Nut butters are killing me

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BreakOnThru
BreakOnThru Posts: 66 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Peanut butter, almond butter, I love it all. Not the worst indulgences, but I eat them too often and I eat too much of them. I'm at a plateau and I suspect this might be why. Problem is, I eat very little meat or dairy, so the fat satisfies. (I do get plenty of legumes and veggies) It's a matter of portion control with the nut butters. Thinking I just shouldn't keep it in the house. Anyone else get weak over this?
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Replies

  • star1407
    star1407 Posts: 588 Member
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    Yeah I love them, be sure to measure it. It's easy to have double the amount without realising
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    Losing weight is about total daily calories. You can eat those foods as long as it "fits".
    It almost seems like you are not logging your foods.
  • jlahorn
    jlahorn Posts: 377 Member
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    Yeah, I can't keep nut butters in the house.

    "Exercise self control!", chide the holier-than-thous.

    I exercise self control by not buying the nut butters to begin with. I do keep PB2 in the house for when I need peanut flavor in a recipe, but I won't eat half a jar of that with a spoon. Tried it, too dry :D

    I've been living my life hungry or at least unsatisfied for at least 3 years. I won't say it's fun, but I'm maintaining and it hasn't killed me yet.

  • kmsoucy457
    kmsoucy457 Posts: 237 Member
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    Weighing is the best option. Tare whatever the nut butter is going on (celery, bread, spoon, i'm not here to judge), then scoop out what you want and weigh it.
    If you don't have the equipment or desire to weigh it out, Justin's and other brands sell pre-measured packets of various delicious nut butters; a few varieties even come in 100 calorie serving packs.
    There's also the PB2-type powders, which are defatted but still full of protein. I'm no sure I'd recommend this for you since the nut butters fill your fat requirements (or would seem to if you're not into meat/dairy).
  • ponycyndi
    ponycyndi Posts: 858 Member
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    I did have to give up pb for a while. Now I buy little condiment containers, and weigh out servings ahead of time. Then I limit myself to one, or even half of at a time.

    It took months of quitting certain trigger foods entirely before I was able to do that.
  • Lourdesong
    Lourdesong Posts: 1,492 Member
    edited January 2016
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    If you're overeating nut butters maybe the idea that the fat is satisying is being challenged.
    I don't find fat satisfying, but I do find it very tasty and very easy to overconsume.
    Eta: I keep nut butters in the house and keep my portions of them very small. I'd rather some than none.
  • LHWhite903
    LHWhite903 Posts: 208 Member
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    Is there some nutrient in the nut butter you need more of? Maybe your cravings are telling you something.

    Fun fact: the peanut is not actually a tree nut. It's a groundnut, a grain legume and more related to lentils, beans and peas than to almonds.
  • BethAnnieT
    BethAnnieT Posts: 263 Member
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    I buy the little single-serve pouches, because I CANNOT be trusted around an open jar of any kind of nut butter. So I get the Justin's, Wild Friends, and Peanut Butter & CO single serving (2 Tbsp) packets. They are kind of spendy, anywhere from 50c - 1.29 each at Sprouts, but that also keeps me from having them too often. It's the only way I allow myself to have nut butters anymore. And bonus, I can have flavors like Vanilla Almond and Chocolate Sunflower and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    stop buying them.

    im not a big fan of ' food avoidance' but if there are items that are much more difficult to control yourself around than others.... don't buy them.

    for me, its peanut butter cups. i will buy them as an occasional treat, but i can NOT keep bag of the minis in the house cause i will sit and eat them all. one by one. and not give a single flying *kitten*.

    therefore, i dont buy them ;)
  • Kimberly_Harper
    Kimberly_Harper Posts: 406 Member
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    Yep I can't keep them in the house either. Zero self control when it comes to almond and/or cashew butter. There is no "making it fit" for me, because if I did that my food diary for the day's calories would just be "insert nut butter of the day here" and that's it. It's comforting to know I'm not the only one with this problem lmao
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    I have at least 10 different types of nut butter in my house right now, and a couple at work. I absolutely love nut butters and I don't go a single day without eating some. However, I weigh out the portions and fit them into my macros, just like every other food. Could I eat an entire jar in one sitting? Absolutely. But I don't. While bulking, I'm able to eat up to 2-3 servings per day (on waffles, oatmeal, bagels, ice cream, etc.), but while cutting I just make sure to get at least 1-2 tablespoons in.

    When I don't have the fat grams necessary to eat peanut butter, I'll use powdered peanut butter. I also have several types of that at home. Peanut butter flavor without the fat - no, it doesn't taste as good as the real stuff, but it works if you just don't have the calories to spare. Especially if you're mixing it into oatmeal or waffle batter rather than eating it by itself.
  • BreakOnThru
    BreakOnThru Posts: 66 Member
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    BethAnnieT wrote: »
    I buy the little single-serve pouches, because I CANNOT be trusted around an open jar of any kind of nut butter. So I get the Justin's, Wild Friends, and Peanut Butter & CO single serving (2 Tbsp) packets. They are kind of spendy, anywhere from 50c - 1.29 each at Sprouts, but that also keeps me from having them too often. It's the only way I allow myself to have nut butters anymore. And bonus, I can have flavors like Vanilla Almond and Chocolate Sunflower and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter.

    Definitely love the idea of the single-serve packets. Instant portion control!
  • BreakOnThru
    BreakOnThru Posts: 66 Member
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    Lourdesong wrote: »
    If you're overeating nut butters maybe the idea that the fat is satisying is being challenged.
    I don't find fat satisfying, but I do find it very tasty and very easy to overconsume.
    Eta: I keep nut butters in the house and keep my portions of them very small. I'd rather some than none.


    When I said satisfying, I meant satiating. :)
  • BuerreNoisette
    BuerreNoisette Posts: 16 Member
    edited January 2016
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    If you're serious about pushing past that plateau you have to make choice. You know yourself best. Either you have the will power (or can find it ) to portion control the stuff... or you don't buy it in the first place to avoid going overboard. You are the only one that knows what is best for you. Sometimes you have to make short term or long term sacrifices to reach a goal. Decide which is more important to you: a couple minute satisfaction from the spoonfuls of nut butter, or reaching a health or physique goal. There are tons of other great sources of vegetarian protein to choose from, which are lower is calories and offer similar benefits. A simple google search will offer options. If you still want the flavor you can try dry peanut butter. I put it in low fat Greek yogurt or in my post work out smoothies.

    Think of it this way.... if you're consuming even an extra 2 TBS of nut butter a few times a week that's enough to stint your weight loss. ( 200 calories x 4 = 800 calories). That extra 1/2 cup of nut butter per week is cancelling out 2 or 3 of your moderate intensity work outs, assuming you burn around 250-400 calories per work out. Or think of it this way, you'd have to work out an additional 3 times to burn off 1/2 cup nut butter. 800 calories a week over the course of a month would be 3200 calories just from a jar of nut butter.... which would explain almost a pound of fat worth of calories not being lost. Yikes!

    Best of luck to you!



  • BreakOnThru
    BreakOnThru Posts: 66 Member
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    ponycyndi wrote: »
    I did have to give up pb for a while. Now I buy little condiment containers, and weigh out servings ahead of time. Then I limit myself to one, or even half of at a time.

    It took months of quitting certain trigger foods entirely before I was able to do that.

    Yeah I've thought of giving it up entirely, and gone weeks without buying it. But then I buckle. It is definitely a trigger food for me! Sort of like booze to an alcoholic. Weird.
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
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    I love pbfit, peanut butter powder. You can have more without the guilt. For me fiber fills me up so spread this on some celery and I am good to go. Also if you have to mix it, I am more likely to measure and track.
  • M3ltD0Vvn
    M3ltD0Vvn Posts: 76 Member
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    We call peanut butter "The Anchor" in this house.

    At first we paid more for the smaller jars. All that did was point out our (ie: my) obsession with it. Now we go without. Luckily our kids are not into it as much as my generation is/was. When they ask, we get the small jar, and I just have to deal with the calories I start sneaking onto my toast, which is another sneaky b**t**d at our house (bread).

    \m/
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Have you tried experimenting with other sources of fat? I don't eat meat or dairy and in addition to nut butter, I'll use coconut milk, olive oil (or other plant oils), avocado, and vegan mayo to meet my fat needs. I usually get about 30% of my calories from fat.

    Also, are you getting enough fat? I notice that when my fat consumption gets low, that is when I struggle to control myself around certain foods. Making sure I get adequate fat each day has helped me feel more in control of cravings.
  • rhapsodygal
    rhapsodygal Posts: 20 Member
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    I totally get it! I LOVE cashew butter, it's my favorite treat. I buy raw cashew pieces and put them in my food processor with a tad bit of salt and after 10 minutes it's done. I definitely have to weigh my portions or else I would eat it all in one sitting.
  • BreakOnThru
    BreakOnThru Posts: 66 Member
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    BuerreNoisette wrote: »
    If you're serious about pushing past that plateau you have to make choice. You know yourself best. Either you have the will power (or can find it ) to portion control the stuff... or you don't buy it in the first place to avoid going overboard. You are the only one that knows what is best for you. Sometimes you have to make short term or long term sacrifices to reach a goal. Decide which is more important to you: a couple minute satisfaction from the spoonfuls of nut butter, or reaching a health or physique goal. There are tons of other great sources of vegetarian protein to choose from, which are lower is calories and offer similar benefits. A simple google search will offer options. If you still want the flavor you can try dry peanut butter. I put it in low fat Greek yogurt or in my post work out smoothies.

    Think of it this way.... if you're consuming even an extra 2 TBS of nut butter a few times a week that's enough to stint your weight loss. ( 200 calories x 4 = 800 calories). That extra 1/2 cup of nut butter per week is cancelling out 2 or 3 of your moderate intensity work outs, assuming you burn around 250-400 calories per work out. Or think of it this way, you'd have to work out an additional 3 times to burn off 1/2 cup nut butter. 800 calories a week over the course of a month would be 3200 calories just from a jar of nut butter.... which would explain almost a pound of fat worth of calories not being lost. Yikes!

    Best of luck to you!



    Absolutely right on how much it adds up. It is so calorie-dense! Choices indeed. Eyes on the prize.

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