watermelon, fattening?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong (I know someone will) but I do not think sugars in fruit is the same as processed sugar. I eat lots of fruit but I make sure to pair with a protein. Let me put it this way, an apple or piece of watermelon is better than a snickers bar. We all know fruit is not the reason we're fat.

LOL so true!

I mean if it helps you avoid eating the chocolate chip cookies and you are counting the calories, etc. I don't know why you should avoid it. (maybe if you are diabetic like alexmommy mentioned). We go through a watermelon a week in my house between me, my husband, and 3 kids. It's great straight out of the fridge after a hot run outside. Plus, we often use it in place of dessert.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong (I know someone will) but I do not think sugars in fruit is the same as processed sugar. I eat lots of fruit but I make sure to pair with a protein. Let me put it this way, an apple or piece of watermelon is better than a snickers bar. We all know fruit is not the reason we're fat.

This is true but even too much of a good thing can be bad for you. For most of us yes, fruit is god, but as the poster mentioned to a diabetic, even the sugar in watermelon can be a bad thing.

Back to the OPs question, not watermelon is not fattening. It's actually fairly low in sugar compared to other fruits. Here's the thing,sure you get a bit of sugar with fruit, but you also get the fiber that comes along with it. So yes even though it has sugar, that watermelon is leaps and bounds above the snickers bar in terms of nutrition.

Here is a small article I found online:
Overview
As a fresh, natural food with a low calorie count and an abundance of vitamins and minerals, watermelon is a healthy choice to serve at any meal. However, even eating too much of a nutritious food can become a problem if you neglect balance in your diet as a result.

Nutrition Facts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 1 cup of diced watermelon has approximately 45 calories, 1 g protein, 11.5 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 9.5 g sugar and no fat, cholesterol or sodium. Watermelon is also a natural source of vitamin C, vitamin B-6, potassium and lycopene, an antioxidant that may help prevent health conditions including heart disease and cancer.

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Health Benefits
Watermelon isn't the only fruit that has positive health properties, however, so it's worth branching out if it limits the scope of your diet. For example, watermelon is relatively low in fiber among fruits, and eating others, as well as plenty of vegetables, can improve your digestive health. Varying the fruits and veggies you eat every day can also help guard against the development of kidney stones, bone loss, stroke and diabetes, according to MyPyramid.gov, but watermelon by itself may not bring all of those benefits.

Too Much of a Good Thing
Even though watermelon is fat-free and low in calories, eating too much of it can interfere with weight loss and weight maintenance efforts. Dr. Melina Jampolis, CNN.com's physician nutritionist specialist, recommends limiting yourself to three servings of fruit per day if you're trying to lose weight. "While the sugar in fruit is healthier than refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup, it still contains the same number of calories per serving, so it cannot be consumed in unlimited quantities," Jampolis says. Terese Scollard, registered dietitian and manager for Providence Nutrition Services, agrees. "If you go overboard on one kind of food, you'll miss out on the valuable properties of other healthy foods," she says.

Considerations
Following a balanced and varied diet is the key to providing your body with the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs to stay as healthy as possible. Rather than focusing too heavily on any one food, aim for a balance among the five main food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and proteins, and speak with your doctor or a registered dietitian if you have any concerns about the diet you follow.



Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/448537-can-you-eat-too-much-watermelon/#ixzz1OWYbjbGb

Hi! i would really like to find out if watermelon is good or bad for you. my friend had gone to a nutrtionist a while back and she told her to avoid watermelon as it is packed with suagrs. yes i guess we all know fruit contains a high amount of sugar but isnt it the healthy type and fruit in general is low in calories ... so should i avoid it?

Thanks ))))

Watermelon if very healthy. First of all it's mostly water (hence the name) so it fills you up without adding a lot of calories. The doctor may have told your friend that based on the high glycemic index of watermelon. Glycemic Index is based on the type of sugar contained in foods and how quickly it is metabolized. The sugar in watermelon is a simple sugar and so it gets a high glycemic index. But watermelon contains very little sugar so it has a very low Glycemic Load, which is measured not only by the type of sugar but also the amount. It's a better a way to measure. Carrots for example also have simple sugars and get a high GI, but they also have very little sugar and so get a low GL. The nutritional value far outweighs the small amount of sugar.

Watermelon is aptly named- it's mostly water. One cup has about 9 grams of sugar, which is low, even for fruit. It is also fat free, and has some fiber and water (like most fruits), which makes you feel fuller. If you eat it fresh, it has no nasty chemicals to preserve it. Overall, a very healthy snack.

It's true that natural sugars are better for you than refined sugars, but natural sugar is still sugar to your body, so it should be eaten in moderation. But compare- a Snickers bar has 280 calories, 30 grams of sugar, 14 grams of fat, and no fiber. A cup of watermelon has 45 calories, 9 grams of sugar, no fat, and is high in Vitamin C and potassium. A much better choice.

And besides, when was the last time you heard someone say, "I wish I could lose this weight; it's just that I can't keep from eating watermelon!!" ?

Fortunately I am not diabetic and LOVE watermelon. We too use it in place of desserts in our house. The only negative from eating too much that I have found lies in its name, "water",melon. Frequent trips to the potty.