We have all heard this. Eat fruits and vegetables. Honestly it is advice. But here is what nobody really talks about: not all fruits are the same especially when you are trying to lose weight.
Fruits are natural sure. They have vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. Some fruits also have a lot of sugar.. Sugar, whether it is from candy or a mango still affects your body in ways that can quietly ruin your weight loss goals.
This is not about cutting fruits out of your life. It is about being more careful understanding what you are eating and making choices on the days you are watching what you eat. Here are five fruits worth limiting when weight losss on your mind.
* Mangoes. The Delicious Trap
Mangoes are really good. They are sweet, fragrant and full of vitamin C and folate. A single medium mango has 45 grams of sugar and almost 200 calories. That is not a snack that is a meal in sugar terms.
The problem is not that mangoes are bad. The problem is that they are so delicious it is hard to eat a little. You eat one slice, another. Before you know it you have had more sugar in one sitting than your body can handle. The extra sugar gets stored. We both know where it ends up.
If you love mangoes have them sometimes and in portions. Do not make them your go-to snack when you are trying to lose weight.
* Grapes. Natures Candy, Literally
Grapes are one of those foods that feel harmless because they are small. You pop a while watching TV, a few more and suddenly half the bowl is gone. Here is where it gets tricky. A cup of grapes has 23 grams of sugar and little fiber to slow down how fast that sugar hits your bloodstream.
Low fiber and high sugar equal a spike in blood sugar followed by a crash that leaves you hungry again an hour later. That cycle is not your friend when you are trying to manage cravings and stay on track.
Again grapes are not bad. Mindless snacking on them is something a lot of people do without realizing how quickly the calories add up.
* Bananas. Depends on the Ripeness
Bananas are tricky. A green banana is actually pretty good. It has starch that behaves more like fiber digests slowly and keeps you full. A ripe spotty-yellow banana? That is a story.
As bananas ripen their starch converts into sugars. A ripe large banana can have 17-20 grams of sugar and close to 120 calories. That is not terrible on its own. Many people eat bananas as a "food tossing them into smoothies eating two at a time or using them as a pre-workout snack daily.
If you are watching your weight stick to less ripe bananas and treat them as part of your tracked intake rather than a calorie-free snack.
* Chikoo (Sapodilla). The Underrated Offender
Chikoo does not get talked about enough in weight loss conversations probably because it is not as glamorous as mangoes or bananas. This humble brown fruit is surprisingly high in calories and sugar.
One medium chikoo has 80-100 calories. Packs about 20 grams of sugar. It is also very low in water content compared to fruits, which means it does not fill you up the way a cucumber or watermelon would. You get the calories without the benefit. That is a combination when you are trying to stay in control of your eating.
It is a fruit, no doubt. If weight loss is your goal chikoo is one to eat sparingly.
* Lychees. Surprisingly Sugary
Lychees feel like a treat. Your body agrees, because they basically are. They are sweet, juicy and incredibly easy to overeat. A cup of lychees (10 pieces) contains about 29 grams of sugar. They also have fiber or protein to buffer that sugar load.
Like grapes the small size works against you. It does not feel like you are eating much so portion control goes out the window. Before long you have had 20-25 lychees, consumed sugar than you would get from a can of soda.
None of these fruits are bad. None of them need to be banned from your life. The key takeaway is awareness. Knowing that "it is fruit" does not mean "eat much as you want." Sugar is sugar. When you eat more than your body burns the rest gets stored as fat.
The fruits that tend to work for weight loss are ones, in water content and fiber. Think apples, pears, berries and guavas. They fill you up faster digest slowly and make it easier to stay within your calorie goals.
Eat fruits. Enjoy them. Just eat them with intention.
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