Macadamia: How much is too much? page 2

[sbhikes]

Too much is also when the give you horrible gas and come out looking the same as they went in. Been there, done that. I limit my consumption to about 5 at a time or so.

[Paleobird]

I just can't keep mac nuts in the house and as jakey pointed out 200 cal/oz is a lot. If the OP eats 4oz, that's 800 calories. The problem with "munchie" calories like this is that they don't seem to have any effect on my hunger levels for a real meal. They just add extra calorie on top of what I would eat anyway.

[PrimalStudent]

1/4 lb of macadamias per day is too much if you are trying to lose weight. Nuts and dairy are not great foods when losing weight - low satiety, huge calories.

What if I keep my calories and macronutrients in check though? In that light, macadamias shouldn't contribute to weight gain, right?

I ask because I eat about a 1/2 cup of macadamia a nuts per day, usually to replace lunch (which is a very busy time of day for me). I get all of my animal protein and vegetables throughout the rest of the day, and keep my calories around 1200. I also cut out 1/2 an avocado from the rest of my day to compensate for the addition of the macadamias.

Do you think I will see myself gaining fat as a result?

[sakura_girl]

I just can't keep mac nuts in the house and as jakey pointed out 200 cal/oz is a lot. If the OP eats 4oz, that's 800 calories. The problem with "munchie" calories like this is that they don't seem to have any effect on my hunger levels for a real meal. They just add extra calorie on top of what I would eat anyway.

When I eat half a pound of nuts in the afternoon, I skip dinner...I think they contribute plenty of satiety...later on!

[PrimalStudent]

Agreed! I feel they're healthy primal calories at the end of the day, as long as they're added in place of -- not on TOP of -- something else! So if I eat some, it'll be instead of an avocado or something.

[ChocoTaco369]

Bear in mind macadamia nuts are composed of almost all fat - they are the oiliest commonly eaten nut. If you are eating a lot, you are going to slow your fat loss to a "snail's pace" because you are consuming lots of oil, and you must burn through all that dietary fat before you can tap into your fat stores. IMO, cut way back on macadamia nuts and as long as you aren't replacing those calories, the weight will start pouring off. But they're not necessarily unhealthy. People on this forum do all sorts of crazy things like drink straight heavy cream and blend sticks of butter into their coffee, so your vice is moderate to say the least! You have to weigh your options - do you like the nuts more than losing the weight? Take your pick and that's your answer.

If you feel the need to munch, simply switching to a drier, less fatty nut like a hazelnut would cut calories by about 25% given the same quantity. Though I would focus on eliminating them altogether. If you don't buy them, you can't eat them. The fact that they're outrageously expensive and would translate into lots of savings is another incentive to quit.

[Neckhammer]

Yep, macadamia nuts (well nuts in general) are excellent for you. Minerals not as easy to come by eating Primal such as magnesium are high on the list of their attributes. They also have a superb nutritional and macro profile with complete proteins, good FA profile, and some carbs. Some people needing to lose weight need to watch how many they pile in, but they are a whole food and as such as self limiting as say....fruit. I shoot for at least several ounces of a variety of nuts in a day. Heck my salad has about 4 oz on it alone.

[PrimalStudent]

Bear in mind macadamia nuts are composed of almost all fat - they are the oiliest commonly eaten nut. If you are eating a lot, you are going to slow your fat loss to a "snail's pace" because you are consuming lots of oil, and you must burn through all that dietary fat before you can tap into your fat stores. IMO, cut way back on macadamia nuts and as long as you aren't replacing those calories, the weight will start pouring off. But they're not necessarily unhealthy. People on this forum do all sorts of crazy things like drink straight heavy cream and blend sticks of butter into their coffee, so your vice is moderate to say the least! You have to weigh your options - do you like the nuts more than losing the weight? Take your pick and that's your answer.

If you feel the need to munch, simply switching to a drier, less fatty nut like a hazelnut would cut calories by about 25% given the same quantity. Though I would focus on eliminating them altogether. If you don't buy them, you can't eat them. The fact that they're outrageously expensive and would translate into lots of savings is another incentive to quit.

That makes sense. Thanks for your input. I actually am at a healthy weight though, so I'm not trying to lose, and macadamias help me keep my calories low anyway. How are eating them any different from eating fat from meat? That's essentially what I'm doing... instead of a few oz of grass fed beef for lunch, I'm having about the same amount of fat, but in the form of macadamias. Does this change things?

[sakura_girl]

That makes sense. Thanks for your input. I actually am at a healthy weight though, so I'm not trying to lose, and macadamias help me keep my calories low anyway. How are eating them any different from eating fat from meat? That's essentially what I'm doing... instead of a few oz of grass fed beef for lunch, I'm having about the same amount of fat, but in the form of macadamias. Does this change things?

I don't think so. If you eat meat otherwise, then you're getting the nutrients you need from both worlds.