I am really hoping I haven’t been sabotaging myself the last 2 weeks. My program cleared me for nuts so for lunch everyday I was just grabbing a portioned out bag of cashews, 1 ounce. I’m 3 months post op and have been in a stall the last 2 weeks. My calories are around 700 a day and I go to the gym everyday for 60-90 minutes. Could the cashews be preventing me from losing weight? I had thought this was something good for us and now I’m not so sure after having read a little on it. Do you think cashews should go into the category of a once every few weeks treat instead of a lunch option?

One ounce of nuts shouldn't stop you losing OP don't worry. We do this to ourselves during stalls - look back at everything to see what's to blame. The fact is stalls just happen and then just stop again. It can be hard to get our brains to accept that though! Hoping yours finishes really soon.

No. That's nuts.

You have a BMI of 86, you could be eating half a pound of cashews for lunch and you'd still lose weight. Not as fast as you are now, but at a good clip.

That being said, the macro spread (ratio of fats, carbohydrates, and protein) of cashews isn't great. If you're only getting 700 calories a day, you need to be prioritizing protein and nuts aren't really a protein food. They're mostly fat.

Again, eating them will not stop you from losing weight, but you need protein to ensure that the mass you're losing trends toward fat mass and not lean mass. Depending on what you're eating throughout the rest of the day, you might want to switch the cashews for a protein-dense food most days.

Nuts are pretty calorie-dense and can cause weight gain if you eat a lot of them, but 1 ounce of cashews is about 160 calories (could be more if they have added ingredients, e.g., honey-roasted) and have no more impact on your weight than 160 calories from any other food. Are you including that in your 700 calories per day or is that in addition? Either way, you are under 1000 calories per day, which is low enough that you will continue to lose weight (especially if you're working out 60-90 minutes per day).

Stalls are very common and normal. Weight loss isn't linear. Stick with your program and your weight loss will resume.

1 hour ago, Nepenthe44 said:

You have a BMI of 86, you could be eating half a pound of cashews for lunch and you'd still lose weight. Not as fast as you are now, but at a good clip.

I'm guessing that BMI is in error. I suspect the weight is meant to be 235 pounds and not 235 kg (518 pounds). While it's possible that she actually weighs 518 pounds, her goal weight of 150 kg (330 pounds) would be unusually high for a goal weight. Still, even at a weight of 235 pounds (BMI of 39), less than 1000 calories per day is well below TDEE.

Edited May 22, 20233 yr by BigSue
Corrected numbers

One thing that we do during stalls is overthink & blame very normal things for it. This stall was most likley going to happen whether you were eating nuts or lettuce leaves, just stick to your plan & you will see results!

I personally only use nuts as a topping as they can be quite calorie dense, but a little bit at a time won't cause much harm especially if they are salt-free (salty ones can however make you retain water weight)

Oh geeze..yes I definitely messed up. It’s pounds not KG’s and I have no idea how to fix that lol. Im still trying to figure this all out I am so sorry. I weigh 203 pounds currently. I think you all have given such great advice!! Love the topping idea and will lean towards a more rich protein source for lunch. The 700 calories were including the cashews. Thank you all so much!!

nope - it's not the cashews. You're eating 700 kcal/day, so it's just a stall. Stick to your plan and stay off the scale. It'll eventually break.

I agree with the others: it’s not the cashews. Stalls are a common & important part of your weight loss. It’s when your body shuts down to take stock of your changing needs & then resets things like your metabolism, digestive hormones, etc. They usually last 1-3 weeks.

Do look for a lunch that is going to offer more protein (1oz cashews provides only 5g of protein) & includes other foods for a wider variety of nutrients. Try a meat like chicken or tuna, or tofu or a boiled egg, etc. with a small side of salad vegetables, or an omelette, soup, etc. Have a chat with your dietician for some meal ideas

First of all, complete agree with this just being a "normal" stall and the best way out is to just stay the course. It will eventually break if you are following your plan and tracking everything as closely as you are now.

If you like nuts and want something different for lunch, I usually make myself a salad with 1/4 oz of nuts or seeds (I like pistachios and pumpkin seeds), 2 oz of rotisserie chicken, 1 oz of leafy greens like spinach or baby kale and 1 oz of berries or other lower-carb fruits/veggies like tomatoes, and 1/2 oz of salad dressing (which can be something of your choosing; I like poppyseed dressing but it's a bit sugary. I just allow for it elsewhere in my day). The whole thing is under 300 calories, is well balanced, contatins more protein than the nuts alone and will keep you full longer.

Another way to incorporate nuts in a more "substantial" way is to put, again, 1/4 oz of them in a Greek yogurt, maybe also add some kind of lower-sugar fruit like berries. You end up with a meal closer to 20g of protein depending on what brand and quantity of yogurt you're having.