Last Updated on June 11, 2017 by Marie Bautista
Have you ever tried losing weight and felt VERY proud of yourself when you said no to:
- pizza
- burger
- ice cream
- cake…
and ate just FRUIT?
Because you think it is one of the HEALTHIEST things you can eat (yes, UNLI, Unlimited!) to shed those excess pounds?
That’s what you think…
Eating lots of fruits may just be the reason why you are not losing weight.
I know. You are proud of yourself. You stopped eating sweets and sodas and hotdogs
But you are still hungry.
And since you assume that fruits can help you get thin,you eat loads of fruits instead.
But did you know that fruits have this chemical that can be HARMFUL to your weight loss efforts if you eat TOO MUCH of it?
This chemical is called FRUCTOSE.
Fructose is the substance that gives fruits their sweetness.
Don’t get me wrong. Fructose is natural sugar, unlike high fructose corn syrup which you can find written in small labels of processed foods. Fructose is still, however, sweetness overload. And you know the drill, right? Your waistline will be in trouble if you eat too much of sugar.
Why?
Fructose is processed by the body quickly. This results to a spike in your blood sugar. Once your blood sugar levels go up, the body responds by releasing insulin.
This won’t be a problem if you eat sweets OCCASIONALLY.
If finishing the fruit bowl, however, has become a habit, your body gets used to it and will become resistant to insulin!
And here’s the trouble. Studies reveal that insulin resistance causes obesity. And that’s exactly what you don’t want to be you are losing weight, right?
So should I stop eating fruits?!?
Of course not. Fruits are a nutrition powerhouse. They have minerals and vitamins and they are rich in anti-oxidants!
But, if you are trying to lose weight, you need to be a little discriminating with you choice of fruits.
Ditch the sweeter fruits.
Some fruits have a high fructose content and rate high on the “Glycemic Index” (an indication of a food’s effect on your blood sugar). These fruits, which you should just eat occasionally and not in “epic proportions” are:
- Bananas
- Grapes
- Mangos
- Melons
- Papayas
- Pineapples
These fruits have a lower glycemic index and you can eat them anytime:
- Apples
- Apricots
- Avocados
- Berries
- Citrus fruits
- Cherries
- Figs
- Grapefruit
- Peaches
- Pears
Oh, and one more thing…
If you are to make just one healthy choice, choose eating the WHOLE fruit.
Fruits give you fiber. Aside from fiber making you feel full, fiber helps your body in processing the fructose more slowly, resulting to a slower spike in your blood sugar.
Fruit juices seem healthy and delicious, but a lot of times, aside from the fructose from the fruits, milk and sugar are added, making you consume more sugar than your body needs.
Can I still eat fruit and lose weight?
Since fruits have fructose which can do crazy things to my insulin levels, but they are still healthy, is there a certain guideline on how much fruit I can have and still lose weight?
This totally depends on your activity level.
If you have zero to minimal physical activity, it is best to satisfy your fruit cravings with 1-2 servings per day.
But if you are active and work out a lot, 3-5 servings a day is okay.
Some diets like the South Beach Diet and Paleo which I have tried and will share to you in a later post have phases wherein you stop eating fruits. They will be gradually reintroduced into your diet.
Piecing Out the Weight Loss Puzzle
Knowing the right fruits to eat is an important piece in the weight loss puzzle…
But it’s just one piece.
To get right on track, we need guidance, a proven roadmap to follow.
I have found this guide in PaleoHacks Cookbook.
Aside from over 200 recipes to choose from, this book gave me the knowledge I need to finally shed weight, weight I have been carrying since I gave birth to my 3rd child (and that was ten years ago!).
Embracing a healthier lifestyle has been one of my new year’s resolutions, and after some tough bumps and epic fails, I am finally on my road to fitness and health.
So happy I stumbled to your post. I heard that not all fruits can make a person thin and this is it. Thanks for including a list. Have to cross out a few fruits I usually eat. Hehehe. 🙂
I'm still safe because I only eat 1-2 serving of fruits. 🙂
Thank you for this guide, especially that you classified the fruits by glycemic index. I love fruits, but ironically I don't get to include them everyday on my diet.
Yup, many times! Knowing what fruits ti eat really helps. Sure you can have the sweeter fruits once in a while, but don't eat the whole fruit. One small slice should do it.
Hah these are good points! Not all fruits are created equal. Variety is also key 🙂
Yes fruits can be fattening also so take in moderation. Best is still to stick to protein rich foods.
very informational blog post! You are right, insulin resistance causes obesity.
Awesome post. For me, it's all about portioning. One fitness coach once told me that it's not about what you eat ONLY, it';s about the portioning!
It's good to know this facts about fruits. I always think before that eating healthy is just eating fruits and vegetables and now I know. Thanks for the knowledge and for the guide to a healthy lifestyle.
http://www.sweetcuisinera.com
Peaches are my favorite. They're just too expensive in Manila, though.
Tamang tama ito sis. We are watching our calories intake. We plan to have a detox on Monday, maybe twice a month.
I always hope I could more weight. So I guess I need more fruits. hahah. Thanks
I also wanted to change my eating habit and go on the healthy side, but I always have the reasons to cheat.. Hayz! I hope to really eat healthily.
I can't stop eating fruits! They're just irresistible! And very healthy too. This made me remember my son, he's picky when it comes to fruits, he eats nothing but banana. I wish he'd learn to love eating fruits.