Eating Fruit? How much is too much? From a hardcore fruit addict

nevadavis1

Hi, I'm new here. Need to lose about 50 lbs (maybe more) to be healthy, so I have my work cut out for me.

Generally in any given day I eat an apple with breakfast, a banana as a midmorning snack, and an orange as an afternoon snack. I'm frequently very tired (doctor is going to test for sleep apnea) and I find it hard to get through a workday without my fruit snacks.

The problem is that the calories and especially the sugar adds up. My mother has been counting calories for years and is very strict about it. She advises giving up nearly all fruit because of the calories. I keep thinking "but fruit has healthy stuff in it that I need."

How do you guys address fruit? Even if I cut the calories in meals to accomodate the fruit, MFP is telling me I'm way over my sugar allotment and way under my protein. I've tried subbing in six almonds for the fruit, but that really doesn't satisfy me in the same way.

FoxyMars25

Personally, I don't eat as much fruit anymore but that is because it doesn't satisfy my hunger and leaves me feeling sleepy. I just stick with mainly raspberries and strawberries which are lower in calories than a lot of other fruit and raspberries have a good amount of fiber. Adding more protein to my diet to replace some of the fruit has really helped me. I do believe fruit has a lot of nutrition and there is no need to cut it out completely but I think 1-2 servings a day is enough and fill the rest with veggies, protein, and some healthy grains. Also, when I DO eat fruit, it helps if I eat it with some protein...so raspberries as a "dessert" to go with my high protein lunch or strawberries as a snack, but also with a couple of nuts or plain greek yogurt.

kommodevaran

Ignore sugar unless your doctor has told you otherwise.

Three portions of different fruits per day is a good goal and most people can fit that amount in their daily menu.

Counting calories is not something you become an expert in; having to do it for "years" would be indicative of lack of success.

nevadavis1

I know berries are better--less sugar, more nutrients, but darn they're expensive (and often not great quality at our stores here). I tried planting a blackberry bush in hopes of growing my own fruit, but the birds stole them all. Apples, oranges, and bananas are cheap and plentiful, so that's how I got stuck on this track. Yeah, I need to find some high protein snacks that satisfy (I think the fruit fiber is what makes me feel full), but the almonds didn't do it.

LivingtheLeanDream

Enjoy your fruit, but count the calories in them - its calorie deficit that leads to weight loss.

jjpptt2

3 servings of fruit is not your problem.

Ignore sugar until you get your cals and protein figured out (assuming there is no medical reason for you to cut sugar intake).

TimothyFish

Unless you have a medical reason to avoid sugar, I wouldn't worry about it. Stay within your calories and eat what you want.

avskk

Don't worry about your sugar goal on MFP (in fact, you can change your diary settings to not even track it) unless you have a health reason to do so (hypoglycemia, diabetes). If you're severely under your protein goal, sure, you'd need to bump that up a little -- but it doesn't have to be a 1:1 trade with the fruit. You can rearrange your other meals or snacks to include more protein if you don't want to cut back on fruit. What you eat within your calorie and nutrition goals is entirely a matter of personal choice.

ETA: I just saw your comment about the almonds. Just so you know, nuts are a better source of fats than of protein -- I don't know why they've been so hyped as "high protein" in recent years. Are you vegan? If so, try some tofu, tempeh, or cold marinated lentils as a snack. Vegetarian? Hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese with toppings, and Greek yogurt. Omnivore? Turkey or ham roll-ups, beef jerky, and even grilled chicken lettuce wraps. There you go, you have higher protein snacks.

Jabbarwocky

I cant say for sure how much is too much but I do know that upping the amount of protein in my diet has greatly helped with feeling tired all the time. Maybe smaller portions or less calorie and sugar dense fruits?

nevadavis1

"having to do it for "years" would be indicative of lack of success"

Just to clarify--my mother does it for weight maintenance--she had to have a congenitally deformed heart valve replaced with a mechanical valve and is on blood thinners and like 50 other medications to keep that functioning. If she gains weight it throws all the medications off and she has to get new doses and go back for daily blood tests until they get the doseage right. So she does actually keep her weight constant by calorie counting, in that she's successful.

I'm thinking I might have to do it the rest of my life too if I want to maintain a healthy weight.

nevadavis1

Oh, but yes, I don't have high blood sugar or anything, so maybe it's ok to be a little over on the sugar count?

Jruzer

Eat the fruit. Don't worry about your sugar allotment, or set it higher - they're your macros. Three pieces of fruit hardly seems excessive to me.

tabletop_joe

I live fruit and get as much in as I can while maintaining balance and my daily deficit. Fruit is fabulous!

Cherries are great and fairly low sugar for fruit.

If you thinking you're having too much in general, cut your fruit and store it in nice bins that'll keep it fresh. Then you can excercise portion control while still getting your boost in!

lemurcat12

nevadavis1 wrote: »

How do you guys address fruit? Even if I cut the calories in meals to accomodate the fruit, MFP is telling me I'm way over my sugar allotment and way under my protein. I've tried subbing in six almonds for the fruit, but that really doesn't satisfy me in the same way.

Normally I don't worry about sugar from fruit (and 3 pieces doesn't seem like that much, although you are choosing higher sugar fruits), but the comment about being low on protein is a concern. My general guideline is to watch calories, make sure you are getting enough protein, vegetables, healthy fats, and fiber, and if you have room to be above the sugar guideline after that, just make sure it's mostly from healthy sources.

One reason you might be feeling tired IS being low on other things, like protein. Many people do better on more balanced macros, and if you are really high carb, especially carbs that you digest pretty fast (higher sugar fruit, refined grains, etc.) that would be worth changing to see if it helps.

What are your current calories, protein (in grams), fat (in grams), fiber, and carbs (also in g)? And I guess the sugar.

rolenthegreat

I eat fruit and sugar out the wazoo and still loose weight. I don't think three pieces of fruit per day is outrageous.
But I do some strength training and also struggle to get my daily protein, I'm just not a big meat eater. If you are looking for a higher protein alternative you might try Greek yogurt or string cheese? Lately I've ended up mixing a tablespoon of whey protein into a yogurt if I'm particularly low at the end of the day.

fitoverfortymom

I also love fruit and eat a lot of it. I eat an orange with breakfast, have something like grapes or watermelon at lunch, and an apple for a snack in the afternoon. I eat 1300 calories a day M-Th and 1500 F-S and have lost 65+ lbs so far. I make it fit in my calories and it makes me fell satisfied.

cwolfman13

I don't think three pieces of fruit is outrageous...I tend to get in a serving or two and put a premium on veg and make sure I'm eating enough protein and healthy fats. I think you probably do need to figure out how to better balance your diet out, but I don't think your fruit is at the heart of that issue.

nevadavis1

I'm so new to this stuff, didn't really know I could change my settings..... Ok, l'm learning.

Current is:
Calories: 1390
Carbs: 174 g/50%
Fat: 46g/30%
Protein: 70g/20%
Sugar: 52g

I'm hitting an average of about 50g protein a day and I'm rarely more a few calories under my calorie count, so if I add protein, I need to cut something else.

kommodevaran

nevadavis1 wrote: »

"having to do it for "years" would be indicative of lack of success"

Just to clarify--my mother does it for weight maintenance--she had to have a congenitally deformed heart valve replaced with a mechanical valve and is on blood thinners and like 50 other medications to keep that functioning. If she gains weight it throws all the medications off and she has to get new doses and go back for daily blood tests until they get the doseage right. So she does actually keep her weight constant by calorie counting, in that she's successful.

I'm sorry to hear that. But she has a medical reason to be super-vigilant and that doesn't mean that you too should have to count calories forever.

I'm thinking I might have to do it the rest of my life too if I want to maintain a healthy weight.

Lots of people do it - mostly to be able to fit in calorie dense treats often. I found out that just eating like I did growing up (adjusted for availability, cooking skills, taste, portions, timing etc) made calorie counting redundant for me.

nevadavis1 wrote: »

Oh, but yes, I don't have high blood sugar or anything, so maybe it's ok to be a little over on the sugar count?

Ignore sugar. Don't track sugar. Track calories, and if you feel like it, macros.

nevadavis1

Interesting. Thanks for all the advice!

lemurcat12

nevadavis1 wrote: »

I'm so new to this stuff, didn't really know I could change my settings..... Ok, l'm learning.

Current is:
Calories: 1390
Carbs: 174 g/50%
Fat: 46g/30%
Protein: 70g/20%
Sugar: 52g

I'm hitting an average of about 50g protein a day and I'm rarely more a few calories under my calorie count, so if I add protein, I need to cut something else.

I actually meant what are you actually hitting, as that would help us see if it looks imbalanced. 50 g is kind of low for protein if you are eating at a deficit (as you obviously are).