Fruits That Help Weight Loss

Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. You can exercise more to increase your caloric expenditure, but you will likely have to lower your caloric intake to achieve your health and fitness goals. Fruit is a nutritious low-calorie food group that can be an ideal replacement for higher-calorie foods. The sugar in fruit is naturally occurring and not in the form of added sweeteners that can raise your blood sugar levels and cause fat storage. *Images courtesy: © Thinkstock photos/ Getty Images

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is one of the best diet fruits. A medium-sized grapefruit has just 40 calories, and a large grapefruit has just over 60. With a glycemic-index ranking of 25, grapefruit is one of the lowest-glycemic fruits that you can eat. Grapefruit can improve your insulin resistance and keep your body from wanting to store fat.

Pineapple

Although pineapple is mainly associated with being high in vitamin C and potassium, pineapple also has a unique compound called bromelain that may help you lose weight when combined with a weight loss diet. Bromelain is an enzyme that aids digestion, which may contribute to weight loss. Bromelain speeds wound healing and reduces inflammation. A cup of pineapple has less than 90 calories. Pineapple also has a fair high amount of water. Water, especially water in food, helps to curb your appetite and keep you from getting hungry.

Raspberries

Raspberries, when compared to other antioxidant berries such as blueberries, hardly receive any publicity. Raspberries, however, may be the ideal berry for losing weight because they are very low in calories and have more fiber than just about any other fruit at an identical serving size. A cup of raspberries is 64 calories and provides 8 g of dietary fiber, equaling only 7 g carbohydrates. Dietary fiber is important if you are losing weight because fiber helps keep your blood sugar levels low and stable by decreasing how fast your body absorbs sugar from food and beverages.

Watermelon

Adding watermelon to your weight loss diet can help you lose weight. Watermelon is a water-heavy fruit that is extra filling. Watermelon has 50 calories per cup. Many people are concerned with watermelon's high glycemic index ranking of 72, but watermelon has a glycemic load score of 4 out of 40. Watermelon will not dramatically effect your blood sugar because it has very few carbohydrates per serving

Guava

Guava is one of the best fruits you can eat if you are trying to lose weight. A medium-sized guava fruit has 8 g of dietary fiber that will help support your weight loss diet. Fiber not only keeps your appetite under control, but also keeps your blood sugar stable by slowing the rate that glucose is absorbed and metabolized. Keeping your blood sugar stable is vital to achieving your weight-loss goals. When you raise your blood-sugar levels, your body releases insulin, which promotes fat storage. You want to prevent insulin release as much as possible if you are trying to lose weight.