It seems as though you can't buy groceries anymore without seeing three magazines at the checkout that promise fast weight loss if you just eat more of one food, or less of another. Generally, it is best to leave this kind of diet advice in the impulse-buy aisle. A diet consisting entirely or mostly of fruit has more problems than advantages when it comes to losing weight.
Weight Loss Basics
Losing weight is a matter of burning more calories through activity than you take in when you eat. This makes your body burn fat to make up for the extra energy demand. When it comes to diet, you can help achieve this energy imbalance by eating less food, eating foods with fewer calories, or both.
Fruit Basics
Fruits are often thought of as health foods, and rightly so. Fruits are high in nutrition, low in harmful fat and come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. Fruits are so good for you that they represent more of Dr. Stephen Pratt's "superfoods" list than any other category of food. However, fruits are high in calories as compared to vegetables, meats and dairy. This can make them counterproductive choices when it comes to losing weight.
One Week Weight Loss
A week is not much time for losing weight. Health counselor Maya Paul advises that weight loss of just 1 or 2 pounds is a lot to expect from a one-week diet initiative. Further, fast weight loss usually comes from eating foods that are notably low in calories, and especially low in carbohydrates. Neither of these conditions accurately describes fruit.
Choice Limitation
Nutritionist and chef Monica Reinagel, host of "The Nutrition Diva," advises one way in which a fruit diet can foster rapid weight loss. Diets based on limiting food choices often mean losing weight because people tend to eat less when they have fewer options available for eating. Even in this category, though, fruit fares poorly because of its wide variety. Limiting yourself to eating only fruit still leaves many choices.
Bottom Line
Because of its high calorie content and wide variety, there are few ways a fruit diet could lead to rapid weight loss. This doesn't mean that fruit shouldn't be a part of your daily nutrition. It just means that weight loss plans begin with other food choices.
References
- "You: On a Diet"; Roizen & Oz; 2007
- Superfoods Rx: The Superfoods
- "Can You Trick Yourself Into Losing Weight"; Nutrition Diva's Quick and Dirty Tips Podcast; Episode 77
Member Comments