Moxie Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 :glare: I've been on South Beach for a year and lost 20 pounds. My best friend has been on Weight Watchers for a year and lost 15 pounds. She was visiting a few weeks ago and we were comparing our lifestyles. We pretty much eat the same things; lots of veggies, very low carbs, lean protein. She eats a lot more fruit then I do and she has carrots quite often. I was excited to see that because carrots and apples are cheap; the South Beach lifestyle can be a bit expensive. So I added apples and carrots to my diet. I've gained 2 pounds :glare:. Is it crazy to think that I could be gaining weight from eating apples and carrots?? I do have PCOS so my insulin is messed up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I'm really surprised to hear this! Do you think it could be related to the PCOS? How frustrating! NOT comparing to you at all but when I got my potbelly pigs the woman told me not to feed them too much, not even too much LETTUCE because they'd gain weight.:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Carrots are actually a higher carb veggie. I know DH and I have to restrict their use to no more than maybe once a week. Same with apples (I don't remember the last time I had an apple). I would say as an every so often treat, they shouldn't effect your weight too much, but they could easily drive your daily carb count up quickly if you are eating them a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 You gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn. You lose weight when you eat fewer calories than you burn. It's that simple. Any diet plan is usually a way to keep track of calories (whether it be WW points, or exchanges, or whatever), plus a way to give you a balanced diet, minimizing foods that can get you off track (e.g. minimizing foods that are high in fat or have a high glycemic index, eating more fiber so you feel full, etc.). Regardless of how it is structured, though, bottom line it's all about how many calories you eat, and how many calories you burn. Apples and carrots can be part of a healthy balanced diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Could you be retaining water from your cycle? 2 pounds isn't a lot. See if you don't lose it over the next couple of weeks. Weight isn't a stagnant thing, we gain and lose throughout the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 You gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn. You lose weight when you eat fewer calories than you burn. It's that simple. Any diet plan is usually a way to keep track of calories (whether it be WW points, or exchanges, or whatever), plus a way to give you a balanced diet, minimizing foods that can get you off track (e.g. minimizing foods that are high in fat or have a high glycemic index, eating more fiber so you feel full, etc.). Regardless of how it is structured, though, bottom line it's all about how many calories you eat, and how many calories you burn. Apples and carrots can be part of a healthy balanced diet. I totally disagree based on how I've seen my body react. Plain white rice (low calories, high carbs) will cause me to gain weight while full fat cheese (high calories, low carbs) is a big part of how I've lost 20 pounds. I would have once agreed with you that it is "calories in, calories out" but that is just not how my body works. Thanks, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Carrots are actually a higher carb veggie. Same with apples I would say as an every so often treat, they shouldn't effect your weight too much, but they could easily drive your daily carb count up quickly if you are eating them a lot. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 :iagree: Yeah, I guess I was hoping the high fiber content would balance the carbs. Guess not. Bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Google glycemic index. DH, who is diabetic, was told by someone who checks the glycemic index that he shouldn't eat apples, but could eat pears. He doesn't like either much, so he never followed up. He prefers to keep things simple, so he only counts carbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Google glycemic index. DH, who is diabetic, was told by someone who checks the glycemic index that he shouldn't eat apples, but could eat pears. He doesn't like either much, so he never followed up. He prefers to keep things simple, so he only counts carbs. Yeah, I don't count carbs in fruits or veggies. I do stay away from the higher sugar fruits, but I'm not super rigid about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Are you getting enough calories? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 Are you getting enough calories? Yep. I'm doing the same things I have for a year except for the apples and carrots. I suspect I overdid the apples and carrots because I was so excited to add them (and how pathetic is my life that I was excited about apples and carrots :001_huh:??). I'm going to continue to eat them but cut back the amount and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Yep. I'm doing the same things I have for a year except for the apples and carrots. I suspect I overdid the apples and carrots because I was so excited to add them (and how pathetic is my life that I was excited about apples and carrots :001_huh:??). I'm going to continue to eat them but cut back the amount and see what happens. Trust me, I know the temptation well. We've been eating low carb for nearly 4 years now and I get excited for different fruit seasons to come in. Right now I am munching on some peach, BUT it is only a quarter of a whole peach (the boys are eating the rest of it). You might want to try something similar with apples. You eat a little portion for variety, but make sure the kiddos eat the majority of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvasMom Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 You gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn. You lose weight when you eat fewer calories than you burn. It's that simple. Wrong. "A calorie is a calorie is a calorie" is a very outdated idea not supported by research. Our bodies do indeed process different types of food differently. We're also individuals. Ultimately, yes weight control is about balance between calories eaten and calories burned but there are a LOT of variables playing into that balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvasMom Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Trust me, I know the temptation well. We've been eating low carb for nearly 4 years now and I get excited for different fruit seasons to come in. Right now I am munching on some peach, BUT it is only a quarter of a whole peach (the boys are eating the rest of it). You might want to try something similar with apples. You eat a little portion for variety, but make sure the kiddos eat the majority of it. What happens if you eat a little protein with it? Does that help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butterflymommy Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Carrots are actually a higher carb veggie. I know DH and I have to restrict their use to no more than maybe once a week. Same with apples (I don't remember the last time I had an apple). I would say as an every so often treat, they shouldn't effect your weight too much, but they could easily drive your daily carb count up quickly if you are eating them a lot. In terms of carbs carrots aren't that bad-- apples are, though. A medium carrot only has about 6 g carbs, while a medium apple has 25 g carbs. The apple has 4X as many calories as the carrot, as well. I'm not sure though that fresh apples and carrots alone could trigger weight gain? I would look at other aspects of the food intake, are the carrots and apples on top of what you normally eat? Has your activity decreased, even slightly? There's no harm in dropping or limiting the apples for a while, see what happens. Our bodies all react differently to food, so sometimes a lot of "experimenting" is called for. I find I can eat unlimited fruit and it doesn't affect my weight-- but "unlimited" for me isn't a crazy amount. We all have different fullness levels when we eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YLVD Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 :glare: I've been on South Beach for a year and lost 20 pounds. My best friend has been on Weight Watchers for a year and lost 15 pounds. She was visiting a few weeks ago and we were comparing our lifestyles. We pretty much eat the same things; lots of veggies, very low carbs, lean protein. She eats a lot more fruit then I do and she has carrots quite often. I was excited to see that because carrots and apples are cheap; the South Beach lifestyle can be a bit expensive. So I added apples and carrots to my diet. I've gained 2 pounds :glare:. Is it crazy to think that I could be gaining weight from eating apples and carrots?? I do have PCOS so my insulin is messed up. If you have PCOS, yes, it can be possible. Are you on metformin? That can sometimes help. My DD has PCOS and just about anything makes her gain, especially anything with sugars, natural or otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YLVD Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 You gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn. You lose weight when you eat fewer calories than you burn. It's that simple. Any diet plan is usually a way to keep track of calories (whether it be WW points, or exchanges, or whatever), plus a way to give you a balanced diet, minimizing foods that can get you off track (e.g. minimizing foods that are high in fat or have a high glycemic index, eating more fiber so you feel full, etc.). Regardless of how it is structured, though, bottom line it's all about how many calories you eat, and how many calories you burn. Apples and carrots can be part of a healthy balanced diet. I'm sorry but this is not true for people with PCOS or insulin resistance. Please research it before making blanket statements such as this. Every endocrinologist my DD has seen would disagree with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I find that eating sugar--including that found in fruit--makes me a lot hungrier a lot sooner. Maybe this is what is happening? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I totally disagree based on how I've seen my body react. Plain white rice (low calories, high carbs) will cause me to gain weight while full fat cheese (high calories, low carbs) is a big part of how I've lost 20 pounds. I would have once agreed with you that it is "calories in, calories out" but that is just not how my body works. Thanks, though! :confused: you asked a question and then you "totally disagree" with someone's response? I mean, it's nice that you tacked some thanks on the end, but still...you asked. I agree with calories in calories out, though I also agree that there are differences in food types. If you at one carrot and one apple each day and nothing else, I have not a single doubt that you would lose weight, though this would not be a healthy way. It would be fewer calories then you burn and you would lose weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 i'd avoid eating apples on a regular basis or perhaps limit portions of apple slices. in particular fruit in the morning can be problematic for those with insulin issues. The usual rules apply - try to balance carbs with protein and fat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 :confused: you asked a question and then you "totally disagree" with someone's response? I mean, it's nice that you tacked some thanks on the end, but still...you asked. I agree with calories in calories out, though I also agree that there are differences in food types. If you at one carrot and one apple each day and nothing else, I have not a single doubt that you would lose weight, though this would not be a healthy way. It would be fewer calories then you burn and you would lose weight. Um, yeah, I disagreed with her response. I'm not mad at all and I appreciate that she took the time to try and help. I just wanted to explain my situation a bit more to her. Kind disagreement is allowed, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Um, yeah, I disagreed with her response. I'm not mad at all and I appreciate that she took the time to try and help. I just wanted to explain my situation a bit more to her. Kind disagreement is allowed, right? Okay. It sounded forceful to me, but I guess that's in way I hear "totally disagree". In your OP, you didn't sound like you had great knowledge on how your body responds to different foods, so then it seemed strange to me that you rejected someone's advice. That's all. Carry on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YLVD Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Okay. It sounded forceful to me, but I guess that's in way I hear "totally disagree". In your OP, you didn't sound like you had great knowledge on how your body responds to different foods, so then it seemed strange to me that you rejected someone's advice. That's all. Carry on. I think that she wanted advice. What she disagreed with is the proclamation that all of our bodies work the same, which is essentially what that post stated. I'm not her though and sorry for trying to speak for you original poster! :auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YLVD Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I'm not speaking for the OP, but I'm tired of "it's as simple as that" so I can understand the frustration. There is nothing "simple" about it. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 My husband and I are on Atkins, and we are not eating apples or carrots at all. Just lots of protein and a ton of greens. The weight is falling off. :001_smile: Perhaps the carrots and apples upped your blood sugar enough to cause you to release more insulin than usual. My husband says that insulin locks the fat in, so you want to stay in ketosis by limiting carbs. At my parents' house, everything is a carb. I never realized how many carbs are floating around out there, until we decided to live by Atkins. It's been enlightening to pay more attention to what we eat and how it affects us. Good luck! HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 You gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn. You lose weight when you eat fewer calories than you burn. It's that simple. Any diet plan is usually a way to keep track of calories (whether it be WW points, or exchanges, or whatever), plus a way to give you a balanced diet, minimizing foods that can get you off track (e.g. minimizing foods that are high in fat or have a high glycemic index, eating more fiber so you feel full, etc.). Regardless of how it is structured, though, bottom line it's all about how many calories you eat, and how many calories you burn. Apples and carrots can be part of a healthy balanced diet. This is ABSOLUTELY not true. My endocrinologist would disagree with you, for sure, and I know that the research we have done -- and our experience with Atkins -- has thoroughly convinced us that this is an old myth. The best research shows it not to be true. We've been brainwashed for years (decades) to believe that we need to eat a low-fat, low-calorie diet. That old "calories in, calories out" approach is not supported by the science of our cells and digestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 This is ABSOLUTELY not true. My endocrinologist would disagree with you, for sure, and I know that the research we have done -- and our experience with Atkins -- has thoroughly convinced us that this is an old myth. The best research shows it not to be true. We've been brainwashed for years (decades) to believe that we need to eat a low-fat, low-calorie diet. That old "calories in, calories out" approach is not supported by the science of our cells and digestion. This is a little off-topic but can you recommend an Atkins book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 You gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn. You lose weight when you eat fewer calories than you burn. It's that simple....Apples and carrots can be part of a healthy balanced diet. Sorry, you all are right. In the big picture, it's not at all that simple, it's actually incredibly complex. Weight loss is very, very difficult, and everyone's body is unique. Finding the right combination of food and exercise that works for a particular person is a real challenge. I was trying to get at that, albeit in a round about way, but my words didn't accurately reflect what I was trying to say, in fact I'm afraid they conveyed exactly the opposite. :tongue_smilie: Once again, lesson learned - I should not post when it's after midnight. I apologize to anyone who thought I meant that weight loss was simple - it's very much not. Please forgive me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 This is ABSOLUTELY not true. My endocrinologist would disagree with you, for sure, and I know that the research we have done -- and our experience with Atkins -- has thoroughly convinced us that this is an old myth. The best research shows it not to be true. We've been brainwashed for years (decades) to believe that we need to eat a low-fat, low-calorie diet. That old "calories in, calories out" approach is not supported by the science of our cells and digestion. Well, it is true for some of us. It's true for me -- no brainwashing required. If I snack a lot and eat more, I gain weight. If I exercise daily and eat only my 3 nutritious meals and no snacks, I lose weight. If I exercise extra, I lose more weight. It is that simple for me. I'm not saying it's true for the OP, or for you. But, it is true for some of us. I think we should be careful not to paint complex issues with such a broad brush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Well, horses are pretty big LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 There's a lot of sugar in apples. If I eat as many apples as I really want to, I gain weight. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessReplanted Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I just have to add that, for those of us trying not to eat ice cream and cookies, this talk of apples and carrots being bad for you sounds just a bit crazy! :lol: (Not that I don't believe you, but if I have a day of eating apples and carrots I'm doing well!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Buckin' Longhorn Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I just have to add that, for those of us trying not to eat ice cream and cookies, this talk of apples and carrots being bad for you sounds just a bit crazy! :lol: (Not that I don't believe you, but if I have a day of eating apples and carrots I'm doing well!) :iagree:100% Baby steps for some of us, I guess. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phathui5 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 You gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn. You lose weight when you eat fewer calories than you burn. It's that simple. There's new research out that shows that the old "Calories In- Calories Out" isn't quite how it works. For example, it takes more energy for your body to utilize 10 calories worth of chicken than 10 calories of sugar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Calories in, calories out is NOT substantiated by actual evidence. Studies show that if you feed people the same number of calories, but give some people low carb stuff only, and the other people a "balanced" diet, the end result is NOT the same. You get DIFFERENT results, with the SAME number of calories in, and the same level of exercise. That is the science. Saying that extra calories will make you fat is like saying extra calories will make a child grow taller. Or that it will make my breasts bigger, or my feet a size bigger. All growth is controlled by hormones. Insulin and Leptin control the growth of fat cells. If that hormone balance is out of wack you get fatter, just like if your growth hormones are out of wack you can be stunted, or end up much taller than you should be. Hormones are why women put fat in their breasts and men don't. It's all about hormones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 This is a little off-topic but can you recommend an Atkins book? We're too cheap to actually BUY the books. :D We checked out the books that our library has (can't remember the titles now, sorry), and mostly gained our information from the Atkins website. We do purchase the bars from Sam's Club, and this truly is helpful for when you need to "grab & go." From Sam's we also get the mozzarella cheese sticks (good for a snack), some meats (we have a freezer downstairs), and nuts (unsalted). Atkins is basically low-carb, high-protein, and effective (IME). We eat chicken, beef, eggs, cheese, almond milk, nuts (especially almonds), and plenty of vegetables -- spinach, greens, romaine, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, and so on. We (I) :blushing: will occasionally "sneak" a few blueberries or a strawberry from the kids. ;) We use Stevia for sweetening tea or coffee. We drink a lot of water and flavored seltzer from Sam's club, sometimes with a bit of lemon juice mixed in. Aaaaahhhh. We still avoid sugar, bread, pasta, rice, oatmeal, potatoes (white & sweet), carrots, some fruit (e.g., bananas, pineapple, peaches), but that might change when we reach our weight goals. There are ways to really cut back the carbs, if you look around. For us, it has become a goal, in a good way. I'm sure you could find out more at the Atkins site. HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryCatherine Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I'm sorry, but just real quick, what does PCOS stand for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 I just have to add that, for those of us trying not to eat ice cream and cookies, this talk of apples and carrots being bad for you sounds just a bit crazy! :lol:(Not that I don't believe you, but if I have a day of eating apples and carrots I'm doing well!) :iagree: :smilielol5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvmy3kids Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 For people who are excluding/limiting fruit how do you explain that LF vegans and LF raw vegans are skinnier and don't have a lot of excess body fat compared to....mostly everbody, lol? Here is a site that the owners follow the 80-10-10 diet which is a LF RAW Vegan diet and tell you to consume in excess of 2500/3000 plus calories per day of mainly fruit (esp. LOTS OF BANANAS). http://www.30bananasaday.com/forum/categories/high-carb-raw-vegan-chat/listForCategory Just curious as to what everyone thinks. I was very surprised by the amount of fruit they eat, yet are more thin with very low body fat, than the masses. Remember, they eat approx 3000+ calories per day and a TON of carbs. This is only to see the side of the argument that fruit DOES NOT make you fat. Hope I am making sense in what I am saying, lol! It has been a long day.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 i'd avoid eating apples on a regular basis or perhaps limit portions of apple slices. in particular fruit in the morning can be problematic for those with insulin issues. The usual rules apply - try to balance carbs with protein and fat. :iagree: I eat apples and carrots, but only with plenty of fat and/or protein. I do fine if I eat them paired up, but eaten alone they would spike my blood sugar like a candy bar (I have problems with reactive hypoglycemia). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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