Bananas bad for losing weight?

tifsimmons91
tifsimmons91 Posts: 84 Member
edited November 14 in Food and Nutrition
I've heard that bananas are good for you and I've heard that they are bad for you.... can someone tell me a little more about bananas on a diet, should I eat one for breakfast with my protein shake, or should I leave out the banana and find something else?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    a banana is a banana, if it fits your calories and macros on any given day then you're good to go...
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    No food is good or bad for weight loss (outside of allergies or being spoiled). Regardless of what you eat, you need to consume less calories than you burn. If bananas satiate you, then it might be a good food to frequently incorporate into your diet. In the end, this game is all about dietary compliance and finding foods to make this sustainable.
  • lycheelu
    lycheelu Posts: 42 Member
    They are high in (natural) sugar, but they're not bad for you, and will be higher in carbs than some other fruits if you're watching carbs. The riper (browner) the banana, the more sugar.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Weight loss is about calories not type of food.
    If the banana fits your calorie goal and you like bananas eat a banana.
    Same with bread, rice, pasta, whole eggs, avocado, pizza, cake or any food or drink you might consume.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »
    No food is good or bad. It is the over all diet that counts.

    When you want to lose weight eat less calories than you burn.

    This.
  • tifsimmons91
    tifsimmons91 Posts: 84 Member
    Thank you everyone!. I'm trying to do low carbs and when I logged breakfast, I noticed I was high in carbs. But atleast carbs from a banana is better than carbs from a bag of chips.
  • EttaMaeMartin
    EttaMaeMartin Posts: 303 Member
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »
    No food is good or bad. It is the over all diet that counts.

    When you want to lose weight eat less calories than you burn.

    exactly!
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Bananas are just fine for losing weight. I'd be screwed otherwise as I eat a lot of them.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    tifsimmons91 wrote: »
    Thank you everyone!. I'm trying to do low carbs and when I logged breakfast, I noticed I was high in carbs. But atleast carbs from a banana is better than carbs from a bag of chips.

    Well, the chips have more calories, since they are half fat -- beats me why people think of them as "carbs" only.

    The banana has more micronutrients, probably, so I agree it benefits you that way.

    The carbs are the same -- the ones in fruit are simple carbs, the ones in the chips complex carbs, but that doesn't really matter.

    I am NOT saying that there's no reason to choose a banana over chips, I would myself most days.

    Like others have said, bananas have no effect on weight loss in themselves. If you like fruit at breakfast and can afford the carbs (since you said you are doing low carb), no problem. If you want a lower carb breakfast various fruits (like berries) will be lower.

    Important thing to realize is that carbs are not unhealthy (although I think a low carb diet can be right for lots of people) and # of carbs has nothing to do with nutrient content.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited January 2017
    sugaraddict4321 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    tifsimmons91 wrote: »
    Thank you everyone!. I'm trying to do low carbs and when I logged breakfast, I noticed I was high in carbs. But atleast carbs from a banana is better than carbs from a bag of chips.

    why?

    I think she means that if she's getting carbs anyway, better to get from a banana so at least she's getting other nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Not that the carbs themselves are any different. ;) Chips aren't exactly known for being full of vitamins and minerals. Mmmm chips!

    I think it can be helpful to let the OP explain their own reasons, as often they haven't even thought about it that much. Many people think carbs=junk food and carb are what's wrong with potato chips (which they've been told are bad, I personally don't think anything is wrong with chips), so it's useful to help them think it through themselves IMO.

    Given that potato chips ARE half fat, the same amount of carbs as in a banana would have twice the calories, so that's another reason it could be "bad." But holding the calories equal you'd get HALF the carbs and, if you really find fat more sating, in theory be more filled up.

    Me, I don't care about most chips, do like bananas a lot, and find bananas plenty filling, so I'd take the banana. If I had a low carb limit I'd probably choose blueberries or some other lower sugar fruit, though. But low carb could still mean not that low -- I've been eating around 100 g (not totally planned, just how I seem to be eating), and can easily eat a banana if I want (I'm more into pears and pineapples lately, which are also pretty high sugar fruits, and carbs still seem to be hitting around 100, like I said).
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    tifsimmons91 wrote: »
    Thank you everyone!. I'm trying to do low carbs and when I logged breakfast, I noticed I was high in carbs. But atleast carbs from a banana is better than carbs from a bag of chips.

    Well, the chips have more calories, since they are half fat -- beats me why people think of them as "carbs" only.

    The banana has more micronutrients, probably, so I agree it benefits you that way.

    The carbs are the same -- the ones in fruit are simple carbs, the ones in the chips complex carbs, but that doesn't really matter.

    I am NOT saying that there's no reason to choose a banana over chips, I would myself most days.

    Like others have said, bananas have no effect on weight loss in themselves. If you like fruit at breakfast and can afford the carbs (since you said you are doing low carb), no problem. If you want a lower carb breakfast various fruits (like berries) will be lower.

    Important thing to realize is that carbs are not unhealthy (although I think a low carb diet can be right for lots of people) and # of carbs has nothing to do with nutrient content.

    The bolded is a pet peeve of mine.....and I agree with the rest.

    I was out for pizza the other night & someone at the table complained of carbs - yeah, like the pizza is just carbs.
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
    I like a banana each morning as part of my breakfast. Never consider them or any other food bad
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    edited January 2017
    tifsimmons91 wrote: »
    I've heard that bananas are good for you and I've heard that they are bad for you.... can someone tell me a little more about bananas on a diet, should I eat one for breakfast with my protein shake, or should I leave out the banana and find something else?

    Bananas are relatively low in calories, so can be a great food for weight loss, so long as they help you keep your total calories down.

    I can't really see bananas themselves being bad for weight loss unless one of these two apply to you...

    1). You're trying to do a keto diet and bananas keep you out of that. Even this just makes bananas bad for entering/maintaining a keto state, not necessarily bad for weight loss. All the latter needs to occur is a calorie deficit.

    2). Bananas give you a bigger appetite than you'd have without eating them, and you maintain a smaller or less consistent deficit when they're part of your diet.

    I love bananas but I absolutely cannot eat them for breakfast. When I'm in a fasted state and eat high sugar foods, it gives me a larger appetite than is my norm for the whole rest of the day.

    I do better with bananas later in the day after I've already been eating and pairing them with fat, but even that isn't always fool proof. So I don't eat bananas as frequently as my taste buds would like. :(

    If you had this problem with bananas, you would know lol. So if you don't, I'd say bananas fit firmly inside (inner 12 year old giggles) your good-for-weight-loss list.
  • lks802
    lks802 Posts: 65 Member
    Just as others have said, bananas aren't bad or good. It depends on what is right for you.

    For me, where I'm at, bananas are not a good choice. Based on my blood work and working with my physician and nutritionist, the most I should have is 1/2 banana at a meal. And it's because of its affect on my blood sugars. But that is something related to me and how my body is metabolizing. They aren't a bad choice, but not a great choice--for me.

    It's all relative to what your diet and nutritional needs are.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    Eat any food you want. Just eat fewer calories than you burn.
  • NewGemini130
    NewGemini130 Posts: 219 Member
    Yum, bananas. Holds my hunger over, tasty, and good potassium. Just eat a variety and track everything! You can find someone that thinks pretty much any food is bad. I personally find fruits the best snacks between meals, but some low carbers would never touch em.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    The only thing that's bad for losing weight Is exceeding your TDEE.
  • tifsimmons91
    tifsimmons91 Posts: 84 Member
    Thank you everyone for your helpful input. In all honesty, I'm not a big fruit person but I'm trying to eat healthier. I'm really raining about seeing a nutritionist to educate myself better on what foods are good or bad, and what does what for the body. The only thing I know about losing weight is you gotta move more and eat less! Lol that and it's 80% what you eat and 20% exercise.... again thank you all for the input, I'm really just trying to lose weight the right way
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