Do you think it's necessary to log vegetable intake?

Everything adds up over time. 50 calories a day not logged from veggie intake will add up. In one month, that's almost half a pound. In six months, that's 2.5 pounds and then in a year, that's 5 lbs.

I definitely log all my veggies since I eat about 200-300 cals in them each day. It's up to you but I'd suggest you do.

Only if you eat 50 calories over maintenance. If you're below, you won't gain, you might just lose slower.

I log everything, even gum

Yup. Expecially if you are on a tight calorie budget. Eating a lot of veggies over the day can add up in the 100's of calories

Yes. But don't look back at my diary for examples...I was on vacation and just starting properly logging food again today...which includes 18 calories worth of red bell pepper, red onion and cilantro that I put on my tacos for dinner.

This may sound like a stupid question, but I'm wondering if whether or not it makes that big of a difference in daily calories to log how many veggies we eat. I can understand logging fruits because they are high in sugar and contain more calories, but I feel like it's a waste of time to log that I ate 'an orange pepper and some spinach' with my lunch when it only added about 50 calories to my diary. Again I'm only talking about the CALORIES (I know it's good to keep track of everything we put in our mouths so we can look back and see past meals etc). I'm really just thinking about logging any meat I eat daily, or how much coconut oil I use etc, as I find these make the biggest difference in calories if you're trying to eat a certain amount. Any thoughts?

I easily eat 300 calories, but usually more in just steamed and other plain veggies a day and cannot afford to not count them. But even if it was just 50 calories, I log them, because I promised myself to be honest. This means that everything gets logged; even the 4 calories for black coffee.....:o). Also, veggies have carbs....and I check those.

I log everything......EVERYTHING. I even log the little things like chia seeds and flax seeds and vitamins. It may seem trivial in the moment, but it all adds up at the end of the day. Gum? Do they even have that in the food database?

One of the main reasons I log veggies is to make sure I am getting enough fiber and consuming enough veggies.

And the calories do add up

waste of time?

it takes just a few seconds to log each food...at least for me.

I log everything, even gum :laugh:

As do I

I find it helpful

When I decided to lose the weight this time, I tried my old WW program (points, free non starchy veg but counting fruit), and I wasn't losing at all.

I started MFP, logged my veg and found I was eating about 200 cals a day worth that I wasn't logging with WW. 200 x a month (30 days) is 6000 calories!!! (almost 2 lbs)

Now, I count EVERYTHING!!!

Youre right about logging everything,but I found when I stopped WW's, I stopped eating more fruit and veg,since it was going to be logged ! why eat a banana when you could have a cookie? Just saying

I find it helpful

When I decided to lose the weight this time, I tried my old WW program (points, free non starchy veg but counting fruit), and I wasn't losing at all.

I started MFP, logged my veg and found I was eating about 200 cals a day worth that I wasn't logging with WW. 200 x a month (30 days) is 6000 calories!!! (almost 2 lbs)

Now, I count EVERYTHING!!!

I sooo agree, I eat about 150-250 calories a day in veggies! I always log my veggies.

ABSOLUTELY! There are a lot more calories in veggies than you think!!

Yes it is necessary if you take counting calories seriously. Speaking for myself, I could easily eat hundreds of calories in vegetables a day.

It depends on you and the reason you are logging.

I am logging to track calories, as well as my average Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron consumption, among other things. My Vit A and Iron are usually low-ish, possibly because some foods in the database have N/A for micros. I have red meet when I crave it as it is probably my body saying I need iron. I don't think I've met my Vit A since I started. To use your example, oranges contain Vit C, pepper (I'm assuming capsicum?) contain Vit C, and spinach contains some iron (and calcium but not much of it is usable by the body). I've switched back to pineapple juice from orange juice, and my Vit C today mostly came from a 1/4 of a red capsicum.

If I don't log almost everything, when I look back and see if I could (or need to) make a change the information I'm relying on isn't accurate. Combine that with my poor memory, and I wouldn't have a clue what to do and the logging would have been a waste of time other than to reach my current position - I wouldn't be able to use the past to do things differently in the future.

Does not matter if it is cake or carrots, if I eat or drink it I log it.

I log it because I can visually see if I need more veggies that particular day.

All the little bits of this and that add up to a bunch of my meal or day's worth of calories allotted. If I don't keep track I inch up and overeat. It's also really easy to say "oh it's just ....." (whatever it is). That can sabotage me. I'm a good denier. Also measure and weigh things. It really does add up.

Sometimes a cup of squash is over what I can have for the day. Depending on what vegetable you can or can't fit it in your lower calorie day sometimes.

That said, I don't freak out if I'm within a hundred or 2 of my goal for the day. Especially when I'm set to cut calories and not maintain.