Weight Loss Articles Directory

In this section you can find an extensive resource of weight loss, nutrition and fitness related articles. Plus some useful links to other sites.

Real Life Nutrition Questions Answered

Real Life Fitness Questions Answered

Emma Brown
Nutritionist

Janet Aylott
Nutritionist

Kelly Marshall
Fitness Consultant

Q.

Why do I have to count calories for my veg?

Why does Weight Watchers count zero points for most vegetables while on Nutracheck I suddenly have to count calories for my tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce and cucumber, etc.? Several web sites say that most of those type of vegetables are considered 'negative calories' because they expend more calories just to digest than they're originally worth. (I'm not talking about corn or peas, but the
leafier salad type veggies). Thanks!

A.

Our expert says...

Weight Watchers and some other slimming programmes work on the basis that leafy greens and other high water content vegetables are so good for you and so low in calories that you can eat as many as you want without worrying. Essentially that's right because you?d have to eat impossibly large quantities to break the calorie bank. However many slimmers who like this site say they have become converts because previous dieting methods haven?t raised their awareness about which foods contain large amounts of calories and which don?t. Sometimes making a food ?free?can also encourage lack of portion control.

As for negative calories, the theory is very attractive but essentially not true. Although some foods, such as celery, contain very few calories, these types of foods don't require your body to work particularly hard to digest them, so the calories, few as they are, still stand.

Only foods high in protein cause the body's metabolic rate to increase, but protein foods also contain a significant number of calories.

Disclaimer
You are advised to seek medical advice before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle with an aim of weight loss. This website and the content provided should not be used by persons under 18, by pregnant or nursing women, or individuals with any type of health condition, except under the direct supervision of a qualified medical professional. The information contained in these articles, and elsewhere on this website, is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only, and is not intended to replace, and does not constitute legal, professional, medical or healthcare advice or diagnosis and may not be used for such purposes. Continue...

FREE diet profile

years
Sex female male
Height
Weight

What is your goal weight?

Nutracheck Blog

Read about all things topical and trending in the world of calorie counting, weight loss and weight maintenance

This site uses cookies to personalise content and ads, provide social media features and analyse our traffic. Find out more about how we use cookies.

Choose which cookies you allow us to use. You can read more about our Cookie Policy in our Privacy Policy.