Are vegetables and fruits really necessary?
Relaxingmind
Posts: 55 Member
So I'm 5'7 and last year after a 40+ pound weight loss I was down to 121. My step family is Asian and I happened to be spending more time with them because they were visiting (along with my uncle) for a year and a half. They were giving me lots of their leftovers of home cooked Asian food out of generosity. We also occasionally ate as a family at the home they were renting. It was foods like white sticky rice, fish, glass noodles, egg Foo Yung, teriyaki jerky, orange chicken, chicken stir fry, peanut shrimp, etc. All of it was homemade and consisted of little to no produce. This was the year I lost all that weight. After they left back to Thailand and I ran out of their food, I started doing my own cooking again because that's all I really know (potatoes, veggies, unseasoned meat, fruits, cottage cheese, nuts, etc). Like a modified Paleo. A majority of my calories came from the veggies and fruits by the way. Eventually some of the weight came back and now I'm 136 (gained 15 of the pounds back)! I'm wondering if it will be easier to lose the weight again if I wipe out the veggies and fruits. Maybe I can get recipes from my Asian step family through Skype or facebook? Or eat sticky rice and more meat instead of potatoes with more veggies/fruits? And I'm considering getting rid of dairy too. They don't use dairy. They use coconut oil/milk. What do you think? I seemed to do very well on a low-no produce Asian diet.
0
Replies
-
No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
7 -
How much oil are you using when you prepare you vegetables? Gaining weight comes down to calories eaten, not the type of food you're eating.7
-
No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Bingo. Every asian I know (and I know some first generation Americans, and some recent immigrants VERY well) eats a crap ton of fresh vegetables. (They also don't eat egg foo yung or orange chicken, but that's neither here nor there).
Are vegetables and fruits necessary? For what? The number on the scale? No. HEALTH? I'd say yes, leafy green vegetables anyway.
You went from borderline underweight to a REALLY healthy BMI. Maybe your body is happier there?4 -
I doubt it was the fruits and veggies that led to weight gain. They tend to be lower calorie than meats, nuts, and starches like rice. I suspect you need to take a closer look at your portion sizes. Besides, you'll be missing out on lots of nutrients by skipping fruits and vegetables.4
-
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »How much oil are you using when you prepare you vegetables? Gaining weight comes down to calories eaten, not the type of food you're eating.
True it might have been the oil. My question though is will it affect my health or make a difference? Because I'm considering cutting out veggies and fruits (and possibly dairy) since those were the majority of the way I was originally eating (before and after the visit) which means a majority of my calories obviously come from fruits, veggies, dairy.0 -
No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I don't think you're getting the point of what I'm asking. I never said every Asian eats that way. My step family does. Instead of trying to prove people wrong, please give helpful advice related to the heading post.4 -
He did. He said you gained weight because you ate more.Relaxingmind wrote: »No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I don't think you're getting the point of what I'm asking. I never said every Asian eats that way. My step family does. Instead of trying to prove people wrong, please give helpful advice related to the heading post.
7 -
OP never said he/she was Asian. Either way it's more calories that made you gain weight. Cutting vegetables/fruits is a personal preference.0
-
Rice and stir fry can easily add to weight gain depending on how they are prepared.
Vegetables are going to give you fiber and nutrients, that is the last thing you would want to cut out.
Eat less rice and be aware of how much oil and nuts are used to make the dishes you eat. I sub whole grains or don't do any depending on my calorie goals.
Also count your calories. You will see a pattern that is often times hard to notice without tracking what you eat.0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
He did. He said you gained weight because you ate more.Relaxingmind wrote: »No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I don't think you're getting the point of what I'm asking. I never said every Asian eats that way. My step family does. Instead of trying to prove people wrong, please give helpful advice related to the heading post.
He didn't mention if fruits and veggies are necessary and why. Hence, the heading. And I gained it back when I switched back to Paleo. I was losing weight when eating rice and meat. That's why I'm confused and considering cutting out veggies and living off grains and meat. But everyone swears by Paleo being good for weight loss and health lol.0 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
He did. He said you gained weight because you ate more.Relaxingmind wrote: »No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I don't think you're getting the point of what I'm asking. I never said every Asian eats that way. My step family does. Instead of trying to prove people wrong, please give helpful advice related to the heading post.
He didn't mention if fruits and veggies are necessary and why. Hence, the heading. And I gained it back when I switched back to Paleo. I was losing weight when eating rice and meat. That's why I'm confused and considering cutting out veggies and living off grains and meat. But everyone swears by Paleo being good for weight loss lol.
You're at a VERY HEALTHY weight? Why do you want to go back to almost underweight? And why do you want to cut nutrient dense foods to do it? I don't get it.
But, whatever. Your body.
5 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I don't think you're getting the point of what I'm asking. I never said every Asian eats that way. My step family does. Instead of trying to prove people wrong, please give helpful advice related to the heading post.
If you know people who eat this way and are fine, then why would you need to ask if eating differently were required? Obviously, it's not.
But as noted above, if you gained weight it was not the foods fault but the amount of it you chose to consume.4 -
I have crohn's disease and cannot eat most fruits and vegetables so my diet is low in them and I'm normal weight
I do take a lot of supplements though 3 -
Fruits and vegetables provide a lot of nutrients--vitamins, fiber, etc. Many veggies and fruits are also low in calorie and yet are quite filling (especially when eaten raw.)
Not everybody swears by paleo being good for weight loss. Bottom line, you need to ingest fewer calories than you burn, whether those calories come from grains, fruit, veggies, meat, oil, dairy, or anything else.3 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Relaxingmind wrote: »No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I don't think you're getting the point of what I'm asking. I never said every Asian eats that way. My step family does. Instead of trying to prove people wrong, please give helpful advice related to the heading post.
If you know people who eat this way and are fine, then why would you need to ask if eating differently were required? Obviously, it's not.
But as noted above, if you gained weight it was not the foods fault but the amount of it you chose to consume.
Does that mean you can become overweight (hypothetically speaking) on paleo?0 -
This content has been removed.
-
StrengthPowerStamina wrote: »Trolls gonna troll.
How am I trolling? I just want the weight gone again
1 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Relaxingmind wrote: »No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I don't think you're getting the point of what I'm asking. I never said every Asian eats that way. My step family does. Instead of trying to prove people wrong, please give helpful advice related to the heading post.
If you know people who eat this way and are fine, then why would you need to ask if eating differently were required? Obviously, it's not.
But as noted above, if you gained weight it was not the foods fault but the amount of it you chose to consume.
Does that mean you can become overweight (hypothetically speaking) on paleo?
Yes, of course.2 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Relaxingmind wrote: »No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I don't think you're getting the point of what I'm asking. I never said every Asian eats that way. My step family does. Instead of trying to prove people wrong, please give helpful advice related to the heading post.
If you know people who eat this way and are fine, then why would you need to ask if eating differently were required? Obviously, it's not.
But as noted above, if you gained weight it was not the foods fault but the amount of it you chose to consume.
Does that mean you can become overweight (hypothetically speaking) on paleo?
You can become overweight on any way of eating if you eat more calories than you burn.2 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »StrengthPowerStamina wrote: »Trolls gonna troll.
How am I trolling? I just want the weight gone again
Then eat at a calorie deficit.0 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Relaxingmind wrote: »No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I don't think you're getting the point of what I'm asking. I never said every Asian eats that way. My step family does. Instead of trying to prove people wrong, please give helpful advice related to the heading post.
If you know people who eat this way and are fine, then why would you need to ask if eating differently were required? Obviously, it's not.
But as noted above, if you gained weight it was not the foods fault but the amount of it you chose to consume.
Does that mean you can become overweight (hypothetically speaking) on paleo?
Of course.
As for:I'm wondering if it will be easier to lose the weight again if I wipe out the veggies and fruits.
Doubtful, especially not vegetables. Why not eat lots of stirfries or whatever and include vegetables?
Also, why not answer Sabine's question about why you think you need to lose?
I think a no fruit and veg diet is not healthful (unless you have a medical condition that requires it), but are they strictly necessary? No. Add supplements, though.
Also, as Sabine said, your body. You can lose weight (or gain it) eating any way if the calories are right.2 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Relaxingmind wrote: »No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I don't think you're getting the point of what I'm asking. I never said every Asian eats that way. My step family does. Instead of trying to prove people wrong, please give helpful advice related to the heading post.
If you know people who eat this way and are fine, then why would you need to ask if eating differently were required? Obviously, it's not.
But as noted above, if you gained weight it was not the foods fault but the amount of it you chose to consume.
Does that mean you can become overweight (hypothetically speaking) on paleo?
Of course you can become over weight eating paleo. You can become overweight eating all the American Chinese foods you were eating. You can become over weight if you eat to much eating any way.
And you can be unhealthy eating any way.2 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
He did. He said you gained weight because you ate more.Relaxingmind wrote: »No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I don't think you're getting the point of what I'm asking. I never said every Asian eats that way. My step family does. Instead of trying to prove people wrong, please give helpful advice related to the heading post.
He didn't mention if fruits and veggies are necessary and why. Hence, the heading. And I gained it back when I switched back to Paleo. I was losing weight when eating rice and meat. That's why I'm confused and considering cutting out veggies and living off grains and meat. But everyone swears by Paleo being good for weight loss and health lol.
It's ALWAYS calories. Fruits & veggies aren't typically calorie dense and they are high fiber. That means you can generally eat them in larger quantities and they are pretty filling.
Grains & meat ARE calorie dense. That means you will have to be more careful with portion sizes. This is why I choose a more balanced diet. I get some of the higher volume (fills up my plate) along with grains & meat.0 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Relaxingmind wrote: »No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I don't think you're getting the point of what I'm asking. I never said every Asian eats that way. My step family does. Instead of trying to prove people wrong, please give helpful advice related to the heading post.
If you know people who eat this way and are fine, then why would you need to ask if eating differently were required? Obviously, it's not.
But as noted above, if you gained weight it was not the foods fault but the amount of it you chose to consume.
Does that mean you can become overweight (hypothetically speaking) on paleo?
Of course you can...weight management is about energy (calorie) balance...a calorie is a unit of energy...when you consume more energy than your body requires then excess is stored as body fat...stored energy. When you consume less energy than your body requires you burn stored energy (body fat) to make up the difference...it doesn't matter if you eat paleo or any other WOE...it comes down to how many calories you're consuming.3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Relaxingmind wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Relaxingmind wrote: »No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I don't think you're getting the point of what I'm asking. I never said every Asian eats that way. My step family does. Instead of trying to prove people wrong, please give helpful advice related to the heading post.
If you know people who eat this way and are fine, then why would you need to ask if eating differently were required? Obviously, it's not.
But as noted above, if you gained weight it was not the foods fault but the amount of it you chose to consume.
Does that mean you can become overweight (hypothetically speaking) on paleo?
Of course you can...weight management is about energy (calorie) balance...a calorie is a unit of energy...when you consume more energy than your body requires then excess is stored as body fat...stored energy. When you consume less energy than your body requires you burn stored energy (body fat) to make up the difference...it doesn't matter if you eat paleo or any other WOE...it comes down to how many calories you're consuming.
Which brings us back to NinerBuff's original reply which answered half of your question quite clearly.
Meanwhile you're at such a healthy weight NOW.0 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »So I'm 5'7 and last year after a 40+ pound weight loss I was down to 121. My step family is Asian and I happened to be spending more time with them because they were visiting (along with my uncle) for a year and a half. They were giving me lots of their leftovers of home cooked Asian food out of generosity. We also occasionally ate as a family at the home they were renting. It was foods like white sticky rice, fish, glass noodles, egg Foo Yung, teriyaki jerky, orange chicken, chicken stir fry, peanut shrimp, etc. All of it was homemade and consisted of little to no produce. This was the year I lost all that weight. After they left back to Thailand and I ran out of their food, I started doing my own cooking again because that's all I really know (potatoes, veggies, unseasoned meat, fruits, cottage cheese, nuts, etc). Like a modified Paleo. A majority of my calories came from the veggies and fruits by the way. Eventually some of the weight came back and now I'm 136 (gained 15 of the pounds back)! I'm wondering if it will be easier to lose the weight again if I wipe out the veggies and fruits. Maybe I can get recipes from my Asian step family through Skype or facebook? Or eat sticky rice and more meat instead of potatoes with more veggies/fruits? And I'm considering getting rid of dairy too. They don't use dairy. They use coconut oil/milk. What do you think? I seemed to do very well on a low-no produce Asian diet.
Congrats on your 40+ pound weight loss. Fruits and vegetables provide a variety of health benefits.
-They can help you preserve bone and muscle tissue since they are alkaline producing
-They provide your body with a wealth of antioxidants, vitamins, phytonutrients and fiber
-They help keep you hydrated from their high water content
Lets investigate a bit more to see what's really going on here.
1. What does a typical Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner look like you in terms of food choices and portion sizes
2. What does your current strength and conditioning program look like?3 -
Do you need them? Hmmm, well the grey diet seems to show that you could live on eating potatoes as your only vegetable, but most people on that diet seem to be obese and malnourished so that would be a bad thing to advise you on. Considering that salad and vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower tend to be staples of any diet you can name it would stand to reason that you should be eating more of these and less highly calorific foods that have fatty and sweet sauces etc. I honestly can't believe that the majority of your calories came from these foods but if you have a diary sample you can post that would be interesting.
I would go with the advice to eat more with no oil or creamy dressings and cut out other foods and you should see a weight loss.0 -
Perhaps you were getting more exercise with your family here. Perhaps you were eating less. Perhaps your body is adjusting itself. I am 5'5 and 145 is my healthy target weight. Your body will fight back if it thinks it is starving. Eat less fruits if you think the sugar in them is making you gain, but I doubt that is the problem. Eat less, move more. A balanced healthy diet is what you want to go for.1
-
Relaxingmind wrote: »So I'm 5'7 and last year after a 40+ pound weight loss I was down to 121. My step family is Asian and I happened to be spending more time with them because they were visiting (along with my uncle) for a year and a half. They were giving me lots of their leftovers of home cooked Asian food out of generosity. We also occasionally ate as a family at the home they were renting. It was foods like white sticky rice, fish, glass noodles, egg Foo Yung, teriyaki jerky, orange chicken, chicken stir fry, peanut shrimp, etc. All of it was homemade and consisted of little to no produce. This was the year I lost all that weight. After they left back to Thailand and I ran out of their food, I started doing my own cooking again because that's all I really know (potatoes, veggies, unseasoned meat, fruits, cottage cheese, nuts, etc). Like a modified Paleo. A majority of my calories came from the veggies and fruits by the way. Eventually some of the weight came back and now I'm 136 (gained 15 of the pounds back)! I'm wondering if it will be easier to lose the weight again if I wipe out the veggies and fruits. Maybe I can get recipes from my Asian step family through Skype or facebook? Or eat sticky rice and more meat instead of potatoes with more veggies/fruits? And I'm considering getting rid of dairy too. They don't use dairy. They use coconut oil/milk. What do you think? I seemed to do very well on a low-no produce Asian diet.
Fruits and veggies don't provide the bulk of calories in a typical Paleo diet. I believe you are misremembering. For us to best help you, please change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings and let us know the time frame you were eating Paleo and gaining weight.
You can lose weight on any diet that provides a calorie deficit, but fruits and veggies are important for your health - the fiber to prevent colon cancer, among other things.
2 -
No vegetables? Hmmmm, quite the opposite of just about every Asian I know and relatives back home. If you gained weight back, it's because you ate more.
Ya, my ex lost 40 pounds in Thailand and wasn't even trying. He gave me Quick & Easy Thai Cuisine: Lemon Grass Cookbook by Panurat Poladitmontri and subsequently said the recipes I made were very authentic. All the recipes I use call for multiple vegetables.
One thing I noticed was that the portion sizes, especially of meat, were much smaller than we Americans are used to.
1
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 427 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions