Eating Fruit? How much is too much? From a hardcore fruit addict
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My wife and I dropped 110 pounds together. We ate all the fruit we wanted. I know I after 6-8 servings daily.2
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Thanks, yes my protein is definitely low but I haven't quite figured out how to boost it just yet. I only started this on Monday, so I don't have a lot of data yet, but yesterday I hit my highest protein yet and it was still low. So, here's yesterday, but I got the protein through eating a high protein dinner, but that dinner sent me over my calorie count.
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nevadavis1 wrote: »Thanks, yes my protein is definitely low but I haven't quite figured out how to boost it just yet. I only started this on Monday, so I don't have a lot of data yet, but yesterday I hit my highest protein yet and it was still low. So, here's yesterday, but I got the protein through eating a high protein dinner, but that dinner sent me over my calorie count.
Cut back on carbs and increase proteins. If you see an increase in fat, too, that's probably not a bad thing as long as it doesn't impact your ability to stay within your calories.
You say you love your fruit, which is fine... but that's a lot of carbs. Are there some starches or grains in there that you can swap out for some proteins?1 -
nevadavis1 wrote: »Thanks, yes my protein is definitely low but I haven't quite figured out how to boost it just yet. I only started this on Monday, so I don't have a lot of data yet, but yesterday I hit my highest protein yet and it was still low. So, here's yesterday, but I got the protein through eating a high protein dinner, but that dinner sent me over my calorie count.
Reduce your carbs and up your protein...replace some of your carb sources with protein...
Plan you meals better...the dinner didn't throw you over...the cumulative food throughout the day is the issue. You may want to pre-log for awhile rather than just wining it.2 -
nevadavis1 wrote: »Hi, I'm new here. Need to lose about 50 lbs (maybe more) to be healthy, so I have my work cut out for me.
Generally in any given day I eat an apple with breakfast, a banana as a midmorning snack, and an orange as an afternoon snack. I'm frequently very tired (doctor is going to test for sleep apnea) and I find it hard to get through a workday without my fruit snacks.
The problem is that the calories and especially the sugar adds up. My mother has been counting calories for years and is very strict about it. She advises giving up nearly all fruit because of the calories. I keep thinking "but fruit has healthy stuff in it that I need."
How do you guys address fruit? Even if I cut the calories in meals to accomodate the fruit, MFP is telling me I'm way over my sugar allotment and way under my protein. I've tried subbing in six almonds for the fruit, but that really doesn't satisfy me in the same way.
If you don't have a medical concern causing you to need to limit sugar then don't worry about it.
Do try to hit your protein goal though. Hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese, meat might be alternatives to almonds for snacks.
3 pieces of fruit is not really excessive but I might choose some other fruits or combine smaller amounts with other foods. Like fruit with yogurt or peanut butter.
Try vegetables for snacks.
What is your rate of loss set to and how many calories do you have? If you are 50 lbs overweight try 1 lb a week. Be sure to eat some exercise calories.0 -
You say you love your fruit, which is fine... but that's a lot of carbs. Are there some starches or grains in there that you can swap out for some proteins?
Thanks!
Last night I had a bun with dinner and I could cut that--it boosted calories and carbs. Generally if I don't do that I have rice with dinner, which is again carbs. I feel like giving up my rice is too much to ask, but maybe I'll feel differently as I go on. I have unsweetened oatmeal for breakfast, so while that is carbs, I feel like it's healthy ones. Most of my friends advise protein shakes to get more protein but I find them yucky, plus most have some sugar in them. Nuts seemed like a good idea but yesterday, eating some almonds, I ended up with a bunch of calories and only 8 g of protein.1 -
nevadavis1 wrote: »I know berries are better--less sugar, more nutrients, but darn they're expensive (and often not great quality at our stores here). I tried planting a blackberry bush in hopes of growing my own fruit, but the birds stole them all. Apples, oranges, and bananas are cheap and plentiful, so that's how I got stuck on this track. Yeah, I need to find some high protein snacks that satisfy (I think the fruit fiber is what makes me feel full), but the almonds didn't do it.
I planted raspberries. They've taken over my yard.
*If* you have the space to grow a full bramble (my backyard is *tiny*) you will be able to feed the birds (and squirrels), and have enough berries that you can't cram them all in your food hole besides. I still have frozen berries from last summer, and sometime in July I stopped picking them because I was out of containers and freezer space.
I started with 3 plants. 2 of them lived, and spread. I added another plant when we moved to our current house because I wanted a full row down the fence. Now, I have to dig them up and mow them, because otherwise there would be no place for the dog to poop. The single row along the fence is now 2 rows, along the fence and along the house. Both rows are 3 feet wide, and you can't reach the berries along the fence to pick them without getting tangled up in the thorny canes. It is GLORIOUS. They're like WEEDS!!!
For a protein snack, I like greek yogurt. I eat it topped with raspberries from my yard.2 -
nevadavis1 wrote: »You say you love your fruit, which is fine... but that's a lot of carbs. Are there some starches or grains in there that you can swap out for some proteins?
Thanks!
Last night I had a bun with dinner and I could cut that--it boosted calories and carbs. Generally if I don't do that I have rice with dinner, which is again carbs. I feel like giving up my rice is too much to ask, but maybe I'll feel differently as I go on. I have unsweetened oatmeal for breakfast, so while that is carbs, I feel like it's healthy ones. Most of my friends advise protein shakes to get more protein but I find them yucky, plus most have some sugar in them. Nuts seemed like a good idea but yesterday, eating some almonds, I ended up with a bunch of calories and only 8 g of protein.
A few things...
1) get over your sugar issues. At least until you get calories and fat/carbs/protein dialed in.
2) Nuts are a very calorically inefficient source of protein. Most people consider them a fat, not a protein.
3) No one wakes up one day, overhauls their diet, and is immediately good at it. It's a process, cutting back on some foods, increasing others... figuring out what you really want vs what you can do without. Prelogging, as previously mentioned, can be very helpful.
4) There's nothing wrong with buns or oatmeal or rice or fruit or anything else. But as you're seeing, all of them together, on the same day, can make it hard to get enough of the other things your body needs.4 -
I don't think 3 fruits per day is too much. Like many others don't track sugar and I never worry aobut sugar that comes from fruit. As long as the fruit fits the calorie goal then you can eat it. One thing you might ask the doctor to check is your B-12 levels. They don't check it in routine blood tests, and if you have low B-12 you will feel tired ALL THE TIME, no matter how much sleep you are getting.1
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One thing you might ask the doctor to check is your B-12 levels. They don't check it in routine blood tests, and if you have low B-12 you will feel tired ALL THE TIME, no matter how much sleep you are getting.
I do have pernicious anemia--my lupus destroyed the part of my digestive system that processes B12, so I have to get shots, but with the shots I'm now at a normal level.1 -
autumnblade75 wrote: »I planted raspberries. They've taken over my yard.
*If* you have the space to grow a full bramble (my backyard is *tiny*) you will be able to feed the birds (and squirrels), and have enough berries that you can't cram them all in your food hole besides.
We don't have very much space--the dogs get the backyard so I planted a single bush in front of the house. I really wanted to plant them all along the fence because people mess with the dogs over the fence and throw trash (even broken bottles) into the yard (we're on a corner). So I thought if I planted thorny stuff at the fence it would keep them back. The hubby wouldn't let me, so instead I have to stay out with the dogs whenever they play in the yard to keep them safe.0 -
2) Nuts are a very calorically inefficient source of protein. Most people consider them a fat, not a protein.
3) No one wakes up one day, overhauls their diet, and is immediately good at it. It's a process, cutting back on some foods, increasing others... figuring out what you really want vs what you can do without. Prelogging, as previously mentioned, can be very helpful.
4) There's nothing wrong with buns or oatmeal or rice or fruit or anything else. But as you're seeing, all of them together, on the same day, can make it hard to get enough of the other things your body needs.
Thanks for the advice. I try to have either bread or rice, but not both. Thanks for the info on the nuts. I might try making some protein-heavy snacks this weekend.0 -
nevadavis1 wrote: »
How do you guys address fruit? Even if I cut the calories in meals to accomodate the fruit, MFP is telling me I'm way over my sugar allotment and way under my protein. I've tried subbing in six almonds for the fruit, but that really doesn't satisfy me in the same way.
If you enjoy fruit, make it fit. The only issue I see is that you are sacrificing protein. How many grams of protein per pound of body weight are you getting in? Most people should be at around 8/10ths of a gram (in other words 80 grams for each 100 lb. of weight) unless they are bodybuilders trying to add muscle.
Ignore sugar. If your total carbs are in line with your targets, how they are divided up isn't important (unless your doctor has advised you to for a medical reason).1 -
I say eat your fruit.
I understand wanting carbs with meals. What about a smaller serving of bread or rice? It sucks, but better to have some than none imo.
It takes time to figure out what will work for you. It's normal to not have your stuff together at the get-go.
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That would be a lot of protein. MFP is putting me at maybe a little over half that. Sigh. I could adjust upwards on the tracker but finding low calorie protein can be tough.Most people should be at around 8/10ths of a gram (in other words 80 grams for each 100 lb. of weight) unless they are bodybuilders trying to add muscle.
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nevadavis1 wrote: »autumnblade75 wrote: »I planted raspberries. They've taken over my yard.
*If* you have the space to grow a full bramble (my backyard is *tiny*) you will be able to feed the birds (and squirrels), and have enough berries that you can't cram them all in your food hole besides.
We don't have very much space--the dogs get the backyard so I planted a single bush in front of the house. I really wanted to plant them all along the fence because people mess with the dogs over the fence and throw trash (even broken bottles) into the yard (we're on a corner). So I thought if I planted thorny stuff at the fence it would keep them back. The hubby wouldn't let me, so instead I have to stay out with the dogs whenever they play in the yard to keep them safe.
We're also on a corner, but the layout is such that the side yard is wide enough that the fenced backyard is set in from the sidewalk by quite a margin. My husband is against the idea of planting food plants in the front or side yards - and the side is too shady for berries, anyway. That front yard, though - I think I want blueberry bushes for that spot. I could rip out those rose bushes, and use that corner... I might be able to get away with it, because I do the yard maintenance. You say yours won't let you, but how observant is he? Would he necessarily notice if there were a few more plants? I'm just trying to be a bad influence here, heh heh heh
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Do you like Greek yogurt? I get a lot of protein just from that and you can use that WITH your fruit. Dip your fruit in it or make a smoothie with that and some almond milk with protein and your banana. Keep in mind that your macros and goals not limits. I eat a ton of fruit. And I get an "alert" after I have my cappuccino every morning that I'm already almost over my sugars. I've lost 55+ lbs. Fruit is so good for you!0
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nevadavis1 wrote: »
That would be a lot of protein. MFP is putting me at maybe a little over half that. Sigh. I could adjust upwards on the tracker but finding low calorie protein can be tough.Most people should be at around 8/10ths of a gram (in other words 80 grams for each 100 lb. of weight) unless they are bodybuilders trying to add muscle.
Egg whites, chicken breast/tenders, chicken thighs (not that many more calories than breast) canned tuna/salmon, non fat greek yogurt, lean cuts of pork like pork tenderloin, shrimp, fish, etc...3 -
Why do you need two snacks per day? If you get enough calories, protein, fiber, and healthy fat in your 3 meals, you can take that snack time and use it to take a brisk walk. Remember that a medium banana is 2 servings. Sip water or unsweetened tea/black coffee between meals to stay hydrated. Eat fruit. Just don't add 4 extra servings at 400 calories to your meal plan.1
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autumnblade75 wrote: »You say yours won't let you, but how observant is he? Would he necessarily notice if there were a few more plants? I'm just trying to be a bad influence here, heh heh heh
Ha, ha! He'd notice. We had two female dogs (both came to us as adults from the shelter) before, adopted right after we married. So he built (by himself, by hand) a four foot wooden fence around the yard. Fast forward, our German Shepherd died and we got a somewhat smaller male dog from the shelter--he looked really sweet and he only had 2 days left. First thing he did is jump right over the fence, so hubby went out and installed a guard all around that stops him from making it over. So he paces the fence instead, wearing down a solid path of dirt. We lost the other older dog this year and now have a young female German Shepherd mix too. Whenever anybody goes by the fence they race up and down howling. I'd have to put one of those wire cages around anything I planted so I think it would be obvious. The fence is right by the sidewalk, so I guess that doesn't help, but the dogs wouldn't have much space otherwise, and before he built the fence too many kids would just hang out on the yard.
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