Is Watermelon Fattening Or Good For Weight Loss 2024?

Is watermelon fattening? Or is it good for weight loss? Watermelon is an excellent fruit you can eat while trying to lose weight. As long as you’re not allergic or intolerant to it, consuming watermelon may leave you feeling full and satisfied after eating it, thus, reducing your appetite.

Watermelon is a very sweet fruit that some consider a superfood, and it may take care of your sweet tooth craving to help you avoid overdoing it on high-calorie desserts. 

This article will explore watermelon’s nutritional value, its health benefits, and how it may help with weight loss. It will also provide some suggestions for adding it to your diet regimen. 

On the other hand, if you eat watermelon in moderate amounts along with a healthy, well-balanced diet, this fruit intake may help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Nutrition Value

Consuming watermelon will increase your intake of essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium. It’s low in calories and nearly fat-free. Even a small amount of healthy fats and protein make this superfood all the more suitable for weight loss diets. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture^[3] provides these facts on the nutritional benefits of a one-cup serving of diced watermelon cubes.

	Name	Amount	verify?
	Energy	45.6 calories
	Protein	0.927 grams
	Total fat, lipid	0.228 grams
	Carbohydrates	11.5 grams
	Total dietary fiber	0.608 grams
	Total sugar	9.42 grams
	Calcium, Ca	10.6 milligrams
	Magnesium, Mg	15.2 milligrams
	Zinc	0.152 milligrams
	Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	12.3 milligrams
	Total folate	4.56 micrograms
	Choline, total	6.23 milligrams

How Does Watermelon Help With Weight Loss?

Some people associate eating sweet foods with weight gain, but that isn’t always the case. Watermelon is low in calories, high in water content, and very satiating to the appetite, so filling up on watermelon leaves little room for sugary desserts or other high-calorie food additions.

Weight loss may occur when watermelon replaces unhealthy sweets made with refined, white sugar. Studies show^[4] those with moderate fructose consumption, which is high in watermelon, have greater weight loss compared to a person with low-fructose consumption. 

Finding the balance of how much watermelon is right for your body is important. Let’s look at a few other reasons why eating watermelon may help you lose weight. 

Arginine 

One way watermelon may help you lose weight is by providing the body with an additional amino acid called arginine. This amino acid has been shown to help reduce fat in both animals and humans.^[5] 

If reducing weight isn’t enough, arginine can also increase muscle mass and enhance^[6] the coveted brown fat that contains our cellular powerhouses (mitochondria) and is known for its ability to increase metabolism and burn fat by turning it into heat. 

High Water Content

Another way you may lose weight with watermelon is through its high water content. Increasing water intake and hydration boosts your metabolism and can lead to loss of body weight.^[7] 

Since drinking a glass of water before meals can help reduce calorie intake, you may benefit from eating watermelon dessert before your meal. 

Low-Calorie Density

Watermelon can further support weight loss simply by being a low-energy-density food. Because it’s a low-calorie and water-rich food, this refreshing fruit helps keep you fuller and may reduce your calorie intake. 

Research shows that there is a link between a food’s energy density and changes in body weight. This meta-analysis^[8] concludes that consuming low-energy-density foods benefits weight loss in obese adults. 

Other Health Benefits Of Watermelon

With the variety of nutrients watermelon contains, it can provide an increase in several health benefits. Here are a few. 

Hydration

The majority of watermelon is made of water, reflecting its name. In addition to increasing the potential to lose weight, keeping your body hydrated with water is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health. 

Hydration helps take care of many aspects of your health,^[9] including:

• Brain health.
• Digestive health.
• Skin health. 
• Joint health. 
• Blood circulation.
• Detoxification. 

Heart Health

Watermelon is a zero-cholesterol heart-healthy food containing lycopene, a phytonutrient in fruits that are a shade of red, like tomatoes and guava. Lycopene^[10] can decrease inflammation and cholesterol levels. 

Citrulline^[11] is one of watermelon’s amino acids that can help relax the blood vessels. Both of these nutrients can improve blood pressure and help prevent heart disease. 

Healthy Vision

Watermelon has nutrients such as beta-carotene and vitamin A that are crucial for eye health. Plant-based foods^[12] help to prevent eye disorders as you age, such as cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. 

Cancer Prevention

Watermelon is full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that help keep your body healthy. Accumulations of free radicals^[13] can harm your immune system and cause chronic disease and cancer if they build up, but eating antioxidant-rich foods like this fresh fruit may help you by fighting off free radicals. 

Adding Watermelon To Your Diet For Weight Loss

Finding watermelon to add to your weight loss diet may not be hard since they are available fresh in most grocery stores. There’s no lack of different watermelon recipes to try since you can eat the whole watermelon, even the rind. 

Here are some ways you can add watermelon to your diet for weight loss: 

• Some people enjoy a watermelon cleanse using watermelon juice as their beverage choice for the day or week to promote losing weight.
• Create a fruit salad with fresh lemon juice squeezed over watermelon, apples, and grapes for an easy dessert
• Enjoy a watermelon smoothie to start your day. Freeze chunks of it and blend them with low-calorie milk like almond milk. It’ll boost your hydration, and its sweet flavor will discourage craving sugary treats. 
• You can consume watermelon seeds as a snack or salad topping. You’ll be getting protein, healthy fats, and many vitamins. 

Does The Watermelon Diet Work?

Since eating a diet full of low-fat and low-calorie foods can result in weight loss, there is potential for you to experience weight loss on the watermelon diet. 

A study^[14] demonstrated that those eating watermelon as a snack for four weeks had a decrease in body weight and body mass index or BMI. This was compared to a group that ate a low-fat cookie as a snack instead, and this group experienced an increase in their body weight and BMI. 

Some people replace their snacks for the diet, while others take it to the extreme and replace all their food with watermelon, which is not a wise decision as this type of diet can create multiple nutritional deficiencies that, in the long run, will work against sustainable weight loss.

If you’re eating only watermelon, your diet will lack the balance it critically requires to have a stable metabolism, and you may become nutrient-deficient in many areas, especially protein and essential fatty acids. An entire 13-pound watermelon only has 920 calories and less than a gram of protein, not even enough for a day’s requirements on a weight loss diet. 

A one-food diet should remain temporary and short-lived since it’s not sustainable for even more than a couple of days. You may want to check with your health provider and see how much watermelon you should eat each day before starting the watermelon diet, especially if you have any known medical conditions or are on medications. 

Is Eating Watermelon At Night Good For Weight Loss?

When you go to bed at night hungry, you might wake in the middle of the night and have the temptation to eat unhealthy snacks that promote weight gain. Having a serving of watermelon at night before bed can supply your liver with the fructose it needs to reduce hunger for other foods, stabilize blood sugar levels, and promote the release of fat-burning hormones,^[15] not to mention the extra arginine your body gets! 

The Bottom Line

Is watermelon healthy for weight loss? Yes, eating watermelon is good for weight loss regimens, as long as it’s in moderation. Too little or too much may give you the opposite of the results you’re looking for. 

Watermelon is low in calories, an entire watermelon contains less than 1,000 calories, and it may be one of the best fresh fruits to reduce sugar cravings. Its high water content may help reduce your calorie intake and support your weight loss efforts. 

Eating watermelon is also beneficial for your overall health and increasing hydration levels. In addition, it can support your vision, heart, and immune system. 

If you decide to try a watermelon diet plan, including other low-energy-density foods with it will help achieve a balanced diet to ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need. One-food fad diets can result in nutrient deficiencies^[16] that can slow your metabolism and lead to unwanted health conditions, even obesity. 

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