Why have I imposed this ridiculous rule on myself?

[Corkball]

I seem to have developed a rule whereby I can only have one banana a day.. I’m not sure when it started but it’s been many years.

My husband has just brought me one for breakfast and I’m in a state of mild panic because I know I’ve packed one for my lunch!

I don’t have any such control or habits with any other food stuffs-yesterday I ate 2 hot cross buns, the day before I had 2 packets of crisps so it’s not like it’s doing me many favours on the calories front.

i love bananas and they are a lot healthier than crisps etc so why do I feel like this?!

Have you read something in the past about having too much potassium, and you have developed a fear from that, one deep in your subconscious ?

Or constipation? I read its either one way or the other if you have too many.

It's probably because you turn into Bananaman OP.
Whilst you don't remember turning into Bananaman, on a subconscious level do you know that it's very tiring being a superhero once a day, without having to sneak in an extra bit of heroism after breakfast too.

Haha I'm the same!

No idea why. Quite possibly because we buy a specific number of bananas to last a certain number of days between the family. Whereas the biscuit drawer has various boxes that won't be out of date for ages.

I texted my mum yesterday to see if I was allowed to eat more than one avocado a day! I too would feel weird eating multiple bananas!

I’m the same op, I was told by someone years ago about bananas having high potassium content and more than one a day is too much. I ate 2 in one day once, was just really hungry, and am here to tell the tale.

Haha. It's a similar thing to @InvincibleInvisibility for me! I don't want to run out so will only have one a day.

There have in the past been diet myths floating around about bananas not being good for you, not being a 'proper' fruit etc. But if you're comparing them to crisps and biscuits they're very healthy.

I’m the same with any fruit. I think it stems from being told we need to have 5 different fruits and veggies a day, so I try not to waste it on having the same one twice as otherwise I need 6 😂

I have the same rule but don’t know where it came from. Feel sorry for my kids when they ask for a banana and I always have to check if school/nursery have given them one already and if I can’t get a straight answer then I don’t risk it!

thinking of you op

i wouldnt have more than one banana or more than one apple or satsuma

Now I have heard EVERYTHING

No need to worry about eating too much potassium as long as your kidneys are functioning normally. Potassium is a reactive metal that forms water soluble compounds so any excess is just excreted in your urine.

Plus lots of other foods have lots of potassium in, so you might not be reducing your potassium intake by swapping them for another fruit, vegetable or nut/legume/pulse, many of which are also high in potassium.

Eat as many bananas as you like OP, within reason. They're cheap, healthy, don't go off as quick as fruits like berries, a more substantial snack than many other fruits, nothing wrong with eating a few a day. I'd eat at least one or two, but I don't like them, I wish I did.

I don't think it is ridiculous at all. I do the same, only so they last between visits to the local market.

I will eat 3 bananas if I feel like. And give the chilsren2 without thinking. Many days I have none! I guess too much fruit sugar (maybe 5 banana????) is too much but I do think you’re ok with 2!

Yeah probably the potassium or constipation thing

My youngest lived for some time on bananas, quavers and toast and is still here to tell the tale

I get really constipated if I have more than one banana a day-I think it’s a wise rule 😂

You are right to stick to one per day.
What you need to do is extend the rule to cross buns and crisps 😁
They are rich in potassium, which is good in moderate amount, but not in large amounts. They are healthy, but rich in fats and calories of which you do not want too many. So one is good. Also, you do not really need to eat one daily.

I remember when my brother was about 23, he fainted twice in a couple of days. Got taken to a n e. They said it was because he had 5 bananas both days and was the potassium......

As a child I was allowed only one banana a day, with dire warnings of potassium poisoning if ate more.

It's a very arbitrary rule - what if the bananas were the small 'snack size' ones? Then 3 of them would be the equivalent of a big banana.

incidentally did you realise a banana is technically not a fruit or vegetable but a herb? I still count it towards my fruit/veg targets though.

I went to a diet club once where a woman broke down sobbing because she hadn't lost weight that week even though she was 100% on plan all week.

She was also on two different medications that had to be taken with food throughout the day and because she didn't want to waste her syns on the 1/2 a biscuit she usually had with each pill she had switched to a whole banana each time. So was having 6 bananas a day (on top of 3 meals) so had inadvertently eaten an extra 3 days worth of calories just in Bananas.

But she didn't die of potassium poisoning.

I was thinking of 5 a day too. I eat a lot of tomatoes and regularly get annoyed with myself when I realise I’ve had 2x+ portions a day because one ‘doesn’t count’.

Of course, chocolate and crisps don’t count either but oddly enough there are no restrictions on them in my mind.

I can't believe how cheap bananas are - I bought a bunch of 5 and thought I'd misread the price when I weighed them up - 65p for the bunch wow!

definitely eat 2, OP and make your new rule 0 packets of crisps and occasional 1 HCB, themz the new roolz

i wouldnt have more than one banana or more than one apple or satsuma

but satsumas are small! You need to have two to count as one portion of your 5/7+ a day!

Don’t have any banana bread FFS!

This 5 a day thing is madness.
it was supposed to help but just means people restrict themselves.
I aim for 10 at least with veg being 80%