Stop Measuring Vegetables (Seriously)

Imagine this: you’re five minutes into lunch, hunched over your food scale, trying to figure out how many grams of raw spinach are in your salad.

By the time you enter everything into your calorie tracker, your food’s gone cold, and you’re questioning all your life decisions.

Sound familiar?

If so, it’s time for a reality check—because measuring every gram of broccoli isn’t just unnecessary, it might be the thing that makes you give up altogether.

Let’s break down why it’s okay (and even smart) to stop tracking your vegetables, and what you should actually be focusing on instead.

Why You’re Overthinking This

Fat loss requires a calorie deficit.

That part is non-negotiable.

But here’s the nuance: not all calories are worth tracking with the same level of obsession.

Take non-starchy vegetables, for example:

• 1 cup of raw spinach: 7 calories

• 1 medium cucumber: ~30 calories

• 1 cup of cauliflower: ~25 calories

Even if you go wild and eat several servings a day, you’re still looking at maybe 100–150 calories total.

And as long as you always don't count them?

It doesn't matter.

The real issue?
Logging these foods doesn’t significantly improve your accuracy, but it does increase your mental fatigue and make the diet harder to stick with.

What Actually Matters for Fat Loss

Instead of burning out by tracking lettuce, focus on the foods that actually move the needle:

• Protein, carbs, and fats
  (meat, rice, eggs, oils, nuts, etc.)

• High-calorie extras
  (sauces, dressings, cheese, nut butters)

• Liquid calories
  (alcohol, juice, creamers)

These are the foods that can derail your deficit if you’re not mindful.

They pack the most calories per bite or sip, and they’re easy to underestimate if you're not paying attention.

But What If You’re…Different?

There are two situations where tracking vegetables might be helpful:

1. You’re vegetarian or vegan, and vegetables make up a large portion of your calories.

2. You’re prepping for something extreme, like a bodybuilding show, photoshoot, or getting to ultra-low body fat. In those cases, yes, every calorie counts.

But if you’re a normal person just trying to lose a few pounds and look better?

Skip it.

The Sanity Rule: Be Consistent

Here’s the only rule that matters:

Always count your veggies, or never count them.

That’s it.

What hurts progress isn’t ignoring spinach, it’s being inconsistent with your tracking.

The Practical Takeaway

If it’s:

• Green

• Crunchy

• Grown above ground

• Eaten raw or lightly cooked

…it’s probably not worth tracking.

Let it go. Free your brain. Keep your diet simple.

Instead, channel your focus into:

• Hitting your protein target

• Measuring carbs and fats accurately

• Maintaining a weekly calorie deficit

Because guess what?

No one ever stalled their fat loss from eating too many cucumbers.

Bottom Line

Stop tracking vegetables.
Track the stuff that matters.
Stick to your plan.

That’s how you win long-term.

Try This This Week

Go one full week without logging vegetables.

Just eyeball your greens, simplify your food log, and stay consistent with your protein, carbs, and fats.

You won’t gain weight.
Your brain will thank you.
And your fat loss won’t miss a beat.

Ready to simplify your fat loss plan? Grab my free Cutting FAQ Guide and get clear on what actually works.