Do you count calories from fruit?

bellamia88

So I am a little lost here. I keep hearing you should count calories from fruit ( which I already do) cause regardless they are still calories and are high in sugar but then according to weight watchers apparently fruits and veggies no longer count as points so I don't know who to follow anymore. So far I haven't discarded those calories just to be on the safe side, what does everyone here do. Also I've noticed that I will have two fruits before the day has even started and already it will say I've exceeded my sugar intake, I'm starting to get frustrated.

cuppycake22

Bump! I would love to here about this too!

amysj303

I am not on weight watchers so I count fruits, an apple is about a 100 calories, so I can't really ignore it even if it is a better snack choice than a candy bar.

EmilyAnn89

watching

Pandorian

I"m here on MFP so I count my fruit, if it is food and it passes my lips it gets logged, I skip tracking my water, tea or coffee. (my tea and coffee IF I have them are consumed without any sweeteners or cream or cream substitutes so just black)

Depending on the fruit it has low calories, like I can have 100grams of raspberries (twice the weight of my typical chocolate bars) and only take a 50 or 60 calorie hit compared to the 300 or so from chocolate.
I ignore the sugar count as I'm losing weight, if /when it slows down I might pay more attention to sugar but since it comes from my milk (tracked) and fruits I'm not worried about it.

dezil

Hey bella, I heard that about weight watchers also. But then I was reading into it more and they said they are not tracking points for fruit/veggie intake because people don't eat enough of these period. Which makes sence, especially in this fast food society we live in. I have never done weight watchers, but my sister in law lost a lot of weight doing so and has religiously kept it off. I do track my calories in fruit, also I feel you can consume a lot of fruit and its never a lot of calories. I do not track my sugar... perhaps when I get more into this way I will... but as for now I just need to keep focused on my exercise and calories. Good luck, I think with whatever decision you make you'll be fine.. especially if its an increase in fruit intake!!

BrendaBlis

I am still doing WW also and log my fruits on both.

strandedeyes

This isn't weight watchers and the points calculated for the new point program doesn't follow a calorie counting diet... so yes, everything (even a little tic tac) has calories...

Sorry to sound rude, but just had to get my point across.

kmunis

You should count them. If you find you are going to high in sugar, stick with veggies and fruits that are lower in sugar, like berries. I tend to go over on my sugar from time to time and don't worry too much about it.

RockaholicMama

I'm not doing Weight Watcher's, I'm doing a program on my husband's Air Force Base called Soar Into Shape. You work with a dietitian to make healthy lifestyle changes and lose weight.

Her rule of thumb is, "you bite it, you write it." We do count the calories for everything we eat, including fruits and veggies because in her words, "everything you put into your body, fruit, veggies, meats, is fuel for your body."

cerysrhi

I found Iost track if I tried to do this both this and WW so I chose one to follow and this is free so I log my fruit x

Secret_Agent_007

I have been counting fruit. Actually, if it's food at all, I count it.

In fact, I probably should be counting the water intake b/c I currently don't track it. At work I just keep refilling my 1 litre water bottle (Nygen or whatever) and sometimes if it gets warm I'll dump and refill making consumption tougher to track.

AHealthierRhonda

I count them. From what I understand with Weight Wwatchers you are allowed so many points a day and it is a very low number usually. Their fruits and veggies don't count because of this, I believe.

heathersmilez

I would count it, at the end of the day it’s about calories, WW points are only an attempt to make the math less intimidating to their clientele. Points are a marketing tool, calories and eating the right amount are the important variable to weight loss.

I sometimes think about counting water to see a more accurate sodium level but I think that would just b e a deterrent.

ShrinkinMel

YES count them. On WW they have different calculations. The flex plan has been very good to me but if I don't take the time to calculate everything then it doesn't work for me. I haven't tried the newest plan but I'm sure they are getting accounted for. Or they know people don't typically eat that many of them. I'm sure if someone started eating a ton of them because they were "free" then they'd see issues on the scale and start counting.

Mindful_Trent

Yes. I count calories from everything. Although fruit and veggies are packed with lots of vitmins, minerals, etc., they also have calories. While veggies (the non-starchy kind) are relatively low calorie, and you could probably eat them all day without worrying, fruit is another thing. A banana is easily 80-120 calories, Apples are about the same, oranges just a little less, a cup of grapes is 60-70 calories. These aren't amounts so small that they shouldn't count. I used to throw a couple different types of fruits together to make smoothies - that could easily be 300-400 calories from the fruits alone!

So - fruits are healthy, but yes, they do count.

Edited to add: Dried fruit is even higher in calories because people tend to eat more of them. The number of raisins you can eat in a handful is much more than the number of grapes in a handful. So measure/weigh dried fruits as well, and be careful with them! (ONE date is about 60 calories. 1/2 cup (not packed) of seedless raisins is over 200 calories.)

eillamarie

Calories are calories, you should still try to stick to your daily allowance, but if you're going over by 100 or 200 on fruits and veggies you aren't doing yourself much, if any, harm. Veggies are always completely free, but because fruits are much higher in calories you do have to be more conscious about them.

blessedmommy2x

I don't do weight watchers... But I definitely do count the calories from fruit. Since they aren't zero calories I always add them.

kuhristeee

I count calories for everything, including fruit. Though (of course) they pack more nutritional value than a candy bar or something, a calorie is a calorie regardless!

Justin741

When it comes to the science of the weight loss and tracking you should track your fruit & veggie intake on MFP. Weight Watches is a great program that can be successful for you so don't be afraid not to count it as points. However, the science of losing weight is pretty simple and is simply a matter of calories in & calories out. Keeping track of sugar and fat content can effect your body's metabolism & how you feel. For example a piece of fruit can make you feel a lot better as your blood sugar spikes but then you may quickly feel less good as fruit can also sink your blood sugar.

wriglucy

YES! All food has calories, and needs to be added. I don't know weight watchers very well, but from my understanding they consider a lot of stuff as 0 points, or free. But here, because it's based on calories and not a point value, they need to be included.

hpsnickers1

Yes count fruit. Those calories are counted towards carbohydrates so they will affect that number. You can gain weight eating too much fruit.

heathersmilez

I count them. From what I understand with Weight Wwatchers you are allowed so many points a day and it is a very low number usually. Their fruits and veggies don't count because of this, I believe.

Yes their new program allows even less points 19-20 for me which is 900-1100 calories maximum and only 1.3 points more are allowed with 30 minutes of intense exercise which is about 80 calories. Being able to eat a cup of fruit, an apple and 3 cups of vegetables is a 'free' 300 calories.

** I am NOT a member of WW old or new but I wanted to read up on it a while back, see if the points were really all that different.

believetoachieve

Weight loss is calories in, minus calories out. A single medium-size banana or apple has 100 calories each, and tons of sugar. You simply can't ignore these foods and pretend you didn't eat them - they DO add up and count as calories!!

wriglucy

Calories are calories, you should still try to stick to your daily allowance, but if you're going over by 100 or 200 on fruits and veggies you aren't doing yourself much, if any, harm. Veggies are always completely free, but because fruits are much higher in calories you do have to be more conscious about them.

Potatoes are free? Yams are free? I don't think all veggies would be considered this way. I think they mean free because carrots and celery have so few calories, that they would rather have you eat those and fill up on those, than other things.

I don't know weight watchers, but this is just what I'm assuming.

Leannek74

Yep, everything I eat or drink gets counted.

TripleJ3

I'm trying to get WW out of my head. The plan was designed to have you skimp calories here, so you can eat calories there (fruits & veggies) and they be *zero points*.

I still track fruit, my apple is 80 calories but veggies I sort of still do as *free*.

That handful of fresh spinach & two mushrooms I added I don't feel will cause me to gain. And if I really am hungry Ill snack on roasted cauli or celery, radishes green beans, etc and not worry about it.

But I stop when I'm not hungry anymore, I don't keep eating until I'm full.
I do track sweet potatoes and the like, or if I eat a meal of veggies.

young1726

Count them. They are still calories. Healthy or not. Our system is based on calories...and if you stay below your calorie limit you will lose weight. This includes fruit. WW has a different system set up. And while they are successful...it is different from our system. If you want to be successful I would probably follow one or the other.

As for sugar. I wouldn't worry about the sugar from fruit and milk. They are natural, healthy sugars... The sugar that I would suggest paying attention to is the refined sugars in processed foods, etc...

kellibean13

I'm a WW member and will try to explain. My best advice: don't confuse Points with calories - they are not the same thing!

Long story short: WW revised the formula used to calculate Points, so it is now more accurate. Calories are part of this new formula, but they also factor in other macronutrients like carbohydrates, protein and fiber. Many things are higher in Points values, and daily Points allowances are generally higher. You are correct in that most fruits and vegetables are now Zero Points, but the reasoning behind this is (as far as I can tell) to make fruits and vegetables more appealing to members so that they consume healthy snacks instead of turning to processed foods.

For example: a banana was worth 2 Points on the previous formula and so were certain snack cakes. If given the choice between a banana or a snack cake for a "sweet" snack, most members would choose the cake over the banana, since they were the same Points value. On the new Points Plus program, the thought is that now members will go for the banana since it is zero Points.

That being said, unless you are following the WW Points Plus program, count your calories! A calorie is a calorie and needs to be accounted for in your daily food journal, which it sounds like you are doing. Keep up the good work and try not to worry about the sugars from fruit. In my opinion (which is based on nothing more than what works best for me), sugars from fruit are naturally occuring and a better choice than processed sugars. It's probably not ideal to go over your daily sugar target, but I'd be more concerned if the sugars were coming from sources like refined white sugar.

Molly08

Hello,
I'm with weight watcher and you are right, they don't count fruits and most veggies as points (ie starchy veggies still count). This is because they have there own ways of counting... when I'm on MFP I always count my fruits and veggies because this isn't a formulated system. Weight watchers allocates points to everything (taking into consideration more than just calories). So unless you are a member using their tracking tools I'd suggest counting them.
)
Molly

ka_42

Sorry I didn't read the whole thread so I don't know if someone said that you can change the settings in your dairy to allow more grams of sugar. I hate seeing the red but it's impossible to stay under MFP's allowance if you eat as many fruits as you should in a day. I occasionally don't log veggies like the weight watchers plan. I hate to go over on my calories because I ate two cups of broccoli!

Editing to say I changed mine to 40 grams. I did a little research and decided I shouldn't have more then that. I struggle a lot with the sugar intake!!