everything... I keep the margin of error to a minimum.

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