counting calories for fruit

millerdude
millerdude Posts: 2 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
Why is it that weight watcher's program does not count any points (calories ) for fruit?

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    To encourage people to eat more fruits/vegetables than other snacks
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    millerdude wrote: »
    Why is it that weight watcher's program does not count any points (calories ) for fruit?

    Because it is stupid.
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    To encourage people to eat more fruits/vegetables than other snacks

    ^^This. For example, knowing that I could have an apple (0 points) and a cheese stick (typically 2 points) for less than what a couple of cookies would "cost" me, and knowing that the apple & cheese would keep me fuller longer, would help me make the choice of the apple/cheese.

    People can say that it doesn't make sense or that it's stupid. But when you sign up and they give you your Daily Points Target (the amount of "points" you're supposed to consume in a day) they have factored in that you are going to eat a reasonable amount of fruits/veggies in a day. Notice I say "reasonable": Not eat 5 lbs of bananas a day and wonder why you're not losing weight.

    It works for me. I think WW is a great, sustainable program. But so is counting calories, and that's free!
  • millerdude
    millerdude Posts: 2 Member
    So maybe fitness pal should not count calories for fruits.
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    millerdude wrote: »
    So maybe fitness pal should not count calories for fruits.

    Or maybe you could join Weight Watchers. ;)

    Seriously, they're two separate programs and they both work. I don't think MFP needs to say "fruit is now calorie free". It's up to you to do the program that works for you.

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    millerdude wrote: »
    So maybe fitness pal should not count calories for fruits.

    So I can discount the banana, lettuce, and broccoli I've eaten?

    Sadly, my body won't.
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    As I said, f/v are zero points on WW because when they tell you how many points you are allowed per day, they are assuming you are going to have several servings of f/v. So they factor that in and are actually giving you less points that you would get otherwise.

    The minimum # of points that WW gives anyone is 26. There are roughly 40 calories per point. That's only 1,040 calories a day. But adding in the calories of f/v puts you at a higher calorie count for the day.

    Making f/v zero calories on MFP wouldn't work, unless they overhauled the whole program and gave everyone a different (lower) number of calories allowed per day. And why should they do that?

  • VanillaGorillaUK
    VanillaGorillaUK Posts: 342 Member
    Because weight watchers knows you will not eat fruit all day.

    I believe on slimming world they let you eat as much potatoes as you want. Obviously, people won't eat it all day.

    It's a gamble they play, their system hopes you won't go over calories. I live with someone who does weight watchers, it worked for a while and then it stopped. Their advice was to ear a little less, who would imagine that? Your allowed to eat as much as you want until they say. Then all of a sudden you can't.

    My advice would be to learn about calories and how to track them.
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    edited April 2015
    Weight Watchers tells people to eat as much as they want? In what universe?

    Even if your meaning was, "WW tells people to eat as much f/v as they want", it's not true.

    Members are told to eat a "reasonable" amount of f/v and to eat "to satisfaction", not gluttony. People tend to miss that little part when they hear "zero points".

    If someone thinks that eating half a watermelon per day is "reasonable" then that's on them. You do need a modicum of common sense to succeed on any weight loss program.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    To encourage people to eat more fruits/vegetables than other snacks

    ^^This. For example, knowing that I could have an apple (0 points) and a cheese stick (typically 2 points) for less than what a couple of cookies would "cost" me, and knowing that the apple & cheese would keep me fuller longer, would help me make the choice of the apple/cheese.

    People can say that it doesn't make sense or that it's stupid. But when you sign up and they give you your Daily Points Target (the amount of "points" you're supposed to consume in a day) they have factored in that you are going to eat a reasonable amount of fruits/veggies in a day. Notice I say "reasonable": Not eat 5 lbs of bananas a day and wonder why you're not losing weight.

    It works for me. I think WW is a great, sustainable program. But so is counting calories, and that's free!

    I was on the WW forums shortly after this new thing rolled out. There were people outraged because they'd added a ton of fruit to their day and stopped losing. One woman listed something crazy like five oranges, three bananas and an apple. I think they should have said something like "the first X number of fruits are free, after that start counting them."

  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    maidentl wrote: »
    I think they should have said something like "the first X number of fruits are free, after that start counting them."

    They could've done that. It would probably work better than expecting people to not be ridiculous. ;)
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    maidentl wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    To encourage people to eat more fruits/vegetables than other snacks

    ^^This. For example, knowing that I could have an apple (0 points) and a cheese stick (typically 2 points) for less than what a couple of cookies would "cost" me, and knowing that the apple & cheese would keep me fuller longer, would help me make the choice of the apple/cheese.

    People can say that it doesn't make sense or that it's stupid. But when you sign up and they give you your Daily Points Target (the amount of "points" you're supposed to consume in a day) they have factored in that you are going to eat a reasonable amount of fruits/veggies in a day. Notice I say "reasonable": Not eat 5 lbs of bananas a day and wonder why you're not losing weight.

    It works for me. I think WW is a great, sustainable program. But so is counting calories, and that's free!

    I was on the WW forums shortly after this new thing rolled out. There were people outraged because they'd added a ton of fruit to their day and stopped losing. One woman listed something crazy like five oranges, three bananas and an apple. I think they should have said something like "the first X number of fruits are free, after that start counting them."

    When I did it, the recommended servings was up to 5 fruits and veggies free, or something like that. It was not unlimited. Its just common sense. Its like people on here thinking they burned 500 calories in 30 minutes and eating them back and wondering why it isn't working.

  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    KlLLEmALL wrote: »
    Because weight watchers knows you will not eat fruit all day.

    Totally would if I could!

    Mmmm....fruit!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    millerdude wrote: »
    So maybe fitness pal should not count calories for fruits.

    My body does a great job of "counting" all the calories from the fruit I eat. If I want to understand when I'm at a deficit, I had better track them too.
  • captivatedlife
    captivatedlife Posts: 60 Member
    maidentl wrote: »
    I think they should have said something like "the first X number of fruits are free, after that start counting them."

    They could've done that. It would probably work better than expecting people to not be ridiculous. ;)

    :) people are ridiculous. It amazes me how we have survived!

    Good answers on the weight watchers question. I love the idea of eating more fruits and veggies, but it doesn't work for me. I'm too type a and need to measure and recorded everything. That's just me though. I love weight watchers and love their magazine!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,302 Member
    edited April 2015
    millerdude wrote: »
    Why is it that weight watcher's program does not count any points (calories ) for fruit?
    Because it encourages you to make "healthier choices" while ensuring that you will be paying for their program for more weeks if you don't get the part about "reasonable amounts"!?
  • marissafit06
    marissafit06 Posts: 1,996 Member
    KlLLEmALL wrote: »
    Because weight watchers knows you will not eat fruit all day.

    Totally would if I could!

    Mmmm....fruit!

    Me too!

    WW also probably figures that a lot of ppl in their program aren't eating many fruits and veggies to begin with. So there is less risk of overindulgence.
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  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    WW also gives you an extremely reduced calorie amount to account for the fact that you'll be shoving your face full of fruits and veggies. MFP gives you a calorie goal based on how many calories you actually need to lose weight. How you spend them is up to you. Once you start pay attention to macros and such you'll want all your calories accounted for.
  • Nana2Libby
    Nana2Libby Posts: 1 Member
    How about water? Is that free?
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    Of course. Was that even a real question?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Everything counts, count the fruit.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    millerdude wrote: »
    So maybe fitness pal should not count calories for fruits.

    you dont have to count calories for ice cream, either. but they still exist. :/
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    you dont have to count calories for ice cream, either. but they still exist. :/

    No they don't! LIES! All LIES!

    (Mmmm. Ice cream.)
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    segacs wrote: »
    you dont have to count calories for ice cream, either. but they still exist. :/

    No they don't! LIES! All LIES!

    (Mmmm. Ice cream.)

    i dont care for ice cream, much, so im in the clear, there.

    now, theres plenty of OTHER things though.... ;) LOLOLOLOL
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    KlLLEmALL wrote: »
    Your allowed to eat as much as you want until they say. Then all of a sudden you can't.

    That was never my experience with Weight Watchers.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    Btw I got some Weight Watchers giant latte ice cream bars today. I thin I will end the day with one. Not crazy about WW food except for those and the cookies and cream popsicles.
    *licks lips*
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited April 2015
    millerdude wrote: »
    Why is it that weight watcher's program does not count any points (calories ) for fruit?

    They are trying to get people to eat more fruits and vegetables. To compensate for this, they jack up the points on other things. This is one thing I really don't like about weight watchers...their clients don't actually learn anything in RE to actual energy intake and expenditure.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    millerdude wrote: »
    So maybe fitness pal should not count calories for fruits.

    Why? MFP is not weight watchers.
This discussion has been closed.