Do you count your fruit calories?

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  • iysys
    iysys Posts: 524
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    the only thing i don't count is my water and an occasional piece of gum. i'm always under so i figure the > 5 calories from the gum will be okay.

    i don't count my water because i never drink less than 120 ounces a day so i don't bother.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    I always count my fruit and veggies. They are high in sugar so I am always over on my sugar count, but that type of sugar is good for you

    Um, no. Sugar is sugar. The sugar in fruit is fructose (linked in studies to obesity and weight gain,) glucose (too much can cause insulin resistance,) and sucrose (a 50/50 mix of fructose and glucose, and also what people around here like to demonize as "refined sugar.) So no, sugar in fruit is not "good for you." It's sugar, it's no different than eating any other kind of sugar.
  • tattooedtwiin
    tattooedtwiin Posts: 246
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    YES!!! you have to count them! veggies contribute a very small amount except if you are like me and your main meals revolve around a vegetable....Fruits on the other hand should always be counted! they are mostly high in CARBS AND SUGARS which if consumed in excess will be detrimental to your weight loss. a simple banana is a 100 calories and these calories add up fast!

    I agree, well said....Those bananas taste soooo good though! I limit them because of their calorie content but every once in a while with some Better'n Peanut Butter..It satisfies my sweet fix for sure.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Yes, of course. They have calories.
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
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    Yes. I count all calories. Any calorie can adhere itself to your @$$ if is not needed as energy rather quickly.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
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    count every calorie because every calorie counts.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I always count my fruit and veggies. They are high in sugar so I am always over on my sugar count, but that type of sugar is good for you

    Um, no. Sugar is sugar. The sugar in fruit is fructose (linked in studies to obesity and weight gain,) glucose (too much can cause insulin resistance,) and sucrose (a 50/50 mix of fructose and glucose, and also what people around here like to demonize as "refined sugar.) So no, sugar in fruit is not "good for you." It's sugar, it's no different than eating any other kind of sugar.

    That's not exactly true. If you remove the sugar from fruit and ate only it then yes, that sugar would be bad. But the sugar in fruit comes along with soluble fiber, which has been shown to raise HDL levels and also slow digestion, which causes the sugar in fruit to be absorbed more slowly than straight fructose. Plus fruit contains many valuable vitamins and nutrients. Unless you have a medical condition for which you've been advised to limit fruit, eating it, sugar and all, is a good thing.
  • dianaskin
    dianaskin Posts: 66
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    I think worrying about the sugar in fruit is counterproductive. One of the first steps in making healthy choices is filling the day with more fruits and vegetables - which are full of wonderful nutrients. And I say if you are going to reach for that apple RATHER THAN reach for the cookie, you have done yourself a world of good. My understanding is that WW's thinking behind the "have as much fruit as you want" is because you never hear of too many people who get fat where choosing fruits for snacks over other more nutrient lacking foods (chips, popcorn, chocolate, etc etc). So it is a good motivator for people trying to get their 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables.

    Bottom line - eat fruit. It's delicious and good for you and is part of a healthy diet.
  • dianaskin
    dianaskin Posts: 66
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    OH...and yes I count my fruit calories. LOL
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    I always count my fruit and veggies. They are high in sugar so I am always over on my sugar count, but that type of sugar is good for you

    Um, no. Sugar is sugar. The sugar in fruit is fructose (linked in studies to obesity and weight gain,) glucose (too much can cause insulin resistance,) and sucrose (a 50/50 mix of fructose and glucose, and also what people around here like to demonize as "refined sugar.) So no, sugar in fruit is not "good for you." It's sugar, it's no different than eating any other kind of sugar.

    That's not exactly true. If you remove the sugar from fruit and ate only it then yes, that sugar would be bad. But the sugar in fruit comes along with soluble fiber, which has been shown to raise HDL levels and also slow digestion, which causes the sugar in fruit to be absorbed more slowly than straight fructose. Plus fruit contains many valuable vitamins and nutrients. Unless you have a medical condition for which you've been advised to limit fruit, eating it, sugar and all, is a good thing.

    And if I put a table spoon of refined sugar on a piece of whole grain bread with high fiber, or on oatmeal with fiber, the fiber in the bread and oatmeal will also slow down the absorption of the sugar, and have the same effect. My statement wasn't anti-fruit so much as explaining that the human body processes fructose, glucose, and sucrose in the exact same way, regardless of whether it comes from agave nectar, maple syrup, table sugar, fruit, high fructose corn syrup, or any other sugar source.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    My friend was telling me that the new Weight Watchers plan allows you to have as much fruit as you want without counting the points. Do you guys count your fruit and raw veggies?

    I'm on myfitnesspal not weight watchers, which means that I count everything with calories by logging everything I consume.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I always count my fruit and veggies. They are high in sugar so I am always over on my sugar count, but that type of sugar is good for you

    Um, no. Sugar is sugar. The sugar in fruit is fructose (linked in studies to obesity and weight gain,) glucose (too much can cause insulin resistance,) and sucrose (a 50/50 mix of fructose and glucose, and also what people around here like to demonize as "refined sugar.) So no, sugar in fruit is not "good for you." It's sugar, it's no different than eating any other kind of sugar.

    That's not exactly true. If you remove the sugar from fruit and ate only it then yes, that sugar would be bad. But the sugar in fruit comes along with soluble fiber, which has been shown to raise HDL levels and also slow digestion, which causes the sugar in fruit to be absorbed more slowly than straight fructose. Plus fruit contains many valuable vitamins and nutrients. Unless you have a medical condition for which you've been advised to limit fruit, eating it, sugar and all, is a good thing.

    And if I put a table spoon of refined sugar on a piece of whole grain bread with high fiber, or on oatmeal with fiber, the fiber in the bread and oatmeal will also slow down the absorption of the sugar, and have the same effect. My statement wasn't anti-fruit so much as explaining that the human body processes fructose, glucose, and sucrose in the exact same way, regardless of whether it comes from agave nectar, maple syrup, table sugar, fruit, high fructose corn syrup, or any other sugar source.

    Fair enough, though I think this statement - "So no, sugar in fruit is not "good for you." It's sugar, it's no different than eating any other kind of sugar." - is misleading. The sugar "in" fruit is different because of the packaging. You seem to have meant the sugar from fruit (as in, if it were removed from the fruit).
  • dobarber
    dobarber Posts: 611 Member
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    I agree with the other posters here. Count them. I also think of it this way as well. Which is better for you, a starburst fruit chew which can have more calories than an apple or many many other nutritious foods or a piece of fruit that not only gives you sugar but other vitamins and minerals that you need.
    Doug
  • wannabesexymama
    wannabesexymama Posts: 367 Member
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    I count everything. My body isn't going to not count them - it's going to treat a calorie as a calorie.

    This is me!! The only ones I dont count is if I am cooking and I snag like a couple of grapes (2-3) I burn while cooking but I dont add that to exercise cuz being a mom of 5 its something I have to do!
  • tisamg
    tisamg Posts: 62 Member
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    Yes, I count my fruit calories. I also try to eat fruit with some sort of protein, even if that is just 4-5 almonds (recommendation from my trainer).

    Also, I think that the "eat all the fruit you want" on Weight Watchers is a misunderstanding. I am a lifetime member and have been through several of their program changes. Currently, all fruit has a points value of 0 (zero). It is still to be recorded and one of the recommendations is to not have more than a certain number of zero point foods in any given day. It used to be 5, but I am not sure if that has changed. There are other foods that have 0 (zero) points, too.

    The thing with WW is that you can play games with the points. MFP is pretty straight foward. Eat a calorie, record a calorie. I think WW changed fruit to 0 (zero) to encourage healthy eating. Increase fiber intake with foods that people are more likely to eat.

    Don't get me wrong, I think that WW is a great program... I just think that MFP takes it to the next level.
  • FitNadj
    FitNadj Posts: 2
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    Thanks! Helpful.
  • maura5880
    maura5880 Posts: 346 Member
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    Of course! They're still calories, regardless where they come from
  • walkerz14
    walkerz14 Posts: 1
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    The reason WW did that was to encourage their members to eat more fruits and veggies. We really should be eating more fruits and veggies than anything else. In changing their points on fruits and veggies they also changed the points on other items to make them worth more points. So making you chose a banana over something that might be less healthy and is also 3-4 points, it makes you chose that banana which use to be 1 point but now is 0 making it more enticing with the point system.
  • CAHRD
    CAHRD Posts: 7
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    Yes. Definitley. If something has calories it should be counted. I'm not a fan of WW and I think it's silly to encourage someone to eat "all they want" of any food. Everything in moderation.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    My friend was telling me that the new Weight Watchers plan allows you to have as much fruit as you want without counting the points. Do you guys count your fruit and raw veggies?

    I no longer count calories, but if I were............then YES I would count them.

    I don't understand why you wouldn't count them, they do contain calories!!

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