Shredding Fat With... Peanut Butter?

[jrueff7]

So a lot of us love peanut butter, whether it is the fancy kinds you get from little gourmet shops or the mass-produced kinds that we all grew up with. But is really a healthy food to eat?

Here’s a couple questions I had about using peanut butter for weight loss/general fitness, and the answers too:

Can Peanut Butter Help People Lose Weight?

Apparently, the answer (according to this study) is yes.

Case Study

A control-group study was done in Boston; half the overweight participants were given a low-fat diet. The other half were given about 35% of their total calories as monounsaturated fats ñ the kind found in peanut butter, olive oil, and the like. Everything else remained the same and both groups ate the same number of calories.

For women, the number of calories was 1200 per day. So, what happened? Both groups lost about the same amount of weight, but the upside (for peanut butter lovers and peanut farmers lol) is that the folks who got to eat peanut butter stuck to their diet better than the other half of participants did.

Although this seems like good news at first glance, it’s probably important to realize that 1200 calories is hardly any calories. Just about any woman who only eats 1200 calories per day is going to lose weight.

But What About All That Fat??

Overall the “Peanut Butter Diet” has some credibility, and people did have some good results with it in this study, but now it is time to address the third issue: FAT.

If (like me) you think “wait a minute – isn’t peanut butter high in fat?”, you’re right.

The good news though, is that peanut butter, like avocadoes, is high in good fat...

Nutritionalists claim that the type of fat found in peanut butter is actually good for you.

Peanut butter has monounsaturated fat. So do avocadoes.

Monosaturated fat (if you’re wondering why this is a good thing) can lower your blood cholesterol, and also provide a number of fat-soluable vitamins/minerals that your body needs.

My Thoughts

Will I eat tons of peanut butter as a part of my diet regimen? Yes. But I would regardless - because it’s delicious.

Anyway, that’s my take on it, curious to see what other people know about peanut butter - I'd like to think it's one of those healthy "superfoods" because I like it so much, but I'm kind of on the fence about it.

[john146504]

I love a giant spoonful every now and then of the stuff. JIF Reduced fat so damn good. I wouldn't call it a "superfood", but it isn't bad for you either. I would say it is more of a healthy snack if you eat it by itself or with a fruit/veggie. Now if you put it on a bread with jelly then it's not a healthy snack.

[VegetarianBB]

Oddly enough my gym sells a zero calorie peanut butter spread, Im yet to try it! But i think if you watch the amount you consume of it why not, Just watching your ending macros right?

[nicklyne]

Oddly enough my gym sells a zero calorie peanut butter spread,

Get me the name of this sounds goooooood!

[DiaFF]

Ugh.. No.. Just no..

Peanut butter doesn't help you lose weight.. Eating at a deficit makes you lose weight..

Eating fat doesn't make you fat.. Overeating makes you fat..

[Neion]

I love a giant spoonful every now and then of the stuff. JIF Reduced fat so damn good. I wouldn't call it a "superfood", but it isn't bad for you either. I would say it is more of a healthy snack if you eat it by itself or with a fruit/veggie. Now if you put it on a bread with jelly then it's not a healthy snack.

What is unhealthy about putting peanut butter on bread with jelly? Please be pacific.

[john146504]

What is unhealthy about putting peanut butter on bread with jelly? Please be pacific.

It is not as healthy as eating it by itself or with fruit such as apple slices or veggies such as celery. Sorry if I wasnt as "pacific" in my OP. I used to love pb&j sandwiches, but I would rather eat the peanut butter by itself as a snack and use my calories elsewhere.

[Amstat]

What is unhealthy about putting peanut butter on bread with jelly? Please be pacific.

Nothing. It's just HEALTHIER if your bread is whole grain and your jelly isn't loaded with artificial flavoring, dyes and corn syrup.

[MetilHed]

Wait . . . so you're saying fat doesn't make you fat ?

















































(notsrs)

[Neion]

It is not as healthy as eating it by itself or with fruit such as apple slices or veggies such as celery. Sorry if I wasnt as "pacific" in my OP. I used to love pb&j sandwiches, but I would rather eat the peanut butter by itself as a snack and use my calories elsewhere.

And that's what I was getting at. There is nothing wrong with bread or the jelly. The way you stated it, you where implying that bread and jelly are unhealthy.

[Serpentarius]

It is not as healthy as eating it by itself or with fruit such as apple slices or veggies such as celery. Sorry if I wasnt as "pacific" in my OP. I used to love pb&j sandwiches, but I would rather eat the peanut butter by itself as a snack and use my calories elsewhere.

what is unhealthy? There is no such thing as unhealthy (dont mention MSG, or transfats btw).

[Heppdog21]

Oddly enough my gym sells a zero calorie peanut butter spread, Im yet to try it! But i think if you watch the amount you consume of it why not, Just watching your ending macros right?

Ugh the Walden Farms I'm guessing straw away from that but some of their other producs are good the pancake syrup/10

[Electricheadd]

Peanut Butter sucks on a cut

- incomplete amino acid profile
- Extremely calorie dense
- Loaded in Omega 3s

and freaking delicious to top it off....

[OvercomeItAll]

IIFYM.. if you wanna use your calories on it, then go right ahead lol

[jrueff7]

Hmmm that's too bad, I eat PB n J's all the time - you're probably right though. I have a buddy who preaches that peanuts are a superfood - I'll have to message him and see why he thinks that...

I love a giant spoonful every now and then of the stuff. JIF Reduced fat so damn good. I wouldn't call it a "superfood", but it isn't bad for you either. I would say it is more of a healthy snack if you eat it by itself or with a fruit/veggie. Now if you put it on a bread with jelly then it's not a healthy snack.

[jrueff7]

It does so far

IIFYM.. if you wanna use your calories on it, then go right ahead lol

[jrueff7]

Sucks on a cut?

Peanut Butter sucks on a cut

- incomplete amino acid profile
- Extremely calorie dense
- Loaded in Omega 3s

and freaking delicious to top it off....

[jrueff7]

Lol

wait . . . So you're saying fat doesn't make you fat ?

















































(notsrs)

[camdensdaddy]

Sucks on a cut?

It depends on your deficit I suppose. 100 calories for one tbsp does suck somedays.

[cnh57811]

5 stars?



Really?

[ChiefRocka]

Every week there is something new that is supposed to burn fat.

This week, peanut butter, next week boiled Pez tablets.

[Electricheadd]

Sucks on a cut?

LOL there is nothing wrong with peanut butter, I say it sucks for satiety/macro reasons its much more of a personal observation. Its low protein, high fat and not very filling.

[Mdenatale]

Oddly enough my gym sells a zero calorie peanut butter spread, Im yet to try it!

Don't even compare that stuff to peanut butter. There are no peanuts in it, so whats the point. If its the Walden farm stuff, the word peanut isn't in the top 5 of the ingredent list. And then I think its just peanut flavor.

[Electricheadd]

Every week there is something new that is supposed to burn fat.

This week, peanut butter, next week boiled Pez tablets.

Too bad it's not pepperoni pizza.... I could really get into that diet.

[midlifecrisis79]

Don't even compare that stuff to peanut butter. There are no peanuts in it, so whats the point. If its the Walden farm stuff, the word peanut isn't in the top 5 of the ingredent list. And then I think its just peanut flavor.

It's aweful. The smell alone is a preface to what lies ahead of you.... Canned herring fillets seem like a ribeye steak compared to this stuff!

[jrueff7]

Agreed, for the most part - not filling though?... I'm just thinking how quickly 7 or 8 spoonfuls of peanut butter fills me up, especially blended with high quality chocolate whey protein (Tastes like a liquid Reeses cup) - granted, the protein is probably more filling in that case...

LOL there is nothing wrong with peanut butter, I say it sucks for satiety/macro reasons its much more of a personal observation. Its low protein, high fat and not very filling.

[Serpentarius]

8 table spoons of peanut butter is far less filling than 13oz of lean beef which is around 810 calories, and has a lot less protein (and that beef has fat). Fats offer very little satiety compared to actual protein sources and for some of you guys who cut at really low calories like 1600, half of your calorie intake on a handful of peanut butter is a big waste.

[NaChotiQ]

Agreed, for the most part - not filling though?... I'm just thinking how quickly 7 or 8 spoonfuls of peanut butter fills me up

I'd hope almost 800 calories would fill me up too!

[csb5731]

Agreed, for the most part - not filling though?... I'm just thinking how quickly 7 or 8 spoonfuls of peanut butter fills me up, especially blended with high quality chocolate whey protein (Tastes like a liquid Reeses cup) - granted, the protein is probably more filling in that case...

So you are surprised that 1000 calories of food, which I imagine that such a shake would have, provides some satiety? I mean, that's like DQ Blizzard or chocolate malt level calories right there.

I like PB as much as anyone, but when I cut it's certainly not even close to being a staple. Getting fats in isn't my biggest issue, it's staying full.

[d3votion]

So it would seem those that had the peanut butter felt more full and therefore stuck to their diet. Replace that with cottage cheese (or anything else that is satiable) and it will most likely produce the same effect. 35% of calories from fat is NOT a lot of fat if you're on a diet. It's actually easy to go over that if you make a few poor food choices in your daily consumption. At the end of the day, peanut butter is expensive and I don't consider it a "superfood" to burn fat. I'd rather eat a chicken breast or some cottage cheese.