My final straw was when my work pants ripped after work as I was getting into the car, I love those pants. Well almost final. The actual Final was a few days ago when I weighed myself and saw it go to 200lbs. SO I decided to start a eating plan to get down. I found this Banana diet I heard about somewhere on the internet, it is really big in Japan. You just eat 1 or 2 bananas in the morning and 8 oz of room temp water. You can eat whatever you want for lunch and dinner as long as it is sensible. Restrictions: dessert high in sugar, alcohol, soda. I drink water all day. I combined it with the meal plan of Crunchlesss Abs but I modified it a bit.

I keep a food diary and track of my progress at dnramblings.livejournal.com of what I eat and so far I have lost 5 lbs. I started this thing Wednesday. If you want to see if it works, you could always go to the blog an see. I will post here my weight loss every week.

Right now I am on Day 3 and I will post my results for Day 7.

THis is working so far, since I don't feel hungry and I dislike eating breakfast, but I can deal with a couple of bananas and some water.

Yeah, eating whatever you want as long as it's sensible often works, with or without bananas Sensible eating is a fine way to go

But if you give it a name and a sexy pedigree, it's magic!

But hey bananas are good and they make cute smileys

What Julie said.

Whatever works for you to keep the calories down There is no magic in the banana diet and there have been a few posts previous about it. Fruit for breakfast isn't a bad idea though.

Does sound sensible, although I am sensitive to bananas and if I ate two in the morning on an empty stomach, I'd be in the hospital.

But sensible is totally great. Good luck.

I think there was a pretty entertaining thread on the banana diet a couple of months ago but I couldn't find it when I searched...

I agree with some of the other posters - whatever works for you works for you. I do think the magic in this obviously isn't the banana it is the sensible rest of the time like Julie said. But, if it works keep at it!

I do know there is something it that helps flush the extra water out of you too. Plus there are some vitamins in bananas that I probably miss out on when I don't eat them.

Bananas are a really good source of potassium and I do think that might be the reason it releases water, especially if one eats a lot of sodium.

I like bananas, actually, but can only eat small amounts at a time or have maybe a half or so in a protein shake.

I love microwaved bananas as well, although again never a whole one.

I think this worked for me because it asks me eat breakfast. It is a breakfast I can stand and actually feel full from it. Plus, I can eat it on the go.

I'm glad it's working for you and bananas ARE healthy. Just understand they're not magic. It's eating a balanced and sensible diet that helps you lose weight - not a magic food.

I know they are not magic, I never said they were. It is just the only food I can stand to eat in the morning that does not make me feel sick later. Where did this magic crap come from? I know there is no magic way to lose weight. I am not one of those people who are looking for some magic way to lose weight quickly with no effort. I am also not some teenager who does not know any better. I never mentioned anything about magic.
I am just trying out a way that might help me loose some pounds while I am here in the States, until I go back overseas to Japan where I really don't need to diet or exercise as hard because I have way more things to do and do not need a car to get anywhere. This one is working for me and I was wondering if anyone else was trying it.

This might sound mean, but my original post was going to be "No s--- Sherlock.", but I decided against it because that might have been too rude even thought that was exactly what I was thinking.

Anyway, enough of that, since certain factors like a cycle have shown up, I might be stuck at my current weight for the next couple of days. I will see tomorrow. I usually gain weight the first few days, if it goes down I will be surprised. I have noticed with this eating plan I have been waking up usually before my alarm clock and sleeping better. Another added bonus that I noticed to day was that my tummy is not as big as it used to be. I can look down and see only my chest and not both, even if I try to stick out my stomach.

So I will keep with this longer and after Day 7 of this week with no exercise test, I will incorporate some exercise.

Bananas are my saviour food! I have a couple of tiny ones for breakfast, and I take them with me to meetings and so on, and eat one instead of a cookie at the coffee break.
I find them settling to my stomach too - last night I was chairing a meeting, which I hate doing, always makes me nervous, and I hadn't had much to eat yet in the day and didn't want to sit rumbling, and eating a small banana with a glass of water filled me up fine; if I'd had other fruit or a cookie it would have sat making rude noises inside me all evening. TMI?
And finally, I find them quite cleansing, I have a picture of the chewed banana doing a gentle scour of my intestines on the way through and having a good clear out. TMI?

just got this email today about bananas.


Bananas
A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said
the expression 'going bananas' is from the effects of bananas on the brain.
Read on:

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!

This is interesting.

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.


Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined
with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.


Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a
strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit
with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help
overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making
it a must to add to our daily diet.


Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND
amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better
after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan,
a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to

make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.


PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains
regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of
hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in
potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure.
So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed
the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to
reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school
(England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas
at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power.
Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist
learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help
restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without
resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to
make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms

the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood
sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.


Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body,
so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps
to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try
rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people
find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work?
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads
to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital
patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in
high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food
cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high

carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal
disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only
raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases.
It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the
lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a
'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temp
of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat
bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.


Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help
SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer
tryptophan.


Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying
to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium
and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects
of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heart
beat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance.
When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our
potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-
potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine,
eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by
strokes by as much as 40%!


Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want
to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart,
with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster
or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare
it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three
times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other
vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best
value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase
so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'