fruit

Just a question is fruit considered bad? I  haven't tried any yet but would like to in the near future. 

What does your surgeon's plan say?

Fruit is not a good choice until you reach maintenance.  First, you have to reach your protein goal every day, and keep your carbs under 40 and calories under 800 --- and that's very hard to do if you are eating fruit which has a lot of calories and a lot of carbs...... Some people do include very small amounts of fruit in their program -- but only after meeting their other goals for the day.

Mary

My nutritionist and I agreed to disagree on this question, as well as the issue of vegetables. Some of the food that my surgeon's plan recommends, I believe is not healthy -- red meat, processed meats, prolonged use of protein shakes. I also don't believe 80g+ of protein daily is healthy for anyone. I take in about 50-60g of protein daily from healthy sources (eggs, tofu, chicken, beans). I always eat the protein first, but then I eat a small portion of fresh vegetables (not the starchy ones) and/or a small serving of fresh fruit.

I know that fruit and vegs are not on most sleevers' must-eat list. But I believe they're essential to good health and should be included. I'm often appalled when I read the "whatcha eatin" posts and see only protein. Just my personal opinion.

psychoticparrot

my plan calls for low carb fruits(blueberries strawberries) and veggies as soon as there is room for them after you eat the protien

usually takes around 4-6 months till you can add some , it helps keep things going and is a more balanced diet

Every plan is different, but my weight loss stage diet does not include fruit. Even though it is a more natural source than, say, a cupcake or handful of hard candies, it's still sugar and your body will likely react to it the same as any other source of sugar. I am allowed to add it back in once I have reached maintenance, but have been forewarned that it can cause cravings or increase hunger and to pay close attention to how my body responds to it. I love fruit, but going without for the relatively short amount of time it should take to get to my weight loss goals won't kill me.

The body doesn't react to fruit like it does to refined sugars. Along with the sweet, you're getting tons of fiber and micronutrients, which slow insulin release and prevent carb cravings. In other words, fruit is nutritionally worth it. 

And nobody, nobody, has more of a sweet tooth than I do. Yet fruit is the one sweet thing I can eat that does not cause carb cravings. But if you don't miss it too much till you get to your weight loss goal, then by all means, don't eat it. But include it as soon as you can.

I often wonder where some of these nutritionists were educated. There is such a huge variance in what is allowable and what is not. They can't all be right. So I use my own common sense to choose foods that I think are healthy. So far, so good. Blood work is great; weight loss is steady. 

Fruit rules.

psychoticparrot

I'm just over 3 months out and have fruit and vegetables every day. I only eat grains about once per week and my veggies are mostly not the starchy ones. My weight loss has been great. I am exercising usually 45-60 minutes per day as well.

Interesting question! As you can see from the varied responses, the answer is dependent upon individual plans and philosophies. So rather than tell you yes, fruit is bad, or no, fruit is good (because, frankly, food is neither good nor bad - but that's an entirely different topic!) I'd like to put down some things for you to consider.

1. Most fruits have high carbohydrate levels because of the fructose and soluble and non-soluble fibers. Some fruits are much higher in carbs because they have more "sugar" in them. Tropical fruits tend to have much more fructose in them then other fruits.

2. Whole Fruit (non processed in any way) is generally considered nutrient rich.

3. Whole fruits have fiber in them which will slow the absorption of fructose into the blood stream. This is why an apple won't spike your blood sugar the way apple sauce will, which won't spike blood sugar as much as a slice of apple pie. The farther away you get from the real whole food the more readily fruit sugar will enter your blood stream.

I would discuss your want for fruit with your surgeon or your plan's nutritionist. Personally, I did not eat fruit on my journey to goal right after VSG. Today I eat fruit almost every day. I try to stick with lower carb and calorie fruits like blueberries, peaches, raspberries, and strawberries. I have had a total of three bananas in the past 3.5 years and stay away from things like pineapple on a day to day basis.

Enjoy sorting through all the information and making your own informed decision.

Follow your Drs plan for you. I don't label fruit as good or bad, I only consider it after my protein requirements are met, then have carbs from veggies first, then fruit. For me fruit is extra carbs & sugar which I don't need, there are other sources of fiber that can help move things along, but I can understand wanting a little sweetness every now & then.

Whenever I do eat fruit I choose the ones on the low glycemic scale side so I can get a little sweetness along with the fiber. I tend to avoid the higher sugar fruits.