Watermelon
 

Do you count the calories in watermelon into your daily total? I am asking just because it has so much water and I basically -- um -- lose so much of it pretty quickly after consuming it.

:drool: I LOVE WATERMELON!

yum. i count it. i count it because i sit down and cut a big watermelon in half give the hubs half and we go to town :hun:

also, if you start not counting things just because they might seem insignificant you start a bad habit and not counting everything and that leads to failure in my book. i try to count everything. it adds up. fo shizzle.

*points up* I'm with Ollie, assign it a number and give it some recognition in your diet. besides, theres more sugar in there then you think.

You lose the water, but not the calories, they stay behind - that's true of all high water fruits and veggies, and their juices. If this weren't so, you would starve to death if you only ate watermelon and other high water foods - and you don't. Or you wouldn't have to count apple juice or other juices because they're mostly water, but liquids and high liquid foods can contain a surprising amount of calories.

I think it is a legitimate choice for some to not count certain very low calorie foods (say lettuce and celery), but even then a person has to be careful of slippery slopes. Not counting anything under 10 calories, or rounding calories to the nearest 10, for example, might work fine for you, and on the other hand, you may have to be extremely precise in your counting. But watermelon, isn't one of the super low calorie items like lettuce, in which it would be difficult to reach a significant number of calories in a chosen serving. Rather it is a fruit choice, and few servings can really rack up the calories, just like any other fruit. I certainly have eaten enough watermelon to stall my weightloss. And at my size, that's quite a feat, but I love watermelon, and my husband doesn't like it much at all. So, when I buy a watermelon, it's just me eating it and I eat a LOT - a whole watermelon usually has up to 1500 calories, and I can eat a whole watermelon in a couple days (usually with some unpleasant side effects, but that doesn't stop me from doing so at least a few times each summer).

I'm only supposed to have 3 fruit servings per day, but occasionally I'll swap some of my starch servings to have more fruit (the calories are about the same). Or sometimes I go over my intended servings (going offplan with watermelon may be a bit better than going offplan with a candybar, but it's still offplan).

WOW, I had no idea watermelon was so calorius (is that a word? how about calorific...lol!). I don't eat much of it as its WAY too expensive in these parts. But...wow, that means if nitsforfive is eating half a huge watermelon then she could be consuming upwards of 700 calories! I hope its the small ones your talking about nitsforfive.

Oh no -- I have to share my watermelons with 4 other people and 3 of them could literally eat their weight in watermelon. So I get about 1/16 of each watermelon. I was just wondering about the water -- but I see I will have to continue counting it.

Now, if I could only figure out a way to NOT have to count the piece of birthday cake I had earlier this week...

South Beach suggest that people avoid watermelon and pineapple because of their sugar content, and while my food choices are strongly South Beach inspired, I'm not giving up either fresh watermelon or fresh pineapple - or fresh sweetcorn for that matter. However, I do consider them treats that I have to be careful with.

I consider watermelon a good calorie bargain - a lot of flavor and volume for the calorie. However, I usually weigh it rather than try to estimate the serving by piece size or cups.

nope that's me that eats half a watermelon of medium size. i cut it up in cubes and measure the cups. usually about 7 or 8 cups in a sitting and close to 400 cals. still do it. it's friggin watermelon, dude.

mmmmmmm pineapple :drool:

ooooh, fresh pineapple, theres something I've not had in a long time.

Watermelon, corn, and pineapple may have a higher sugar count than say, rasberries...but they are also full of health benefits, so I don't avoid it like South Beachers do. All things in moderation! I do avoid white rice, white pasta, etc. like a South Beacher...but in no way do I avoid any fresh produce-I just make sure of my calorie alottment.

Watermelon is a super source of lycopene, which can help prevent cancer and full of potassium, which helps control blood pressure and can help prevent kidney stones.

It is only about 50 calories for a 1 cup serving...which isn't much more than a 1 cup serving of strawberries (45 calories per cup) which is considered a fruit with a lower sugar content.

I just think that it has too many health benefits for me to avoid it! :)

I probably should have said "limit" rather than avoid, as one of the misconceptions about South Beach is that anything is "forbidden."

Not a South Beacher myself, but I feel I should not bash anyone or make accusations that aren't true.

I have to admit that in the summer I go on fruit binges (which with IBS can have disastrously painful consequences, but I still do it), and as bad as they can be, you can't compare a watermelon binge to a potato chip or candy binge. 500 calories of watermelon fills me up for a while, while 2 candybars just make me feel sick (and hungry in 20 minutes).

If I eat it, I count it.




Otherwise I might stray into "silly rules" territory, like:

"It doesn't count if you only nibble things off someone else's plate."

"The free taster samples at the supermarket don't count."

:D

What?? The samples at the supermarket count??? ;)

I like cantaloupe! Same deal as watermelon, but so yummy. In fact, all melons are great!

Jay

Cantalaup is awesome...one of my favorites. My *SUPER* favorite is muskmelon, which is almost like cantalaupe, but there are ridges on the outside of it (like a pumpkin). It looks/tastes like cantalaupe, but more of a richer flavor. My grandmother used to grow it in her garden....

Mmmm... Watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple. Oh, my! I love them all. And I count every bite. I also eat fresh sweet corn, now and then, as a treat. It is so good, in the Summer.

Aphil, I adore cantaloupe, too. Can't live without it. I will pay ridiculous prices for it to get it off season. :o Have you tried the Tuscan cantaloupes at Safeway? Heaven. :D

My husband brought home a huge watermelon the other day. I need to avoid it as I tend to eat it in way too large of quantaties!

Even if you eat 4 cups of it, a very large serving, that is still only 200 calories! Still less than a Hershey bar! :D

I LOVE watermelon. Love it. We haven't had great ones this year, but even mediocre watermelon is pretty darned good. :)

I think it's something like 10 cals an ounce for cubed watermelon, and I will eat 12 or 15 oz at a sitting, but that's a HUGE bowl of watermelon. Like 1/3 of a whole one. And honestly, if you have to overindulge in something, better to indulge in watermelon than in choc. chip cookies, you know? :)

.

Agreed.

That is what I love about calorie counting, and making healthy choices. I don't always eat PERFECTLY...but I don't avoid healthy foods. Some days I feel like having 3 sqaure meals a day...and other days I feel like eating large quantities of something that is in season (like watermelon, sweet corn, or green beans) from the garden or local market...and that's what I do.

It isn't uncommon for me at all, say on a camping weekend, to eat a small lean hamburger on the grill during the cookout...and munch on huge portions of fruit and veggies all day long, and then maybe have a small marshmallow or two over the fire that evening. (50 calories)

It's not a perfect day, of course, but I have learned to make healthier choices on days where I normally wouldn't (weddings, parties, camping trips, vacations, etc.)

I have just learned to live, and make calorie counting a lifestyle, not a diet. If I want to eat large portions of watermelon, I'm going to-because it's not Ben & Jerry's at 500 calories a cup. :D

Yes...I too love watermelon, melon, pineapple etc. I count in everything that I eat (planned or unplanned).

The watermelon this year have been very good.