How Much Weight Can You Lose by Eating Mostly Fruits, Vegetables & Water?

Growing up, you're always told, “Eat your fruits and vegetables and drink water!" While everyone knows these things are good for you, following that advice is not always easy. Eating mostly fruits and vegetables and drinking water provides you with vitamins, minerals and fiber, but doesn't always lead to weight loss.

Celery sticks on a chopping board. (Image: Lecic/iStock/Getty Images)

Fruits and Vegetables and Weight Loss

Since fruits and vegetables tend to be low in calories, you may think consuming mostly these foods is the key to losing weight. For effective weight loss, though, your overall caloric intake would still need to decrease. A 2014 article in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" substantiated this train of thinking by noting that increased fruit and vegetable intake has not been shown to lead to weight loss. Focusing on eating mostly these food groups without considering calories is not necessarily going to lead to shedding pounds. In addition, water is always a great choice as a calorie-free beverage, but unless you are substituting it for a high-calorie beverage, it is unlikely to cause any drastic weight changes.

Fruits and Vegetables Are Nutrient-Rich

The main reasons you're encouraged to eat fruits and vegetables are their vitamins, minerals and fiber content. Fruits and vegetables are carbohydrate-based foods that are typically low in calories and usually contain little to no protein or fat. Vitamins A, C and K are commonly found in fruits and veggies. Vitamin C is needed for wound healing and immune function, vitamin A is necessary for vision and vitamin K is needed for blood clotting.

Insufficient Vitamin B-12, Zinc and Iron

Vitamin B-12, zinc and iron are hard to come by when eating mostly fruits and vegetables as they are usually found in meats, dairy products and fortified breakfast cereals. Vitamin B-12 helps with red blood cell formation as well as DNA synthesis, and zinc is necessary for wound healing, protein synthesis, DNA synthesis and immune function. Iron plays a role in growth and helps oxygen move throughout the body. The form of iron in vegetables is not easily absorbed, making it difficult to obtain the iron your body needs from fruits and vegetables.

Very Little Protein or Fat

If you eat only fruits and vegetables, you get carbohydrates but only small amounts of protein and fat, which are essential macronutrients help your body function. Protein is necessary for maintenance and repair of tissues and synthesis of DNA. Without adequate dietary fat, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K needed by your body are often lacking.

Balance Your Plate for Weight Loss

While eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking water can help you have a healthier diet, you want to have a balanced plate that includes foods with protein and fat in them as well. Limit your intake of foods high in refined sugars and fat to help you move toward weight loss. This method is a healthier, longer-lasting choice to make than focusing on only a few foods.