Some foods are synonymous with weight loss: rice cakes, grapefruit, and salads, just to name a few. But watermelon can also be a tasty, refreshing food that helps you achieve the weight loss you desire.
Consuming more fruits is an easy way to lower your daily caloric intake and get more vitamins and minerals. Bonus points for fruits like watermelon that have high water content, as these foods can make you feel full between meals and add to your daily water intake needs.
Benefits of watermelon for weight loss
If you like watermelon, you have just discovered a powerful tool for weight loss! Watermelon is an affordable fruit that is easy to pack up for an on-the-go snack. A single watermelon can provide several days’ worth of snacks for one or a few people.
In addition to being easy and delicious, watermelon specifically provides you with many health benefits, especially if you are trying to lose weight:
Watermelon is low in calories, but high in nutrients.
A cup of watermelon only has 47 calories, but it contains 20% of your daily Vitamin C and a whopping 172 mg of potassium. While watermelon does not contain as much fiber as other fruits (like apples), you will get a healthy dose of antioxidants for cancer prevention.
Watermelon has high water content.
Watermelon is 92% water, so it hydrates you and fills you up. Other fruits rely on fiber to make you feel full, so include variety in your daily diet. By consuming foods with high water content, you can take in 30% or more of your daily water goals without drinking water all day.
Watermelon can satisfy your sweet cravings.
If you have a hard time staying away from sweets, try substituting healthier options when you feel a craving coming on. Watermelon is a cool, refreshing summertime treat, but you can find it any time of year in most grocery stores.
Watermelon is a great snack.
The most common time to fall victim to hunger is between meals. Low calorie, high volume foods will tide you over until your next meal. This satisfies you both physically and mentally when you are on a weight loss journey, especially if snacking is a big problem for you.
When is the best time to eat watermelon for weight loss?
As we alluded to above, the best time to eat watermelon is as a snack between meals. Its ability to satiate hunger and satisfy your taste buds can make a huge difference in your weight loss success or failure.
When you are fuller between meals, you also won’t have the tendency to overeat at mealtime. Eating smaller amounts throughout the day has also been proven to activate and improve your metabolism.
Eventually, with healthier eating habits, your body will genuinely crave watermelon and other fruits more than unhealthy sweets, so feel free to snack on watermelon any time you crave it!
Which fruits should be avoided for weight loss (if any)?
People with diets that are full of fruits and vegetables have lower body fat and are generally healthier than people who rarely eat them and those who don’t eat at least the minimum daily recommendations of fruits and vegetables.
All fruits are acceptable for weight loss goals in moderation. Fruits that must be consumed with the most caution include the following:
- Avocados – Surprisingly, avocados are classified as berries, which is definitely a fruit. They are a high calorie option, but a great replacement for saturated fats and trans fatty acids.
- Grapes – Grapes are very high in sugar, which makes them less than ideal for weight loss. A little over half a cup of grapes has about 16 grams of sugar (24 grams is the recommended limit). So proceed with caution.
- Tropical fruits – Bananas, mangos and pineapples are higher in calories, carbohydrates, and sugar than most fruits, so if you may enjoy them in moderation – as part of a fruit salad, perhaps – they won’t hinder your weight loss goals.
Is watermelon bad for weight loss?
No, you can safely eat watermelon every day as part of your weight loss plan! Most people can consume 1 ½ cups or more of watermelon per day with no negative side effects. This can be divided into 2-3 snacks or in one sitting.
The only restrictions on watermelon are for people with preexisting conditions, such as diabetes, pancreatic or kidney diseases, and those with vitamin deficiencies and potassium imbalances.
Changing your diet suddenly to include substantial quantities of fruits and vegetables can also cause diarrhea, but this side effect should subside when your body adjusts to your new, healthier diet.
Conclusion
If you have a weight loss goal, remember the basic foundation of weight gain and loss: consume fewer calories than you exert. This will result in a caloric deficit and is the only proven way to lose weight.
By this logic, you can eat just about anything as long as you maintain a caloric deficit, although it is highly recommended that you consume healthy foods rather than unhealthy ones to achieve your caloric intake.
If you exert more calories than you take in every day, over time you will lose weight. While quick results are preferred, they often don’t last. Maintaining a caloric deficit will be a slower process, but you will have a statistically better chance of maintaining your weight loss once you achieve your goal.
