I don't count gum, Crystal Light, sweetener packets in my coffee, or even my tbsp or so of skim milk in my coffee. All of those things add up, yes, but I am aware that I consume all of them daily. That said, on my calorie counter, I add "Calorie Creep" which I put in as 100cal every single day. Basically I start each day with 100 calories in the counter. It gives me a bit of a buffer for anything extra that might sneak in.

If I have a small salad to tide me over for dinner (lettuce, maybe a few slices of cucumber and tomato), then frankly, I'm not going to be bothered to count that. If I have a big salad with lots of veggies, even non-starchy ones, then I'll count that because they do add up.

I have a close friend who has done WW and is really excited about the free fruits and veggies. I can understand the reasoning, it's encouraging to make a healthy choice when an apple is 0 points and a cookie of similar calories is 1 point. And as my friend says, most people don't get fat by overeating apples and salads. BUT, a calorie is a calorie, and an additional "free" apple that might be 75 calories can make a significant difference when you're trying to stick to 1500 or so.

I like veggies enough to make room for them in my plan (and for the sheer volume of them that I can eat). But it most certainly does not get my panties in a wad to eat and not count a salad or even a piece of fruit once in awhile.

I count everything, even when my nutritional counts the serving as zero. This way, when I stalling and looking back over possible causes, I will see the amount of artificial sweeteners or soda pop....whatever. As I am diabetic, I also have to be concerned with the carb counts of all veggies (even low carb ones), so no free ride there either.

Originally Posted by bargoo:
If it has a calorie I count it .

Yep, me too. I count everything and have personally thrown out the notion of "free food". I guess doing things this way teaches me moderation. :)