Bananas and their bad rap.

seamoth
seamoth Posts: 69 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Why have bananas got such a bad reputation when it comes to foods to stay away from when one is trying to lose weight? I am tracking my food and keeping to around the MyFitnessPal limit of 1200 per day. I love bananas. I know an average raw banana has around 120 calories. If I don't exceed my calorie limit, would it matter if I ate two or even three bananas a day? What is it about them that make some nutritionists throw their hands up in horror?
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Replies

  • chocl8girl
    chocl8girl Posts: 1,968 Member
    They can pry my bananas out of my cold, dead hands.

    Actually, I'm pretty sure I will still be clutching them tightly even then. lol
  • NanaWubbie
    NanaWubbie Posts: 248 Member
    I like bananas. Have one almost every morning with my yogurt.
  • Babygi6003
    Babygi6003 Posts: 356 Member
    I like banans too but sometimes I avoid them since they are high in carbs but I do love them :)
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    Why have bananas got such a bad reputation when it comes to foods to stay away from when one is trying to lose weight? I am tracking my food and keeping to around the MyFitnessPal limit of 1200 per day. I love bananas. I know an average raw banana has around 120 calories. If I don't exceed my calorie limit, would it matter if I ate two or even three bananas a day? What is it about them that make some nutritionists throw their hands up in horror?

    bad reputation from who? orthorexics??

    bananas are a great source for Potassium.

    why are you trying to stay at 1200 calories? did you run the numbers to determine that goal, or did you just pull that number out of thin air?

    i log my bananas as 105 calories each.

    i eat 2 or 3 bananas most days.

    i wouldn't listen to anything coming out of the mouth of a "nutritionist".

    http://www.healthline.com/health-blogs/diet-diva/nutritionist-vs-dietitian
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    I love it when my work colleagues put out their bananas for free takings in the staff kitchen because they have just turned brown - best time to eat!
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    I think it is there higher calorie content that people are scared of. If it fits in your calorie count then go for it.
  • langsyne
    langsyne Posts: 106 Member
    Bananas are fairly high on the Glycemic Index, so if you have blood sugar problems or are insulin resistant, they are not always a wise choice. Otherwise, a good nutricious food.
  • Lennonluv2
    Lennonluv2 Posts: 956 Member
    I have a banana smoothie almost every morning.....I freeze them and then add skim milk, yogurt, and wheat germ. There is no way I'm giving them up, I need the potassium!
  • hedwardsb
    hedwardsb Posts: 201 Member
    I usually eat a banana a day.
    In still befuddled by a comment I read on here once that you might as well eat a Snickers bar as a banana because of the carbs. Please.
  • jbruced
    jbruced Posts: 210 Member
    The "bad" reputation comes from the starch content which is easily converted to sugar. This can be a problem
    for some people trying to lose weight. Most people though are easily able to enjoy bananas on a regular basis.
    As I recall apricots are as high or higher in potassium than bananas.
  • trainguy917
    trainguy917 Posts: 366 Member
    I usually eat a banana a day.
    In still befuddled by a comment I read on here once that you might as well eat a Snickers bar as a banana because of the carbs. Please.

    Actually, that is more of a comment about the Snickers than the banana. Of all the candy bars, Snickers is actually not terrible in terms of its glycemic index because of the volume of peanuts in it. A banana, if a little under-ripe, is the same. Ripe bananas are a bit better, though. (I checked this info on livestrong.com)
  • 1puffyheart
    1puffyheart Posts: 136
    Why have bananas got such a bad reputation when it comes to foods to stay away from when one is trying to lose weight? I am tracking my food and keeping to around the MyFitnessPal limit of 1200 per day. I love bananas. I know an average raw banana has around 120 calories. If I don't exceed my calorie limit, would it matter if I ate two or even three bananas a day? What is it about them that make some nutritionists throw their hands up in horror?

    bad reputation from who? orthorexics??

    bananas are a great source for Potassium.

    why are you trying to stay at 1200 calories? did you run the numbers to determine that goal, or did you just pull that number out of thin air?

    i log my bananas as 105 calories each.

    i eat 2 or 3 bananas most days.

    i wouldn't listen to anything coming out of the mouth of a "nutritionist".

    http://www.healthline.com/health-blogs/diet-diva/nutritionist-vs-dietitian
  • Taneil27
    Taneil27 Posts: 253
    Why have bananas got such a bad reputation when it comes to foods to stay away from when one is trying to lose weight? I am tracking my food and keeping to around the MyFitnessPal limit of 1200 per day. I love bananas. I know an average raw banana has around 120 calories. If I don't exceed my calorie limit, would it matter if I ate two or even three bananas a day? What is it about them that make some nutritionists throw their hands up in horror?

    I think it's the sugar content!
  • 1puffyheart
    1puffyheart Posts: 136
    Why doubt the OP about the 1200 calories per day? That's what MFP set up for me, also. I eat a couple of bananas a day - high in potassium and a great snack. As long as they are tracked, I see nothing wrong with eating them. Too many ads with "avoid these foods for belly fat" on the net.
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
    I'm eating a banana right now in my oatmeal, yum :D

    Don't listen to the madness, eat your bananas!!
  • orapronobis
    orapronobis Posts: 460 Member
    I looked up the calories per ounce on various websites. The average was 25 calories per ounce. I started weighing my bananas, instead of estimating by length. (At 1200 calories, every 10-12 calories count.) I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had been overestimating using the by-length-estimate.

    I don't have a banana every day, but I do have one most days.
  • Brunner26_2
    Brunner26_2 Posts: 1,152
    Because of that stupid advertisement about "5 foods never to eat"
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Why doubt the OP about the 1200 calories per day? That's what MFP set up for me, also. I eat a couple of bananas a day - high in potassium and a great snack. As long as they are tracked, I see nothing wrong with eating them. Too many ads with "avoid these foods for belly fat" on the net.

    1200 is too low for many many new users of the site. It's because it's the bare minimum, and MFP assigns it if a person puts in that they want to lose 2 lbs per week and are sedentary. Many people who get that goal are not really sedentary and/or 2 lbs per week is too ambitious for them (they don't have a ton of weight to lose). They often find they do better on a few more calories. If you're short and already small, then 1200 might be appropriate, but since so many people get it just by entering their information incorrectly the more experienced members will often try to help them figure out if it's the right goal for them.
  • chooriyah
    chooriyah Posts: 469 Member
    Yum yum love bananas. Ignore the nonsense.
  • barbaratrollman
    barbaratrollman Posts: 317 Member
    I think a banana, right before you work out, is perfect for boosting your energy. I would never equate a banana with a candy bar. While you may be getting more carbs from a banana, those carbs are in the form of an extremely beneficial food, which is fueling your body the way it should be. A candy bar is just empty calories, sugar, and fat.
    I get pretty sick of seeing the flashy ads blinking how bad bananas are if you are trying to lose belly fat.
    Bananas are in my green smoothies everyday and I've lost 23 pounds in 7 weeks and I feel fantastic! \o/
  • MED2012COLORADO
    MED2012COLORADO Posts: 238
    Awe come on! I was just taking a bite of one as i glanced over and saw this. NOOOOOOOOOOOO! :cry:
  • 1puffyheart
    1puffyheart Posts: 136
    I fail to understand why anyone would enter their info incorrectly and expect this site to help them in the long run. I am not sedentary nor do I expect to lose 2 pounds a week (I wish!!) but thanks for your info, I didn't know I was assigned the lowest number allowed per day. Maybe my age and height were factored in, IDK, I seem to exist on that amount and am not starving by any means. :P
  • umachanxo
    umachanxo Posts: 926 Member
    I love bananas. They've never hindered my weight loss, I don't believe. That was the chocolate and chips and stuff that I have occasionally. Seriously, I've never heard someone say, "I'm so fat - all of those bananas that I ate really made me pack on the weight."
  • winny59
    winny59 Posts: 4
    I love my bananas, eat one most days. As another poster mentioned, it's not bananas that are keeping the weight on me!
  • sbussert
    sbussert Posts: 72 Member
    They can pry my bananas out of my cold, dead hands.

    Actually, I'm pretty sure I will still be clutching them tightly even then. lol

    That could get kinda gooey, couldn't it. ;)
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    I love bananas..........but yes they have a bad name, due to the sugar contents in them

    Isn't it like 13grams for one? So two, or three would be like 39 grams of sugar, that's without anything else you eat
  • kikicooks
    kikicooks Posts: 1,079 Member
    Because of that stupid advertisement about "5 foods never to eat"
    Yes, this is just stupid. Bananas get a bad rap by the people afraid of carbs but they are awesome!
  • hedwardsb
    hedwardsb Posts: 201 Member
    I usually eat a banana a day.
    In still befuddled by a comment I read on here once that you might as well eat a Snickers bar as a banana because of the carbs. Please.

    Actually, that is more of a comment about the Snickers than the banana. Of all the candy bars, Snickers is actually not terrible in terms of its glycemic index because of the volume of peanuts in it. A banana, if a little under-ripe, is the same. Ripe bananas are a bit better, though. (I checked this info on livestrong.com)

    The comment about Snickers I read was specifically about how bananas are a bad choice. It befuddled me because while bananas are high in carbs & natural sugar, they have fiber & various vitamins while being a low fat choice.
    While a Snickers bar might be a good GI choice compared to other candy bars, it seems silly to compare Snickers to fruit--Added sugar vs. natural sugar & the fat content alone.
  • madebywoo
    madebywoo Posts: 5
    Don't forget Bananas are great for your mental health, they contain the amino acids tryptophan which help your body to produce Serotine and vitamin B6 which helps to regulate your mood.

    They also contain Dopamine which also regulates moods and the ability to concentrate, and emotional ability.

    Might be handy when trying to diet.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I fail to understand why anyone would enter their info incorrectly and expect this site to help them in the long run. I am not sedentary nor do I expect to lose 2 pounds a week (I wish!!) but thanks for your info, I didn't know I was assigned the lowest number allowed per day. Maybe my age and height were factored in, IDK, I seem to exist on that amount and am not starving by any means. :P

    I think it's because they really think they might be sedentary and of course they want to lose as quickly as possible :)

    I thought I was sedentary when I joined because I'm a chronically ill housewife. Turns out I'm lightly active. I don't think it's a matter of entering it incorrectly on purpose, they just don't know better at first.

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