You Didn't Get Fat Eating Fruit

One of the concerns some people have about Medifast is that fruit is not allowed on the Medifast 5&1 Plan.

"What, no fruit?" they say, as if they have been told to give up oxygen.

The fact is, people do not get fat from eating fruit. They get fat from eating fruit along with a lot of other sugary foods and drinks, like cola, cookies and candy bars. To lose the fat, they may temporarily have to give up eating fruit, but they can add it back later in moderation after they have achieved a healthy body weight.

Sure fruit is healthier than candy, but it still has a lot of sugar.

So why is fruit so bad when you're trying to lose weight? If you're trying to burn fat instead of carbohydrates, you must limit the amount of carbohydrates you consume each day. Although fruit contains a lot of healthy antioxidants and fiber, it also contains a lot of carbs. And don't even get me started on fruit juice and fruit smoothies.

A serving of apples, bananas, grapes or pears has anywhere from 15-30 grams of carbohydrates. This may not seem like a lot, but a serving of lettuce, broccoli or cauliflower has less than five.  To put it another way, a three-cup serving of low-glycemic raw vegetables has about the same number of carbs as one apple.

You can eat a lot more veggies than fruit on a low-carb diet like Medifast and feel far more satiated.

But that's not all. Medifast puts your body in a state of ketosis in which your liver breaks down stored fat for energy. In contrast, the liver uses uses fructose -- the sugar in fruit -- to create fat.

Food pyramids often lump fruits and vegetables together as if they were one type of food -- fruitsandvegetables -- but they are not the same.

Even though I am no longer in weight loss mode, I limit the amount of carbs I get from fruit and prefer to obtain most of my fiber and anti-oxidants from vegetables. And if I do eat fruit, I eat it with a protein -- like cheese, nuts or unsweetened Greek yogurt -- so the sugar does not cause a huge insulin spike. (I think of the protein as a chaperone that keeps the fruit from causing a sugar rush and can actually feel the difference if I eat fruit by itself or with a protein.)

Losing weight on the Medifast 5&1 Plan was a great way for me to learn the effects too much sugar has on my body -- even the sugar in fruit.

You can purchase Medifast replacement meals directly from Medifast Centers, the Medifast website or -- for less cost -- through the co-branded website of a Medifast TSFL health coach. Medifast does not recommend purchasing its products from third party vendors, but if you choose to do so, you can find them on both Amazon and eBay.




More from Diet Skeptic:

Fruck You! Fructose

Can You Drink Alcohol on Medifast

Medifast Centers Vs. Take Shape for Life

Planned Exceptions: What Is Your Pie Policy?

Wabi Sabi Dieting & Renee Zelwegger's New Face
Follow Nancy's board Low Carb Recipes on Pinterest.