Is peanut butter good for losing body fat?

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amberchen86
amberchen86 Posts: 55 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I eat too much peanut butter everyday just about.Tsp 4g protein which is easy for me to get lots protein.Does anyone know is peanut butter a good choice for losing body fat and build muscle? I am trying to loose body fat not weight.
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Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Peanut butter is primarily a source of fat, not protein.

    Calorie wise it's a poor choice for protein and calorie restriction / weight loss. That's not to say you can't fit some PB into your overall diet of course as it's your entire diet that determines your calorie balance.

    You should be weighing in grams how much you are eating as it's extremely easy to eat more than you intend as it's very calorie dense and delicious.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    If you want a high protein, low fat choice look into lowfat Greek yogurt.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
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    amberchen86 wrote: »
    I eat too much peanut butter everyday just about.Tsp 4g protein which is easy for me to get lots protein.Does anyone know is peanut butter a good choice for losing body fat and build muscle? I am trying to loose body fat not weight.

    No.
  • cyberm
    cyberm Posts: 4 Member
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    Powdered peanut butter would be better because it has fewer calloused fat but still has the protein.
  • cyberm
    cyberm Posts: 4 Member
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    **calories and fat
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,523 Member
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    Fat loss comes down to calorie deficit. Peanut butter isn't a great source of protein based on calories you're consuming since it's higher in fat.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • amberchen86
    amberchen86 Posts: 55 Member
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    Thank you for the answers.I original thought gaining muscle is the only way to loose body fat. I thought eating more protein will help to gain muscles. Now I don't know what to eat to get my protein goal. All protein rich food have high calories. I can't eat a box of protein bar ( 6 bars x 220 cal).chicken leg 267 cals per 100 g.Greek yogurt I have to eat 3 containers. That is why I eat peanut butter so I can eat something else too.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
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    amberchen86 wrote: »
    Thank you for the answers.I original thought gaining muscle is the only way to loose body fat. I thought eating more protein will help to gain muscles. Now I don't know what to eat to get my protein goal. All protein rich food have high calories. I can't eat a box of protein bar ( 6 bars x 220 cal).chicken leg 267 cals per 100 g.Greek yogurt I have to eat 3 containers. That is why I eat peanut butter so I can eat something else too.

    You can eat what you want. Just less of it. Find your calorie goal and eat what you want within it.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    There is nothing wrong with eating peanuts and other nuts. I do it every day. All are fats and are good for you. Eating fats does not make you fat-- over-eating overall makes you gain weight. The portion size for calorie dense foods is important, so it can be a good idea to weigh out what you will eat, at least for a while until you get a good eye for the portion.

    I personally shoot for getting about 30 - 50% of my calories from fats depending on what exercise I'm doing in that day. (For which I add more carbos.)

    In the same vein: eating protein will not make you muscular. You need to use your muscles to get muscular, eating enough protein to support that. How much protein exactly is a big debate that you can find elsewhere. I can just say that I eat on the lower end of those estimates.
  • amberchen86
    amberchen86 Posts: 55 Member
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    I checked my food intake.I eat 25% from fat and 35% from protein.I do cardio for 30 to 40 minutes a day plus walking.Because my surgery so can't lift weights for awhile.should I cut down my protein intake? From what I understanding cardio make people loose muscles.Am I going to gain more body fat % during this period? What are the food contain better protein than peanut butter? I know most of meat contains less protein than peanut butter.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,124 Member
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    Tuna, chicken, greek yogurt, cottage cheese are all good sources of lower calorie protein. It shouldn't be that hard to find lower calorie protein sources.
  • knotmel
    knotmel Posts: 80 Member
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    There’s a spreadsheet linked in this thread that is a useful source for figuring out how to get protein in a way that meets your needs. https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also
  • amberchen86
    amberchen86 Posts: 55 Member
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    Thank you for your help.I want to learn eating properly not randomly that is why I am here for.I will check out that spreadsheet. I know some people here know what they are doing in food and they build nice bodies.I want to improve my knowledge so I can do the same. Thank you everyone.
  • Hiawassee88
    Hiawassee88 Posts: 35,754 Member
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    Peanuts are a legume. One ounce of peanuts = 7 gms of protein. One ounce of full fat yogurt = 8.5 gms of protein. One ounce of roast beef = 8 gms of protein.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    amberchen86 wrote: »
    I checked my food intake.I eat 25% from fat and 35% from protein.I do cardio for 30 to 40 minutes a day plus walking.Because my surgery so can't lift weights for awhile.should I cut down my protein intake? From what I understanding cardio make people loose muscles.Am I going to gain more body fat % during this period? What are the food contain better protein than peanut butter? I know most of meat contains less protein than peanut butter.

    Meat has way more protein than peanut butter. Most of the calories in peanut butter are coming from dietary fat. Most of the calories in a chicken breast are coming from protein.

    4oz of uncooked chicken breast is around 120 calories and 26g protein. 2 Tbsp of peanut butter is around 190 calories and only 7 grams of protein. Lean meats are primary sources of protein.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,461 Member
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    Hi, Amber.
    I eat very high protein, and my food diary is open. I eat a lot of meat, cottage cheese, skyr, homemade liquid whey, and plain powdered whey.

    Boneless skinless chicken breast is low calorie and high protein. There are cuts of beef and pork that are also very low calorie and high protein. I can slice a roast into small steaks for grilling, or may dice and sauté with onions for a tasty sandwich.

    Likewise, a pork loin can be sliced into medallions to grill or roast, or put in a crockpot with barbecue or taco sauce.

    I add cottage cheese to a lot of foods. I add it to pancakes (moister!) and smoothies (creamy!).

    Unflavored whey powder hides easily in baked goods or smoothies.

    I make homemade ice cream every night with fat free skyr or Greek yogurt. You can make a crazy easy cream cheese spread with greek yogurt that’s high protein.

    Beef jerky is my go-to snack when I’m low on protein.

    Game night with girlfriends tonight will be high calorie pasta. I’ll be taking a big dish of boiled shrimp for me and a vegetarian friend. Super high protein and very low calorie.

    Eating lots of protein isn’t going to build muscles. You’ve got to exercise.

    First of all, you’ve just had surgery. Allow your self time to heal!!!! Don’t push beyond what your medical team recommends.

    My trainer explained to me that cardio would slim me down, weight training would build me up.

    Common sense tells you runners get calf muscles, bikers get thigh and calf, weight lifters tend towards thighs arms and shoulders. You can tell a runner by their legs, right? So I guess it depends on where you want to work on, what you personally feel is attractive, but above all, what do you enjoy and will get in the habit of doing regularly.

    If you’re worried about losing weight by doing cardio (or any other exercise), the solution is very simple. Eat more! (Yay!!!!)
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    @amberchen86 : You don't have to hit the same breakdown every day, it's really an average breakdown over several days that matters. Meat, fish, eggs, and dairy are all easy ways to get protein, assuming you can eat them. Plants have protein, too, but you need to work much harder to get the right quantity and balance. Buy a book, watch youtube, or see a nutritionist if you want eat a plant-based diet.

    You have to eat "adequate" protein. What is "adequate" is debated: the US RDA is only 0.36 grams per pound of body mass per day on average-- much lower than what a lot of people eat. Overeating protein while staying in a calorie-restricted diet means eating fewer fats and carbs, which are your daily fuel.
  • amberchen86
    amberchen86 Posts: 55 Member
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    Hello ,springering62 your body is really amazing. I can't imaging how much hard work that you put into getting that.Thank you for showing me your way of eating.I really learn something from you.Thank you Jthanfitnesspal,I am still at the stage of learning about my body.I think I will try to test my body for the next few months and figure out what is the right way for me to eat.

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