Fitness Talk: Should You Eat Fruit for Weight Loss?

We are always being told that fruit is good for us and that we should always include it in our diet to ensure that it is balanced. Many people take this to mean that we should try and eat as many portions of fruit as we can each day.

This view leads to fruit being overlooked, as people don’t pay any attention to how it really impacts their body. But behind this commonly portrayed image of fruit as a good thing there are some things that not all too many people know about, which suggest fruit is actually pretty bad for you when it comes to fitness and weight loss.

So the question is, which view is right? Is fruit always a good thing or is it your enemy? The aim of this article is to uncover the truth.

Fruit Does Contain Calories

Because there is so much emphasis on making sure a certain amount of fruit is included in our diets, people tend to forget that fruit still contains calories.

A high proportion of these calories comes from carbohydrates, which for the goal of weight loss, are a real enemy. Without knowing it, people can easily overstep their calorie limit, making all the effort they are putting into their fitness regimen go to waste.

If you are putting together a diet plan for your fitness goals, make sure you don’t disregard the importance of fruit. This is the case even if you are trying to put on weight because if you consume too many calories, you will be putting on more fat than muscle. If you don’t pay attention to the fruit you are eating, the goals you set will become harder and harder to achieve.

The Fructose in Fruit Can Easily Be Stored As Fat

Many people prefer to eat fruit pre- and post-workout, as it supplies them with natural sugars. However, the natural sugar that fruit contains isn’t necessarily a good thing. This is because the sugar that fruit contains, called fructose, is a simple sugar and can only be processed by the liver. The problem with this is that if your liver already has enough energy, the liver will simply repackage the fructose into fat so it can be used at a later date.

There is no clear way of telling whether your liver is supplied with enough energy, and this makes it an even bigger issue. 

But it must be noted that not all fruits contain high amounts of fructose. This means that storing excess fat due to eating fruit may not be as big a problem as is often made out. Many people in the fitness industry actually advocate the use of simple sugars after a workout because it works to help pull nutrients into the cells of the body.

So for example, if you drink a protein shake after a workout containing the best oblique exercises, taking it with a simple sugar will deliver the protein into those oblique muscles much more quickly. This will mean that your body will be able to begin the repair process a lot sooner than if a simple sugar wasn’t used.

Fruit Is Packed With Vitamins

Because of all the attention being paid to the carbohydrates in fruit, the vitamins that fruit contain are overlooked.

If you look closely at the number of vitamins and nutrients fruit contain, you will see that most types of fruit contain a large amount. This means that by eating a selection of different fruits you can supply the body with exactly what it needs. This can help you to have better workouts, be able to repair faster and reach your fitness goals sooner.

Eating Fruit for Weight Loss and Fitness: What’s The Verdict?

The verdict is that when it comes to fitness, fruit is not your enemy. As long as you pay attention to how much of it you are eating and spread the portions out throughout the day, it won’t create any problems for your fitness goals. Always try to include a mixture of different fruits as this will add a little variation to your diet and provide you with a number of different nutrients.