Alright - let's get to the bottom of this, once and for all. Do negative calories exist?

There are no negative calories. All food contains calories. However, there is a theory going around that some foods burn more calories DIGESTING than they actually contain. This would be better termed the "negative calorie effect" than "negative calories". For instance, an medium sized apple has 72 calories. Factor in the chewing and the digestion, supposedly, it would end up being - 20 calories (yes, negative twenty).

I, personally, don't believe this. If this is true, then the people who don't have access to any food other than fruit would be dead by now. And many of them aren't.

I imagine this topic is going to be lots of fun..

But what we must remember is not to let our *wishes* get in the way of *reality*. Sure, I'd love for an apple to have a negative calorie effect, but that doesn't mean it actually does. Just because I want it to, doesn't mean if I ate 100 apples a day, I wouldn't gain weight.

I dont know.  but I know that when you eat fiber it speeds up digestion wich does require more calories.

Here are some articles on "negative calorie foods":

http://www.weightlossforall.com/negative-calo rie-foods-list. htm 

http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/diets/n egative-calorie -diet/

http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Negative-Calorie- Food-List&i d=71441

http://weightlossinternational.com/newsletter /free-list-of-negative-calorie-foods.html

http://www.healthrecipes.com/negative_calorie _foods.htm



Similiar threads in the public forums on this topic of discussion:

http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/1857 3.html
http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/22.h tml
http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/2555 .html
http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/1096 5.html
http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/1112 0.html
http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/1296 .html

How do you find the links that quickly?!? There isn't a search button for the forums, as far as I can see. *squints* Am I missing something?

You can find the search public forums in two places. First is up in the very top menu, the light blue section, there is a search box and a drop down, you would select forums. I just typed in negative calories.

Next, you can go to Community, Forums and right there above the list of the forums there is: "Search forums for" with a search box and below that is "Show results from last", with a drop down. I changed it to all days.  

I just posted reference links provided in previous discussions, but I am sure that you can Google "negative calorie foods" and find additional information. =) 

Ah, okay. I didn't see the search box! *blind* I guess I need new glasses.

Thank-you! :)

i don't know.. but i do know that i don't count the calories i get from fruits and veggies and i haven't gained any weight at all...

hey Stephanie14, that's funny, I (like you), also do count fruit & veggie calories, but also my name is Stephanie and I'll be 14 on thursday, and (by looking at your profile) I'm recovering from anorexia too, and we weight the same, and at my lowest, I would eat only 200 calories too.

Interesting....

i think there is some truth in the theory, as it forms the basis of the cabbage soup diet which is prescribed by doctors for patients who are overweight and need to lose weight quickly before surgery. the fact that on this diet daily calorie consumption is seriously low as you are only eating so called 'negative foods' may also have something to do with it, however. Important to remember this isonly prescribed to patients who are significantly overweight.

I also heard from a doctor that 25% of the calories we consume are automatically used up by the digestive process - I'm not sure I believe this, it seems a bit too high.

I think if you rely on foods having negative calories, there is a danger you could overeat. I stick to a stricly controlled calorie counting diet (i also count carbs, sugar, fat and saturated fat to ensure i get the right balance) but i don't count fruit and veg as I feel that the vitamin and mineral benefits are too good to worry about whether or not too eat them because of their calorie content.

The cabbage soup diet is just an ultra-low calorie 'crash' diet.   It's nothing to do with cabbage soup being a 'negative food'.

No, negative calorie foods do not exist. Actually, it would make sense if celery was negative calories because it's so gross and it requires so much chewing. But fruit like apples and strawberries are not negative calories.

Think about it. Our ancestors developed a taste for fruit because it provides quick energy. If these foods were actually negative calories, then our ancestors would have died out.

Original Post by ilisa:

There are no negative calories. All food contains calories. However, there is a theory going around that some foods burn more calories DIGESTING than they actually contain. This would be better termed the "negative calorie effect" than "negative calories". For instance, an medium sized apple has 72 calories. Factor in the chewing and the digestion, supposedly, it would end up being - 20 calories (yes, negative twenty).

I, personally, don't believe this. If this is true, then the people who don't have access to any food other than fruit would be dead by now. And many of them aren't.

I imagine this topic is going to be lots of fun..

But what we must remember is not to let our *wishes* get in the way of *reality*. Sure, I'd love for an apple to have a negative calorie effect, but that doesn't mean it actually does. Just because I want it to, doesn't mean if I ate 100 apples a day, I wouldn't gain weight.

The negative calorie theory is not so far fetched. Think about it, the tastiest and best foods are the ones that have the most calories, I'd imagine conversely the worst tasting foods have the least calories (which they do).

I'm not too sure if this theory is correct, but I wouldn't count on it unless their is scientific evidence. I've lost 30-40 kilos on my last diet without thinking about -ve calories.

Here is the list of the alleged -ve calorie

List of Negative Calorie Foods asparagus
beet
broccoli
green cabbage
carrot
cauliflower
celery root
celery chicory
hot chili peppers
cucumber
dandelion
endive
garden cress
garlic
green beans
zucchini apple
cranberries
grapefruit
lemon mango
orange
pineapple raspberries
strawberries
tangerine
lamb's lettuce
lettuce
onion
papaya
radishes
spinach
turnip

If I recall correctly, celery comes close to being negative net calorie (not quite sure if it actually makes it or averages out at about zero).  All the other foods on that list are wishful thinking.  Fruit, in particular, is not even close to being negative calorie.

What those foods all have in common is that they're rich in nutrients and full of fibre so they make great snacks that'll fill you up much better than most alternatives.  (And, personally, I think many of them taste a lot better than higher calorie alternatives, but that may just be me.)

 

Fruits are ruled out, because they contain a natural sugar. For example, If you take an apple in the morning it wakes you up .

Those disgusting veggies do make you think though & lets not forget grapefruit (Ugh!). Whats for sure is that they hardly have any calories, today I ate a lot of vegetables, because I got hunger pangs.

Are their nutritionists on this site? Maybe they can debunk them or prove them?

 

I was watching Supersize Vs Superskinny (horrible, I know) and the woman went on the "apple diet" and reported on it.  Well the numbers didn't add up.  She said she ate 40 apples in 3 days or something, and I calculated her deficit and she lost more than she should have.  I'm pretty sure the apple diet is supposed to be 4 apples per day *eyeroll* but whatever, she said she did it.  I doubt she was going to the gym or anything, but I definitely believe that, although "negative calorie" foods do not exist, there are foods which take more energy to digest.

Original Post by acehigh88:

Those disgusting veggies do make you think though & lets not forget grapefruit (Ugh!). Whats for sure is that they hardly have any calories, today I ate a lot of vegetables, because I got hunger pangs.

Awww, not everyone hates grapefruit. It needs some lovin' too! (I find it delicious!)

I wouldn't exactly say the best and tastiest foods are the ones with the most calories. I can't even look at that food without wanting to puke, just imagining what's in it!

Once you get used to eating unseasoned foods, your tastebuds readjust and this "gross" food suddenly becomes quite tasty!

On the subject of negative calories, I find all the debate quite interesting! Not on this site, but what I've read on other sites. Many people say this does not exist, but I think that in saying that, people who search for success rates of this diet may be discouraged. The original poster hit the nail on the head with "This would be better termed the "negative calorie effect" than "negative calories"

I heard about celery once, and looked up other foods like it. Essentially, this is a raw food diet, if you take to eating only those foods that are considered "negative calorie" foods. Ever since experimenting with it, this has been my diet. It's amazing! I feel so great and healthy. I carry a bag of grapes around with me often for a natural boost of energy throughout the day if I feel I need it. I start every meal with a grapefruit and eat spinach salads for every lunch and dinner, and I load it up with all those "negative calorie" veggies. Not only have I lost lots of weight, but I have had two blood tests, both saying there is no deficiency in iron (FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I WAS 13 YEARS OLD IM NOT ANEMIC!!!) and all my bodily functions are normal. My health is extraordinary at this point.

Obviously you cannot give everyone the same medicine, but it has worked for me. I think everyone who is curious should give it a go, but do some research on what nutrients you need and in what raw foods you can find those nutrients. This way you don't hurt yourself, because this diet promotes outstanding health benefits before weight loss, even though weight loss might seem like the only benefit.

 

The more fruit I eat, the more my digestive system becomes an express chute, and I'm convinced most of the calories don't even get absorbed.  I'm a pooping machine.  If I eat less fruit and more proteins or carbs, say -- even if the overall calorie count is lower -- my digestive system starts making local stops to the thighs, butt, upper arms, etc.

 

This is my highly scientific opinion, as you can see, but I firmly believe that if the majority of your food is fruit, you lose weight.

Consult Ask Mary in the Advice section.  I searched the archives for

Negative calories

The pop term, “negative calorie”, is used to describe foods that are so low in calories that the body uses more energy to digest them than they deliver.  Negative calorie foods include vegetables, such as lettuce and cabbage, and low-sugar fruits, like grapefruit and strawberries.  But the fact is that there is no way to know exactly how many calories are lost through digestion and absorption.  Besides, the calories that are used to extract energy from food are already considered your calorie requirements via the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF).  The bottom line: log everything you eat and accept the calorie count at face value.

The forum search is not a search engine box.  It's at the top of each forum - look for Search just under the name of the forum and click on it.  That pulls up the search engine box for just this forum. 

Or you can use the main search engine at the top of each page.  Type in negative calories, click on Forums, then on Search to search all the forums for this topic.

My personal experience has been of losing a lot of weight by eating just fruit and vegetables. Just out of high school I lost about 10 kilograms this way (going from 56kgs to 46), in a short space of time. You will eventually plateau, and you will be malnourished (I think I was dangerously close to developing  kwashikor) but you can eat as much fruit as you like without putting on weight. The amount of food I ate was stupendous (think a whole watermelon, a pocket of oranges, a bag of apples, a big cucumber in one day), but I did not put on weight even though my stomach was frequently distended from gorging. I did the same with a pure carb diet (popcorn, pasta, porridge) where I also ate as much as I wanted of only one food group. I usually went through a bag of popcorn kernels every day. I maintained quite a low weight on this diet. Notwithstanding the above, I count fruit calories because I don't know if the "magic effect" is from keeping the diet exclusively fruit and veg. In the end, its not worth it because you have to eat alll day, and your body really suffers from lack of fat and protein.

So if I dip it in a little caramel, will it just cancel the apple out like I ate nothing at all?  :)