Weight-Loss Do you count fresh/raw fruits/veggies as calories in a diet??

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hiphoper

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Hi ...well...i've been eating a lot of fresh fruits n veggies in my diet lately to replace unhealthy snacks about 4-6 servings daily...i'm wondering if im eating too many n should i count these calories towards my overall calorie intake?? because I heard that fruits/veggies produce a "negative calorie" effect??? @___@ lol
 
Do some searching on negative calorie effect - it's part urban legend part truth... the search button in this forum is really helpful for stuff like that...

I have an online food journal that I record everything in -some things might have minimal calories, but I want to know about more than just calories -I want to know about fiber, protein, certain vitamins I'm taking - i care about more than just total calories for the day...

If you're just starting to count calories, the philosophy you should stick with- to get yourself into the habit of everything counts - IF YOU BITE IT - WRITE IT.. otherwise it's too easy to forget things...
 
haha this is awsome because. well lol I do the same I really dont count fruit and veggies. I kind of do but its like its an apple its good for me.
 
I count everything, even the water I drink. That's the only way I know I'm on track. At first I was a little lazy about it but now I measure and count everything. I was surprised to find I wasn't eating enough, so for me it's necessary or I'll short myself.
 
reissue said:
I count everything, even the water I drink. That's the only way I know I'm on track. At first I was a little lazy about it but now I measure and count everything. I was surprised to find I wasn't eating enough, so for me it's necessary or I'll short myself.
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Hi, I'm new to the forum, looking for diet help like most of the USA. I find writing everything down really helps me too. I don't ever count fruit as a free food, but wouldn't celery, cucumbers, and lettuce types of greens be considered free food in almost any diet?
 
I wouldn't worry about celery, cucumbers, and lettuce, but there are definitely fruits and vegetables that are high-calorie and should count towards your daily calorie count.
 
Calories are calories. Just b/c something is low in calories does not mean you shouldn't count it.

And since when does water have calories in it?
 
Steve said:
Calories are calories. Just b/c something is low in calories does not mean you shouldn't count it.
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Agreed. Even lettuce has calories in it, according to what I use to track them, as does celery. The reason people say they are "negative" is because you burn cals by chewing.. but you are still taking those calories into your body!

And since when does water have calories in it?
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I'm pretty sure they were saying they keep track of everything, even water (so even though it doesn't have any cals.)
 
maleficent said:
Do some searching on negative calorie effect - it's part urban legend part truth... the search button in this forum is really helpful for stuff like that...

I have an online food journal that I record everything in -some things might have minimal calories, but I want to know about more than just calories -I want to know about fiber, protein, certain vitamins I'm taking - i care about more than just total calories for the day...

If you're just starting to count calories, the philosophy you should stick with- to get yourself into the habit of everything counts - IF YOU BITE IT - WRITE IT.. otherwise it's too easy to forget things...
Click to expand...

im going to remember that quote mal! IF YOU BITE IT - WRITE IT.....very catchy
 
Steve said:
And since when does water have calories in it?
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I assume you are responding to my counting water post. I don't count it because it has calories, I just track how much I drink to make sure I'm getting enough. I also keep track of my vitamins and supplements and keep an excercise journal. BTW every online calorie calculator includes water in it's list of foods.
 
Ideally no food should be excluded.

Practically, the only exception you should make is when a snack is less than 25 calories for that serving.

Almost everything you eat is higher than this, especially fruit.

If you want to be even more practical, dont count vegetables, but ALWAYS count fruit.

Michael (I hate trusts.)
 
Awesome: If you bite it write it!

Let's see, a medium orange 60 calories, a medium apple 95 calories. The answer to your question is another question: would you log drinking a Coke (140 calories) but not log eating an apple and an orange (155 calories)?

A quarter pound of carrots is 40 calories...

Counting celery, lettuce, and cucumbers for calories seems silly, but I would still note that I put it in my body in case I notice a pattern with weight, energy, or digestion after adding/subtracting.


Maybe my attitude would be different though if I was near my goal weight or working to maintain a weight, but since my weekly deficit is 8000 calories, I'm not going to fuss over how much (non-honey) mustard I add to a chicken breast.
 
Don't only stress about calories, look at your diet as a whole. Fruits and vegetables are fine, the only one to avoid is bananas. Eat smaller meals and more frequently and do about 45 mins of cardio exercises every day.
 
If I didn't count my vegetable calories...I'd be going over quite a bit. I get at least 250 a day I would say. Oh, and don't avoid bananas. Where did that come from!?
 
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THe only veggie or fruit that i make sure that i count is bananas or avocados..they are both pretty high in calories...well bananas are moderately high...but as far as lettuce, tomatoes,cucumbers, etc are concerned..i just estimate, and add it to my end of daily caloric intake...i dont obsess over every single calorie when it comes to most veggies..
 
hiphoper said:
Hi ...well...i've been eating a lot of fresh fruits n veggies in my diet lately to replace unhealthy snacks about 4-6 servings daily...i'm wondering if im eating too many n should i count these calories towards my overall calorie intake?? because I heard that fruits/veggies produce a "negative calorie" effect??? @___@ lol
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fruits and veggies are fine to eat and help you lose weight. the only thing I think is probably not worth eating , is bananas. They have a lot of calories
 
About the bananas, that is something I know from personal experience. It is the one fruit which helps in putting on weight.
 
About the bananas, that is something I know from personal experience. It is the one fruit which helps in putting on weight
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That's stupid.

Bananas do not have THAT many calories that you should be eliminating them from your diet. They are satisfying and are nutritionally valuable.

If you were putting weight on, it's not because of the bananas it's because you were eating more calories than you were burning, period.
 
Don't only stress about calories, look at your diet as a whole. Fruits and vegetables are fine, the only one to avoid is bananas. Eat smaller meals and more frequently and do about 45 mins of cardio exercises every day.
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While I agree that 'stressing' about anything is bad, the idea that you should not be have a basic idea of what your calorie intake is worse.

That can easily lead to a slippery slope where you don't count calories in drinks or anything that might be 'healthy'. Leading then to the enviable post saying something to the effect of, "I keep working out and eating right but still can't lose weight!"
 
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