Bananas causing weight gain?

Sebani
Sebani Posts: 24 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi.

I'm wondering if you guys ever experienced weight gain when eating 1 banana a day. I ask this because nothing else in my diet has changed besides the addition of 1 banana and about 8 strawberries each day. I noticed that I'm not losing and in fact, gaining weight so I thought that maybe this was the cause, but I'd like to confirm. Thanks!
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Replies

  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
    You gain weight from consuming more calories than you burn. So if you have ADDED in a banana to your diet and continue to burn the same number of calories as before then yes, you will slowly gain weight but you can't blame the banana for that as that would happen regardless of where the extra calories came from.
  • kelli_panzera
    kelli_panzera Posts: 171
    I absolutely love bananas...my doctor told me NO MORE BANANAS!! For the past month and a half I've avoided them, and maybe that's helped some. They are all carbs, and because I'm diabetic and overweight I am going low(er) carb and that's worked for me.
  • Sebani
    Sebani Posts: 24 Member
    @snazz I didn't just add a banana on top of my diet, I started subbing it for chips and whatnot but still seeing a gain
  • Sreneesa
    Sreneesa Posts: 1,170 Member
    I eat anywhere from a half of banana (50 grams) to an entire one (110 grams in weight) a day, sometimes one in a half and hasn't affected my weight loss.
  • Krys052490
    Krys052490 Posts: 72 Member
    Definitely need more information to give an accurate answer....

    BUT.... Let's say you ate exactly 2000 calories a day, everyday, for days/weeks/months and that was your maintenance calories. Then you added in a banana and 8 strawberries.

    One 130g Banana - 98 cals

    Eight Strawberries - 46 cals (estimate since I can't weigh them)

    Your adding 144 calories a day, so 1008 calories a week or 4.6 oz a week.

    So yes, it COULD make you gain weight.
  • Sovi_
    Sovi_ Posts: 575 Member
    666 devil food!
  • 19TaraLynn84
    19TaraLynn84 Posts: 739 Member
    A banana is not causing you to gain weight unless said banana is putting you over your calorie limit.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Maybe it was the strawberries... Try only eating 7...


    In all seriousness, calorie deficit = weight loss, calorie surplus = weight gain. If you're gaining weight, you're eating a calorie surplus.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
  • bellevie86
    bellevie86 Posts: 301 Member
    In the last yr and a half I have had one banana a day every morning in my shake. It has never hindered me and I lost 38 pounds. The banana is not the culprit. The only way you could is by not accounting for them into your diary, if you log everything then you should still hit your cal goal. Doesn't matter if it came from bananas or spinach. Bananas themselves have nothing in them that would magically make you gain, not logging or adjusting for them, would. Depending on how big they are they can be anywhere from 75-140 cals. They are high and high in carbs but if you adjust for them they are great for you.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    I've been eating one a day for a few weeks now (to help with leg and foot cramps) and I am going up some days, down some days so who knows. But I just made some of the best banana's foster to take to work tomorrow to go on top of the most amazing cheesecake I made a couple of days ago, so if it's the cause of weight gain, I'm in serious trouble :sad:
  • pamperedhen
    pamperedhen Posts: 446 Member
    You gain weight from consuming more calories than you burn. So if you have ADDED in a banana to your diet and continue to burn the same number of calories as before then yes, you will slowly gain weight but you can't blame the banana for that as that would happen regardless of where the extra calories came from.



    ^ THIS!!!
  • TenebraeBloodwake
    TenebraeBloodwake Posts: 19 Member
    I eat two or three a day and it doesn't seem to do me any harm...at least I don't think so.
  • 19TaraLynn84
    19TaraLynn84 Posts: 739 Member
    OP, if you're still in a deficit, you are probably seeing water weight gain, which will go away.
  • TriShamelessly
    TriShamelessly Posts: 905 Member
    Bananas in and of themselves do not cause weight gain. Excess calories cause weight (setting aside medical issues). Anecdotal evidence - I lost 50+ pounds eating 1-3 bananas a day depending on exercise load. Make sure you measure all of your food to accurately log your calories in. If you've recently started exercising or added in additional salt to your diet, water weight may be a factor. These are guesses on my part but I wish you luck in finding what works for you. :happy:
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
    I eat 6 bananas a day and have been losing weight.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    @snazz I didn't just add a banana on top of my diet, I started subbing it for chips and whatnot but still seeing a gain

    What sort of time period are we talking about? Bananas aren't predigested crud like chips or candy, and they have a bit of fiber, so you're probably going to have a bit more weight in the intestinal tract. Hard to quantify, 'tho. I'd expect that it would stabilize to the higher weight in a few days to a week, 'tho, and then start dropping from there.

    Kinda reaching for straws here, I admit...
  • mypersonalfitnessjourney
    mypersonalfitnessjourney Posts: 244 Member
    Bananas are pure fructose, a simple carb which spikes blood sugar almost immediately. I used to eat a banana every morning back in my high-carb days and, as soon as I cut it out and replaced it with something less carb- and sugar-dense (usually nuts, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, a protein shake, etc), I began losing weight again. Everyone's bodies are different, but it seems that you have a similar issue with carbs and sugar as I did/do.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    ZOMG, the dreaded banana!

    In
  • Erikalynne18
    Erikalynne18 Posts: 558 Member
    I love my bananas and I will not give them up!! :noway:

    Honestly though I don't believe the addition of 1 banana and a few strawberries would cause weight gain. Are you sure this is the ONLY difference?
  • GGDaddy
    GGDaddy Posts: 289 Member
    I've had a banana for breakfast every single day of the past year.

    It's worked out okay for me. VVVVVVV
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    Depends on the size of the banana and how close you are to your calorie restriction... It is more likely that you were near a plateau anyway.... Increase your exercise or decrease a bit of your intake to begin to see further progress.
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
    Oh banana, long and yellow. You taste sweet like honey, better with peanut butter in a bun. The banana. A mysterious potassium beast. I beckon you into the depths of my stomach. For you are good and wholesome. Make me smile.

    f39yeu.gif
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
    Bananas are pure fructose, a simple carb which spikes blood sugar almost immediately. I used to eat a banana every morning back in my high-carb days and, as soon as I cut it out and replaced it with something less carb- and sugar-dense (usually nuts, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, a protein shake, etc), I began losing weight again. Everyone's bodies are different, but it seems that you have a similar issue with carbs and sugar as I did/do.

    If you cut out fat, fruit, even bananas do not spike the blood sugar. I'm a diabetic and I eat 6 bananas a day. I eat 80/10/10 high carb diet and since doing this, my blood glucose levels have been great. Also as you can see by my banner, i've lost 23 lbs. in 30 days.
  • mypersonalfitnessjourney
    mypersonalfitnessjourney Posts: 244 Member
    Bananas are pure fructose, a simple carb which spikes blood sugar almost immediately. I used to eat a banana every morning back in my high-carb days and, as soon as I cut it out and replaced it with something less carb- and sugar-dense (usually nuts, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, a protein shake, etc), I began losing weight again. Everyone's bodies are different, but it seems that you have a similar issue with carbs and sugar as I did/do.

    If you cut out fat, fruit, even bananas do not spike the blood sugar. I'm a diabetic and I eat 6 bananas a day. I eat 80/10/10 high carb diet and since doing this, my blood glucose levels have been great. Also as you can see by my banner, i've lost 23 lbs. in 30 days.
    As I specifically stated, everyone's bodies are different. What works for you, your health, your weight loss, and your body will not necessarily work for someone else. I am glad you've found a way of eating that keeps your blood sugar in check, but that exact same diet has wreaked havoc on other diabetics (as well as non-diabetics) I know. The point of developing a healthy lifestyle is to find something that works for you - both short-term and long-term. It appears you have found that, but the OP has not as of yet, which is why I offered my input and advice, since it appears their body and metabolism function in a similar way to mine.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,281 Member
    I don't eat a banana a day but I eat about 4 per week, and usually quite a few strawberries per week, probably 20 at an estimate.

    Has not hindered my weight loss journey.

    Bananas are not pure fructose - they do have natural sugar in them but also many other components; fibre and potassium, for example.
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
    Bananas are pure fructose, a simple carb which spikes blood sugar almost immediately. I used to eat a banana every morning back in my high-carb days and, as soon as I cut it out and replaced it with something less carb- and sugar-dense (usually nuts, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, a protein shake, etc), I began losing weight again. Everyone's bodies are different, but it seems that you have a similar issue with carbs and sugar as I did/do.

    If you cut out fat, fruit, even bananas do not spike the blood sugar. I'm a diabetic and I eat 6 bananas a day. I eat 80/10/10 high carb diet and since doing this, my blood glucose levels have been great. Also as you can see by my banner, i've lost 23 lbs. in 30 days.
    As I specifically stated, everyone's bodies are different. What works for you, your health, your weight loss, and your body will not necessarily work for someone else. I am glad you've found a way of eating that keeps your blood sugar in check, but that exact same diet has wreaked havoc on other diabetics (as well as non-diabetics) I know. The point of developing a healthy lifestyle is to find something that works for you - both short-term and long-term. It appears you have found that, but the OP has not as of yet, which is why I offered my input and advice, since it appears their body and metabolism function in a similar way to mine.

    Research is showing that kind of diet isn't a bad one. Research is showing that fat has a much larger impact on blood glucose levels than thought before. Fat inhibits the effectiveness of insulin to regulate blood glucose levels. Not knowing that before is why the medical community was saying to reduce carb intake. When you cut out the fat, your insulin is able to function properly and you can eat carbs again. This will not wreak havoc on other diabetics.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,220 Member
    Bananas are pure fructose, a simple carb which spikes blood sugar almost immediately. I used to eat a banana every morning back in my high-carb days and, as soon as I cut it out and replaced it with something less carb- and sugar-dense (usually nuts, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, a protein shake, etc), I began losing weight again. Everyone's bodies are different, but it seems that you have a similar issue with carbs and sugar as I did/do.

    If you cut out fat, fruit, even bananas do not spike the blood sugar. I'm a diabetic and I eat 6 bananas a day. I eat 80/10/10 high carb diet and since doing this, my blood glucose levels have been great. Also as you can see by my banner, i've lost 23 lbs. in 30 days.
    As I specifically stated, everyone's bodies are different. What works for you, your health, your weight loss, and your body will not necessarily work for someone else. I am glad you've found a way of eating that keeps your blood sugar in check, but that exact same diet has wreaked havoc on other diabetics (as well as non-diabetics) I know. The point of developing a healthy lifestyle is to find something that works for you - both short-term and long-term. It appears you have found that, but the OP has not as of yet, which is why I offered my input and advice, since it appears their body and metabolism function in a similar way to mine.

    Research is showing that kind of diet isn't a bad one. Research is showing that fat has a much larger impact on blood glucose levels than thought before. Fat inhibits the effectiveness of insulin to regulate blood glucose levels. Not knowing that before is why the medical community was saying to reduce carb intake. When you cut out the fat, your insulin is able to function properly and you can eat carbs again. This will not wreak havoc on other diabetics.
    Interesting I'm sure, but wrong. It slows digestion and moderates insulin spikes as does protein as well.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    A banana has about 90 calories, so if you were previously 90 calories under your maintenance calorie allowance... well I am sure you know how it works.

    It is just as much the banana as it is the burger or what ever else is accumulating your calories.
  • wannakimmy
    wannakimmy Posts: 488 Member
    The answer to your question, no.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    If you up it to two bananas a day, you'll lose weight like me :)

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