Is there a limit for fresh fruits and vegetables?

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Kamalka
Kamalka Posts: 164 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi,

I explode my carbs and suggar with one spoon of honey in the morneing and about 5-7 fruits/day. I would like to double this amount but have no clue on its impact on my weight. As an example, I press 2 oranges in the morning and eat 2 in the evening, that is already more than my suggested levels of sugar and half my carbs. Add bread, bananas, apples, honey, clementines, carrots, and cooked vegetables and I have more than twice the recommended level...or 4 if I double the amount. The weird thing is that if I was not recording my food intake, I would go for it as helthy food, but athletes recommend to pay strict attention to carbs as they transform into fat (my main goal is to lose fat, not weight). So can I go for it and get several like 2-3 bananas in a day, 3 apples, 4 oranges, 4 clementines and 3 carrots in addition to the courget, red pepper and eggplant cooked n evening meal or should I limit myself?
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Replies

  • solarpower03
    solarpower03 Posts: 12,160 Member
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    I am in the same boat as you. Indeed, you need to cut carbs and mostly simple carbs like those in fruits. You might consider replacing them with vegetables. If you like carbs, then only complex ones like oat, brown rice etc are good and that too in moderation.
  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
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    I am in the same boat as you. Indeed, you need to cut carbs and mostly simple carbs like those in fruits. You might consider replacing them with vegetables. If you like carbs, then only complex ones like oat, brown rice etc are good and that too in moderation.
    Totally agree. Fruit are so tasty, but the simple sugar causes spikes and more fat to be stored. I'm trying to make the switch to veggies too. Not so easy. Good luck.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    cut the bread...ya..I love bread but if you are trying to get lean got to give up the bread

    banannas are good but only eat 1/2 or at the most 1 a day

    cut the evening oranges to 1/2 or none
  • HauteP1nk
    HauteP1nk Posts: 2,139 Member
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    There definitely is a limit - especially with fruit.... Try focusing on eating more vegetables than fruit.
    Overall you should be having 7-13 servings of fruit per day - about 4 cups on average a day I would think... (depending on age, sex, etc).

    Most people probably couldn't eat too much vegetables though. I find that when I eat them I fill up really fast...especially when I eat raw veggies. Munching on carrots, celery, peppers, etc throughout the day really helps keep hunger at bay...
  • onvacation
    onvacation Posts: 24 Member
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    I agree on there is a limit on too much fruit. I would stick to no more than 4 a day, but eat as many veggies as you can, specially dark green leafy ones!
  • kittyneutron
    kittyneutron Posts: 160 Member
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    5-7 fruits sounds like a lot! Obviously everyone is different, but I personally get very nauseous from straight up fruit, and probably don't get enough of it for this very reason. Also, fruit tends to be high in calories as well. As others said, just up your veg more! The key is I think moderation in everything. That said, I remember a Weight Watchers counselor telling a participant who asked this same question, "You didn't get fat eating carrots and apples!" Just log your meals carefully and see what kind of feedback you are getting there and how you are feeling.
  • solarpower03
    solarpower03 Posts: 12,160 Member
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    5-7 fruits sounds like a lot! Obviously everyone is different, but I personally get very nauseous from straight up fruit, and probably don't get enough of it for this very reason. Also, fruit tends to be high in calories as well. As others said, just up your veg more! The key is I think moderation in everything. That said, I remember a Weight Watchers counselor telling a participant who asked this same question, "You didn't get fat eating carrots and apples!" Just log your meals carefully and see what kind of feedback you are getting there and how you are feeling.

    These days WW don't count energy from fruits. I know people on WW who eats something like 500cals from fruit which doesn't go into their pro point log book. Imagine if you relish two large bananas everyday!
  • Kamalka
    Kamalka Posts: 164 Member
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    My father being arabic, I took the habit to stay in the sitting room after a meal and share fruits (there is never a dessert but we always cut fruits). I take the same habit with my wife. This is a quite important for mental health to sit together, talk while sharing an orange, grapes or whatever fruits (a salad bowl together). My wife is skinny fat (I mean she is so thin I see all her bones but has no muscle either) even though she eats about 10 fruits a day. Another way to say it is that she has no reserve to jump a meal, even for 2-3 hours, it would systematically destroy her day. She says she feels sick and tired if she does not get this fruit ratio. I lost 90% of the fat I wanted to lose but the last 3-4 kg tfor my abs are 10 times more difficult to lose for me. I will therefore try to switch to vegs...but yesturday was a rest day and I could not resist my wife's fruits while driving, my mom delicious 100% natural 500g fruit salad followed by my evening 2 oranges and 3 clementines:sad:

    To me, trying to control my fruit intake with my wife around is like trying to quit smoking with a smoker around...wonder if I would not incorporate a daily cardio exercise to compensate the excess...hope I do not require 5k/fruit :happy:

    So, starting monday, I will try brocoli, carrots (quite high carbs and sugar too) and celery during day time and see how my fat burning goes In summer I eat 3-4 small cucumbers/day but unfortunately hate them in winter. What other vegs do you get in your snacks?
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
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    bump
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    Overall you should be having 7-13 servings of fruit per day - about 4 cups on average a day I would think... (depending on age, sex, etc).

    :huh:
    7-13?
    Try 2-3....
  • sheepysaccount
    sheepysaccount Posts: 608 Member
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    Here's a good tip vor replacing veggies (if you absolutely want to have your fruits). Make a carrot salad. Grate carrots (3 or 4 should do the trick), grate one medium apple, add a bit of lemon juice and about a teaspoon of oil (to activite the carrot vitamin thingys) and mix. voila: fresh, slightly sweet, very healthy veggie salad. makes about 4 servings...
  • rayleansout
    rayleansout Posts: 234
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    I would simply say sugar is sugar, period and will spike your insulin responce which will tell your body to store fat. I eat fruits but lower glycemic ones only, apples, blueberries, strawberries, sometimes a banana but only half of it, if you are going ot eat sugars maybe first thing in the am when your body utilizes it more for energy, One thing i try to do is to never have sugars after 6pm. I dont want to sleep thinking my body might be getting a signal to store fat overnight. :-(
  • Sixalicious
    Sixalicious Posts: 283 Member
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    Here's a good tip vor replacing veggies (if you absolutely want to have your fruits). Make a carrot salad. Grate carrots (3 or 4 should do the trick), grate one medium apple, add a bit of lemon juice and about a teaspoon of oil (to activite the carrot vitamin thingys) and mix. voila: fresh, slightly sweet, very healthy veggie salad. makes about 4 servings...

    This sounds tasty. Thanks for sharing.
  • sheepysaccount
    sheepysaccount Posts: 608 Member
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    You're most welcome. My grandma taught me that one ^_^
  • gazz777
    gazz777 Posts: 722
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    I will bump with a comment...

    Here in Australia they promote the 2 fruit / 5 veg rule.

    I suppose they (the govt) paid experts to see how to cut back on hospital expenses ....

    That advice was probably born out of such research.

    That said, a friend of mine who is right into nutrition suggests I eat 2 serves of fruit a day.

    Hard !!! I LOVE FRUIT.

    I try for 4 fruit a day based on her advice (she is half my weight !!!) - that is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

    Now, as for eating 10 veggies a day ... let's see about that !
  • Lorleee
    Lorleee Posts: 369 Member
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    I will bump with a comment...

    Here in Australia they promote the 2 fruit / 5 veg rule.

    I

    I like this!
  • solarpower03
    solarpower03 Posts: 12,160 Member
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    I would simply say sugar is sugar, period and will spike your insulin responce which will tell your body to store fat. I eat fruits but lower glycemic ones only, apples, blueberries, strawberries, sometimes a banana but only half of it, if you are going ot eat sugars maybe first thing in the am when your body utilizes it more for energy, One thing i try to do is to never have sugars after 6pm. I dont want to sleep thinking my body might be getting a signal to store fat overnight. :-(

    Is there a medical evidence that suggests not eating sugar/carb in the night?
    According to CDC:
    Q: If I eat late at night, will these calories automatically turn into body fat?
    A: The time of day isn't what affects how your body uses calories. It's the overall number of calories you eat and the calories you burn over the course of 24 hours that affects your weight.
    http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/calories/index.html
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    There definitely is a limit - especially with fruit.... Try focusing on eating more vegetables than fruit.
    Overall you should be having 7-13 servings of fruit per day - about 4 cups on average a day I would think... (depending on age, sex, etc).

    Most people probably couldn't eat too much vegetables though. I find that when I eat them I fill up really fast...especially when I eat raw veggies. Munching on carrots, celery, peppers, etc throughout the day really helps keep hunger at bay...

    7-13 servings of fruit?!?!? My nutritionist recommends no more than 3 per day! It's sugar and carbs, your body doesn't process the sugar from fruit or the sugar from candy much differently: it's still sugar (just in different states/quantities).

    Veggies, on the other hand, you can eat a lot of those. I don't think you can really over do it on the veggies.
  • Kamalka
    Kamalka Posts: 164 Member
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    Thank you guys. I noticed a complex set of interactions leading to my habits: used to run half marathons at least 3 times per week. After such efforts, you are hungry whatever you eat, so I use to eat fruits to avoit fat intake. Now I opt for 45 minutes runs (30 sec top speed, 30 sec low speed) and my protein shake is enough. I reduced my evening fruits to an apple and/or a pear....or grapes and cherry's season . I take my fruits closer to my evening meal so I am not hungry.

    In essence, I was having a fuit every time I wanted chocolate, which was happening 5 times/day. Now I would take an extra meal (cereals) if I was in such sutuation.

    For the 1/2 banana, I just don't see what to do with other half, so I would rather eat 1 banana for 2 days...and before doing my cardio :)

    It took me some time but I decreased fruits for vegetables...and I don't exceed carbs anymore! I would discribe my fruits intake as normal/optimum and we keep on cooking fresh vegetables every day (I don't feel good if I don't have them now, I really need them). My level of fat decrease slightly but to get it lower would mean special diet that I could not keep on a long run
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    For the 1/2 banana, I just don't see what to do with other half, so I would rather eat 1 banana for 2 days...and before doing my cardio :)


    eat the other half later that day or have it tomorrow (leave it in the skin and put it in a baggie)or freeze it and when you need it throw it in a smoothie

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