What's with no fruit?

My food choices are miles from perfect, or even ideal, but I can't wrap my head around a plan that allows cheat days and ice cream but fruit is absolutely forbidden. Can somebody make sense of this low carb thing for me?

Are you doing it for a medical condition? If not, then I wouldn't worry about it. Just eat at your calorie deficit goals and get in some exercise

What's your reason for eating a low carb diet?

You want a plan that allows you to eat ALL foods not one that forbids them. Everything in moderation, if it fits your calorie goal then you can have it. Speaking as a vegetarian I won't go without my fruit!

My food choices are miles from perfect, or even ideal, but I can't wrap my head around a plan that allows cheat days and ice cream but fruit is absolutely forbidden. Can somebody make sense of this low carb thing for me?

I don't eat ice cream and I don't have cheat days... I don't eat fruit because it is too high in carbs and sugar with the exception of some berries. I am living a ketogenic lifestyle for medical reasons. Nutrients in fruit are also found in vegetables (minus the sugar) and while I miss apples and grapes sometimes, I'm okay without fruit. I don't think "crap food" is okay by any means.

fruits now is crap food?

as someone powedered by carbs, fruits, rice and wheat are a must.

also, tomatoes and avocadoes.are.actually FRUITS

" but the common thread is crap food is A-OK and fruit isn't an option."

I haven't been around here long, but have been on plenty of other forums. I have never seen a low carber say that crap food and ice cream is okay. Never.

Like aeb09 said, some of us choose to cut out fruit because of the higher sugar content. Vegetables are great and nutritious too.

I refuse to give up my fruit. like someone else said any diet or lifestyle change (because I view this as a lifestyle change) that forbids fruits cannot be good. I also have noticed how much better I feel eating less processed foods and more fresh vegetables and fruits. **Unless you have a medical condition and are under doctors orders.

No, I can't make sense of the low carb thing.





Because there's honestly no sense to it. Eat balanced (this means not cutting out food groups) meals at moderate deficit and you will lose weight.

to clarify, I will never do this unless hospitalized and they won't bring me any fruit! I just have seen so many posts and comments about low carb, but the common thread is crap food is A-OK and fruit isn't an option. I just want to know WHY people think this is a reasonable approach to a healthy lifestyle.

What makes you think eating low-carb "forbids" fruit?

I eat low-carb (for medical reasons - diabetes) and I enjoy fruit every day. Mostly lower-glycemic fruits such as berries (lots of fiber, high in anti-oxidants) and the occasional 1/2 an apple or so ...

Depending on what you decide your carb-limit is as a low-carb dieter, you can enjoy fruit - unfortunately fruit IS higher in carbohydrate/sugar (and calories) than veggies, so I have to limit it.

All the nutrients, vitamins, etc., found in fruit are also found in vegetables - but in veggies you end up with lower carb and lower calories overall - possibly making it easier to have a caloric deficit and meet your macro targets. But fruit certainly isn't forbidden.

BTW I also eat ice cream ... a good quality ice cream where REAL CREAM is the first ingredient (instead of sugar) often has as little as 14g of carbohydrate per 1/2 cup serving. So yeah, I enjoy that too... As a low-carb diabetic ...

What's your reason for eating a low carb diet?

What's your reason for your diet? Why does a low carber suddenly need to justify their decision?

My food choices are miles from perfect, or even ideal, but I can't wrap my head around a plan that allows cheat days and ice cream but fruit is absolutely forbidden. Can somebody make sense of this low carb thing for me?

I'm curious what diet you've seen that allows cheat days and ice cream but absolutely forbids fruit all the time. Low carb has many different definitions, just like clean eating or even healthy eating. For some it does indeed mean eating low-carb processed crap foods; for others it means eating natural foods and purposefully limiting the amount of carbs. Each person's idea of what constitutes "low" carb will also differ - for some it may mean under 50g, for others under 100g, and some might even be higher. Personally I think any plan whereby you're purposefully being conscious of the amount of carbs you're ingesting (and that's causing you to eat fewer carbs) could constitute low carb.
I personally don't know of any low carb diet that forbids fruit but allows ice cream. I know of some that suggest limiting fruit due to the high sugar and carb content, but that tends to mean only eating a serving or two a day. Like with most things, too much of even pretty healthy foods can have drawbacks, and that's for people without medical conditions too. If it works for them and they're happy with their lifestyle plan then why should it bother you?

will work

I am not eating low carb. I have seen dozens of posts by members who say they are eating low carb so fruit is not an option, but they do partake of ice cream and chocolate whenever they feel like it. Perhaps they are not following any specific plan. I am not bashing anyone's choices, simply trying to understand the logic behind such a plan since it seems to be embraced by many people. Curiosity I guess.

My ignorance is offensive? One asks questions to become less ignorant, and if I have offended anyone by asking my question, or the way I asked my question, it was not intentional.

I'm going to say that the low carbers you speak of are not having many carbs at all on low carb days. Refeeds are required (how often depending on size of deficit and body fat %) and refeeds "should" be high carb/low fat/moderate protein. I'm thinking that the low carbers on a restrictive diet are going to be craving more of the "junk" type carbs than fruit when they finally get to refeed.

There is no reason why fruits cannot be included also. (except for in some cases where the primary source of carbs should be starchy to avoid excessive fructose)

This is in very specific circumstances and most people don't need to worry about it.

Oh and some people have fructose intolerances hence no or minimal fruits.

If you did not mean to be offensive, then I retract my statement. There are so many trolls on MFP that just love to pick fights with low carb people. Your initial post sounded exactly like one of those trolls looking for a fight.

If you're truly interested in why low carb, let me point you to this page http://caloriesproper.com/?p=2172 too, where it discuss a study published in 2005, demonstrating that insulin resistant people lose more weight on a carb restricted diet, while insulin sensitive people lost weight on both low carb as well as low fat diets.

Sometimes I miss fruit, but I enjoy getting healthy more. Neither carbs nor fruit are a nutritional necessity. There is nothing in fruit that you can't get in veggies, including sugar.

Edited for DYAIC