Bananas? Good ? Bad?
Options
Replies
-
Please forgive me for stepping in here, but the banana topic caught my attention and I have a question or three... First let me start off by saying I'm new to MFP... In the past I've used the WW program and there bananas were a "great" option as they cost 0 points on the WW scale. Eat 5000 a day if you like and you would be ok based on their point system. so I used to eat a bunch of them even though inside I knew that maybe they weren't the great option I thought...
Now with MFP we are tracking more than arbitrary points and are looking more at nutrition, calories, vitamins, protein, sugars, fats, carbs..... (Lets not just loose weight but be healthy at the same time) On some days it seems like a banana is not the way to go as it may push me over the edge with calories or sugar or carbs... Today for instance, take away the exercise and those two bananas between plane flights would have screwed everything up. So I get it, there is a time and place for everything...
However, that being said I'm watching the amount of potassium that I'm taking in daily and I'm falling below, way way below what MFP has set as a goal. A banana or four seems to be a good option here, but does the boost in potassium offset the increased carb / sugar balloon burster? If not, where does one go to get increased potassium that doesn't come out of a pill? (event the best supplement I've found would require a handful of pills each and every day to meet the suggested potassium allotment...)
So what does one do? Add an extra half hour cardio to off set a bunch of bananas and have a happy # at the end of the day potassium wise?
0 -
However, that being said I'm watching the amount of potassium that I'm taking in daily and I'm falling below, way way below what MFP has set as a goal.
Don't worry about it unless you have had a blood test showing a potassium deficiency. Potassium isn't a required nutritional item on most food labels, so it's missing from most of the entries in the MFP database. Therefore, you could be seeing low potassium numbers on your reports on MFP but really be eating plenty.
0 -
There's nothing bad about a banana unless it's turned all mushy/brown/black.
Mushy bananas are the best! I like to have a mushy banana meal (6-8 bananas, 2 cup of soy milk and a TBS peanut butter in a smoothie) once a week as it cleans my insides and make same feel real fresh and energized. When I am energized I am more likely to stick to my plans, workout energetically and be happy and not eat emotionally. So... While weight loss is based on calories, it is good to experiment and find what works for you. I have merely found through experimentation that this works for me.
I'm sorry. You put 6-8 bananas in your smoothie?0 -
andrcollrvt wrote: »There's nothing bad about a banana unless it's turned all mushy/brown/black.
Mushy bananas are the best! I like to have a mushy banana meal (6-8 bananas, 2 cup of soy milk and a TBS peanut butter in a smoothie) once a week as it cleans my insides and make same feel real fresh and energized. When I am energized I am more likely to stick to my plans, workout energetically and be happy and not eat emotionally. So... While weight loss is based on calories, it is good to experiment and find what works for you. I have merely found through experimentation that this works for me.
I'm sorry. You put 6-8 bananas in your smoothie?
And how does it clean out your insides?!0 -
that's a lot of fibre.0
-
A very good book about bananas.
I used to eat bananas every morning for breakfast. They are a great source of energy and potassium.
Now, I really only eat them in a smoothie with chocolate and peanut butter. ZOMG.
Why did bananas get a bad rap, anyway? Did Dr. Phil do it? Dr. Oz?
OP, if you like bananas, fit them into your calorie goals. If you don't like bananas, don't eat them. Either way, you get to decide what you want to eat.
Oddly enough, there are more than one books about bananas:
0 -
A whole book on bananas?!0
-
-
arditarose wrote: »A whole book on bananas?!
That's bananas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Kgjkth6BRRY#t=1510 -
That's what she said0
-
Bananas are good. They have potassium. If you are diabetic or prediabetic, only eat a half a banana at a time, and eat some protein with it.0
-
she did, she did0
-
Please forgive me for stepping in here, but the banana topic caught my attention and I have a question or three... First let me start off by saying I'm new to MFP... In the past I've used the WW program and there bananas were a "great" option as they cost 0 points on the WW scale. Eat 5000 a day if you like and you would be ok based on their point system. so I used to eat a bunch of them even though inside I knew that maybe they weren't the great option I thought...
Now with MFP we are tracking more than arbitrary points and are looking more at nutrition, calories, vitamins, protein, sugars, fats, carbs..... (Lets not just loose weight but be healthy at the same time) On some days it seems like a banana is not the way to go as it may push me over the edge with calories or sugar or carbs... Today for instance, take away the exercise and those two bananas between plane flights would have screwed everything up. So I get it, there is a time and place for everything...
However, that being said I'm watching the amount of potassium that I'm taking in daily and I'm falling below, way way below what MFP has set as a goal. A banana or four seems to be a good option here, but does the boost in potassium offset the increased carb / sugar balloon burster? If not, where does one go to get increased potassium that doesn't come out of a pill? (event the best supplement I've found would require a handful of pills each and every day to meet the suggested potassium allotment...)
So what does one do? Add an extra half hour cardio to off set a bunch of bananas and have a happy # at the end of the day potassium wise?
Look only at your macros in this order:
First: protein
Second: fat
Third: carbs
Make sure that most days you get enough protein and fats. Those other things you are tracking are not important although some people track fiber.
Here are five foods with more potassium than bananas:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/518085-5-foods-that-have-more-potassium-than-banana/
Keep in mind that the FDA does not require that potassium be labeled on food packaging. Therefore, the database entries for potassium are often incomplete or blank.
Most people in the US are getting enough potassium. Let it go --- especially since you cannot count it anyway.
I did weight watchers for years so I know what you are talking about.
Look at the banana as costing you calories. Is the cost worth it?
Once banana = 121 calories
One and a half cups of blue berries = 124 calories
One and a half tablespoons of peanut butter =143 calories
Once piece of toast with one teaspoon of butter = 112 calories
Two apples = 135 calories
Three pieces of bacon = 135 calories
These are the two rules for MFP:
1 Reach total protein and fat goals for the day -- hit that mark and fill the rest with carbs if you want.
2 Stay under the reasonable calorie goal that you have set for yourself.
0 -
potassium is worth paying attention to if you've got muscle pains or cramps, though, or if it takes you forever to recover from a moderate workout. (but yes for sure, other things can get you the potassium you need.)0
-
I feel like we are missing each other's points.
You guys are saying a calorie is a calorie - which is absolutely true for weight loss.
I was more talking about ingredients wise. The ingredients in a banana are:banana. The ingredients in chips are: tons of delicious chemicals most of which do not occur in nature. That is the only way in which a fruit or veg would be a "better" food.
Again, you're talking to someone who did two separate workouts today because I realized that the first one would not fully cover my chemical laden tater tot casserole. Not judging snack food eaters!0 -
No one has advocated eating a 2000 calorie day of potato chips or popcorn although I see nothing wrong with that.
Some people are aware that this is a calorie counting web site -- la raison d'être.0 -
However, that being said I'm watching the amount of potassium that I'm taking in daily and I'm falling below, way way below what MFP has set as a goal.
Don't worry about it unless you have had a blood test showing a potassium deficiency. Potassium isn't a required nutritional item on most food labels, so it's missing from most of the entries in the MFP database. Therefore, you could be seeing low potassium numbers on your reports on MFP but really be eating plenty.
Not to mention, tomatoes, potatoes (sweet and white) , yogurt, and coffee are all excellent sources of potassium. Potatoes are quite high, as are tomatoes.
0 -
I eat dianas bananas frozen bananas covered in dark chocolate 130 calories of yumminess. They are nutritous, have probiotics and potassium. I love them, especially frozen.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.9K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 400 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 988 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions