Why isn't fruit a calorie free item?

mrslondon
mrslondon Posts: 146 Member
edited September 25 in Health and Weight Loss
Why is it that fruit is supposed to be like 80% water but we still have to count it because it has high calorie amounts? I have stopped eating bananas because they are not even worth my time as they are like 100 calories event though that is my favorite fruit but even the stupid fruit that I eat to satisfy something in my mouth whether I want it or not, still has calories, apples, oranges. Im just so freakin mad, no matter how many calories I have im still starving and so I eat this fruit to feel like ive eaten something that is supposed to fill me up which is does not and then on top of that, the calorie amounts are just dumb, 40 calories for the smallest orange in the world? Not cool
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Replies

  • Ambrogio1
    Ambrogio1 Posts: 518 Member
    I eat bananas every day. Just add it in.

    This isn't on pts. All those fruits have cals and need to be counted for

    MF
  • Ambrogio1
    Ambrogio1 Posts: 518 Member
    and I hope that wasn't too blunt because I just read your pissed!

    ugh! Sorry
  • robertf57
    robertf57 Posts: 560 Member
    Wow. Maybe you should complain to Mother Nature! It's a matter of simple chemistry. Fruits have sugars and starches which have caloric value. Plain and simple.

    If the fruit you are eating just to eat (as your post seems to imply) doesn't satiate you, I would recommend eating some protein instead. Has some lean chicken or tuna...
  • PoleBoy
    PoleBoy Posts: 255 Member
    I've looked at your food diary. You're usually under your target by at least 500 calories. You're supposed to hit the target, not be under it.
  • mrslondon
    mrslondon Posts: 146 Member
    Im on a doctor supervised diet of 800 calories a day as I explained to him that eating 1200 a day was not letting me lose any weight at all, so he told me to go down to 800 and monitor it closely and then go back and see him, with that I have lost 7lbs. Just have to try and find food that is filling but low in calories
  • hedleyrocks247
    hedleyrocks247 Posts: 185 Member
    There are such foods as zero or negative calorie foods - they are called this because when eaten raw or cooked with no added fats etc the amount of energy your body takes to digest them is more then the amount of calories they have! If you want more info on this you can google zero or negative calorie foods :smile:

    Zero Calorie Foods
    In the following lines, we have provided a list of zero calorie foods, including both fruits and vegetables.

    VEGETABLES
    Asparagus
    Beets
    Broccoli
    Green Cabbage
    Carrot
    Cucumber
    Cauliflower
    Celery
    Dandelion
    Hot Chili Peppers
    Cucumber
    Endive
    Garden Cress
    Garlic
    Green Beans
    Lettuce
    Onion
    Radish
    Spinach
    Turnips
    Zucchini

    FRUITS
    Apples
    Blueberry
    Cantaloupe
    Cranberry
    Grape Fruit
    Honey Dew Melons
    Mango
    Oranges
    Peaches
    Papaya
    Pineapple
    Raspberries
    Strawberries
    Tangerines
    Tomato
    Watermelon

    Hope this helps :)
  • brityn
    brityn Posts: 443 Member
    Im on a doctor supervised diet of 800 calories a day as I explained to him that eating 1200 a day was not letting me lose any weight at all, so he told me to go down to 800 and monitor it closely and then go back and see him, with that I have lost 7lbs. Just have to try and find food that is filling but low in calories

    Are you taking HGC?
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    Does that mean logging those things is unnecessary? Also, is that why I am starving today, despite having eaten 3 apples?
  • robertf57
    robertf57 Posts: 560 Member
    Be very careful. These fruits and veggies are definitely NOT zero calorie. I would take this list and deep six it!
  • PoleBoy
    PoleBoy Posts: 255 Member
    If you're on that high a restriction you want to really watch the amount of sugar you're having - any blood sugar spike will get turned into fat, and held on to.

    For snacking try baby corn, tomatoes, and mangetout/sugarsnap peas

    Have soup twice a day - a (relatively) heavy one such as lentil at about 200 kCal/portion, and a light one like a chicken noodle cup-soup
  • Smilbuta
    Smilbuta Posts: 10
    Robert and poleboy are 100% correct , there is no such thing as zero calorie food. Count all foods and thier caloreic impact, especialy fruits with thier sugar content. Sweet (tropical) fruits are a dieters WORST! nightmare.

    Substitute Whole meats and Protein for fruits and snacks.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    Whoa...there seems to be a lot of misinformation in this thread. First, there are not many zero calorie foods out there. The only zero calorie thing I ingest every day is water.

    Second, eating too many calories will make you overweight. End of story. I could eat 3000 calories a day of all fruits and vegetables and I would get fat. I could eat 3000 calories a day of McDonalds and I would get fat. This is why we log in our food diaries the 100 calorie banana, the 45 calorie salad greens, the 40 calorie orange...all of those small amount of calories add up over the course of a day or week.
  • kao708
    kao708 Posts: 813 Member
    Well, a calorie is still a calorie. Do you omit the calories in drinks too? No, you have to count those because they all add up.
  • Lyndsay_Love
    Lyndsay_Love Posts: 15
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/293711-truth-about-negative-calorie-foods/

    If you do a simple google, you will see, there is no such thing as negative calorie foods.
  • skinnyjeans13
    skinnyjeans13 Posts: 179
    Kind of related question... I'm consistently over my sugar intake but it's all natural fruit or veggie related sugar. Should I be cutting down? I feel like I don't even eat that many fruits or veggies!

    Should I just subtract the natural sugars or does it ALL count?
  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
    An oldie, but good regarding low calorie diets. :smile:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing
  • bparr
    bparr Posts: 246 Member
    Wow, this thread is a mess.
    Still scratching my head that someone would be put on an 800 cal. diet. Seems extreme.
  • PoleBoy
    PoleBoy Posts: 255 Member

    Should I just subtract the natural sugars or does it ALL count?

    the 30g/day guideline is for refined sugars, so you can up the limit if your sugars are from whole raw fruit (to around 130g/day - I think is the FDA guideline, can't remember where I saw it). Blended, juiced and cooked fruit are more of a grey area. But no, you can't disregard it totally .
  • Hawgfreak70
    Hawgfreak70 Posts: 47
    Those crunchy nature valley granola bars are fairly low in calories, and make you tired of chewing.lol
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,728 Member
    To the original poster: I know how hard it is to be on a restricted diet and try to feel full. What I have found that helps is to add fat/protein to my carbs. So, I eat an apple with peanut butter. Or Ezekiel Bread with an egg. Etc. I have found combining protein/fat/fiber is the only thing that keeps me satisfied. With that said, it is annoying how many calories are in healthy foods and that when on restricted diet it's easier to eat processed foods.
  • downtome
    downtome Posts: 529 Member
    If your going to be on such a low calories restriction diet, why don't you just do the low carb and high protein approach? Have you ever tried it? Eating very low carbs and high protein is virtually the same as eating a low calorie diet as it will put you into ketosis and your body will burn the fat instead of the carbs. This way, you won't have to restrict your calories as much, maybe keep them at around 1500 a day and you will still lose weight. You might be carb sensitive, if you weren't losing on a 1200 calories a day diet?! It's something to condsider, just a thought. I know when I hit a plateau after I lost my first 30 pounds, I did the low carb diet for 3-4 days and was able to break through it. You could even do carb cycling, such as 2 normal calorie days then maybe 3 very low carb days, on those low carb days you won't be very hungry either. Just thought I'd throught this out there...Good Luck!
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
    Food has calories...you need calories for your body to function. Fruit has natural sugars and calories and nutrients and vitamins etc etc etc....eat the banana...count the calories...benefit from the fuel and the nutrients....I try to balance my fruit with a protein also to stay satisfied longer
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
    Food has calories...you need calories for your body to function. Fruit has natural sugars and calories and nutrients and vitamins etc etc etc....eat the banana...count the calories...benefit from the fuel and the nutrients....I try to balance my fruit with a protein also to stay satisfied longer
  • SheliaN1960
    SheliaN1960 Posts: 454 Member
    Sorry, I know how you feel! I was putting 1/2 frozen banana in my smoothies and not losing much because I eat alot of fruit! So my approach is to lower my fruit intake because my body LOVES sugar, not matter how it gets it. The meals i started today cuts way back on fruit and I am alotted certain types!! Goot luck!
  • RobinSturgeon
    RobinSturgeon Posts: 30 Member
    This is why i find the new 'weight watchers points plus' diet so crazy...im on it now. They tell you not to count fruits and vegies. But i was eating lots because they were 0 and i didnt lose 1 single pound in the last three weeks, Thats why im on here, im tracking everything. I even put in a perfect day were i stayed within my points allowance and included the fruit this time and i had eaten 400 cal worth of fruit!!! No wonder the scale wasnt moving! Somewhere in the middle is a good diet, i just have to find whats right for me...
  • mrslondon
    mrslondon Posts: 146 Member
    No im not on an HCG diet, and my doctor who specializes in weight loss (by eating right and exercising) recommended that I lower my calorie intake to 800, he said if I am hungry by all means eat more, but try to stay under 1000, aiming for 800-900 calories per day. My biggest thing is simply that I eat the fruit because im hungry and its not a ton of calories, and I fully understand that we all need calories to function, i guess im just venting. Sorry to have ticked so many people off! The weight watchers diet does not seem to make any sense to me at all where you dont count fruit or veggies at all, they obviously have a calorie amount to them or they would not be classed as food. The only two things I know of that do not have any calories are plain water and dust. Trust me, if i could live off of those two things, i would look fabulous haha. All jokes aside, I was just venting, its just annoying that fruit is supposed to be healthy and a good snack but i guess maybe because of the sugar levels, that makes them high in calories. But i cant have it every way because you couldn't pay me to snack on lettuce leaves and tell you it was tasty. DIETING SUCKS *kitten*!!!
  • chantel14
    chantel14 Posts: 128
    Am I crazy because I thought celery was the only negative calorie food there is?
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,032 Member
    No im not on an HCG diet, and my doctor who specializes in weight loss (by eating right and exercising) recommended that I lower my calorie intake to 800, he said if I am hungry by all means eat more, but try to stay under 1000, aiming for 800-900 calories per day. My biggest thing is simply that I eat the fruit because im hungry and its not a ton of calories, and I fully understand that we all need calories to function, i guess im just venting. Sorry to have ticked so many people off! The weight watchers diet does not seem to make any sense to me at all where you dont count fruit or veggies at all, they obviously have a calorie amount to them or they would not be classed as food. The only two things I know of that do not have any calories are plain water and dust. Trust me, if i could live off of those two things, i would look fabulous haha. All jokes aside, I was just venting, its just annoying that fruit is supposed to be healthy and a good snack but i guess maybe because of the sugar levels, that makes them high in calories. But i cant have it every way because you couldn't pay me to snack on lettuce leaves and tell you it was tasty. DIETING SUCKS *kitten*!!!
    I agree it does suck sometimes but the rewards are so worth it!:wink: When I eat a snack I often pair fruit with a protein and it keeps me satisfied far longer. Perhaps 1/2 medium banana and a serving of raw almonds or even 1/2 serving to keep your cals down. That's a healthy fat, and you get in the fruit you enjoy. Some fruit have a higher sugar content, so the calories do add up more quickly.

    It's OK to be frustrated we all get that way from time to time, particularly in the early days. Another food to pair up is perhaps 1/2 an apple and 1 oz. of cheese, that gives you carb/protein/fat for the snack. It might be that the fruit itself is what's not keeping you satisfied and by mixing it with something else that might help?

    Good Luck!:happy:
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
    No im not on an HCG diet, and my doctor who specializes in weight loss (by eating right and exercising) recommended that I lower my calorie intake to 800, he said if I am hungry by all means eat more, but try to stay under 1000, aiming for 800-900 calories per day. My biggest thing is simply that I eat the fruit because im hungry and its not a ton of calories, and I fully understand that we all need calories to function, i guess im just venting. Sorry to have ticked so many people off! The weight watchers diet does not seem to make any sense to me at all where you dont count fruit or veggies at all, they obviously have a calorie amount to them or they would not be classed as food. The only two things I know of that do not have any calories are plain water and dust. Trust me, if i could live off of those two things, i would look fabulous haha. All jokes aside, I was just venting, its just annoying that fruit is supposed to be healthy and a good snack but i guess maybe because of the sugar levels, that makes them high in calories. But i cant have it every way because you couldn't pay me to snack on lettuce leaves and tell you it was tasty. DIETING SUCKS *kitten*!!!

    I hope you didn't think my response was one of being pissed off. I get that you are frustrated..the whole chemistry experiment of fueling our bodies can be frustrating at times...I guess I was just suggesting to look at the calories as fuel and to appreciate them for what they...necessary components of life and maybe it will help ease the frustration. You will find the right balance...I can't do fruit without a protein as my sugar will get wonky but I still love my fruit. it just takes time to make it all work.
  • rachel871
    rachel871 Posts: 113 Member
    This is why i find the new 'weight watchers points plus' diet so crazy...im on it now. They tell you not to count fruits and vegies. But i was eating lots because they were 0 and i didnt lose 1 single pound in the last three weeks, Thats why im on here, im tracking everything. I even put in a perfect day were i stayed within my points allowance and included the fruit this time and i had eaten 400 cal worth of fruit!!! No wonder the scale wasnt moving! Somewhere in the middle is a good diet, i just have to find whats right for me...

    My friend has lost 2 stone using the new ProPoints system on Weight Watchers, but I know I could never do it, and it's for this exact reason! How can you essentially eat an infinite amount of fruit and vegetables every day, when they still have a calorific value?! Can't get my head around it!
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