Scared to eat fruit?

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Naomi91
Naomi91 Posts: 892 Member
in Food and Nutrition
How many others are out there and scared to eat fruit like me? So many places have I read that if you are trying to lose fat then an easy way is to cut out all sugars including fruit.

I have cut out artifical sweetners and added sugars just because I dont want that garbage in my body. but am still scared to eat a banana! So my question is, will eating a few fruits a day caus me to not lose weight as quickly? I am incredibly low on potassium and looking to raise it to stop my cramping while I run, but am scared to eat a banana thinking i will not lose weight.

I know fruits are good for us, but how many should I eat in a day and still lose weight?

I read that it is best to eat them before and after my workouts because it is more likely that the sugar will be burned up more quickly... is this true?

Whew! thanks guys :]

Replies

  • pinksocks73
    pinksocks73 Posts: 86
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    I'm no expert, but I think you need to have just a little bit of everything in healthy moderation. There are REALLY important nutrients in fruit that your body needs. Eat a bushel of bananas a day? Not a good idea. A banana with breakfast and half a grapefruit w/ lunch? GREAT idea!
  • tim_fitbuilt4life
    tim_fitbuilt4life Posts: 301 Member
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    Fruit is okay and is low in calories. The rule of thumb of losing fat is to burn more calories than you take in. I eat fruit everyday.
  • missmiller1
    missmiller1 Posts: 131 Member
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    I was eating two bananas a day and losing weight like crazy when I reached my goal. Fruit has natural sugars so don't stress out about it because you're getting vitamins, nutrients, and fiber too.

    As one of my favorite weight loss bloggers says: "It's a banana, not cheesecake!"

    Take care.

    -Chandra
  • Ssminey79
    Ssminey79 Posts: 49 Member
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    Fruit has tons of nutrients that your body needs, and they are natural sugars, so I think you are fine. Also, fruit-such as apples, are a great source of fiber!
  • Jozie236
    Jozie236 Posts: 47 Member
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    I've read that 2 servings of fruit per day is the minimum. Maybe you should just choose one low glycemic index fruit per day to start, like blueberries, strawberries, or canteloupe. If you eat the fruit combined with a fat, it doesn't spike your blood sugar as much (think avocado, walnuts, or almonds).
  • porcelain_doll
    porcelain_doll Posts: 1,005 Member
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    Your body digests natural sugars differently than artificial sugars/sweeteners. It will not have the same effect as a can of Coke or a piece of birthday cake. :) Not to mention, fruit has fiber in it which you also need in your diet to 1) stay feeling fuller for longer, and 2) to keep your bowel function in good shape. You do need a little bit of sugar in your diet each day, and fruit is the best place to get it from. If you are doing a lot of exercise, you definitely need to keep eating your fruit (you need enough carbs for fuel and replenishing!).
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
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    fruit is a hard one...they are good for you but for sure have tons of sugar!!! i was told that you should eat fruit but you should be very choosey when deciding which ones to eat!! stay away from bananas!!! lol berries are suppossed to be the best kind for you :) i would say just eat in moderation and make good choices on which kind!
  • KellyBurton1
    KellyBurton1 Posts: 529 Member
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    I was before but since I increase fruit and diary I found it helped!
  • Dlibo1013
    Dlibo1013 Posts: 883 Member
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    great story, read your page congrads
    I was eating two bananas a day and losing weight like crazy when I reached my goal. Fruit has natural sugars so don't stress out about it because you're getting vitamins, nutrients, and fiber too.

    As one of my favorite weight loss bloggers says: "It's a banana, not cheesecake!"

    Take care.

    -Chandra
  • JMun
    JMun Posts: 409
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    I eat loads of fruit.

    I figure if its raw its good for me. Fresh is always better :tongue:
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    You will have better fat loss by limiting fruit intake. Technically speaking, there is nothing found in fruit that you can't get in vegetables.

    Here is a list of veggies and protein sources that are high in Potassium...........

    http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/food/potassium-foods.htm

    There are a lot of foods on the list that have much more potassium than a banana.
  • monkaz82
    monkaz82 Posts: 6 Member
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    i lost 40 in 3months, and stuck to having 3fruits a day, im a big pineapple person, read it helps, and fruit cups, mangerine oranges help u craving other sugars.
  • YeaILift
    YeaILift Posts: 580 Member
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    I'm not a big fruit fan because of the sugars too, but I'll eat half an apple for breakfast or pre workout to spike my insulin levels. As long as you eat it before/after workout you shouldn't have anything to be too concerned with.
  • EmpressB
    EmpressB Posts: 36 Member
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    I have no idea the rate at which you would lose weight eating fruit versus not, but I can surmise that eating a banana is not going to ruin you and cause you to gain tremendously or halt weight loss especially if it is not something you eat 5 times a day.

    You just have to try it for yourself to really see what happens. Some things that seem counterintuitive actually help, example, the weekend after I went to a party and ate above my caloric intake, I lost 2 more lbs when I was soo worried I would gain more. *shrug* I don't plan to do that continuously, but it made me realize I do have a bit of flexibility where doing something occasionally will not ruin everything so being hyper paranoid is a waste of time. I just try to be moderate and sensible and monitor how my body reacts to what I do. Eat the banana and see what happens....I am sure nothing catastrophic will occur. Even if eating bananas doesn't work for someone else so they advise you not to, you never know how it will work for you, so you just have to try it and see :)
  • pullright
    pullright Posts: 18
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    If you like fruit, eat fruit. It's natural. It's a much better choice than processed foods. Keep within your calorie levels and you will lose/maintain weight. Enjoy. Having too much sugar applies only if you eat too much.
  • bpayne78
    bpayne78 Posts: 249 Member
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    If you are low on potassium and are worried about sugars, google potassium foods. There are other foods that contain potassium other than bananas.

    However, it is my opinion that the sugars in fruit will NOT hurt you. They are natural sugars (not processed) and thus your body will digest them better/easier. My sister is diabetic (diabetics have high blood sugar, low insulin) and she can most certainly eat fruit. I was put on the "diabetic diet" after I had my 9 year old. It included fruit along with veggies, meat, bread.....everything from the food pyramid in controlled portions. I lost 12 pounds in 30 days. Fruit will NOT wreck your diet and have nutrients your body needs.
  • RedneckWmn
    RedneckWmn Posts: 3,202 Member
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    When I was losing at a steady rate I was eating fruits. I have heard to try and eat them before 3 or 4 in the afternoon since they do have sugar. How true this is I'm not sure. I never followed that rule. The way I see it is if I'm hungry at night, I'm better off eating strawberries or something vs a candy bar. It's a different type of sugar so your body is going to digest it differently. Good luck!
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    If you are low on potassium and are worried about sugars, google potassium foods. There are other foods that contain potassium other than bananas.

    However, it is my opinion that the sugars in fruit will NOT hurt you. They are natural sugars (not processed) and thus your body will digest them better/easier. My sister is diabetic (diabetics have high blood sugar, low insulin) and she can most certainly eat fruit. I was put on the "diabetic diet" after I had my 9 year old. It included fruit along with veggies, meat, bread.....everything from the food pyramid in controlled portions. I lost 12 pounds in 30 days. Fruit will NOT wreck your diet and have nutrients your body needs.

    Actually the Diabetic Diet is a farse to keep people on meds and control Diabetes that way. To live med free you have to restrict your fruit intake.

    I was a full blown diabetic and was told by numerous doctors and dieticians / nutritionist to do a more restrictive eating plan than the standard Diabetic Diet unless I wanted to start having heart problems, diabetic nerve issues, etc...........

    Fruit can and WILL wreck your diet and your health when you have blood sugar imbalances. It should be eaten as a DESSERT a couple times a week for those of us that have blood sugar issues.

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