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Post by fiddlesticks on Jul 27, 2014 17:01:10 GMT
My DH had a health scare a month and a half ago and it was enough of a scare that we are making some significant changes to our diet. I have been doing Weight Watchers for years, so the change of diet isn't super huge for me (other than the fact that it is making it easier for me because there is less crappy food in our house).
I was making breakfast the other day and threw a bunch of veggies in my eggs (peppers, onions, spinach) and I realized that I don't really like peppers, onions and spinach first thing in the morning. I think it really comes down to that I much prefer raw veggies to cooked ones most of the time. So, I started adding more fruit to my breakfast to create some bulk. For instance, this morning I made scrambled eggs with canadian bacon and then had a bowl of sliced bananas and strawberries.
I was at my meeting the other day and was talking to my leader as I was weighing in and she looked at me like I had grown two heads when I said that I was going to relax on fitting in so many veggies in every meal but instead do more fruit in the morning. She said I was going to have a hard time because of the sugar in the fruit even though they are 0 points.
I tried to explain that I am not going fruit crazy (I was mostly just sharing my strange little epiphany) and was still eating veggies throughout the day, but she wasn't hearing it. When I first started fruit wasn't "free" but it has been for awhile now. She said "time and the scale will tell." (As a side note she says stuff like this all the time in a passive aggressive way and I think she thinks it is motivating and maybe for some people it is but it mostly pisses me off.)
At dinner time, I have been serving two veggies and several different kinds of fruit with whatever protein I made. There is still some kind of starch because DH isn't quite ready to give that up entirely but we are eating less of them and more of them whole grain.
So, the question I guess (if you made it this far) is do you see fruits and veggies equally in terms of being a healthy choice? I remember when I first started Weight Watchers my husband couldn't believe that eating fruit was "discouraged" because it had a point value. I just said that you have to plan for it. His response, "Eating a banana doesn't make someone overweight."
I know that a lot of people have done a lot of different things in their quest to be healthy and I would appreciate the different perspectives. TIA!
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Post by tania7424 on Jul 27, 2014 17:03:15 GMT
I'm on the fruit is sugar bench. I don't do smoothies for that very reason. Way too much sugar. Yes, it's a naturally occurring sugar, but I'll still have the crash from it.
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Post by scrapApea on Jul 27, 2014 17:05:05 GMT
I don't have much faith in anything weight watchers does. They are there to sell a product, usually their own, chemical filled, carb loaded "point snacks". I've been juicing fruits and veggies now for 6 months and I eat mostly fruits (don't like the veggies as snacks either) and I've lost more weight than I ever did on weight watchers. I would do what works for you.
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Post by anxiousmom on Jul 27, 2014 17:09:15 GMT
I'm on the fruit is sugar bench. I don't do smoothies for that very reason. Way too much sugar. Yes, it's a naturally occurring sugar, but I'll still have the crash from it. Me too, and in fact, I really can't eat a whole lot of fruit for breakfast. It makes me tired and effects my blood sugar when I eat fruit for breakfast. |
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Post by 5peanutsnana on Jul 27, 2014 17:09:50 GMT
I don't pretend to be an authority on fruits vs. vegetables, but I have a 10 year old DGS who I am fairly certain has never had a vegetable in his mouth, unless you count baby food. His mother, my daughter, is a register dietician and it does not concern her at all. He is as healthy as can be. I'd have to guess there is more sugar in fruit, but your question was are fruits and vegetables equally healthy. JMHO
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Post by magentapea on Jul 27, 2014 17:10:17 GMT
So, the question I guess (if you made it this far) is do you see fruits and veggies equally in terms of being a healthy choice? I do. They are both natural foods, not processed, and lumped together in one category on the food pyramid. But, once you add a ton of junk to it, it can change to a non-healthy choice (ex. canned cherry pie filling and fried zucchini). |
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Post by bluepoprocks on Jul 27, 2014 17:11:16 GMT
I'm not on Weight Watchers I'm on Atkins. At the beginning of Atkins (first 2 weeks or so) you can't have fruit but after that you slowly reintroduce fruit starting with the lower sugar fruits like berries. Yes fruit has sugars but if you are not overdoing it like all fruit and no vegetables then you should be ok. If some weight starts to creep back on then cut back a little. A life of only vegetables and protein would get pretty boring and hard to maintain in my opinion.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jul 27, 2014 17:14:45 GMT
I'm no expert but my family eats fruit salad (strawberries, watermelon, raspberries, blueberries, banana & nectarines is a typical salad) pretty much every night from about May through Sept-Oct and we have all been stable at a good weight forever.
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Belle
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Post by Belle on Jul 27, 2014 17:14:48 GMT
Fruit equals sugar as do some veggies like tomatoes. DH is on a low fructose diet so he limits all fruit and many veggies like tomatoes, carrots, peppers, corn etc.
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Post by gar on Jul 27, 2014 17:26:06 GMT
In terms of vitamins, fibre etc yes, I'd consider them equally healthy but it depends on the focus of your diet. Fruit does contain more sugar, a banana is high in carbs (about the same as a potato) etc but unless your food intake is really unbalanced and you're really going heavy on the fruit I wouldn't worry about it.
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Post by Miss Ang on Jul 27, 2014 17:28:41 GMT
I eat a lot of fruit and it's mostly in the morning. An average morning for me is a banana with a cup of coffee and then I make old fashioned oatmeal (with water) and pour it over 200g. of frozen strawberries (which is obviously wayyyyy more than a "serving"). I defrost the berries in the microwave with a packet of Stevia. It makes the berrries very soft and warm and juicy. This breakfast sticks with me until lunch (around 4 hours). The only time I add in some protein is on the mornings I workout and I have a Quest bar or a protein shake after my workout. I usually have more fruit either in a smoothie or just raw with some cheese or some peanut butter. That afternoon fruit is also usually at least 2 servings; sometimes 3 or 4 (especially if it's watermelon or pineapple!) When I eat a salad for lunch I have around 100g of lettuce with some other raw veggies mixed in. Again, several servings of veggies there. I call those my bigass salads.  I sometimes eat veggies and hummus for a snack or I have a big heaping serving of veggies for dinner. After all that's said, I would guess I eat an average of 5 servings of fruit a day and 3 or 4 servings of veggies a day. For the record, I don't care for veggies with my breakfast either. ETA: Your WW leader sounds a little challenging. I would hate to be talked to in such a condescending way from someone that says they are "supporting" me. |
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CeeScraps
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Post by CeeScraps on Jul 27, 2014 17:33:08 GMT
I'm glad you posted this! I'm not a veggie eater but was thinking this morning I really need to work on this. I've been doing WW and lost a lot of weight with mostly fruits. Now that I'm where I want to be I'm maintaining. I've been doing that since February (yahoo).
Any way I'm thinking it would be easier if I did more veggies than fruit.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 17:42:07 GMT
I think fruit is healthy in moderation, but I don't consider them to be a "free" food like I do most non-starch vegetables. They DO have a lot of sugar in them.
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scorpeao
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Post by scorpeao on Jul 27, 2014 17:42:31 GMT
I don't think there's really a right answer. When I was pregnant I was gaining weight too quickly, and I was eating healthy...fruits and veggies. My dr said to limit my fruits to two servings a day, but I could eat as much veggies as I want. When my dd was in 7th grade the dr told her that she could eat as much fresh fruits and veggies as she wanted, but eat everything else in moderation. I think the idea is that before you can eat enough fruit to gain a substantial amount of weight you'll be full.
My diet consists of a lot of fruit, and I'm a healthy weight. I also exercise a lot, so I'm sure that helps. If I didn't exercise I'd probably limit my fruit to 2 servings a day. Right now I probably eat 4-5 servings of fruit and 1-2 of veggies. I think you just need to see what works for you. Add the fruit and if you start to gain weight, back off and substitute with veggies.
Good luck!
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Post by gmcwife1 on Jul 27, 2014 17:44:18 GMT
To me fruits are a healthy choice. We are trying to eat cleaner, less processes foods, so for us that includes more fruits and veggies.
Sure fruit has more natural sugars, that's what makes them sweet. But it's a healthier sugar than processed.
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Post by cindyupnorth on Jul 27, 2014 17:48:24 GMT
I totally agree with your dh. You don't get overwt from eating fruit. If you are eating healthy, non processed foods, you are going to lose wt, and keep the wt off. I don't believe in diets though. I believe in eating healthy, portion size, and exercise.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 17:51:39 GMT
< edited for brevity > I tried to explain that I am not going fruit crazy (I was mostly just sharing my strange little epiphany) and was still eating veggies throughout the day, but she wasn't hearing it. When I first started fruit wasn't "free" but it has been for awhile now. She said "time and the scale will tell." (As a side note she says stuff like this all the time in a passive aggressive way and I think she thinks it is motivating and maybe for some people it is but it mostly pisses me off.) Look up a glycemic index food list. Compare your fruit choices to your vegetable choices. If you are choosing starchy vegetables like corn, potatoes, root vegetables the difference between some fruits and those vegs may not be different. But it can be a major difference for other vegetable choices. Fruits have vitamins and minerals to be accounted for but once in your body your blood glucose doesn't differentiate between sugar created by pasta, bananas or a candy bar. It is all sugar and going to have the same effect. I don't see her comment about time and scales will tell as being passive aggressive. It is a truth. Personally, I think if you prefer raw vegs you'd be better off having a side salad with your morning omelet instead of replacing the leaf vegetables with fruit. |
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Post by ~summer~ on Jul 27, 2014 17:51:59 GMT
Fruit is good but vegetables are better. And fruit should be eaten whole, not in a smoothie or as juice.
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anniebygaslight
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Post by anniebygaslight on Jul 27, 2014 18:04:19 GMT
Fruit is heaving with sugar. Why not have a bowl of porridge? That will keep you going till lunch time, and then you can go mad with veg later in the day.
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Post by peasful1 on Jul 27, 2014 18:11:34 GMT
I also think you get different nutrients from fruits and vegetables.
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uksue
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Post by uksue on Jul 27, 2014 18:21:19 GMT
I think there is a difference between maintaining/eating a healthy diet, and losing weight.
I lost my colon to cancer and have had a hard time since keeping my weight down ( or indeed, losing the extra stone I am carting around at the moment!)
I simply struggle eating the amount of salad /veg I used to eat before I lost my colon, especially as a vegetarian . I cope with fruit much better- but I haven't been as successful in losing weight eating more fruit than veg. I went to see a dietician via my GI surgeon and she confirmed that the sugars in fruit , as natural as they Are, will interfere with weight loss. She just reiterated what we all already know- moderation is best.
I am now concentrating on fruits like melon as they are naturally low in sugar. I sometimes will have just a few grapes or strawberries in to create some variety. I am also having to restrict carbs, which is difficult as I have a J-pouch and need some carbs in order to lead anywhere near a normal life. I am just trying to battle on with it.
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Post by Goldynn on Jul 27, 2014 18:26:01 GMT
My sister in law lost 150 lbs 20 years and has kept it off the whole time. Her strict rule is to eat only fruit every day until noon only, then veggies. It's interesting to me how many people have few qualms about loading up on carbs that instantly turn to sugar in the body, yet people are leary of fruit? I firmly believe that the over- indulgence of fruit is not what's contributing to obesity in our nation. Enjoy your fruit, but keep trying out veggies. Try things like cucumber salsa, veggie soups, sautéed green beans in coconut oil with sprinkled sesame seeds. Find some that you really love and eat them often, every bit helps. Good luck |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 19:14:22 GMT
Fruit is great in moderation. It is certainly preferable to eating processed sugars when you have a craving for something sweet. It does have fiber and nutrients, but its calorie load is there and especially if you juice, you can eat a lot more calories and sugar than you might realize/intend.
I eat fruit daily, but I eat 2-3x more vegetables than fruit.
It sounds like you're being reasonable to me.
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SweetieBsMom
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Jul 27, 2014 19:15:45 GMT
I'm on the fruit is sugar bench. I don't do smoothies for that very reason. Way too much sugar. Yes, it's a naturally occurring sugar, but I'll still have the crash from it. This is me too. |
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oblibby
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Post by oblibby on Jul 27, 2014 19:19:09 GMT
I try not to eat too much fruit (max 1 serving per day), but if it's working for you, I'd say it's certainly better than a lot of the stuff Weight Watchers encourages you to eat.
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calgal08
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Post by calgal08 on Jul 27, 2014 19:24:53 GMT
fruit = more sugar than a lot of veggies. A friend once told me to think of myself as a car, when you fill up your car with gas there's only so many gallons the tank will hold. Your body is the same way with calories, there's only so many calories your body can take each day before you start gaining weight. In which case, it's down to personal preference, you can eat a lot more vegetables per day than fruit for the same amount of calories, but, if you prefer fruit, then eat less of them.
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Post by Linda on Jul 27, 2014 19:27:39 GMT
For me personally? I can't eat fruit at breakfast and only in moderation the rest of the day. But I'm a type 2 diabetic and fruit is too high in simple carbs for me In general -as part of a well-balanced diet, I don't see anything wrong with fruit for breakfast especially coupled with a protein like your eggs. Nutrition-wise, fruits and vegetables provide the same range and unless you have special dietary concerns such as diabetes, calories are calories whether they come from simple carbs (fruits, sugar, milk etc) or complex carbs (whole grains, veggies) or protein or fat...more calories in then burnt and your weight goes up; fewer calories in than burnt(to a point - don't starve) and your weight goes down. You need to eat a variety to make sure you get the range of nutrients but 50 calories of carrot vs 50 calories of banana are both healthy You'll be able to tell if it isn't working for you - if you're ravenously hungry well before lunch or your scale isn't moving the right direction then you need a different breakfast. If you're losing weight and staying healthy, then medical concerns (like diabetes or allergies aside), keep on doing what's working. |
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chocluver
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Post by chocluver on Jul 27, 2014 19:29:54 GMT
There is WAY MORE SUGAR in fruit than in veggies. Think about diabetics. They need to limit their sugar intake. I would think that if you are loosing, then you are ok. If you're not loosing the amounts per week that you would like to, then take a closer look at the amount of fruit you are eating. It may be zero points but it does have calories.
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msliz
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Post by msliz on Jul 27, 2014 19:33:04 GMT
For instance, this morning I made scrambled eggs with canadian bacon and then had a bowl of sliced bananas and strawberries. On the whole, I think you're doing great! But a whole bowl of fruit with breakfast does sound like a lot of sugar all at once. I think a better choice might be a small bowl of plain greek yogurt with a little fruit, or a small bowl of plain oatmeal with some fruit. You still get your sweet fix, but not an overload. |
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Dani-Mani
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Post by Dani-Mani on Jul 27, 2014 19:38:27 GMT
I eat way more fruit than veggies, and my health is 100% fine.
If you're not loading up on sugar in other areas, I see no issue with it.
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