Free Food

patter10
patter10 Posts: 23 Member
in Food and Nutrition
When documenting your daily intake should you document fruits and vegetables? There are so many resources that refer to these items as free food and one should eat as many of them as possible guilt free.

Replies

  • Fjcookie
    Fjcookie Posts: 48
    Your title said free food... and I came here just to find out where to get some free food? lol

    But to answer your question, I would definitely count them because calories are calories. For example, bananas are at least 100 calories, if you ate plenty of those without counting them you may go over on your calories. Most days my caloric intake consists of mostly fruits and vegetables and I keep track of every one of them.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    The only "food" I don't count is sugar free gum. I also don't always count Tic Tacs or sugar free mints if I have less than 3 or 4. As was said, fruits and veggies can start to add up. I can maybe see not counting iceberg lettuce or celery, but not counting an apple or banana? That could be almost 300 calories (depending on the size) that you don't count.
  • femmefae
    femmefae Posts: 65 Member
    Your title said free food... and I came here just to find out where to get some free food? lol

    Same haha
  • patter10
    patter10 Posts: 23 Member
    Isn't the properties of these foods processed differently, ergo more usable calories that don't get stored as fat? Just asking.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    Log them, especially fruit.

    I don't stress about, like, the lettuce on a sandwich or something, but outside of that I log all food consumed, fruits and vegetables included. All calories count, no matter where they come from.

    Today I will have eaten just over 200 calories worth of what you're calling "free food." That's 21lbs per year of additional weight loss that I wouldn't have. It makes a bigger difference than you might think.
  • kingtermite
    kingtermite Posts: 82 Member
    Yes. Log ALL food (and drinks).

    It may be much better for you, but you don't know your true calorie intake if you don't log it.
  • Capt_Inzane
    Capt_Inzane Posts: 733 Member
    I count everything that goes in my mouth. I figure it's fuel and fuel = calories so should be counted.
  • rubywoo123
    rubywoo123 Posts: 80
    Your title said free food... and I came here just to find out where to get some free food? lol

    same. how bad HAHA
  • sevendredgers
    sevendredgers Posts: 1 Member
    Yep me too LOL: where's the free stuff!

    I document almost everything.
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
    Your title said free food... and I came here just to find out where to get some free food? lol

    Same haha

    Me too!

    TO patter10 - yes, you log everything. There are some diet plans that say that it's "free", like on weight watchers, but that is a dfifernt system
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    Your title said free food... and I came here just to find out where to get some free food? lol


    This. I'm disappointed and so I'll be leaving now
  • spade117
    spade117 Posts: 2,466 Member
    There are so many resources that refer to these items as free food and one should eat as many of them as possible guilt free.

    Where are these resources?

    9 bananas is about 1000 calories.
  • toaster6
    toaster6 Posts: 703 Member
    I'd log everything. Fruit can be very high calorie. Just because something is nutrient dense & good for you, doesn't mean their calories don't count.
  • JoelleAnn78
    JoelleAnn78 Posts: 1,492 Member
    If you are tracking other macros you need to log them. Carbs and Fiber, etc...

    I log everything that I put in my mouth including drinks and mints. Keeps me accountable. I've been on that slippery slope before.... its easy to fall.
  • kiekokay
    kiekokay Posts: 101 Member
    Isn't the properties of these foods processed differently, ergo more usable calories that don't get stored as fat? Just asking.

    This is my understanding as well. I do log fruits and vegetables, but don't stop myself from eating them due to caloric content. In other words, if I am at my calorie total for the day, I would not hesitate to eat a banana or some watermelon to avoid going over. I consider this an acceptable way to go over calories because they are "good" calories.
  • MeAnTtOBeThIn
    MeAnTtOBeThIn Posts: 22 Member
    Only on weight watchers is most fruit and veggies considered free...and I spent much time taking advantage of that. Let me tell you...the weeks that I filled up on bananas and peaches, etc...I didn't lose as much. So that should say something about being "free". no get out of jail free card with weight loss :)
  • fat2strongbeth
    fat2strongbeth Posts: 735 Member
    All foods, even fruits and veggies, have calories, so I record them.
  • eep223
    eep223 Posts: 624 Member
    Aside from the calories, that's where a lot of your vitamins are coming from. Log 'em!
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    They are free on other weight loss plans.

    This is a calorie counting website. If it has calories, it should be logged. That seems logical to me.
  • moontyrant
    moontyrant Posts: 160 Member
    Isn't the properties of these foods processed differently, ergo more usable calories that don't get stored as fat? Just asking.

    Maybe, maybe not. This week a study says you process some foods differently than others, so the calorie values for this is different than the calories in that, or the label is different from reality, etc. etc.
    Next week there will be a study that says something different, and the week after there will be another study that says something else.
    Log everything you eat. Eating 1500 calories of pizza a croutons, then eating 500 calories of strawberries does not mean you're only eating 1500 calories. By all means, eat your vegetables and fruits, but log them too.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Isn't the properties of these foods processed differently, ergo more usable calories that don't get stored as fat? Just asking.

    There are some extremely low calorie foods (lettuce, celery, cabbage, cucumber) ......that are also high in fiber. Your body doesn't absorb all of the calories from fiberous foods (net carb concept). Those to me are like "free foods." I do log lettuce (and the rest) .... but I don't bother to measure it out.

    However, fruits would never be free foods (for me). I wish I could eat fruit all day long ...... yes, there is fiber in fruit too, but not nearly enough to cancel out eating it.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
    Log them as a good thing so you can admire your fine eating habits in your own diary and use it for inspiration. Also, it helps for keeping track over several days. Some days I eat more veggies or fiber or meat than others. I use the diary to help me balance it out over several days.
  • patter10
    patter10 Posts: 23 Member
    Well, the reason I've asked is because me and my wife are using this app together. Now I was logging everything, however, I only have 1450 allotted for a day. I ended up getting real hungry and binge eating. My wife, on the other-hand, has been more forgiving. Going the weight watchers route and not counting the fruits or veggies. Keep in mind that theses are being used as in between meal fillers not splurge items. She's managed to lose 25lbs where as I've lost 4. Plus she isn't ready to kill someone most of the time. Where is a happy balance?
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
    They are not free and you should log them. At the end of the day, if you're still hungry it would be better for you to have an apple over a bag of chips nutritionally, but they may have the same amount of calories. :flowerforyou:
  • smiley245
    smiley245 Posts: 420 Member
    Well, the reason I've asked is because me and my wife are using this app together. Now I was logging everything, however, I only have 1450 allotted for a day. I ended up getting real hungry and binge eating. My wife, on the other-hand, has been more forgiving. Going the weight watchers route and not counting the fruits or veggies. Keep in mind that theses are being used as in between meal fillers not splurge items. She's managed to lose 25lbs where as I've lost 4. Plus she isn't ready to kill someone most of the time. Where is a happy balance?

    1450 cals for the day? And your a man! How did you come up with this number?
    As a woman, I eat more than that...even more on days where i do a lot of activity.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Well, the reason I've asked is because me and my wife are using this app together. Now I was logging everything, however, I only have 1450 allotted for a day. I ended up getting real hungry and binge eating. My wife, on the other-hand, has been more forgiving. Going the weight watchers route and not counting the fruits or veggies. Keep in mind that theses are being used as in between meal fillers not splurge items. She's managed to lose 25lbs where as I've lost 4. Plus she isn't ready to kill someone most of the time. Where is a happy balance?

    I'm not a guy .... but I think 1450 is really low (?) Plus even with 1450, you should be eating exercise calories back. No wonder you're ready to kill someone .... and you don't have the energy to do it either.

    Your wife may have a bigger % of body weight to lose than you do. If you have a smaller % to lose .... then you will lose weight at a slower rate. When you get close to goal, weight loss can be excruciatingly slow.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    When documenting your daily intake should you document fruits and vegetables? There are so many resources that refer to these items as free food and one should eat as many of them as possible guilt free.
    You should eat as many of them as possible, and you definitely shouldn't feel any guilt about it. They do, however, have calories. Whether you log them or not is up to you, and there is something to be said for flexible logging BUT you should be particularly aware of those fruits and vegetables that have a significant amount of calories, such as bananas or potatoes. You could easily end up ruining your progress if you are consuming large amounts of fruits & vegetables and not counting them.
    Isn't the properties of these foods processed differently, ergo more usable calories that don't get stored as fat? Just asking.
    No
    Well, the reason I've asked is because me and my wife are using this app together. Now I was logging everything, however, I only have 1450 allotted for a day. I ended up getting real hungry and binge eating. My wife, on the other-hand, has been more forgiving. Going the weight watchers route and not counting the fruits or veggies. Keep in mind that theses are being used as in between meal fillers not splurge items. She's managed to lose 25lbs where as I've lost 4. Plus she isn't ready to kill someone most of the time. Where is a happy balance?
    It sounds like 1450 calories a day may be too low for you. That wouldn't surprise me, especially given that you are a man and apparently only have about 15 lbs to lose.

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