Vegetables

AliceDark

It sounds like your calorie target is the problem, not necessarily the vegetables.

dfwesq

I agree with questions about the calorie goal. Unless you're under a doctor's supervision, that sounds too low.

I log foods that have more than just a minimal number of calories, and anything with significant fiber or nutritional value. If I were eating, say, a prepared mixed salad with a couple of radish slices and a sprinkling of shredded carrot, I wouldn't bother to log those, although I'd log anything there was a substantial amount of. That's probably more important early in the calorie-tracking process than it is later, because you're still learning.

By the way, MFP will track things like fiber intake, and you might want to know about that. So logging vegetables will help give a more accurate picture of that.

ceiswyn

jessicaflanders3 wrote: »

And I would probably find myself swapping out vegetables for something more filling like bread for those 200 calories. I guess i just need to keep working at finding myself low calorie food that I like.

A slice and a half of bread is unlikely to be significantly more filling than a nice big bowl of veg with a little sauce. Though if that's what you want, you should have it; at least on occasion.

Vegetables are really good value if your diet is very low calorie (I'm not getting into the advisability of that). You can eat lots of them for few calories, and they're packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre. They're low calorie. They're just not no calorie.

jessicaflanders3

janejellyroll wrote: »

jessicaflanders3 wrote: »

Thanks all. I have found i am finding it really hard to stay under 1200 calories already, thats without counting vegetables.> And I would probably find myself swapping out vegetables for something more filling like bread for those 200 calories. I guess i just need to keep working at finding myself low calorie food that I like.

Why is your goal under 1,200 calories? 1,200 is generally considered to be the lowest that a woman should go.

Hi mfp set my target as 1200. I put " lightly active" as I only do 20 - 30 mins of hiit ( high intensity training on my fitness blender) and 10 000 steps a day but Im not going super fast with those. I do wear a garmin band though so mfp updates with activity and gives me " extra" calories. for the excersise. Because Im ( mostly) a vegetarian , ( i eat grilled chicken and thats about it) I get bored and I'm a snacker. Food is definitely going to be my biggest challenge here. When I quit smoking 7 years ago, I definitly turned to food. Always had to have a bowl of popcorn or something to snack on . Hence why im now 45 kilos over weight STILL ..

jessicaflanders3

dfwesq wrote: »

I agree with questions about the calorie goal. Unless you're under a doctor's supervision, that sounds too low.

I log foods that have more than just a minimal number of calories, and anything with significant fiber or nutritional value. If I were eating, say, a prepared mixed salad with a couple of radish slices and a sprinkling of shredded carrot, I wouldn't bother to log those, although I'd log anything there was a substantial amount of. That's probably more important early in the calorie-tracking process than it is later, because you're still learning.

By the way, MFP will track things like fiber intake, and you might want to know about that. So logging vegetables will help give a more accurate picture of that.

I actually was surprised at my sugar and sodium intake when I saw it on mfp so your definitely right about viewing those nutrients. I couldnt believe how much I went over in my sodium!!!

janejellyroll

jessicaflanders3 wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

jessicaflanders3 wrote: »

Thanks all. I have found i am finding it really hard to stay under 1200 calories already, thats without counting vegetables.> And I would probably find myself swapping out vegetables for something more filling like bread for those 200 calories. I guess i just need to keep working at finding myself low calorie food that I like.

Why is your goal under 1,200 calories? 1,200 is generally considered to be the lowest that a woman should go.

Hi mfp set my target as 1200. I put " lightly active" as I only do 20 - 30 mins of hiit ( high intensity training on my fitness blender) and 10 000 steps a day but Im not going super fast with those. I do wear a garmin band though so mfp updates with activity and gives me " extra" calories. for the excersise. Because Im ( mostly) a vegetarian , ( i eat grilled chicken and thats about it) I get bored and I'm a snacker. Food is definitely going to be my biggest challenge here. When I quit smoking 7 years ago, I definitly turned to food. Always had to have a bowl of popcorn or something to snack on . Hence why im now 45 kilos over weight STILL ..

If your goal is 1,200, you don't have to be under that. You can eat at that and still be at a deficit. Plus, you have your exercise calories. Are you eating those?

AliceDark

Here's the thing...if you're not logging your vegetables, you're introducing inaccuracy into your log. If you're saying "the only way I can be under 1200 calories is if I don't log my vegetables," it means you're not actually eating below 1200. Your body records those calories even if you don't write them down. It also means that later, if you want to make adjustments to your intake, you'll have a harder time because your data tracking isn't accurate.

MFP almost certainly gave you 1200 calories to eat because you told it you'd like to lose 2 pounds per week. If you have 45 kilos to lose, 2 pounds is an okay target, but weight loss isn't about losing as much as possible. It's about finding a rate of loss that you can stick to for a long period of time. You'll have better success dropping your target slightly if it means that you can eat enough calories to leave you satiated, because that means you'll be able to stay in your deficit for longer.

If you tell MFP you want to lose 1.5 pounds per week, how many calories does it give you? Would that allow you to eat your vegetables (which you should eat anyway, because they're good for you) AND another piece of bread if you want one?

AnnPT77

I found it helpful to log everything. That way, I could use my actual weight loss rate along with my eating and exercise calories to make a very good estimate of my maintenance calories, the effect of changes in eating or exercise, or anything like that. If I fail to log several hundred calories daily, but the un-logged amount varies, I've given up any chances at reasonable accuracy in those kinds of estimates (I usually eat at least 200-300 calories of veggies & fruit daily).

(Calculators like MFP's, and fitness devices, are based on research studies and averages that come out of them. Weight loss results are based on each of us as an individual - more accurate.)

pellmell12

I log them because I want to see their fiber and vitamins on the nutrition summary, and because I feel like if I skip logging things because they don't count, that's a slippery slope. I enter everything.

cwolfman13

If your maintenance calories are 2,000...and you ate 2,000 calories plus another 300 calories in vegetables ('cuz they don't count), guess what'll happen over time?

If your weight loss calories are 1,500 to lose 1 Lb per week and you eat 1,500 calories plus another 300 calories in vegetables ('cuz they don't count)...well, you've basically cut your deficit to 200 calories per day rather than 500 calories per day.

When I logged, I was a lot looser with veg and fruit, but I still logged it 'cuz it still has calories. I eat around 200-300 calories per day in veg easy.