Do I count calories from fruits and vegetables?

crisanderson27

Does your body not use calories from fruits or vegetables?

If not...don't count it...but I'm kinda thinking that since you're a human being like the rest of us...that would be a bad idea .

Seriously though...yes, everything that goes in your mouth.

ScottFree_66

this is the take home message more than any other..

have a mango.. boom 30g of sugar..

of course sugar in fruit is the best kind of sugar you should eat.. but still. ....30g

what's wrong with the sugars.... as long as you maintain your calories?
I thought it was calories that make you fat.

katykosto

You bite it, You write it......I track everything even a piece of gum but when it comes to exercise I dont try and add every little movement I do to get extra calories. I only track when I do something like 30min of bicycling etc....and I do not eat the calories it gives me for excercising....

sweet110

Depends. I think its important to follow whatever plan you choose. If you are on a calorie counting plan, then the plan relies on an accurate accounting. Which means you should count them (cherry tomatoes may have minuscule calories, but plenty of fruits and vegetables have enough calories to matter). Plans that allow "free foods" usually balance out that freedom with "never/not very often foods", or do not advise folks to eat back their exercise calories. Straight calorie counting lets you eat whatever you want...but in order for that work, you need to count every calorie.

I'm not going to argue "best" plans, my goal is just to point out that each plan has an internal logic. And I think folks often sabotage themselves when they start mixing and matching those logics. (A little WW here, a little Primal there, with a dash of the high-er fat version of veganism.) The result is cherry picking the pieces they like from each, ignoring the balancing features of all...and usually gaining weight in the process. If your plan relies on calorie counting to work...then everything counts. Even those cherry tomatoes. I don't count calories, but I also don't "eat everything in moderation." Its a tradeoff. But I am not under the illusion that I could do both and still lose weight.

hipslikecinders

I don't count mine and I've still lost weight. I just don't go overboard on fruit. I do log things like avocado and potatoes which are high in calories. But when it comes to onions, carrots, cucumber etc, I don't as it would drive me insane logging the exact amounts for each meal! Do whatever works best for you!

aoikirin

If it goes in your mouth, then count it.

Welllll.......

:laugh:

whoops - I hadn't thought of that ! ;/

albinogorilla

What's wrong with punishing yourself? You did something bad.............

From your profile:

" I have been eating whatever I want, whenever I want without regard for my body or self-esteem"

That deserves punishment...........

I consider this punishment for doing the same to myself. I dont find it enjoyable to have to account for every single calorie I eat, and I dont like passing by all the things I used to enjoy for healthier options.

crystalrx

It's a good idea, veggies are pretty low calorie generally, so they shouldn't add to your total too much. Fruit can add up though. An apple could be 75-100 calories, depending it's size. It's just being honest with yourself. The other thing would be you could actually use the nutrition information here accurately, say you want to know if you're getting enough vitamin A and fiber. These foods definitely contribute to those numbers, so it would be good to know:) That being said, do you count 2 cucumber slices? Meh, probably not a big deal to not bother with that, or a slice of lettuce on a hamberger or sandwich or whatever.

SunshineDieter

I've just ditched the old weight watchers plan, and trying to train myself that fruit is good again, as I'd put on weight if I spent my points on fruit. Similarly, when I was on Slimming World, I put on a stone in the first month due to unlimitted fruit, so it sorta shows they're full of calories.

I'm being careful with how much fruit I have, whilst using this diary, but a little more lenient with veggies

vltaylor35

If you eat you, log it!!

Mommy2Avaj

I log anything that goes in my mouth, even liquids. Water, tea, coffee, milk, everything.

DavidOfOz

Calories are calories no matter how you consume them.

riskiestlavonn

Yes. Fruit can have a LOT of calories.

WhatAgirl_

sure thing.... put in mind that fruits and veggies have a good amount of carbs and heallthy sugars and it is important to still take in account their calories....

lachique

If you dont count the calories, then your intake/outtake wont be calculated correctly. The whole exercise of logging what we eat and burn off isnt a punishment or way of admitting one's guilt at not being healthy, its a way to ensure that you're hitting your targets and on track to lose the weight that you want to lose. So in short, yea, you need to log your calories from fruit an veg, log each glass of cola you drink, log each glass of sugar free cordial you drink etc etc.

yuckidah

Whether it's a calorie from chocolate or choko it counts!
I find it astounding that anyone would think it even remotely sensible, let alone conducive, to NOT log fruit &/or veg.

broadway_Calls

I make sure my calories are under 1000, usually 800 or 900, and I eat a ton of fruit and veg on top to make sure I'm not starving myself but don't count them.
I don't log my calories on MFP because of this as I prefer to have the freedom to eat whatever fruit and veg and go more by instinct but it probably won't work if you want to use the food diary and be strict.

xarge

I only skip some dime a dozen vegetables like lettuce when I have too many articles to log which makes me lose on some fiber in log at the end of the day but that's no problem. Fruits and high starch vegetables are a must log in my book.

kcoftx

I'm in the bite it, write it crowd. Plus, I would WANT to see how much good stuff I'm fiting in.

But don't be fooled. Some can be high. They are still GOOD for you but they do add up. I agreed with the post about not mixing up different programs.

1 Eggplant 132 cal.
1 Banana 90 cal.
1 Avocado 250 cal.
1 Artichoke 120 cal.
1 Parsnip 100 cal.
5 Prunes 100 cal.
4 Dried Figs 110 cal.
1 snack size box of Raisins 90 cal.
1/2 cup Lima Beans 100 cal.
1/2 cup Corn 80 cal.
1/2 cup Soy Beans/Edamame 90 cal.
1/2 cup Peas 60 cal.

Even small stuff can add up. Think of it like a budget. Spend wisely on the food stuff but don't just think the small stuff is chump change. It adds up.

jechamp1

This is not Weight Watchers. I am still a member of Weight Watchers and used their points program for quite awhile. I am using MFP now because it is a bit easier to use and the Weight Watchers Ipad app got a really bad rap. Anyway, I found with Weight Watchers if I really was honest and stuck to my poins and exercised, I could lose weight regularly. It seems like I am not getting enough food to eat as MFP has me on a 1200 calorie a day diet BUT I am sticking to that count and - yes - I am counting everything, even carrots, tomatoes, celery, etc. I've only been tracking for a bit over a week so the jury is out as to whether this is a good program. We'll see.

jechamp1

It makes sense not to log if you are on Weight Watchers but this is not a Weight Watchers and like someone else posted, you should not mix plans, either use Weight Watchers, which uses different food choice methods, or use MFP.

whisperer02

I did weight watchers as well and this is differant. I count everything that goes into my mouth......lil.

DavPul

Fruit is sugar. Write it down.

this is the take home message more than any other..

have a mango.. boom 30g of sugar..

of course sugar in fruit is the best kind of sugar you should eat.. but still. ....30g

To me the problem with this line of thought is that it encourages people to be scared of fruit but embrace diet soda or some other low cal laboratory concoction. I'm doubting if too many people could every get fat by trying to eat too many apples, mangoes or grapes.

That said, definitely record them. You're trying make an honest accounting while tracking your results at the same time. If you only do a partial log it will be difficult to figure out what's actually working for you and what's not. You may find that eating more fruits helps your weight loss or has you generally feeling better, perhaps because you actually needed more calories that you thought or because of the fiber, minerals or vitamins. But if you didn't log them, it'll be hard to repeat your success in later months.

stacydash1814

I feel the same way. I did WW for a couple of months. Concur "why should I punish myself"??? I dont enter in fruits and veggies and have lost 4 pounds in one week. If I get hungry after I eat my allotted calories or close to it I will eat empty calories foods like cucumbers, broccoli, grapes, etc. I am doing well with that method. Let me know how you make out...Good Luck!

veerichie

I, too, followed the WW plan for 10 months and enjoyed the "free" fruits and veggies.

Now that I'm on MFP I always log my fruits and veggies for a number of reasons:

1. They contain calories. Even though they are most likely "good" calories, they still contain them and are part of my daily food intake.

2. Kind of going along with number 1 I want to try to spend my calories on "good" foods. Like with WW we called them power foods. For me I'd rather eat 100 calories worth of fruits and vegetables than 100 calories worth of potato chips.

3. I'm trying to track EVERYTHING. When I have a good day or a good week I want to go back and look at what I was eating that made me successful. If I'm not tracking the fruits and veggies I won't remember everything I ate that day if I didn't track it. I want to be as thorough as possible.

4. WW incorporated the free fruits and veggies rule into their plan. I think there was a rule that if you ate more than 5 servings of fruits and veggies you had to start tracking them for the day. Maybe if they didn't allow free fruits and veggies they would have given you an "allowance" of points to spend on fruits and veggies each day.

5. Every calorie counts and every calorie adds up. Accurately tracking is the key to making any diet/fitness plan work.

I hope that all makes sense. In the end it's totally up to you. If you do it and you find you aren't losing weight you might want to start tracking them?? So far have you thought it was or wasn't working?

veerichie

Also, I get what you are saying about you don't want to be "punished" for eating fruits and veggies. I know you don't mean that you are punishing yourself for eating them but you are spending your valuable calories on them.

I am kind of that way with milk. I know I should be drinking it but I have a hard time spending calories on it. I'd rather just drink water instead.

veerichie

Fruit is sugar. Write it down.

this is the take home message more than any other..

have a mango.. boom 30g of sugar..

of course sugar in fruit is the best kind of sugar you should eat.. but still. ....30g

To me the problem with this line of thought is that it encourages people to be scared of fruit but embrace diet soda or some other low cal laboratory concoction. I'm doubting if too many people could every get fat by trying to eat too many apples, mangoes or grapes.

That said, definitely record them. You're trying make an honest accounting while tracking your results at the same time. If you only do a partial log it will be difficult to figure out what's actually working for you and what's not. You may find that eating more fruits helps your weight loss or has you generally feeling better, perhaps because you actually needed more calories that you thought or because of the fiber, minerals or vitamins. But if you didn't log them, it'll be hard to repeat your success in later months.

Very well put! I agree with this 100%!

JessLLoser

Definitely count them! I wasnt and I never lost weight.
300 over every day equals maintenance and not loss. Sigh. I'm such an idiot!

sa11yjane

Yes you should as a calorie is a calorie. I gradually got heavier whilst at Slimming World and when I started to log on here what I ate I was shocked at the calorie intake. All those 'free foods' have calories. Simple. There's nothing clever on this website, it's not about playing a game, it's just about honestly logging your food and exercise intake. Good luck!

ElizabethRoad

This plan is based on logic and facts. It trusts that you don't need to be tricked into eating properly.