fruit...good or bad?
 

Hi
I always find the need to snack at work especially when i have had salad for lunch. I am pretty good and carry around apples, grapes and cranberries. But someone told me that i wont lose weight if I keep eating fruit? I am going to the gym every day and eating healthily for my main meals, weetabix in the morning, salads for lunch and normally fish and veg for dinner. Can anyone help, I want to optimise my diet but I really like fruit!

Thanks
Gill

I love fruit (Fuyu persimmons, mmm) but it does make me gain weight, so I stay away. String cheese is a good work snack in my opinion. Portable, has protein and calcium, more satiating than fruit.

Have you noticed that your weight loss has stopped as a result of the fruit? If not, why not keep eating it until you (maybe) see that it has gotten in your way? Fruits are very healthy food, even though they maybe be higher in naturally occurring sugars than some other foods. If it helps you enjoy your current healthy lifestyle and resist temptations of unhealthy sweets, I really can't see any reason to stop eating them unless you decide that you want to! I personally have never had fruit get in the way of weight loss, or contribute to weight gain. On the other hand, I need to carefully watch (and sometimes eliminate!) whole grains if I want to lose weight. My body is just fine with putting on weight from brown rice. I'm sure others do not have this issue. Everybody is different- do what works best for you!

Bravo on this reply! Even my doctor says everybody is different. A nurse once told me that if fruit is a real problem for anyone they can get virtually the same nutrients from veggies.

Gill, if someone is gaining weight from eating fruit, they may be well advised to have their blood sugar checked as excess carbs not burned off will be stored as fat. I do have a blood sugar issue but am able to enjoy any kind of melon except watermelon and any kind of berries except grapes. I didn't learn until recently that grapes are berries.

Well thank you, Mern! Thank you for adding in what you've heard from medical professionals. It's interesting how bodies behave. I'm glad that you've been able to find fruits that work well for you. I would be terribly sad to have to give them all up!

Thanks Beebee. I hope you enjoy your fruit, too. :)

Off the cuff I would say fruit is good for you.

A medium apple has on the order of 70 calories where a single serve bag of chips has 150.

To me that says you can have 2 apples to equal the caloric intake of the chips.

I didn't think fruit was a problem (though I do stay away from fruit juices, they seem to have a ton of calories vs. very little in the satiety factor). I just enter the fruit in my food log and make sure I stick to my calorie restriction and I'm doing just fine. I've found clementines to be excellent snacks, under half the calories of an apple about the same size (35kcal versus 72) and keeps me filled up until the next mealtime/snacktime a couple of hours later on.

I don't have a problem with fruit. I've lost weight gradually. I have about 4 pounds to go until I reach my goal of 50 pounds.

Natural things in moderation is sort of my way of thinking. And it has lead to weight loss for me. I also mirror what Mern says too, you've got to look at it from the inside heath just as much as from the weight loss aspect. I eat fruit because it is a healthy thing to eat, it helps reduce my cholesterol, makes me feel full, and tastes really good. I also agree with Travis, an apple or a bag of chips, which one is going to make you feel better afterward and be proud of the choice? The raw apple also offers you 3-4 grams of fiber and nutrients that the chips won't give you!

Fruit...Good or Bad?
 

Hi Gill,

I have a question regarding your meals for the day. Does your noon salad contain protein? I'm certainly no expert, but I've been able to eat fruit as a snack with no problem, so far, with losing 9.9 pounds in the past four weeks I've also been eating a large salad for lunch, on most days, but I make sure I add a small tin of flavoured tuna, or 3 oz of chicken or fish to keep me satisfied. I'm drinking at least 48 oz of water every day, throughout the day and so, far it's been working! :) For myself, I've noticed that as long as I count my fruit within the total day's calories and eat enough protein, I'm losing weight steadily. I've also cut out sugar completely, except for what is naturally found in fruit. Also, increasing my fiber to 25 grams is working too. Hope this helps. Good luck!