why? aren't veggies "free" ?
so if i eat, let's say 200g carbs from starch and then add green veggies on top of that. Am i "ruining" my diet then ?
Because they have carbs. They could be free to you, in your diet; but for me, in my pre-contest diet, since I'm paying attention to exactly how much I eat and gradually reducing, its important to count everything.
If you eat 200g of carbs from starch and add veggies, then you're eating 200g carbs + the number of carbs from the veggies. If you're dieting and not supposed to eat this extra amount, you may not be "RUINING" your diet as much as if you ate a giant cheesecake, but you're consuming more calories than you are supposed to (based on your set diet). However, if its the offseason, then it probably would not make any difference at all.
Everything has to be considered in perspective. If you're just the average gym goer and want to eat some extra veggies; go for it. BUT, if you're 2 weeks out and trying to get lean as possible, you should probably count those calories.
Another way to think about it: if you're a billionaire and lose $1,000; its probably not going to affect you much (you wont even notice).
But, if you're a homeless guy and lose $50 out of your change cup, then you're probably not going to get to eat that night (it will affect you a lot).
Make sense?