Stop counting green veggies!!?

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13

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  • GreenIceFloes
    GreenIceFloes Posts: 1,491 Member
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    But then how will you track your nutrients properly? :/
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    I count them if I am eating a varied diet.
    Some times of the year I become vegetarian and then I don't count because when I eat only vegetables and selected low cal fruit I never get up to my tdee.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    But then how will you track your nutrients properly? :/

    That was my first thought too. I especially look at fibre, then there's also vitamins C and A etc

    OP I weigh and log everything I eat, because I want accurate and complete data.

  • djdeb77
    djdeb77 Posts: 4 Member
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    fenharels wrote: »
    I eat four or five cocktail tomatoes with my breakfast. 100 g of cocktail tomatoes have 19 calories, so I'm not worried about logging them if I'm in a hurry. Everything else I always log.


    what's a cocktail tomatoe?

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    djdeb77 wrote: »
    fenharels wrote: »
    I eat four or five cocktail tomatoes with my breakfast. 100 g of cocktail tomatoes have 19 calories, so I'm not worried about logging them if I'm in a hurry. Everything else I always log.


    what's a cocktail tomatoe?

    A cherry tomato??
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    I record everything I eat because I want to gain understanding of the way my body responds to the food I eat. The tools of MFP allow me to do that. It seems a waste to use the tools improperly. Would you comb your hair with a hammer?
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    I record everything I eat because I want to gain understanding of the way my body responds to the food I eat. The tools of MFP allow me to do that. It seems a waste to use the tools improperly. Would you comb your hair with a hammer?

    The tool has many capabilities and not everyone may be interested in them all. That's like saying that if you don't have a Fitbit linked to your account, you might as well not bother

    OP, I agree with not logging certain low calorie items ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN VERIFIED as low calorie. If you're drenching your salad in what you think is a low calorie dressing and you're wrong, guess what, no weight loss. Some compensate for the inaccurate logging in a variety of ways - lower intensity exercise that don't get logged, a lower activity setting than you truly are, lower calorie goal, etc

    To me it's about diminishing returns and sustainable logging. If logging every single item makes you want to blow your brains out, there may be opportunity for simplification and continued and successful use of the tool
  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
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    For me, logging low calorie fruits and vegetables is about figuring out how much room I have left for other foods. It's not about the 81 calories worth of steamed veg with dinner, it's about not going over my goal by 81 calories because I haven't counted them and then ate to my goal.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited April 2016
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    *kitten*
    *kitten*

    Sorry, just trying to find out why I have been reading multiple posts lately with the word KITTEN in it. It's like mfp is replacing swear words with the word kitten :huh:
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
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    abatonfan wrote: »
    I count them, but I'm not super picky about their weights. I might log 100g of kale instead of 98 or 102g, but I need to log it nonetheless.
    I tend to do this with veggies as well.
    *kitten*
    *kitten*

    Sorry, just trying to find out why I have been reading multiple posts lately with the word KITTEN in it. It's like mfp is replacing swear words with the word kitten :huh:
    You gotta be kitten me.

  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
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    But then how will you track your nutrients properly? :/

    That was my first thought too. I especially look at fibre, then there's also vitamins C and A etc

    OP I weigh and log everything I eat, because I want accurate and complete data.

    Re the nutrients (I think you mean carbs, protein, etc.?), I was raised to just eyeball the portions of meats, rice, vegetables proportionally. Honestly I only became aware of the macro %'s that many people pick for themselves after coming to this site. :)

    Christine,
    I can't remotely try to log *everything* That would turn my life upside down. Like yesterday a bunch of the family members spontaneously showed up at my home and stayed for dinner. I can't imagine getting out the scale and the note pad. I also like going to random restaurants to eat quite often. I prefer to try than to turn down treats that coworkers and friends offer out of the blue. I don't like to lose this spontaneity!!
  • xtina315
    xtina315 Posts: 218 Member
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    The only thing I don't count is iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce on sandwiches or tacos since I don't use much. But if I eat a salad I will count them
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    edited April 2016
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    But then how will you track your nutrients properly? :/

    That was my first thought too. I especially look at fibre, then there's also vitamins C and A etc

    OP I weigh and log everything I eat, because I want accurate and complete data.

    Re the nutrients (I think you mean carbs, protein, etc.?), I was raised to just eyeball the portions of meats, rice, vegetables proportionally. Honestly I only became aware of the macro %'s that many people pick for themselves after coming to this site. :)

    Christine,
    I can't remotely try to log *everything* That would turn my life upside down. Like yesterday a bunch of the family members spontaneously showed up at my home and stayed for dinner. I can't imagine getting out the scale and the note pad. I also like going to random restaurants to eat quite often. I prefer to try than to turn down treats that coworkers and friends offer out of the blue. I don't like to lose this spontaneity!!

    Logging privately on your own time does mean you can guesstimate unknown calorie counts better as your experience increases. Also if you go to restaurants, some of them will have nutrition info published on the menu or website. I still think you should simplify as much as you want, and if it works, it works. If you start to stall for weeks at a time (like six to eight weeks), you'll have some very good ideas as to what to tighten up

    Do you use the mobile app at all, or just the website?
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    I guess I don't understand logging on something that may or may not happen in the future. Yes, some people may over eat cookies, but if you don't is still only 50ish calories.

    I eat pretty large portions of vegetables (found out in another thread that I'm not normal)because I'm a volume eater. Yes, it would be hard to binge and accidentally eat 2000 calories in broccoli, but I have over a lb before, and I roast it in oil. A lb of broccoli is not negligible calories.

    Log what you eat, or don't. You don't have to log anything to lose. But if you stall in your weight loss, the first thing anyone will ask is if you are logging accurately.

    Essentially, do what works until it doesn't. Then reasses.
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,339 Member
    edited April 2016
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    I count and log everything, including condiments, drinks, nibbles etc...Especially ALL vegetables! Veggies make up probably 65-75% of my daily intake, I'd only be fooling myself if I didn't account for them. I love when people say they "can't" log everything, takes too much time, why bother etc..I'm sorry, but those are typical excuses a lot of people use when they begin, until they actually start to see the results.....there are thousands of successful people who've lost weight right here on this site who KNOW it's a proven method. It's only difficult and time consuming for the first couple of weeks. And it's WORTH the time it takes!

    #80lbsdown....
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,339 Member
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    But then how will you track your nutrients properly? :/

    This...excellent question! Successful weight loss is about more than just lbs lost...it's about HEALTH...I particularly keep track of my iron, fiber and protein counts...those would be WAY off if I didn't log my veg..
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    But then how will you track your nutrients properly? :/

    That was my first thought too. I especially look at fibre, then there's also vitamins C and A etc

    OP I weigh and log everything I eat, because I want accurate and complete data.

    Re the nutrients (I think you mean carbs, protein, etc.?), I was raised to just eyeball the portions of meats, rice, vegetables proportionally. Honestly I only became aware of the macro %'s that many people pick for themselves after coming to this site. :)

    Christine,
    I can't remotely try to log *everything* That would turn my life upside down. Like yesterday a bunch of the family members spontaneously showed up at my home and stayed for dinner. I can't imagine getting out the scale and the note pad. I also like going to random restaurants to eat quite often. I prefer to try than to turn down treats that coworkers and friends offer out of the blue. I don't like to lose this spontaneity!!

    You can still go back and TRY to log it. You don't have to whip the food scale out at the dinner table in those situations.

    It's your choice whether to log it or not, as long as you don't pretend it didn't happen. I mean if you want to lose weight you have to be able to go back through that meal, at least get a good guesstimate of the CALORIES in the whole meal, and track them/quick add. I think we all know this though. An unlogged 600 calorie meal doesn't mean it didn't happen.

    Anyway, I already mentioned above I eat about 200 calories of veg per day so need to track. But also, there have been some bumps in the road along the way and I've been very happy to have accurate data to figure out what to do. I became really tired and groggy/had troubles with my cycle and noticed I was low on iron and was able to fix it. I couldn't have a BM for days and noticed my fiber was really high, but my fat was really low. I fixed it and learned something about the problems of being low on fat, etc.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    auddii wrote: »
    I guess I don't understand logging on something that may or may not happen in the future. Yes, some people may over eat cookies, but if you don't is still only 50ish calories.

    I eat pretty large portions of vegetables (found out in another thread that I'm not normal)because I'm a volume eater. Yes, it would be hard to binge and accidentally eat 2000 calories in broccoli, but I have over a lb before, and I roast it in oil. A lb of broccoli is not negligible calories.

    Log what you eat, or don't. You don't have to log anything to lose. But if you stall in your weight loss, the first thing anyone will ask is if you are logging accurately.

    Essentially, do what works until it doesn't. Then reasses.

    It certainly isn't. I had less than that for lunch today and it came out at 122 calories. I took the time to add up my vegetable only calories for today, and it came out at 364 calories. I quite often surpass that number in vegetables, the reason I didn't today is because my dinner is not vegetable friendly, although I'm quite certain by the time I go to bed I will have had a few more tomatoes/cucumbers. That's why I said above it would never work for me. For someone who eats like 100-200 grams of vegetables a day, it's possible to not log and still lose weight. It's also possible to log all vegetables as one kind vegetables, broccoli for example. I log all my non-calorie drinks (tea, coffee, soda..etc) as a gram of sugar each just to keep track of how much I drink.

    In the grand scheme of things though, I see no problem in not logging certain items if it makes dieting easier for someone as long as they are losing weight. If they happen to stall, at least they know where to start troubleshooting.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    edited April 2016
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    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    But then how will you track your nutrients properly? :/

    That was my first thought too. I especially look at fibre, then there's also vitamins C and A etc

    OP I weigh and log everything I eat, because I want accurate and complete data.

    Re the nutrients (I think you mean carbs, protein, etc.?), I was raised to just eyeball the portions of meats, rice, vegetables proportionally. Honestly I only became aware of the macro %'s that many people pick for themselves after coming to this site. :)

    Christine,
    I can't remotely try to log *everything* That would turn my life upside down. Like yesterday a bunch of the family members spontaneously showed up at my home and stayed for dinner. I can't imagine getting out the scale and the note pad. I also like going to random restaurants to eat quite often. I prefer to try than to turn down treats that coworkers and friends offer out of the blue. I don't like to lose this spontaneity!!

    Logging privately on your own time does mean you can guesstimate unknown calorie counts better as your experience increases. Also if you go to restaurants, some of them will have nutrition info published on the menu or website. I still think you should simplify as much as you want, and if it works, it works. If you start to stall for weeks at a time (like six to eight weeks), you'll have some very good ideas as to what to tighten up

    Do you use the mobile app at all, or just the website?

    Don't laugh but I only use an Excel sheet to track my breakfast and lunch and paper & pen for dinner, and only do it on weekdays. I guess all the work on my weekdays outweighs the sloppiness of the other time as the weight is still dropping.

    Yes you are right. I kinda mentally log, guesstimate after a random, unplanned meal. I suppose that's how one trains his observation on portions for the long term. This is why I am amazed by how people log every single thing and plan to do it forever!?
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    But then how will you track your nutrients properly? :/

    That was my first thought too. I especially look at fibre, then there's also vitamins C and A etc

    OP I weigh and log everything I eat, because I want accurate and complete data.

    Re the nutrients (I think you mean carbs, protein, etc.?), I was raised to just eyeball the portions of meats, rice, vegetables proportionally. Honestly I only became aware of the macro %'s that many people pick for themselves after coming to this site. :)

    Christine,
    I can't remotely try to log *everything* That would turn my life upside down. Like yesterday a bunch of the family members spontaneously showed up at my home and stayed for dinner. I can't imagine getting out the scale and the note pad. I also like going to random restaurants to eat quite often. I prefer to try than to turn down treats that coworkers and friends offer out of the blue. I don't like to lose this spontaneity!!

    Logging privately on your own time does mean you can guesstimate unknown calorie counts better as your experience increases. Also if you go to restaurants, some of them will have nutrition info published on the menu or website. I still think you should simplify as much as you want, and if it works, it works. If you start to stall for weeks at a time (like six to eight weeks), you'll have some very good ideas as to what to tighten up

    Do you use the mobile app at all, or just the website?

    Don't laugh but I only use an Excel sheet to track my breakfast and lunch and paper & pen for dinner, and only do it on weekdays. I guess all the work on my weekdays outweighs the sloppiness of the other time as the weight is still dropping.

    Yes you are right. I kinda mentally log, guesstimate after a random, unplanned meal. I suppose that's how one trains his observation on portions for the long term.

    It's not really silly. I took a break from logging in MFP for a bit for personal reasons, thinking I wasn't going to log at all, but I still ended up jotting down my food on paper. I did still weigh everything though. This was even during a time when I was trying to gain weight.

    If what you're doing now is working, great. It's possible it might be more tricky the smaller you get. Maybe not. Maybe you rock at eye-balling heh. I sometimes wish I could not be so anal about logging but like I said above, I do love my data.