Eating primarily or only fruit, known as fruitarianism, is a radical dietary move that can pay off in the form of weight loss. However, it's not a balanced way of eating because it doesn't allow for adequate intake of other main food groups. It's not among the safest or most sustainable weight-loss strategies.
Calories
If you do lose weight while eating mainly fruit, it's likely because fruit is lower in calories than many other foods. For example, if you sit down to a large fruit salad and eat until you're full, you'll probably consume fewer net calories than you would by eating granola, chips, lasagna or pizza until you're full. A cup of watermelon has only about 45 calories, while a medium apple has 80 and a banana has around 100.
Foods
A typical fruitarian eats fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and juices but does not eat any meat, animal products, grains or grain products, processed foods or cooked foods. Thus, if you plan to follow a fruitarian diet for longer than a few days, you'll need to prepare your own meals and buy fresh fruit or bring snacks or meals along with you when you're traveling, since few restaurants can offer foods suitable for the diet. Although nuts and seeds are typically high in calories and more energy-dense than fruits, it's still likely that you can lose weight on a fruit diet if you include them because your net calorie intake will probably be low.
Benefits
Although eating fruit by itself doesn't form a balanced diet, there are many benefits to including plenty of fruit in what you do eat. In addition to aiding weight loss and weight control, MyPyramid.gov states that regularly eating fruit can help prevent cancer, kidney stones, bone loss, stroke, heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes, among other chronic health issues. The relatively high amounts of fiber in most fruits also promote digestive health and a prolonged feeling of fullness, which is ideal for weight-loss efforts.
Downsides
Because fruitarianism excludes other main food groups, including grains, dairy and protein, it can result in nutrient deficiencies if you follow it for the long term. Although fruits are primarily made up of simple carbohydrates, MayoClinic.com recommends that healthy adults get about 25 percent of their daily calories from fat, 20 percent from protein and 55 percent from carbs, with most of those come from complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains. Dr. Melina Jampolis, CNN.com's physician nutrition specialist, also points out that eating more than three servings of fruit per day as part of a more varied diet has the potential to result in weight gain. Before you start a fruitarian diet or try any other weight-loss strategy, speak with your physician.
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