One group limited fat to a very low 20 percent of calories. The other group ate monounsaturated fat foods such as peanut butter, nuts, olive oil and avocados, which boosted their fat total to a rich 35 percent of calories. Dieters in both groups lost about 11 pounds in the first 6 weeks. But twice as many peanut butter dieters stuck it out, and they maintained their weight for 18 months. The low-fat group had double the dropouts, and those who stayed regained about 5 pounds.
People have to enjoy what they eat to stick with it.
The peanut butter diet lowered heart disease risk by a whopping 21 percent, while the very low-fat diet lowered risk by only 12 percent. And the American Heart Association agrees. One of my patients admitted to eating half a jar at a sitting. It turns out that she turned to peanut butter at the end of the workday after skipping all her other meals and snacks. Others just go too long without their favorite forbidden food, so when they finally give in, they wallow in it.