Do you "count" fruit?

HakunaMatata519
HakunaMatata519 Posts: 141 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm sure this subject has been talked to death but I haven't read up much on this board.

Tomorrow I'm planning on making a a fruit and yogurt smoothie for breakfast. I'm going to use 1/2 a pineapple (which sounds likes a lot but now that it's cut up and in a ziploc bag it's not as much as I thought), 1 orange, 1 light peach yogurt and some ice. Possibly add a little fat free milk.

Anyway... my question is that there is almost 500 calories in a whole pineapple which sounds like so much but I have this list of fruits/veggies that say they burn more calories then they contain. Pineapples and oranges are both on that list. Not sure if I should count just my yogurt and milk, or the fruit too. I think when I first started dieting I would have entered them without a doubt but I'm less than 10lbs from goal now so not entering things quite as religiously.

What does everyone else do? I know everything is in moderation... I know I can't eat 10 pineapples a day and expect to lose weight lol

Edit: Here is the link to that list
http://homemadediva.tumblr.com/post/16453042459/these-are-amazingly-powerful-foods-to-add-to-your
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Replies

  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    Count everything!!!
    Fruit has more then just calories in it.. sugar salt protein fiber etc...
    I always log my fruit even when put in smoothies!

    Congrats on being so close to your goal! Don't start slipping now!! maintenance matters!!

    I also would log it to make sure the smoothie is worth it.
  • Pepper2185
    Pepper2185 Posts: 994 Member
    Forget about the list.

    There are a number of threads explaining why "negative calorie" foods aren't really negative calorie foods.

    Count everything you eat! That smoothie is going to have carbs and sugar that you should account for.
  • yuckidah
    yuckidah Posts: 290 Member
    Of course you count it.
  • Magoo64
    Magoo64 Posts: 13 Member
    You definitely need to count fruit! Pineapples and oranges aren't negative calories when processed by your body so I respectfully call BS on that blogger. Look up your portion in the database and log it. That smoothie sounds like it will be at least 250 calories, so if you are tracking calories, you want it in there! The last 10 are the hardest so if you really want to get rid of them, now is the best time to be diligent. Good luck! I'm on my last 10-15 so I feel your pain!
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    ...Anyway... my question is that there is almost 500 calories in a whole pineapple which sounds like so much but I have this list of fruits/veggies that say they burn more calories then they contain. Pineapples and oranges are both on that list. Not sure if I should count just my yogurt and milk, or the fruit too...
    There's no such thing as negative calorie foods - that's a junk science myth. The TEF (Thermic Effect of Feeding, which is the amount of calories required to digest/process the food) is ALWAYS less than the calories the food contains. Here's a recent thread which discusses it in depth:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/852595-negative-calorie-foods?hl=negative+calorie
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    The link wouldn't work because I'm at work but, yes you definitely need to count the fruit. Negative calorie foods are a myth - no such thing unfortunately. If there's 250 calories in half a pineapple and about 100 in the orange and peach (just a guess), you've just consumed 350 calories. Assuming you've got a 500 calories per day deficit you could cancel out a big chunk of it right there if you don't count the fruit and then eat to your calorie goal. Keep doing this continuously and you'll never lose that last 10 (the hardest bit)
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Count them! That's a lot of calories you're trying to pretend don't exist in that smoothie - but the body knows even if you don't log it that you consumed it so might as well count it!
  • HakunaMatata519
    HakunaMatata519 Posts: 141 Member
    Thanks everyone!
  • brandie_lou
    brandie_lou Posts: 46
    Yes, you count fruit. You don't count veggies (or at least that's what my nutritionist has said). Fruit has a lot of sugar, although natural, which brings up the sugar and calorie count. But keep in mind fruit calories are not the same as candy bar calories. Well, the calories come from different sources. It's a bummer to me because I love fruit juice and fruit, but usually one 8 ounce glass of white grape juice has around 27-32g of sugar. Almost the same as a coke, even though coke is nothing but added sugar/syrup and fruit juice is naturally occurring sugar.

    I've found that there are great bagged frozen varieties at the grocery store (I found some at Walmart) and half the bag was only 70 calories. I use those to make my smoothies (I add Greek yogurt-Yoplait has a Light a Fit Greek for about 6 oz, 80 calories) then instead of a cup of milk I add a cup of already made Muscle Milk (the new Evolve only has like 110 cal) and about 1/4 cup of milk. Really good.

    You have to watch fruit because it can sneak up on you, which of course is better than a bag of chips. But they also have canned fruit called "Skinny Fruit" and I get the pineapples and Mandarin oranges and one serving is around 35 cal.
  • yuckidah
    yuckidah Posts: 290 Member
    You definitely should count vegies as well.
    I mean you could get away with not counting lettuce or other leafy greens, but I strongly suggest you count EVERYTHING that goes in your mouth (except water maybe, lol) otherwise it becomes too easy to miss the fact that that salad you had (for example) actually added up to a couple of hundred calories (or more) because you 'forgot' to write down that you had cheese & dressing in it.
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
    I count fruit and veggies. I don't freak out if I go over my sugar goals by eating a few pieces of fruit a day, as sometimes it will only take 2 pieces of fruit and some tomato soup to go over my set sugar goals, but I know that I am at least getting other benefits from fruit and I am not going over sugar target through eating junk. But if your TDEE is 2000 and you ate 3000 calories of only fruit every day, you would eventually gain weight as those calories count just as much as calories from chocolate (although the fruit has many other benefits).
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    Only things without calories are air & water...... anything else COUNT IT

    500 cals you say? So you know how long it takes to burn off 500 cals? A lot more than just doing nothing but waiting for it. Run for 40mins & perhaps you will burn it off. Its NOT a free cal thing at all.

    AIR & WATER.... plain water......

    Anything else & you are cheating yourself.
  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
    There are no negative calorie foods, that's a myth. If you want to be true to yourself and be successful count your fruit, vegetables and drinks.
  • axialmeow
    axialmeow Posts: 382 Member
    I would definately log it. I don't believe pineapples have negative calories
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Yes, you count fruit. You don't count veggies (or at least that's what my nutritionist has said).

    You count everything that has calories and that includes veggies.
  • taekwonkenpo
    taekwonkenpo Posts: 1,004
    negative calories is not real. It's garbage. You log everything you eat to the best of your ability.
  • jelr
    jelr Posts: 98 Member
    Count the fruit. And instead of putting 1/2 a pineapple I would measure what you put in there with measuring cups/ scale weight so it is more accurate. Fruits grow in all different sizes so your half could be over or under estimated as well as not account for how YOU cut your pineapple. Same with your orange and other fruits.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    Some fruits can actually be quite high in calories. A large apple, for example, 100 cals. A medium sized bunch of grapes, 100 cals.

    I eat about 3 portions of fruit a day, so if I didn't count them, I'd be over my calories by around 300 a day!

    Count everything that goes in your mouth.
  • Restybaby2012
    Restybaby2012 Posts: 568 Member
    I dont understand why you wouldnt count it?

    Even if you didnt count it.....
    ..........and even if everyone here told you you didnt NEED to..

    ....Eventually your body will tell on you every time....

    proveit_zpsff583699.jpg
  • bcc112986
    bcc112986 Posts: 362 Member
    Count everything. It'll keep you on track in the long run. If you don't account for 100-500 calories of fruit a day, that's an average of 91,000 calories a year. That's almost one fifth of all the calories an average woman is supposed to consume in a year. Count everything. :)
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    the only things I don't count are tea, herbs and spices (withour sugar) and small amounts of stuff like mustard and vinegar. I probably should, but I don't *kanye shrug*
  • P05T5CRIPT
    P05T5CRIPT Posts: 285 Member
    If you eat it or drink it, then count it....it's the only way to keep tracking on your eating and if you're really close to goal it matters even more!
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    Yes, you count fruit. You don't count veggies (or at least that's what my nutritionist has said).

    Sorry but your nutritionist is an idiot then & should stop practicing right now.
  • taekwonkenpo
    taekwonkenpo Posts: 1,004
    Yes, you count fruit. You don't count veggies (or at least that's what my nutritionist has said).

    Sorry but your nutritionist is an idiot then & should stop practicing right now.



    That is correct. You count veggies, fruits, everything. If your multi vitimins you take has calories then you count those as well. Everything.

    Does your logging have to be 100% accurete? Of course not. I miss things from time to time like musterd, pickle, spices or little things like that. But it is not OK to intentionally not log something that you eat because you think it should not count.
  • inside_lap
    inside_lap Posts: 728 Member
    Yep, I agree. Count everything
  • Bwandls
    Bwandls Posts: 14 Member
    I don't know about counting veggies...

    I mean, if you're some intense hard-body who is a total weightloss natzi, then yeah, count everything. But I find I don't want to limit my veggie intake because of calories, with the exception of high cal starchy veggies like beans and potatoes, corn and ex. But I'll eat as many boiled beets, okra, string beans and cucumbers as I want... no worries.

    That's probs what her nutritionalist meant.

    BUT, at the same time, you should count them if you're some sort of food fiend whose able to consume several hundred calories worth of lettuce or something, I guess (sarcasm, people).
  • rm7161
    rm7161 Posts: 505
    Count everything if its got calories, and most fruit has calories, some more than a negligible amount. I count it. The only thing I estimate are things like lettuce, because a difference of 5 cals isn't going to make a difference. I still count veggies, because I want an idea of the nutrients I took in that day.
  • harrybananas
    harrybananas Posts: 292 Member
    At the end of the day, a calorie to me is a calorie to you. So yes I'd agree with "count everything". Especially fruits because they're primarily sugars which are carbs - so this is important if you're on a low carb diet.

    Imagine eating bananas or honey dews or oranges all day and not counting them. That's a lot of simple sugars aka carbs.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Count EVERYTHING! :drinker:

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