FRUIT and VEGGIES = CALORIES?!

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  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    No free foods.......but......watermelon season is upon us and that is super low in calories.........47 calories per cup.

    That reminds me of a recurring question I have...what exactly is a cup of watermelon? How do you measure that out?

    As a guy that relies on his digital scale to solve problems like this, I sure wish more of the foods in the database were in there based on weight instead of volume.



    I have wondered the same thing!! Especially since I buy the watermelon that is cut into chunks at the store, depending on the size of the chunk I have no idea if I am eating a cup. :huh: <-- that's me confused!

    I hope that this helps: Dry measures (from a cooking book)

    16 tbsp = 1cup = 8oz = 1/2lb = 226.8gr
  • charlies21
    charlies21 Posts: 13
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    Before I started MFP, i was doing Slimming World. Although initially, years ago i lost a lot of weight with it, this time I didnt lose a thing hardly. As a fruit and veg on that are considered FREE foods on that diet, I used to eat boat loads as I thought I was being good. As a result I didnt lose anything. Since joining here I have realised how much i was eating, even being good food. I now eat a lot of veg and fruit on this diet as I like healthy food but I do not eat half as much fruit and I am slowly losing weight.
  • debzeeU2
    debzeeU2 Posts: 99 Member
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    Healthy food is used totally different by the body..... So a calorie is not a calorie. They are finally figuring this out.... It was pretty obvious to me though, because I can eat waaaay more when I'm eating only healthy. Also my body looks 100 times better, and loses the gross belly fat! I could eat double the calories if I eat healthy food then junk!

    ^^^^ this!!
    Fruit and Veggies should be tracked. I don't really agree with WW method to not track the fruit & veggies but I am guessing the "point system" allow those that barely ate fruit/veggies before WW are now eating more of these healthy foods since joining WW. SO that's a plus.
  • debzeeU2
    debzeeU2 Posts: 99 Member
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    I'm no expert but I've heard that it takes more calories to eat and digest celery than what it actually contains. If that's true, it has a calorie deficit built in!
    I've heard that too...
  • GasMasterFlash
    GasMasterFlash Posts: 2,206 Member
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    I'm no expert but I've heard that it takes more calories to eat and digest celery than what it actually contains. If that's true, it has a calorie deficit built in!
    It's not true.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    No-meme-rage-face.jpg

    Not this again.

    There is no zero calorie food.
  • thechubner
    thechubner Posts: 94 Member
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    Keep salad dressing, butter, dips, cheeses, caramel sauces and garnishes that have fat/cal away from your fruits and veggies - and it shouldn't be so bad. Try to do more veggies than fruit as veggies have fewer calories. Count potatoes and sweet potatoes as your carbs (though sweet potatoes are wondefully good for you and should be eaten (w/o butter or sugar) often). SOME veggies have a little more sugar (carrots, peas, corn) - but most are really low cal

    I would go for veggies like broccoli, cawliflower, celary, zuchini, cucumber, spinach (I can eat baby spinach out of the bag like potato chips and 3 cups has like 30 calories or something ridiculously low like that)

    Fruits - berries, melon, and grapefruits are your best friends.

    good luck
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    You should realize that calories are not an enemy that automatically makes you fat if you eat any. You need calories to survive.

    Weight loss means you need to consume fewer calories, not NONE, and if you're looking for foods that have ZERO calories, you're either a) looking for loopholes to overeat, or b) taking the weight loss thing farther than is healthy.
  • AzhureSnow
    AzhureSnow Posts: 289 Member
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    The benefit, even though they have calories, is that they pack a filling and nutritional punch (much more nutrition per-calorie than a lot of other foods). Celery is low (14 calories per half cup), and I think broccoli is as well. Regardless, if you use vegetables as a "filler" in place of higher calorie foods (like mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, etc), you'll be getting just as full, even more nutrition, and conserving calories. The trick is to use vegetables as a REPLACEMENT not an ADDITION to your diet.
    I did WW for a year, and yes, they give you free fruits and vegetables, but their system is not calorie-counting based. It's based on carbs/fat/protein/fiber. Fiber and protein cancel out carbs and fat in their system, and obviously, veggies and fruit are high in fiber so it negates the sugar (carbs) according to their equation. I did lose 20 pounds on WW, so it isn't flawed logic, but you can't successfully mix their logic with the MFP program. MFP looks at calorie counting only for the purpose of your daily allowance, and fruit and veg do have calories.


    Nice response! Very informative. Thanks!
    Glad I could help! Good luck!
  • kbrower21
    kbrower21 Posts: 1
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    it's true that fruits and veggies have calories, but they have way less than complex carbs. If I were to cut out anything it would be bread before veggies. I have also heard that the fiber in foods impacts the calories you should count. For example, if you eat a food that is high in fiber (i.e. fruits and veggies) then your body uses more energy to digest them than it gains by eating them. In effect, these foods have negative calories. You still get the nutrients, however, which is the important part. Does anyone else know more about this "negative calorie" theory.
  • mjsamee
    mjsamee Posts: 215 Member
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    I would have to tell you from experience the only reason weight watchers has free fruits and veggies is because they changed their formula and upped the points value of all their carbs and grains and other foods, they really arent free... I liked the old weight watchers better because someone would come to a meeting and be all bummed because they stayed the same or gained from eating to much fruit...its a hoax if you bite it write it!!!! trust me, you get more bang for your buck when eating some fruits and veggies but it all adds up!! There really arent any "free" foods but non starchy fruits and veggies have very minimal calories!!!
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    Why stop at fruit and veggies? Why bother logging anything at all?
    I'm not feeling your "tough love" support. Kind of annoying..
    The truth hurts sometimes, kiddo.
    It's usually called "tough titty" or pretty much "it is what it is," if you're that shocked about the astounding number of calories in natural food.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    A calorie is a calorie. A pound is a pound. It is a scientific method of measurement.

    Claiming otherwise is nonsense. Coming to a website that isn't Weight Watchers to lose weight yet choosing to keep parts of the WW trademarked program that appeal to you? Also nonsense.
  • soulynyc
    soulynyc Posts: 302 Member
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    Negative calorie vegetables Aubergine, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chicory, Cress, Cucumber, Fennel, Gourd, Leek, Lettuce, Marrow,Peppers, Radish, Spinach,Tomato, Turnip, etc.
    Negative calorie fruits Apricot, Blackberry Blackcurrant, Clementines, Damsons, Grapefruit, Guava, Honeydew Melon, Lemon, Mandarin orange, Melon Cantaloupe, Peaches, Plums, Raspberry, Rhubarb, Strawberry, Tangerine, Watermelon
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    Negative calorie vegetables Aubergine, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chicory, Cress, Cucumber, Fennel, Gourd, Leek, Lettuce, Marrow,Peppers, Radish, Spinach,Tomato, Turnip, etc.
    Negative calorie fruits Apricot, Blackberry Blackcurrant, Clementines, Damsons, Grapefruit, Guava, Honeydew Melon, Lemon, Mandarin orange, Melon Cantaloupe, Peaches, Plums, Raspberry, Rhubarb, Strawberry, Tangerine, Watermelon

    No.
  • AzhureSnow
    AzhureSnow Posts: 289 Member
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    Does anyone else know more about this "negative calorie" theory.

    http://caloriecount.about.com/negative-calories-myth-explained-b349703
  • GasMasterFlash
    GasMasterFlash Posts: 2,206 Member
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    Does anyone else know more about this "negative calorie" theory.
    It's hooey.
  • princessveggiecake
    princessveggiecake Posts: 49
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    Celery and watermelon are filled with water and are great fillers.
    Drink lots of water, that will help fill you up also.
    No free foods, sorry :(
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Negative calorie vegetables Aubergine, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chicory, Cress, Cucumber, Fennel, Gourd, Leek, Lettuce, Marrow,Peppers, Radish, Spinach,Tomato, Turnip, etc.
    Negative calorie fruits Apricot, Blackberry Blackcurrant, Clementines, Damsons, Grapefruit, Guava, Honeydew Melon, Lemon, Mandarin orange, Melon Cantaloupe, Peaches, Plums, Raspberry, Rhubarb, Strawberry, Tangerine, Watermelon


    Not even a little bit true.
  • auntv77
    auntv77 Posts: 24 Member
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    What the WW website/paperwork doesn't tell you but most leaders will is that you will GAIN using their new points system if you eat more than 3 servings of your free fruit a week. Yup, I was one of those people who saw my scale go the wrong way on the new points system!

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