The healthy benefits of eating fruits and vegetables have been pounded into your head since you were a child -- an apple a day keeps the doctor away, after all. So when you find yourself on the wrong side of the body mass index, it makes sense to eat only fruits and vegetables for a while until those extra pounds melt away. Unfortunately, as beneficial as fruits and vegetables are, they are not the whole picture when it comes to nutrition or real weight loss.
The Good News
Eating fruits and vegetables is important for anyone, regardless of whether you are trying to lose weight or gain weight. Fruits and vegetables provide fiber and carbohydrates, and are loaded with vitamins, including many antioxidants. Because fruits and vegetables are so low in calories, you could theoretically eat many pounds per day to reach the number of calories recommended for an adult human, but most people cannot hold that much food. This means you would have a daily calorie deficit, which is the key factor in weight loss.
The Bad News
The bad news is that fruits and vegetables, as healthy as they are, are not a complete diet for humans. They are not good sources of protein, which means your muscles wouldn't get the nutrition they need. Although they are carbohydrates, they do not provide much ready energy because they digest so quickly, so you would likely feel sluggish. In a normal diet, whole grains provide the slow-release energy. Most fruits and vegetables do not contain any fat, so your body may not be able to absorb fat-soluble vitamins.
The Ugly News
The worst part is that any weight you lost eating only fruits and vegetables would come right back as soon as you begin eating normally again. The lack of protein in the diet means that your body will start feeding off your muscles for energy because you won't be eating enough calories. The high water content of fruits and vegetables is good for you, but it will trigger the release of most of the water your body is storing. The sudden dramatic increase in fiber will cause intestinal discomfort, and may lead to diarrhea initially, which is another way of flushing out your body. So, between the lost muscle, the loss of water weight and the emptied bowels, the number on the scale will go down. But in reality, you'll still have the same amount of fat you did when you started.
Alternatives
The best, most permanent approach to weight loss is slow and steady. Eat a balanced diet that gets 45 to 65 percent of your calories from carbs, 20 to 35 percent from fats and 10 to 35 percent from protein. Fruits and vegetables should definitely be a part of it, but stick to about two cups of each per day. Round out your diet with whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats like olive oil. Use an online calculator to determine how many calories you need, and stick to it -- starving yourself will backfire every time.
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