Negative calorie foods and other bogus diet myths

kk_140
kk_140 Posts: 518 Member
What the hell is with the negative calorie food lists? I keep seeing them on pinterest. Apparently just about everything from celery to peaches is a negative calorie? Somehow I don't buy that.

A 2 oz stalk of celery has about 9 calories in it. A peach has nearly 60 calories in it. Where does this theory come from? Where is the bogus science behind it, I'm dying to read it *because any science that tells me I can eat an entire watermelon and it be negative calories has to be backed some serious science*. (*sarcasm*)

Anybody else have a couple bogus diet myths they've heard of? I'd love to read some others.
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Replies

  • Rainboots80
    Rainboots80 Posts: 218 Member
    I eat a lot of celery and it doesn't seem to have that affect on me lol
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    What the hell is with the negative calorie food lists? I keep seeing them on pinterest. Apparently just about everything from celery to peaches is a negative calorie? Somehow I don't buy that.

    A 2 oz stalk of celery has about 9 calories in it. A peach has nearly 60 calories in it. Where does this theory come from? Where is the bogus science behind it, I'm dying to read it *because any science that tells me I can eat an entire watermelon and it be negative calories has to be backed some serious science*. (*sarcasm*)

    Anybody else have a couple bogus diet myths they've heard of? I'd love to read some others.
    Someone was promoting the 5 bite diet the other day....

    Guess maybe it isnt a myth...eat 5 bites for each of your three meals and you will lose weight but still..........
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
    The theory is that your body expells more calories digesting these foods than the amount of calories in them.
  • Veil5577
    Veil5577 Posts: 868 Member
    Yeah, starvation mode.

    "If you eat too little calories your body goes into starvation mode and holds on to every calorie you eat."

    Wrong.

    If that were the case, the victims of the Holocaust wouldn't have lost an ounce. The truth is that while it does slow down the body's fat burn it does not STOP it from burning fat. It has to burn something for energy, so you will still lose weight eating less. Now I'm not saying live on 500 calories... that's not wise.... but a healthy calorie deficit is not going to cause you to stop losing fat.
  • CurtisR85
    CurtisR85 Posts: 7
    I would never factor in this theory to my calorie counting. If I consume calories, I count them...I don't magically expect them to burn more than was consumed.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    The theory is that your body expells more calories digesting these foods than the amount of calories in them.

    Yup, aka your body cannot break down insoluble fiber so it basically registers as 0 calories when you eat it, however it does take calories to move it through the digestive process. Hence negative calorie foods.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    So if I go over on my calories today by 100 how many stalks of celery do I need to eat to make my balance zero again?!?!?!!
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    So if I go over on my calories today by 100 how many stalks of celery do I need to eat to make my balance zero again?!?!?!!

    38
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
    So if I go over on my calories today by 100 how many stalks of celery do I need to eat to make my balance zero again?!?!?!!

    38

    Check your math bro, I came up with 37.825... That extra celery could have been the cause of your busted tire inner tube :laugh:
  • CurtisR85
    CurtisR85 Posts: 7
    So if I go over on my calories today by 100 how many stalks of celery do I need to eat to make my balance zero again?!?!?!!

    38

    You forgot to factor in quantum displacement. I think the real answer is 32.3893, but that is by using average stalk size, so there may be some variables and differing outcomes.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    So if I go over on my calories today by 100 how many stalks of celery do I need to eat to make my balance zero again?!?!?!!

    38

    Check your math bro, I came up with 37.825... That extra celery could have been the cause of your busted tire inner tube :laugh:

    Lol, I gotta be more on point with this math stuff.
  • kk_140
    kk_140 Posts: 518 Member
    I would never factor in this theory to my calorie counting. If I consume calories, I count them...I don't magically expect them to burn more than was consumed.

    Yes! And the list goes on and on. These charts are what is going around on pinterest lol

    316roy9.jpg
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    So if I go over on my calories today by 100 how many stalks of celery do I need to eat to make my balance zero again?!?!?!!

    38

    You forgot to factor in quantum displacement. I think the real answer is 32.3893, but that is by using average stalk size, so there may be some variables and differing outcomes.
    I forgot to add in that I also put peanut butter on each piece of celery....the celery also cancels out anything it touches right?
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    So if I go over on my calories today by 100 how many stalks of celery do I need to eat to make my balance zero again?!?!?!!

    38

    You forgot to factor in quantum displacement. I think the real answer is 32.3893, but that is by using average stalk size, so there may be some variables and differing outcomes.
    I forgot to add in that I also put peanut butter on each piece of celery....the celery also cancels out anything it touches right?

    Yes, this is definitely how it works.
  • Veil5577
    Veil5577 Posts: 868 Member
    I would never factor in this theory to my calorie counting. If I consume calories, I count them...I don't magically expect them to burn more than was consumed.

    Yes! And the list goes on and on. These charts are what is going around on pinterest lol

    316roy9.jpg

    They forgot the one thing that IS negative calorie; Water.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    The theory behind celery being a negative calorie food is that you would burn more than the 9 calories it contains to digest it, so your calories out > calories in for that one food.

    I can't imagine that could even come close with any type of fruit though.
  • CurtisR85
    CurtisR85 Posts: 7
    The theory behind celery being a negative calorie food is that you would burn more than the 9 calories it contains to digest it, so your calories out > calories in for that one food.

    I can't imagine that could even come close with any type of fruit though.

    It's a flawed concept even with celery. As mentioned above, the only thing ever truly considered negative calories (if one were to insist on using the term) would be good ol' H20. But even then, it's not like you can eat a cupcake and chug a gallon of water and call it even.
  • mathandcats
    mathandcats Posts: 786 Member
    Isn't the calorie burn associated with digesting your food already part of your estimated daily burn? So if you eat these so-called "negative-calorie foods" (apples, really???), wouldn't you be counting the burn twice? I dunno, it seems like total BS anyway.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    Pinterest has the absolute worst diet advice ever.


    -Exercises that make love handles go away, no mention of calorie deficit.
    -Super foods to eat that make you have a flat belly
    -Scrubs that make cellulite go away.

    Rubbish
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    So if I go over on my calories today by 100 how many stalks of celery do I need to eat to make my balance zero again?!?!?!!

    38

    You forgot to factor in quantum displacement. I think the real answer is 32.3893, but that is by using average stalk size, so there may be some variables and differing outcomes.
    I forgot to add in that I also put peanut butter on each piece of celery....the celery also cancels out anything it touches right?

    Yes, this is definitely how it works.
    Awesome! I am also doing a detox in conjuntion with paleo with the aid of some great new fat burning pill that has had great reviews from their company website.
  • kk_140
    kk_140 Posts: 518 Member
    Pinterest has the absolute worst diet advice ever.


    -Exercises that make love handles go away, no mention of calorie deficit.
    -Super foods to eat that make you have a flat belly
    -Scrubs that make cellulite go away.

    Rubbish

    It is. Use pinterest for its intended purpose, cupcake recipes, wedding planning, etc. lol
  • NextPage
    NextPage Posts: 609 Member
    Maybe the person who came up with this is subtracting the calories burned why planting, harvesting, picking, walking through the fields etc. for their fruits and vegetables.

    A wild boar would have negative calories if you factored in the hard work of stalking it and wrestling it into submission.:laugh:
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    I would never factor in this theory to my calorie counting. If I consume calories, I count them...I don't magically expect them to burn more than was consumed.

    Yes! And the list goes on and on. These charts are what is going around on pinterest lol

    316roy9.jpg
    Rhubarb is a vegetable. Zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers aren't. If we're being technical that is.
  • kk_140
    kk_140 Posts: 518 Member
    I would never factor in this theory to my calorie counting. If I consume calories, I count them...I don't magically expect them to burn more than was consumed.

    Yes! And the list goes on and on. These charts are what is going around on pinterest lol

    316roy9.jpg
    Rhubarb is a vegetable. Zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers aren't. If we're being technical that is.

    Nothing about this myth is technical :P
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I would never factor in this theory to my calorie counting. If I consume calories, I count them...I don't magically expect them to burn more than was consumed.

    Yes! And the list goes on and on. These charts are what is going around on pinterest lol

    316roy9.jpg
    Rhubarb is a vegetable. Zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers aren't. If we're being technical that is.

    If you are being technical, the part of a plant with seeds is a fruit. All edible parts of a plant are vegetables or all plants are vegetables, depending on which dictionary and definition you choose. So, all fruits are vegetables, but not all vegetables are fruits.
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
    So if I go over on my calories today by 100 how many stalks of celery do I need to eat to make my balance zero again?!?!?!!

    38

    You forgot to factor in quantum displacement. I think the real answer is 32.3893, but that is by using average stalk size, so there may be some variables and differing outcomes.

    Did either of you compute this by using a HRM with chest strap or just the calculations on MFP? MFP way overestimates.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    It's easy. Junk like this is made so that people have a way to lie to themselves.
  • Flippolo
    Flippolo Posts: 15 Member
    Maybe the person who came up with this is subtracting the calories burned why planting, harvesting, picking, walking through the fields etc. for their fruits and vegetables.

    A wild boar would have negative calories if you factored in the hard work of stalking it and wrestling it into submission.:laugh:
    Mwahaha. So true. :laugh:
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    Negative calorie foods only exist for weight watchers members, all of their fruits and vegetables must have zero calories because you can eat as much as you want and they don't count... :huh:
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    Oh pinterest, the pinnacle of misinformation.

    Sometimes I look at the "popular" feed to see what rubbish is being posted. Every dang time I look, someone has posted a cleanse that is made of some variation of honey/cucumber/cinnamon/cayenne/lemon that will make fat stop from sticking to you. The exact text of the one that I have seen 9505649 times appears under many different pictures of women looking at their stomachs:
    Honey and cinnamon cleanse Every morning, on an empty stomach, half an hour before breakfast, and again at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup water. If taken regularly it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also drinking of this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body, even though the person may eat a high calorie diet. 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of honey in a cup of boiled water

    Hear that! It doesn't let fat accumulate! Somehow! even though it is basically just sugar water!