What vegetables should be avoided for weight loss.

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I’ve heard contradicting information so I’d like the opinion of others.

Which vegetables do you think should be avoided for a daily low carb diet? (Exception being cheat meals) And why?

Example : Potatoes, edamame, yams, corn etc.

Replies

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Weigh and log all your meals and MFP will tell you which ones are higher in carbs.

    Starchy vegetables include corn and potatoes of all kinds.

    I would not include Edamame on the starchy list as it is a nearly perfect three way split of all three macros. We make tofu out of Edamame beans after all.

    Vegetables that are virtually “nothing” (mostly water and fiber) include cucumbers, celery, and the lettuces.

    Me, I am not avoiding any foods.
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
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    Well, the starchy veg are high in carbs, which is why people avoid them on low carb, but you don't have to be low carb to lose weight so the question in your title and the question in your posts have different answers.

    To the question in your title - none.

    To the question in your post - starchy veg such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas and legumes are generally avoided or limited by people who are low carb.

    Both of the above are great answers. We need to stop demonising foods.

    Beyond a medically recommended diet (eg for chronic obesity, diabetes etc) there are very few reasons to heavily restrict or remove carbs from one's diet. In fact, overly restricting makes adherence significantly more difficult, and ultimately leads to 'diet failure' and subsequent feelings of failure and guilt, and usually gaining the weight back.
  • CircleJerkk
    CircleJerkk Posts: 38 Member
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    Corn, and I guess potatoes. but really, corn has nothing to offer anybody. Forget that guy
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Corn, and I guess potatoes. but really, corn has nothing to offer anybody. Forget that guy

    It generally goes out the same way it comes in, huh.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited January 2018
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    Corn, and I guess potatoes. but really, corn has nothing to offer anybody. Forget that guy

    No way! It has a nice bite in salads and soups and some kinds have the ability to puff up and make for a satisfying low calorie snack. When I first started logging, the amount of fiber it has surprised me. (isn't corn a grain anyway?)

    To OP: I scratched my head at the question, if anything people are better off asking themselves what new vegetables they should try, not what existing ones they should avoid (my answer would be none that you like)

    Then you clarified more in your post that you're doing low carb, I can see how some vegetables would not fit the plan. It's not that they "should be avoided" it's just because of their high carb content they're simply not a good fit. Not bad foods or bad for dieting, just not a good fit for the plan. On a low carb diet that is on the higher end of low carb, you can still reasonably include these vegetables.

    The only other reasons to avoid vegetables would be if you don't like something, if you're allergic to something, or if you tend to overeat something and feel better off without it than with it.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    tmoneyag99 wrote: »
    Well, the starchy veg are high in carbs, which is why people avoid them on low carb, but you don't have to be low carb to lose weight so the question in your title and the question in your posts have different answers.

    To the question in your title - none.

    To the question in your post - starchy veg such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas and legumes are generally avoided or limited by people who are low carb.

    This. But low carb makes it mentally easier because your blood sugar isn't going on a roller coaster ride complete with upside down loopty loops. That roller coaster ride is what makes hunger and binges suck.

    For some people. I felt lethargic and hungry on low carb, did much better with more balanced macros.

    OP, just log 100g of all the veggies you can imagine eating and it will show you which ones are higher carb and which are lower carb. Then you can compare them to whatever limit you are setting for yourself and go from there. It depends a lot on how low you're looking to go and what other foods you're trying to fit in.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,885 Member
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    Capsicum.

    Capsicum should be avoided at all costs.

    Blech <<shudder>>
  • ljashley1952
    ljashley1952 Posts: 273 Member
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    Honestly, I don't avoid any vegetables that I love. I just make sure not to have very much of it and not very often. If I am staying within my boundaries for calories, carbs, fats...etc, I will not completely avoid something. I'd love to just say I won't eat anything white/starch/carb, but that is simply too high of a standard to hold myself to. I wouldn't stick to it. I'd probably start craving it like crazy if I eliminated something entirely. But I am able to manage things if I allow a little bit of whatever I really want.
  • Sunshine_And_Sand
    Sunshine_And_Sand Posts: 1,320 Member
    edited January 2018
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    Corn, and I guess potatoes. but really, corn has nothing to offer anybody. Forget that guy

    I disagree that corn has nothing to offer. It's high in fiber and has a good amount of volume for the calories, especially when popped. Plus, it tastes good. BUT it isn't actually a vegetable; it's a grain.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    None... unless you dislike some of course.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Corn, and I guess potatoes. but really, corn has nothing to offer anybody. Forget that guy

    No way! It has a nice bite in salads and soups and some kinds have the ability to puff up and make for a satisfying low calorie snack. When I first started logging, the amount of fiber it has surprised me. (isn't corn a grain anyway?)

    Yep, it's a grain. (Corn is even a generic for grain, as in "corn laws.")
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited January 2018
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    Stacyines wrote: »
    Which vegetables do you think should be avoided for a daily low carb diet? (Exception being cheat meals) And why?

    As others have pointed out, this is a different question from the title.

    My answer to the title: none, unless you dislike them or have a negative reaction to them. But eat a variety and fit them into your calories, as a few have higher calories.

    My answer to the low carb specific question: depends on what you consider a vegetable and how low you go. I think of "vegetable" as meaning "non starchy veg" (as my usual plate would involve protein, veg, and starch (grain or starchy veg like potato or sweet potato, or legumes if that is not the protein course), and for non starchy veg, even on low carb, I'd say no reason to avoid any, but count carbs and see how much you can fit in, as carrots and even brussels sprouts will take more carbs than spinach.
    Example : Potatoes, edamame, yams, corn etc.

    Edamame are the only ones of these I really consider a veg even though it too is really a legume (I think of it like peas in a pod which strike me as veg even though peas are a legume and more like grains such as corn in how I use them). And yes I know they are all technically vegetable, they aren't animal products, but then so is rice a vegetable in that sense). More specifically, potatoes and sweet potatoes are tubers, corn is a grain. (So called yams in the US are generally going to be sweet potatoes. I don't know if that's true in Europe.)

    Anyway, IMO no reason not to eat them, but they (like other "starchy sides" such as pasta or rice) will have more calories and carbs than non starchy veg. Great foods, I eat them (well, I have issues with corn, so only eat it when it's in season in the summer when it's unbelievably delicious), but they aren't great for low carbing.
  • rianneonamission
    rianneonamission Posts: 854 Member
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    Just stay in a deficit.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    What vegetables should be avoided for weight loss.
    Weight loss is about calories so no food has to be avoided. Many people find low calorie vegetables a great way to fill up and get more nutrients while keeping calories down. You do not have to eat a low carb diet to lose weight. You do need a calorie deficit no matter whst you eat. Read the stickied posts in the getting started and general health, fitness and diet subforums here.
    Stacyines wrote: »
    I’ve heard contradicting information so I’d like the opinion of others.

    Which vegetables do you think should be avoided for a daily low carb diet? (Exception being cheat meals) And why?

    Example : Potatoes, edamame, yams, corn etc.

    http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-whats-the-best-carb-protein-and-fat-breakdown-for-weight-loss/
    If you are going to follow a low carb diet you obviously need to look at what will fit your carb allowance. You need to decide what your carb allowance is to start with. There is low carb and then there is very low carb. Any amount less than 45% of your calories coming from carbs is considered eating low carb from what I have read. If you are tracking your food here you can go to the settings and change your goals to different percentages. The default for carbs here is 50%.

    You can find many lists of lower carb vegetables. If I were you I'd look up vegetables you enjoy now in the database or the usda nutrient database and see how much you can eat to fit your goal. Try prelogging your food for the day.
    https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/

    There is a low carber group. More than one probably.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

    There are recipe sites or food blogs with carb concious recipes.
    https://kalynskitchen.com
    https://www.skinnytaste.com/recipes/low-carb/
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Corn, and I guess potatoes. but really, corn has nothing to offer anybody. Forget that guy

    Corn has plenty to offer. If you like it then go ahead and enjoy it.
    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5687/2
    Indigestible, but Beneficial
    Although corn's bran coat passes through your gastrointestinal tract without breaking down, this dietary fiber provides health-related benefits. The cellulose in corn bran absorbs water, which keeps your stool soft and promotes regular bowel movements. Additionally, the bulkiness of water-soaked cellulose causes you to feel full for an extended period of time, which may help with weight control.

    Digestible Nutrients in Corn
    Corn contains protein, sugar, starch and fat, all of which are digested in your gastrointestinal tract and absorbed into your bloodstream. A cup of cooked fresh, frozen or canned corn provides you with 4 to 5 grams of protein; 1 to 2 grams of fat; 5 to 7 grams of sugar; and 25 to 26 grams of starch. These digested and absorbed nutrients from a cup of corn supply you with roughly 140 calories of energy
    from https://www.livestrong.com/article/477602-why-does-the-human-body-not-digest-corn/
    Sweet corn is digested, otherwise there would be little point in eating it. The inside of each kernel is almost pure starch and is digested very readily. But it is surrounded by a cellulose husk and humans have no way to break down cellulose molecules. If you swallow sweet corn, with or without chewing, some of the kernels may remain intact in the stomach and, although enzymes will diffuse in and nutrients diffuse out, the overall appearance of the kernel will remain very similar when it eventually emerges.
    from http://www.sciencefocus.com/qa/why-sweet-corn-not-digested

    Or eat something else if you don't like corn.
  • LindsayGii
    LindsayGii Posts: 33 Member
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    I think the corn-hater was making a joke....
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Lounmoun wrote: »
    Corn, and I guess potatoes. but really, corn has nothing to offer anybody. Forget that guy

    Corn has plenty to offer. If you like it then go ahead and enjoy it.
    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5687/2
    Indigestible, but Beneficial
    Although corn's bran coat passes through your gastrointestinal tract without breaking down, this dietary fiber provides health-related benefits. The cellulose in corn bran absorbs water, which keeps your stool soft and promotes regular bowel movements. Additionally, the bulkiness of water-soaked cellulose causes you to feel full for an extended period of time, which may help with weight control.

    Digestible Nutrients in Corn
    Corn contains protein, sugar, starch and fat, all of which are digested in your gastrointestinal tract and absorbed into your bloodstream. A cup of cooked fresh, frozen or canned corn provides you with 4 to 5 grams of protein; 1 to 2 grams of fat; 5 to 7 grams of sugar; and 25 to 26 grams of starch. These digested and absorbed nutrients from a cup of corn supply you with roughly 140 calories of energy
    from https://www.livestrong.com/article/477602-why-does-the-human-body-not-digest-corn/
    Sweet corn is digested, otherwise there would be little point in eating it. The inside of each kernel is almost pure starch and is digested very readily. But it is surrounded by a cellulose husk and humans have no way to break down cellulose molecules. If you swallow sweet corn, with or without chewing, some of the kernels may remain intact in the stomach and, although enzymes will diffuse in and nutrients diffuse out, the overall appearance of the kernel will remain very similar when it eventually emerges.
    from http://www.sciencefocus.com/qa/why-sweet-corn-not-digested

    Or eat something else if you don't like corn.

    you know how I know you are fun at parties...... ??