Nicole - I'm in agreement on the fat thing. Actually, I find that I lose better when I have fats. And some things I will not eat low fat versions of. Any kind of creamy dressings are useless to me in non or reduced fat versions. Plus, I have a little rule that if my main meal is a salad, I can have a nice dressing (1 or 2 TBSP only!)
i love everyone's input on this! it's something i'm questioning on my 3rd time around on LAWL because now I'm a vegetarian and the last 2 times I wasn't. So, PB is something I will be using more frequently now.
Dan--i think fat from nuts (most of them) is a good fat.
Nicole-love the analogies! I totally understand what you're trying to say! Thanks!
I'm not on LAWL, so forgive me for encroaching, but I LOVE peanut butter (that's why this caught my eye ).
Just a suggestion--natural peanut butter is leagues healthier than the processed commercial stuff. Most regular grocery stores carry it now, too, so it's not difficult to find. It probably still counts the same (3T = 1P) since the protein is probably about the same, but it doesn't have any added sugar or trans fats (which are the really evil kind--most peanut butters have this because it's what keeps the oil from separating--even if the jar says 0g trans fat, if anything "hydrogenated" is in the ingredients, then it does have some trans fat).
Anyway, I know it probably doesn't affect how much you can have or anything, but I like it because I know it's much healthier for my body (and ALL of the fats are natural when the only ingredient is peanuts!).
Jill............we don't care if you are not LAWL.......any helpful info it always appreciated on these threads Thank you.......I am glad you brought the natural peanut butter up!!!!
Jill - How does it taste in comparison to the regular stuff? I think I had some when I was a kid, but don't remember. I've seen it, and thought about it, but if you're an "old fashioned peanut butter taste" kinda person, how does it compare? Any words of wisdom are appreciated.
Natural PB does taste different from the processed stuff. No, it's not going to taste like Skippy or Jif. The texture is about the same, I think (although I always liked the texture of the reduced-fat ones better because it wasn't as sticky).
Personally, when I was buying reduced-fat Skippy, I could sit and eat half a jar of it at a time (on nothing more than a spoon). With the natural stuff, I don't like it as much plain/alone, but it still tastes great in recipes (I've used it in banana and peanut butter smoothies) and on sandwiches. And so, not only did I get the benefit of losing all the artifical/chemical junk, but I also ended my peanut butter bingeing habit
If it's not something you eat every day, then maybe it's not a big deal, but I LOVE peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (on whole-grain bread with all-natural strawberry fruit spread), so I eat them frequently and have decided I'd rather put "peanuts" in my body instead of "peanuts + trans fats + sugar + other additives I couldn't even pronouce"
I do actual peanut butter 2-3 times a week every week!
However, I do not do peanut butter from a jar!
I go to one of the organic markets and get the fresh, ground straight from the machine. It's denser and thicker, thus I find the 1 1/2 tbsp serving is just right for a half protein on an either an apple or a grahm cracker! It fits the craving, but I know I'm getting the purest natural stuff!
bowl of (3 T.) PB with SF chocolate syrup on it. Yumm!!
Ooooh - dolphn545, you are bringing back college memories for me. When the dorm food was too awful to eat (almost every day), we would mix PB with (non-SF) chocolate syrup, heat it in the microwave and serve it over vanilla ice cream. The ingredients were always available in the dining hall. This (plus too much beer, late night pizzas, etc.) was the start of the freshman 15, no doubt.
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Thank you.......I am glad you brought the natural peanut butter up!!!! 
