Do you lose more when you eat less processed food?
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WinoGelato wrote: »
Yep. Eating a cheese stick now. Also had some baby carrots. Both are processed- I know carrots don't look like that in nature, and milk doesn't come out as cheese.lemurcat12 wrote: »Again, "processed" does not mean "not nutritious."
Especially not perfectly rectangular shaped cheese wrapped in plastic... but goodness, there must be something wrong with it if it is packaged conveniently...
We should just be thankful it doesn't come in a box...sealightdolphin wrote: »In the last 6 weeks we have went from most days microwave meals, to only microwave veggies, and I am trying to let them go as well.
Why? My bag of frozen peas has only peas as the ingredient, same as most of my frozen corn, it's just corn.
Because microwaves are evil
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sealightdolphin wrote: »For myself. After I had a allergic reaction and ended up in the hospital. I really took stock of what I was eating. I am amazed at what boxed foods have in them. When you think about a microwave meal and it is suppose to be healthy,but how can something that is so processed and you have to microwave, be that good for you. In the last 6 weeks we have went from most days microwave meals, to only microwave veggies, and I am trying to let them go as well.
Eh? I once had a very bad reaction to a Healthy Choice frozen dinner. And while it was over 20 years ago, I haven't eaten that brand since. But I didn't swear off all microwave foods, just the evil ones that gave me food poisoning.0 -
I find that I lose better when sticking to cleaner natural foods (meat, fruit, veggies) and avoid processed foods including breads and dairy. I don't think it's because of the eating cleaner, I just think I take in way less calories when I not eating processed foods just like maillemaker pointed out.
I learned this when doing WW core plan several years ago. Because it limited the foods to lean meats, fat free dairy, fruits and veggies, brown rice or whole wheat pasta plus up to 3 tsp. oil a day. Anything else and you had to use your weekly points which really don't go that far when eating processed foods, breads, etc. And it's like my WW leader said back then, the majority of us didn't gain our weight eating too many baby carrots or apples and the like.
Eating clean takes a whole lot more planning and prep, but the payoff can be well worth it if you tend to overdo processed foods or grab junk (chips, cookies, candy) when you're hungry and short on time.0 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »What kind of "treat" is it if it doesn't include Mexican food, chips, and salsa?
A treat that's not for you?
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I have a friend who eats nothing but home made from the garden and even raise their own meat and can everything, they both are obeist, why because they eat to much and don't burn enough calories.
Raises hand here
Had my own chickens, eggs and vegetables and fruit
Meat and dairy came from the other local farm on the other side of the road which i swapped a lot of my "homemade" foods with like jams, mayonnaise and backed goodies.
I really made everything myself from my own garden and everything organic
The moment i became sedentary because of an injury i became obese...because i ate too much calories for my sedentary life style! At the start i couldn't do anything and didn't accept the fact i had to eat less of course. And after that a period of time of eating to much because i really didn't care anymore after losing my business/home/garden and everything i had before. So my own fault.
Now (without my garden because i cant have one, and without all my own organic food) i have to buy most of my foods. I still grow as much as possible in tomatoes and herbs and spices. The rest i have to buy
And i have a normal balanced diet. And i lose weight!
Why...because my calorie intake is less than i burn
It is pretty simple ya know
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[/BringingSherriBack wrote: »
I learned this when doing WW core plan several years ago. Because it limited the foods to lean meats, fat free dairy, fruits and veggies, brown rice or whole wheat pasta plus up to 3 tsp. oil a day. Anything else and you had to use your weekly points which really don't go that far when eating processed foods, breads, etc. And it's like my WW leader said back then, the majority of us didn't gain our weight eating too many baby carrots or apples and the like.
Eating clean takes a whole lot more planning and prep, but the payoff can be well worth it if you tend to overdo processed foods or grab junk (chips, cookies, candy) when you're hungry and short on time.
I've made myself sick on both Apricots and mussels. You can overeat anything.
And "eating clean" is very vague.
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ceoverturf wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »
Yep. Eating a cheese stick now. Also had some baby carrots. Both are processed- I know carrots don't look like that in nature, and milk doesn't come out as cheese.lemurcat12 wrote: »Again, "processed" does not mean "not nutritious."
Especially not perfectly rectangular shaped cheese wrapped in plastic... but goodness, there must be something wrong with it if it is packaged conveniently...
We should just be thankful it doesn't come in a box...sealightdolphin wrote: »In the last 6 weeks we have went from most days microwave meals, to only microwave veggies, and I am trying to let them go as well.
Why? My bag of frozen peas has only peas as the ingredient, same as most of my frozen corn, it's just corn.
Because microwaves are evil
The FoodBabe certainly thinks so...
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WinoGelato wrote: »ceoverturf wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »
Yep. Eating a cheese stick now. Also had some baby carrots. Both are processed- I know carrots don't look like that in nature, and milk doesn't come out as cheese.lemurcat12 wrote: »Again, "processed" does not mean "not nutritious."
Especially not perfectly rectangular shaped cheese wrapped in plastic... but goodness, there must be something wrong with it if it is packaged conveniently...
We should just be thankful it doesn't come in a box...sealightdolphin wrote: »In the last 6 weeks we have went from most days microwave meals, to only microwave veggies, and I am trying to let them go as well.
Why? My bag of frozen peas has only peas as the ingredient, same as most of my frozen corn, it's just corn.
Because microwaves are evil
The FoodBabe certainly thinks so...
The food babe thinks that pumpkin is supposed to be an ingredient in pumpkin spice.0 -
"Processed" food only means that some degree of preservative have been added to defend against microbial contamination during transportation/storage. This is typically met by adding either sugar or salt.
I don't make the time to prepare food for the most part, so the majority of my meals are processed and have had no issues losing weight/burning fat.0 -
"Processed" food only means that some degree of preservative have been added to defend against microbial contamination during transportation/storage. This is typically met by adding either sugar or salt.
I don't make the time to prepare food for the most part, so the majority of my meals are processed and have had no issues losing weight/burning fat.
Processing actually is less than adding a preservative. It's changing it in any way from it's natural state.0 -
Leaving adherence & satiety & well being & lifestyle out of it is strange to me bc they can't be abstracted from real-world experience.
I have lost weight eating the kind of highly processed food that people call "junk food" or "convenience food", yes.
I also didn't feel great after eating. I was also very, very sedentary, so my appetite was lower than it usually is. My body was thin but didn't look the best, bc of the no fitness aspect. I don't think I personally could sustain an active lifestyle on 1800 calories of "junk" food with any comfort for very long. With whole/"clean"/whatever foods, you usually get more volume and often satiety for the same # of calories. So to me, more food + more activity = feeling and looking better. If it's just about getting to a number on a scale, yeah, you can do it any way as long as you're eating less than you burn.
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OP didn't ask about eating all "junk" food or even about junk food at all.
Here's what she said:Yes, my primary question was if I eat 1500 of mostly unprocessed foods (lean proteins, fruit, veggies) compared to 1500 calories of "whatever" foods (keeping in mind that I try to eat really well throughout the day but processed in the terms of maybe an ice cream treat at night or a latte if it fit in my calories) will my loss be the same?
Not only did she stipulate same calories, but I for one would not find the satiety difference between the two options mentioned much at all.
I'll add, again, that I don't understand this notion that "processed" means not nutritious or not satisfying. Many of the more processed things I eat (stuff like smoked salmon or dairy or protein powder) are foods that I specifically use to make my breakfast more filling.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »OP didn't ask about eating all "junk" food or even about junk food at all.
She asked about our experiences, so I offered mine0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »OP didn't ask about eating all "junk" food or even about junk food at all.
Here's what she said:Yes, my primary question was if I eat 1500 of mostly unprocessed foods (lean proteins, fruit, veggies) compared to 1500 calories of "whatever" foods (keeping in mind that I try to eat really well throughout the day but processed in the terms of maybe an ice cream treat at night or a latte if it fit in my calories) will my loss be the same?
Not only did she stipulate same calories, but I for one would not find the satiety difference between the two options mentioned much at all.
Well, I would. I just passed along the experiences I 've had that were closest to what OP asked for. If someone has in their pocket experiences conforming exactly to her constraints, good0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »OP didn't ask about eating all "junk" food or even about junk food at all.
Here's what she said:Yes, my primary question was if I eat 1500 of mostly unprocessed foods (lean proteins, fruit, veggies) compared to 1500 calories of "whatever" foods (keeping in mind that I try to eat really well throughout the day but processed in the terms of maybe an ice cream treat at night or a latte if it fit in my calories) will my loss be the same?
Not only did she stipulate same calories, but I for one would not find the satiety difference between the two options mentioned much at all.
I'll add, again, that I don't understand this notion that "processed" means not nutritious or not satisfying. Many of the more processed things I eat (stuff like smoked salmon or dairy or protein powder) are foods that I specifically use to make my breakfast more filling.
I am not interested in debating what is and isn't processed, just talked about my life for a bit in the hopes it was useful0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »OP didn't ask about eating all "junk" food or even about junk food at all.
Here's what she said:Yes, my primary question was if I eat 1500 of mostly unprocessed foods (lean proteins, fruit, veggies) compared to 1500 calories of "whatever" foods (keeping in mind that I try to eat really well throughout the day but processed in the terms of maybe an ice cream treat at night or a latte if it fit in my calories) will my loss be the same?
Not only did she stipulate same calories, but I for one would not find the satiety difference between the two options mentioned much at all.
I'll add, again, that I don't understand this notion that "processed" means not nutritious or not satisfying. Many of the more processed things I eat (stuff like smoked salmon or dairy or protein powder) are foods that I specifically use to make my breakfast more filling.
Three examples of the less nutritious aspect of highly processed foods are (1) magnesium deficiency and (2) potential impacts of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Magnesium Deficiency
An overwhelming amount of the population is magnesium deficient (I've seen number at 70%+ of the US population) and this is largely attributed to our processing of foods -- that it strips out certain natural vitamins and minerals or that the highly processed foods interfere with absorption.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Another example which is being currently being debated is the addition of high fructose corn syrup to so many highly processed foods. That due to the chemical nature of and between the bonds between the glucose and fructose, it's digested differently than other sweeteners such as sucrose (table sugar) or seen in other naturally occuring places like the fructose in fruits (which also have fiber). Some have hypothesized the lack of a chemical bond between glucose and fructose in HFCS (unlike the bond you see between two glucose molecules in sugar) results in quicker absorption to the blood stream, creating an exaggerated insulin response and contributing to insulin resistance for those with diets with a lot of HFCS. Since so many people have insulin resistance in the US these days (over 45% of US adults), this makes sense. There is some evidence that it damages the intestinal lining of the gut due to its chemical composition and/or causes inflammation which impedes absorption of vitamins and minerals.
Added Sugar
A LOT of highly processed foods contain added sugar. Why? Because it makes the food more palatable, spikes your pleasure centers in the brain (making you want to eat more) and can be used to extend shelf life. You see added sugar all over the place -- even in stuff you don't really consider sweet like potato chips or crackers. And there has been at least one study the directly accounted for the rise of obesity (and maybe insulin resistance or diabetes -- I've got to go back and look) with added sugar in the diet -- didn't see the differences in added calories (unless those calories were from sugar), different socioeconomic, etc. -- only in the amount of added sugar in the diet.
The research is in its infancy, so it's far from being definitive, but it's starting and some of the preliminary evidence should give one pause.
I'm sure there are other examples, but there are three which are currently be discovered and studied.
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Not exact, but while losing at first I cut out added sugar and grains for a while and was eating very little dairy (and that's a good bit of the more "processed" stuff I eat, since I hadn't yet learned about Quest bars or protein powder). Then I shifted to a mostly nutrient dense diet with some processed dairy, some Quest bars and protein powder, and some ice cream, etc., and also reintroduced pasta, mostly whole grain, and occasional bread. My rate of weight loss did not change, and I did not get more hungry.0
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"Processed" food only means that some degree of preservative have been added to defend against microbial contamination during transportation/storage. This is typically met by adding either sugar or salt.
I don't make the time to prepare food for the most part, so the majority of my meals are processed and have had no issues losing weight/burning fat.
Processing actually is less than adding a preservative. It's changing it in any way from it's natural state.
This is an excellent point as there are several definitions of "processed", not that this means anything to the human body - all gets digested in the same manner.0 -
No difference for me. Just have to watch the sodium, as a few have already mentioned.0
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lindsey1979 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »OP didn't ask about eating all "junk" food or even about junk food at all.
Here's what she said:Yes, my primary question was if I eat 1500 of mostly unprocessed foods (lean proteins, fruit, veggies) compared to 1500 calories of "whatever" foods (keeping in mind that I try to eat really well throughout the day but processed in the terms of maybe an ice cream treat at night or a latte if it fit in my calories) will my loss be the same?
Not only did she stipulate same calories, but I for one would not find the satiety difference between the two options mentioned much at all.
I'll add, again, that I don't understand this notion that "processed" means not nutritious or not satisfying. Many of the more processed things I eat (stuff like smoked salmon or dairy or protein powder) are foods that I specifically use to make my breakfast more filling.
One example of the less nutritious aspect of highly processed foods is the lack of magnesium. An overwhelming amount of the population is magnesium deficient (I've seen number at 70%+ of the US population) and this is largely attributed to our processing of foods -- that it strips out certain natural vitamins and minerals or that the highly processed foods interfere with absorption. I'm sure there are other examples, but that's one.
This is silly, because it assumes one either eats mostly processed foods (and what you really mean here is ultra processed) or none. What the OP asked about was the difference in weight loss between eating mostly whole foods and a nutritious diet plus some processed stuff vs. no processed stuff.
So, let's assume I eat a good diet with lots of fish and greens and finish off the day with some ice cream (as the OP suggested). Am I going to become magnesium deficient? No, I will not. Am I going to lose weight? Depends on the calories I consume, of course.0
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