Water & Peanut Diet

The water and peanut diet can be an effective plan for healthy weight loss. The Harvard Medical School says eating peanuts and peanut butter, as part of a Mediterranean, moderate-fat diet, can aid in weight loss, and that peanuts can help keep weight off better than a low-fat diet plan.

Water plays an important role in any weight-loss plan. According to the American Chemical Society, drinking two 8-ounce glasses of water before each meal decreases the calories you consume by 75 to 90. Over a 12-week period, if you drink water before each meal, you can lose 5 or more pounds. If you want to increase the amount of weight you lose, drink more water and fewer sugary drinks.

According to "The Peanut Butter Diet," by Holly McCord, women are allowed to eat 2 tbsp. of peanut butter each day. Men can eat 3 tbsp. This can be eaten as a snack and as part of your meals. You can also use peanut butter as a healthy snack with whole-wheat crackers or apples.

The reason the water and peanut diet is likely to help you lose weight and keep it off is because you won't feel starved or deprived. On average, you will only lose a half-pound a week. This may seem insignificant compared to other plans that promise 2 or more pounds of weight loss a week. However, many low-fat diets fail in the long term because they are so strict. According to Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, people can eat some of their favorite foods, such as peanuts and peanut butter, and still see better weight-loss results than with a low fat-diet.

It may seem impossible to lose weight on a diet that promotes eating peanut butter, which has 190 calories and 16 g of fat in two tablespoons. But the fat in peanut butter is from monosaturated fats, or healthy fats. If you overindulge in peanut butter, you will gain weight. However, if you enjoy it as part of a healthy diet, you can lose weight and reduce your risk of heart disease.

McCord says if weight loss is your goal, you need to exercise. If you can't go to a gym, you can get exercise by making small changes in your daily activities. For example, walk your dog more often, take your kids outside to play or park your car in the back of parking lots.

One reason peanut butter aids in weight loss is that it makes you feel full and satisfied longer than other foods lower in fat and calories. According to a study done by Dr. Richard Mattes, associate professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University, when you eat peanut butter, you feel full for about 2 1/2 hours. When you eat lower-calorie snacks, such as rice cakes, you feel hungry again within a half-hour.