Do the 0 pts foods on weightwatchers cause weight gain

Pluck81

hey all

i am a weightwatchers follower and am just wondering does excess fruit consumption cause weight gain. i joined ww in feb and eat an unmerciful amount of fruit. I walk a lot though, between 4.5 and 6 miles a day so am curious.

anybody know at all

keane2097

If you eat enough fruit to the point where you are consuming more calories than you are burning then that will of course cause you to gain weight.

mydearwatson

As said above, if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. Similarly if you consume more calories than you burn, you will put on weight.

Say, for a week, you eat within your WW points limit and this is equivalent to X number of calories, and you additionally eat 500 calories worth of "zero points" fruit.

The next week, you eat the exact same amount of food within your points limit (X calories again), and you additionally eat 5,000 calories worth of fruit.

It's pretty obvious that the additional fruit you have eaten increases your overall calorie intake for the week, and lessens your chances of weight loss.

Just because WeightWatchers have labelled a food as being "zero points", this does not change the fact that extra calories are being put into your body, and if these extra calories are not used up they will slow down your weight loss.

It's extremely easy to get a basic understanding of weight loss, which will allow you to eat healthy, delicious food without have to mess around counting points or calories, and without denying yourself anything. Try the stickied threads in this forum, for a start.

I do understand where you're coming from though. I've been there. I needed to lose weight, I understood nothing about nutrition or weight loss, and the amount of information (and misinformation) out there seemed to be overwhelming. So many diets out there, it was impossible to know where to begin. My friend asked if I'd like to come along to a WW meeting with her, and I was converted. It seemed the perfect solution! I didn't have to do any hard work or research, all I had to do was stay within the points - and WW do make that as easy for you as possible, with all the literature etc. I'd go to the meetings, and as well as losing the pounds myself, I'd look around me and see everyone else getting great results too, and I'd think, fantastic, this formula works, everyone knows WW is the way to lose weight, all I have to do is keep doing what I'm doing and I'll get to goal.

Every time I fell off the wagon, I solely blamed myself. It wasn't the plan, it was my fault for being too weak to stick to it. And a few months later, I'd go back, pay the registration fee again, and start off with a newfound determination that I would stick with it no matter what.

I attended meetings with several different leaders over the years, and it makes me cringe thinking about how clueless they were. It seemed the more processed the food the better! Fat-free yoghurts, those disgusting rubbery low-fat cheese triangles, pink wafer biscuits, Diet Coke, Special K, Kellogs cereal bars were all pushed on us as "healthy" foods. When the leaders spoke about "healthy", all they meant was "low points value", but I wasn't too worried about that. I trusted the leaders - believing they got to that position by knowing all about food, so I could just accept what they said ... sure wasn't that why I was handing over so much money, so that I wouldn't have to learn all that myself?!

It was my health that eventually made me decide to educate myself. Sure, I was losing weight, but I was miserable, lethargic, and sick of my diet being such a big part of my life. I realised that I didn't want to be still counting points for the rest of my life - as I would have to, if I eventually got to goal weight and wanted to stay there. It doesn't surprise me that 95% of WWers fail to keep the weight off long-term. The diet works, you lose the weight, but you learn nothing about healthy eating along the way. You get to goal weight knowing no more than you did about food than when you started (though of course you know it all, based on the misinformation given to you along the way.) Counting points is not sustainable long term, the statistics show that clearly. I've seen so many WW members and leaders get to goal and stay there a bit, only to pile it all back on and more. That's not just anecdotal evidence - statistical evidence backs that up.

Around a year ago, I found this forum and it was an absolute eye-opener to me. After spending a bit of time educating myself on this forum and others, I was drawn towards a Paleo/Primal lifestyle (I would refer to it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet.) I loved it from the start. I can eat the foods I love all the time, without worrying about points or calories or fat or anything else. Obviously it did take a few weeks of keeping track of my foods at the start til I got used to what the "right" foods were, but now it comes naturally to me. I'm at a size I'm happy with, I feel fantastic, and most importantly I can see myself happily eating this way for the rest of my life. I'm no longer obsessed or stressed about my food and diet, and it's a great feeling.

Apologies for the ridiculously long and fairly off-topic reply ...

aspie mum

I do WW also and as I have been told the programme is designed to include the carolie effect of fruit and veg I would eat 4/5 portions of veg a day and 3/4 portions of fruit and i seem to be doing fine

Remember fruit and veg are zero pointed not free so eat in moderation, they are the best tools we have to keep us going and full and are so good for us on many levels

Avoid crap such as pinkn whites and overly processed food eat as clean as possible within your points, educate yourself my leader is very good and promotes eating healthy foods over low point snacks and suggests we limit these nutritional empty point treats to 1 or 2 a week and use proper foods as much as possible also by lurking about on this forum you will be educated as to whats good and whats not

My class and point tracking is a control mechanisim for my journey through a change of lifestyle:pac:

Monife

In black and white, fruit only has 0PP if you eat the recommended (or less) daily intake of fruit.

Nutritionists recommend 5-8 portions of fruit AND veg a day. That would be around 3 portions of fruit, 5 of veg or half and half, but if you start eating unreal amounts of fruit, you should point it accordingly (nutritional information on the pack).

Edit: If you are on the minimum PP (29PP), I worked out that on average (don't quote me, basing this on the PP of some foods) that that is around 1000 calories. So they are factoring in another 400-700 calories for your 8 portions of fruit and veg, obviously depending on which fruit or veg you choose.

Frogdog

Fantastic post mydearwatson.

OP, you'd do well to follow the information that poster gave you.

El_Dangeroso

I'd like to meet someone who can gain fat just from upping their fruit intake. Not saying it's not possible, it's just that I've never encountered anyone who has actually done it.

You can probably stall (maintain) eating too much fruit I'd just like to see an example of someone gaining weight on fruit.

spinandscribble

I don't know whether I lucked out or whatever but the leader I go to doesn't push WW meals or items (infact tells us not to buy those awful frozen meals) encourages us to cook properly and advises sensible fruit consumption.

Personally the new pro point system is better I mean come on, under the old system a banana and a curly wurly were both 3 points. Now people can have the banana without kidding themselves that it is as bad as a curly wurly and swap.

The leader I go to stresses you cannot over do zero point veg (basically because you have them really only with lunch and dinner) but watch your fruit if it's a crazy amount.

pencilsharp

You have to be so careful with fruit, everyone thinks they're great and healthy eating loads of fruit but there is so much natural sugar in it!

My dad went to doctor and had his bloods taken. He was told he was borderline diabetic cos of all the sugar in the fruit he was eating!!

Mellor

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

I'd like to meet someone who can gain fat just from upping their fruit intake. Not saying it's not possible, it's just that I've never encountered anyone who has actually done it.

You can probably stall (maintain) eating too much fruit I'd just like to see an example of someone gaining weight on fruit.

I agree if they were only eating fruit. But that's not the issue.
Where fruit should be avoided is people who are overweight, and have a poor diet, who add in a lot of fruit in order to eat "healthy" - the problem is they change little else, so the fruit pushes them above maintenance.

Or somebody eating a good diet to lose weight, 500 cal deficit most days. Adding fruit in here could easily wipe out the deficit. Becasue fruit is seen as "healthy" people don't consider the cals.

I'd say its never the problem, some often adds to it

floggg

pencilsharp wrote: »

You have to be so careful with fruit, everyone thinks they're great and healthy eating loads of fruit but there is so much natural sugar in it!

My dad went to doctor and had his bloods taken. He was told he was borderline diabetic cos of all the sugar in the fruit he was eating!!

Not that I'm trying to second guess a qualified medical professional, but I would be seriously surprised if it was the fruit in isolation (if at all) which would have been the problem in your fathers case.

Yes, fruit has sugars in it, but the fruit from sugar is not the same as the refined stuff you get in shops. It's combined with fibre, vitamins, minerals and other parts of the fruit which your body processes as a whole.

Refined sugar is a different matter entirely. Indeed, I reckon if you fid an experiment on fruit bats feeding them nothing but refined sugars, fructose syrup etc you would quickly find the developed health problems, yet they live just fine on while fruits.

There are plenty of places around the world where fruits do or did form a major food source for people who never knew of diabetes. Diabetes is mainly a western phenomenon where fruit consumption is low. I would be very surprised if it wasn't the western diet that was the problem on your fathers case.

Also , I wonder how much fruit (bananas excepted you would have to eat to get through 500 Cals of fruit a day and wether many actually would get through that amount. E.g if you take an apple as having 70 cals, your looking at over 7 apples in the day to hit that. It would take a special effort to eat 7 apples in a day, on top of a normal days eating

SteelyDanJalapeno

mydearwatson wrote: »

As said above, if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. Similarly if you consume more calories than you burn, you will put on weight.

Say, for a week, you eat within your WW points limit and this is equivalent to X number of calories, and you additionally eat 500 calories worth of "zero points" fruit.

The next week, you eat the exact same amount of food within your points limit (X calories again), and you additionally eat 5,000 calories worth of fruit.

It's pretty obvious that the additional fruit you have eaten increases your overall calorie intake for the week, and lessens your chances of weight loss.

Just because WeightWatchers have labelled a food as being "zero points", this does not change the fact that extra calories are being put into your body, and if these extra calories are not used up they will slow down your weight loss.

It's extremely easy to get a basic understanding of weight loss, which will allow you to eat healthy, delicious food without have to mess around counting points or calories, and without denying yourself anything. Try the stickied threads in this forum, for a start.

I do understand where you're coming from though. I've been there. I needed to lose weight, I understood nothing about nutrition or weight loss, and the amount of information (and misinformation) out there seemed to be overwhelming. So many diets out there, it was impossible to know where to begin. My friend asked if I'd like to come along to a WW meeting with her, and I was converted. It seemed the perfect solution! I didn't have to do any hard work or research, all I had to do was stay within the points - and WW do make that as easy for you as possible, with all the literature etc. I'd go to the meetings, and as well as losing the pounds myself, I'd look around me and see everyone else getting great results too, and I'd think, fantastic, this formula works, everyone knows WW is the way to lose weight, all I have to do is keep doing what I'm doing and I'll get to goal.

Every time I fell off the wagon, I solely blamed myself. It wasn't the plan, it was my fault for being too weak to stick to it. And a few months later, I'd go back, pay the registration fee again, and start off with a newfound determination that I would stick with it no matter what.

I attended meetings with several different leaders over the years, and it makes me cringe thinking about how clueless they were. It seemed the more processed the food the better! Fat-free yoghurts, those disgusting rubbery low-fat cheese triangles, pink wafer biscuits, Diet Coke, Special K, Kellogs cereal bars were all pushed on us as "healthy" foods. When the leaders spoke about "healthy", all they meant was "low points value", but I wasn't too worried about that. I trusted the leaders - believing they got to that position by knowing all about food, so I could just accept what they said ... sure wasn't that why I was handing over so much money, so that I wouldn't have to learn all that myself?!

It was my health that eventually made me decide to educate myself. Sure, I was losing weight, but I was miserable, lethargic, and sick of my diet being such a big part of my life. I realised that I didn't want to be still counting points for the rest of my life - as I would have to, if I eventually got to goal weight and wanted to stay there. It doesn't surprise me that 95% of WWers fail to keep the weight off long-term. The diet works, you lose the weight, but you learn nothing about healthy eating along the way. You get to goal weight knowing no more than you did about food than when you started (though of course you know it all, based on the misinformation given to you along the way.) Counting points is not sustainable long term, the statistics show that clearly. I've seen so many WW members and leaders get to goal and stay there a bit, only to pile it all back on and more. That's not just anecdotal evidence - statistical evidence backs that up.

Around a year ago, I found this forum and it was an absolute eye-opener to me. After spending a bit of time educating myself on this forum and others, I was drawn towards a Paleo/Primal lifestyle (I would refer to it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet.) I loved it from the start. I can eat the foods I love all the time, without worrying about points or calories or fat or anything else. Obviously it did take a few weeks of keeping track of my foods at the start til I got used to what the "right" foods were, but now it comes naturally to me. I'm at a size I'm happy with, I feel fantastic, and most importantly I can see myself happily eating this way for the rest of my life. I'm no longer obsessed or stressed about my food and diet, and it's a great feeling.

Apologies for the ridiculously long and fairly off-topic reply ...

Best post ever award!

Animord

^^^ Yes, this should definitely be reposted in one of the stickies.

floggg

I've been on a paleo diet for the past week or so, and have been eating an awful lot of fruit in that time and haven't exactly been starving myself but still managed to lose 3 or 4 pounds in that time without trying too hard (and drinking a lot over bank holiday).

So in my experience so far, high fruit consumption doesn't of itself lead to weight gain, though obviously if the rest of your diet isn't right it won't don anything to help.

Mellor

floggg wrote: »

Also , I wonder how much fruit (bananas excepted you would have to eat to get through 500 Cals of fruit a day and wether many actually would get through that amount. E.g if you take an apple as having 70 cals, your looking at over 7 apples in the day to hit that. It would take a special effort to eat 7 apples in a day, on top of a normal days eating

A decent sized apple is closer to 100-120 cals, I would be surprised if plenty of people were hittign 500 cals plus from fruit as they believe its healthy. Especially if you include fruit juice.

Dotcomdolly

Mellor wrote: »

A decent sized apple is closer to 100-120 cals, I would be surprised if plenty of people were hittign 500 cals plus from fruit as they believe its healthy. Especially if you include fruit juice.

that's a huge apple! - the ones I have here - jazz apples from M&S are 45cals each.
Fruit juice and dried fruit are not 0pts on ww.
I think if it encourages people away from snacking on crappy low point convenience foods & switch to a piece of fruit that's a good thing.

Mellor

Myself and flogg weren't talking about WW but fruit in general.

Apples are about 45-55 cals per 100g, a 45 calorie apple would be tiny. Are you prehaps mixing up calories per 100g and per apple? or ae they really that small.
The odd time I buy fruit, I but 1 or 2 pieces, as its priced per weight, I've a pretty good idea of the weight of one, but they would be large i suppose.

SteelyDanJalapeno

floggg wrote: »

I've been on a paleo diet for the past week or so, and have been eating an awful lot of fruit in that time and haven't exactly been starving myself but still managed to lose 3 or 4 pounds in that time without trying too hard (and drinking a lot over bank holiday).

So in my experience so far, high fruit consumption doesn't of itself lead to weight gain, though obviously if the rest of your diet isn't right it won't don anything to help.

If you've only been Paleo for a week then the majority of that loss is water, regardless of what you eat once you cut out the starchy carbs you will lose water weight, a single slice of bread can itself hold 3 - 4 times its weight in water.

sillysmiles

A quick question for those on the paleo diet. I just googled and found a recipe book for the Paleo diet and it say "in this you will not find legumes like soy and lentils". Why are these excluded?

Mellor

sillysmiles wrote: »

A quick question for those on the paleo diet. I just googled and found a recipe book for the Paleo diet and it say "in this you will not find legumes like soy and lentils". Why are these excluded?

Because legumes aren't strictly paleo