Calorie Counting Vegetables

This topic contains 8 replies, has 9 voices, and was last updated by Merryme 8 years, 2 months ago.

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

14wrence

2:53 pm
7 Sep 15
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Hi,

Somebody who successfully lost a lot of weight on 5:2 has told me not to worry about how many vegetables you eat. To fill up on them on fast days and not bother counting them.

However I have not read this or see any evidence to support this anywhere.

Does anyone know if I should count the calories in Veggies or not?

Ceedub

3:05 pm
7 Sep 15
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I do. I don’t know about anyone else. Green vegetables are low in cals but the others do have a bit like corn or carrots and potatoes

AmyLamey

3:19 pm
7 Sep 15
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On a fast day, you are supposed to count every single calorie, even from veggies. It’s still easy to fill up on certain veggies (mostly green ones, like Ceedub said) and come in under 50 calories. Cucumber has about 8 calories a serving!

I think that filling up on veggies and not worrying about the calorie count is excellent advice for feed days though!

Ceedub

10:39 pm
7 Sep 15
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Good point Amy. Always a great idea

Amazon

12:07 pm
8 Sep 15
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Counting calories guarantees that you don’t eat too many on a fast day, and I don’t think that was very sound advice. If you are fasting in order to lose weight you may as well do it properly.

AdeInFrance

8:57 pm
14 Sep 15
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The thing is veggies are pretty low in calories. Red peppers, cauliflower, asparagus, etc. all clock in at around 25 calories per 100g. This means you could eat 2kg of them and still stay below 500 calories.

I tend not to worry too much about veggies but I do keep an eye on fruit.

strongman78

11:28 am
22 Oct 15
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i think it’s an good advice, AdelnFrance! So many people forget that some fruits have relatively high calories! All fruits are mostly made of carbohydrates, although calories in fruit can also come from fats and small amounts of protein (source: http://www.calories.info/food/fruits) It was also my problem- I count calories since two years but i don’t mind the fruits. I eat them every day but e.g. one mango has 202cal..fruits are important but you need to count them too!

crowceilidh

5:21 pm
21 Feb 16
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I don’t count the calories from lemon/lime juice, leafy herbs, onions, sriracha or garlic although all of these have calories. 1) I’m not in a big rush to lose the weight because I think slow loss is better for you 2) I want to enjoy the meal and spicing it up helps.

I tend not to be too careful with weighing stuff like rapini (that is, if I have 140 grams instead of 100, I don’t worry too much) because it’s highly fibrous and goes through me fast. On the other hand, I am losing weight very very very slowly, especially now that I have hit the weights that I have been at or around for over 25 years. The more recent weight that I was piling on without seeming to be able to stop came off in about 2 months (20 lbs or so), now I’m losing about 1 lb in 4-6 weeks. I have never been able to stop bingeing (boredom eating) on non-fast days which probably also accounts for the very slow weight loss.

Wisteria

7:41 am
11 Sep 16
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I’m just starting out on 5:2 and I’m wondering how to easily find the calorie count of basic foods? Also how do I convert from Kilo joule to calorie please.

Merryme

8:07 am
11 Sep 16
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Hi 14wrence,

Your friend may have been successful losing weight that way, but it doesn’t mean you will. They have a personal variation. It’s best to stick to the basics till you get the hang of it and learn 5:2. I.e. <500cals female, <600cals male on fast days(FDs). Then, if you want you can start teaking things a bit to get to what is the ideal selection of food and drinks for you.

Vegetables vary. There are the high starch high cal vegetables – potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, corn, peas for eg, and then there are low calorie ones. To lose weight I cannot eat any of the high starch vegies on any day FD or nonFD. There is something in the starchy carbs, and all grains) that not only make me put on weight but stop me losing it even if I eat them in moderation. Don’t know why. Again, personal variation.

Stick to the general guidelines, and count calories till you know you’re doing it right. You win’t be measuring and counting for long, but remember, people under estimate how many calories are in food and they overestimate portion sizes, so measure and count. Tedious yes, but it’s not for long.