do you count veggie/fruit cals?

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stephyj528
stephyj528 Posts: 93 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
im unsure here because i feel we should count all cals however is it really worth the effort saying i ate 5 slices of cucumbers or broccoli or carrots or zucchini, etc? i understand fruit is carbs so they are higher in cals like some bananas or apples can be 100 cals or close to it. my doctor told me of this website and he said technically we can get fat off lettuce if we eat too much. obv everything in moderation but what do you do?

Replies

  • ItsMeRebekah
    ItsMeRebekah Posts: 910 Member
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    yes, i def do! i have a special little section just for both =)
  • eeeCharlee
    eeeCharlee Posts: 13
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    I count everything I eat, because fruit and vegetables do have calories. Plus, I like to see when/what I eat so I can make better choices the next day :)
  • Lexyq87
    Lexyq87 Posts: 1
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    The only thing i don't count are non starchy vegetables. The caloric value is so low and the fiber content is so high that it doesn't really matter to me :)
  • loumaag
    loumaag Posts: 118
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    I sure do. In fact, since I tend to eat a lot of veggies, a lot (not most) of my calories are coming from them. Of course my main protein sources are also my main fat sources; but, what are you to do. :wink:
  • caraguard
    caraguard Posts: 41
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    I count everything I eat, because fruit and vegetables do have calories. Plus, I like to see when/what I eat so I can make better choices the next day :)

    Agreed. Even those small cals will add up.
  • Loulady
    Loulady Posts: 511 Member
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    I log what I eat.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    In general, yes. I might not bother with literally 5 slices of cucumber. But a serving of broccoli, a serving of carrots, a salad... it does start to add up.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    If you "skip" logging those where do you draw the line? What "gets to be skipped" do you then ignore the splash of salad dressing or the dip used for some of the veggies?

    I don't log many of the spices I use in my cooking as it's 5-10 calories over the entire 12 serving meal but food itself... yeah it's worth logging.
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
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    Absolutely. Some people will say celery has negative calories, but in reality, it can be up to 20 calories for 2 stalks. It depends what brand I get. Same thing with apples...90 calories per apple. I always, always count them.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    If you're unsure about it, you should log it. If you're talking about something that ends up being 10 calories a day, don't worry about it. If you're talking about all your vegetables that you eat all day, that should add up to a significant number.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
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    Yes, I've found accurately weighing and measuring, and logging everything, is what works best for me.
  • Robinsond61
    Robinsond61 Posts: 25
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    I sure do. My mom thinks I'm nuts though! (I'm 21 and we're 'fitnesspalling' together)
  • InTheInbetween
    InTheInbetween Posts: 192 Member
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    I log what I eat.

    Nuff said. :smile:
  • momtokgo
    momtokgo Posts: 446 Member
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    I log most of what I eat. I do log all fruit, and I log my salad that I eat everyday, and any veggies that I prepare as a snack, but the 5 baby carrots I had while putting groceries away? No, I didn't log them.
  • susanb8500
    susanb8500 Posts: 47 Member
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    I do. Weight loss is about calories in and calories out. Fruit and veggies are calories in. Also, logging them helps me reach my goal of eating more F/V. I can look at my diary and count how many F/V I've had. This is helpful too when I'm trying to evaluate (or re-evaluate) what is going on with my diet. I'm at a plateau and it's helpful to go back and see what was I eating when I was losing and ask "has that changed?" This helps me figure out what I need to shake up in order to lose again. The same goes for any sort of evaluation you would want to do with your food diary (e.g., why am I hungry all the time now? why am I retaining water?).
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    Yes, and I do it for a couple of reasons; I'm trying to eat 9+ servings of fruit and veg a day, so I need to count everything. I also do it so that I can tweak my menu for nutrition and calorie counts.

    I also like knowing I have an accurate food log so that if an opportunity presents itself, I can access the information. Last weekend I randomly bumped into a certified nutritionist and she was able to give me some dietary advice based on my food journal.
  • Bighiker2
    Bighiker2 Posts: 100
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    Absolutely. Some people will say celery has negative calories, but in reality, it can be up to 20 calories for 2 stalks. It depends what brand I get. Same thing with apples...90 calories per apple. I always, always count them.

    So true!!!

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