Does whole wheat hinder my weight loss attempt?
fatty2sixpack
Posts: 67 Member
I am morbidly obese weighing in at almost 500 pounds. I eat whole wheat bread, bagels, grits, whole wheat wraps, and oatmeal. Do all these hinder my weight loss attempt even if I eat my daily calorie limit. Which ones can I eat if I eat them in moderation? Also what do you mean by moderation when wanting to lose weight?
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Replies
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No.1
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Unless you have a medical reason, no. Wheat and other glutens do not impact your weight loss. Some people feel better gluten free, or low carb, some do not. Learn which foods give you a bigger bang for your buck (ie vegetables have generally lower calories so you can eat more, and they usually have fiber to help you feel full longer) that you enjoy eating, otherwise keep eating what you want, and make sure you're staying in your calorie deficit - aka moderation - you can't eat 10 bagels and stay in your calorie deficit most likely. So eat 1, and enjoy every moment of it.
I've lost weight and continued to eat bread and other carbs because that's what I like to eat.4 -
For most people it will not, absent some medical reason. Some people find that eating a higher percentage of carbs make them more likely to have trouble sticking to their calorie limit, and if you have any issues like insulin resistance that can be more common. I ate whole grains (and even white pasta) when losing weight, however -- what matters is calories.Also what do you mean by moderation when wanting to lose weight?
Good question. What I mean (and understand) by it is focusing first on eating a generally healthful and balanced diet that contains what you need for nutrition -- enough protein and vegetables, fiber, healthy fats, stuff like that. And then within your calories also including some foods chosen more for taste and satisfaction than any other purpose. So if I tend to have about 200 calories left at the end of the day after three balanced, nutritious meals, having 200 calories of ice cream is eating it in moderation (and I might have something else, like cheese instead, or maybe include some higher cal choices for lunch or dinner as an alternative way of using my discretionary calories).
That's one way to think about moderation -- using maybe 10-20% of your calories on higher cal, less nutrient dense choices (for me this might mean having pulled pork instead of a pork chop sometimes, or bacon, or fish and chips, not just the sweet stuff). It really depends on your overall loves, calories, and diet.
Another way to do moderation if it's a food you don't want to limit (or think you can't) is to have it rarely and plan for it. I like being able to go out for something like Indian or Ethiopian and not worrying about it, so I do that more rarely and then usually eat less the rest of the day (or over the whole week) or do it on the day of a big workout.
Hmm, I also think of moderation as being choosy. Instead of just eating whatever strikes your fancy, be thoughtful about it and save those "extra" calories for the foods you really love and want to include in a satisfying diet. Not just something because it's there.8 -
Losing weight is mostly about the calories and a little about the exercise. And nothing about what kind of food.
A person could lose weight eating only bread as long as they were eating at a calorie deficit. But they would feel like crap because need to include other foods as well.
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So no, eating bread, bagels, grits and those things will not slow your weight loss.
These are my own little rules that have worked for me: eat what I like and eat what is convenient to get/prepare and eat enough protein and fat (carbs under or over do not matter).
Moderation means eat required protein and fats. Fit in other things if you wish.
Think of the calorie budget as a financial budget. If you can buy something frivolous, keep it within the budget.0 -
Unless you have a medical condition, you can eat any and all of these items.
Some people have "trigger" foods though. Meaning, they can't just have a cup of grits, or if they do, it's gotta be loaded with butter, cheese, sugar (however you eat them). And again, you can have all of that too, but the goal is to have a reasonable calorie limit (don't make it too low starting out or you will struggle and may even fail), choose foods that fit in your designed calorie goal, hit your macros (protein, fats, carbs) and like you said, get moving. Even walking will burn the cals and is a great mood elvator and keeps you busy and mind off eating out of boredom.
Moderation simply means, have a bagel. Just perhaps not multiple bagels. Pay attention to what you put on these bread/carby items as its often butter or peanut butter or cream cheese, and that racks up the cals. And honestly, nothing wrong with them, but measure out 1-2 tablespoons instead of slathering it on like so many of us are guilty of doing.
Be kind with yourself and just try for one week to pay attention to how you eat and start tweaking from there.
You will slowly see what foods make you want to binge eat on, that don't fill you up, that maybe aren't "worth the cals" etc. good luck! Ur in a good place. MFP is a great place to be. It works.
You WILL lose the weight. Keep your motivation and remember you are stronger than staying how you are right now.
Losing a loved one, living with an illness, divorce, working multiple jobs, having a disabled child or parent -- those things are hard -- losing weight is not in comparison ... It's something you CAN do, that YOU can change. Believe your strong enough. Because you are!!!
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I am a former Class III obese person, having lost half my bodyweight, and I have kept if off for a year so far. I ate and continue to eat oatmeal and bread and corn and other cereals such as polenta or farro and bulgur. Eating those foods does not magically prevent weight loss.
What can prevent weight loss?
1. Setting a calorie target that is too high
or
2. Not consistently tracking what you're eating each day, e.g. "back-of-the-envelope" guessing
or
3. Insisting on guessing and eyeballing portion sizes
or
4. Not following your plan consistently, including allowing yourself unrestricted "cheat days" on too frequent a basis
Reducing your carb intake moderately will not magically change the formula for how your body metabolizes calories, but it can help you by
1. Making it easier to feel full and satisfied at a lower calorie intake
2. Improving your overall metabolic health, making you just feel better and stronger. Feeling sick and tired is a great way to end up giving in to despair and cravings.
eta: that last point, I'd like to emphasize "MODERATELY." There is absolutely no reason to give those foods up unless you have medically-diagnosed intolerance to them. I am NOT saying that including reasonable amounts of those foods in your diet will make you feel sick or tired.11 -
Nope0
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Whole grains are good for you. Eat them and stay at your calorie allotment, you will lose. I sure did.1
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Shouldn't be a problem unless ure allergic to wheat0
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No
And much respect for dealing with your situation ..moderation means eating what you want in appropriate portion sizes
Eat at a calorie deficit, foods you love just eat less...force yourself to move more ..chair dancing, walking round your house, up your stairs, any movement will help ..even just getting up and sitting down again
If you eat foods you love but less of them you will see the weight go, once that starts to happen you can start to look at the types of food you're eating to focus on those that you find most sating
If you have a wheat intolerance you would know from digestive / fatigue symptoms post consumption0 -
What in the heck is a "grit"? It doesn't sound edible!0
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pebble4321 wrote: »
That's a decent comparison. I prefer them like this http://www.thehappierhomemaker.com/2016/01/charleston-style-shrimp-and-grits-recips/0 -
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Shrimp works. Heaven!What in the heck is a "grit"? It doesn't sound edible!
Grits are often featured at breakfast in the southern US.
The last time I had them was at a restaurant that served them in a bowl with salt and butter. I ordered them with four pieces of bacon on the side.
Sometimes they are served with cheese.
Grits and pork chops are another favorite.
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As long as you're staying within your calorie parameters it doesn't matter what you eat to lose weight. There's nothing wrong with wheat, just fit it into your calories.0
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Unless you have a problem with gluten you are fine. Actually the fiber in the whole wheat does wonderful things in sweeping things along if you know what I mean. I would combine a protein, a starch, your allotment of fat and add some veggies into each meal.0
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Nope. I lost 130 pounds eating almost nothing but whole grains in terms of carbs.0
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What can prevent weight loss?
1. Setting a calorie target that is too high
or
2. Not consistently tracking what you're eating each day, e.g. "back-of-the-envelope" guessing
or
3. Insisting on guessing and eyeballing portion sizes
or
4. Not following your plan consistently, including allowing yourself unrestricted "cheat days" on too frequent a basis
Reducing your carb intake moderately will not magically change the formula for how your body metabolizes calories, but it can help you by
1. Making it easier to feel full and satisfied at a lower calorie intake
2. Improving your overall metabolic health, making you just feel better and stronger. Feeling sick and tired is a great way to end up giving in to despair and cravings.
This. Also, many people overestimate their exercise calories and eat them back. That does hinder weight loss.0 -
No it will not. But for health reasons its better to eat whole wheat.0
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koreangurl wrote: »No it will not. But for health reasons its better to eat whole wheat.
why? I get plenty fibre from other sources, like berries
there is actually very little difference between a wholewheat and a farmhouse white loaf
now whole grain that might be different0 -
You may be surprised to find out that some of those “healthy” foods you’ve always heard about, or the ones that advertise themselves as healthy, are actually sabotaging your efforts. It can be frustrating to make the decision to change your eating habits and lifestyle only to see no budge whatsoever on the scales or in the way your clothes fit. Here are some of the most surprising foods to avoid when losing weight.You must avoid this type of food
Dairy
Whole Wheat
Just Any Old Salad
Protein Bars
Dried Fruit
Tofu
Avoid Certain Ingredients and Claims0 -
You may be surprised to find out that some of those “healthy” foods you’ve always heard about, or the ones that advertise themselves as healthy, are actually sabotaging your efforts. It can be frustrating to make the decision to change your eating habits and lifestyle only to see no budge whatsoever on the scales or in the way your clothes fit. Here are some of the most surprising foods to avoid when losing weight.You must avoid this type of food
Dairy
Whole Wheat
Just Any Old Salad
Protein Bars
Dried Fruit
Tofu
Avoid Certain Ingredients and Claims
No.4 -
You may be surprised to find out that some of those “healthy” foods you’ve always heard about, or the ones that advertise themselves as healthy, are actually sabotaging your efforts. It can be frustrating to make the decision to change your eating habits and lifestyle only to see no budge whatsoever on the scales or in the way your clothes fit. Here are some of the most surprising foods to avoid when losing weight.You must avoid this type of food
Dairy
Whole Wheat
Just Any Old Salad
Protein Bars
Dried Fruit
Tofu
Avoid Certain Ingredients and Claims
I've eaten most of these and lost weight. Except for the "any old salad". You do need to be careful how much you put on and the dressing you choose.
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stevencloser wrote: »You may be surprised to find out that some of those “healthy” foods you’ve always heard about, or the ones that advertise themselves as healthy, are actually sabotaging your efforts. It can be frustrating to make the decision to change your eating habits and lifestyle only to see no budge whatsoever on the scales or in the way your clothes fit. Here are some of the most surprising foods to avoid when losing weight.You must avoid this type of food
Dairy
Whole Wheat
Just Any Old Salad
Protein Bars
Dried Fruit
Tofu
Avoid Certain Ingredients and Claims
No.
^ditto this, NO
0 -
You may be surprised to find out that some of those “healthy” foods you’ve always heard about, or the ones that advertise themselves as healthy, are actually sabotaging your efforts. It can be frustrating to make the decision to change your eating habits and lifestyle only to see no budge whatsoever on the scales or in the way your clothes fit. Here are some of the most surprising foods to avoid when losing weight.You must avoid this type of food
Dairy
Whole Wheat
Just Any Old Salad
Protein Bars
Dried Fruit
Tofu
Avoid Certain Ingredients and Claims
I wholeheartedly agree with part of that
This part: "Avoid ...Claims"
the rest is just daft6 -
You may be surprised to find out that some of those “healthy” foods you’ve always heard about, or the ones that advertise themselves as healthy, are actually sabotaging your efforts. It can be frustrating to make the decision to change your eating habits and lifestyle only to see no budge whatsoever on the scales or in the way your clothes fit. Here are some of the most surprising foods to avoid when losing weight.You must avoid this type of food
Dairy
Whole Wheat
Just Any Old Salad
Protein Bars
Dried Fruit
Tofu
Avoid Certain Ingredients and Claims
Oh good grief. Not true at all!0 -
You may be surprised to find out that some of those “healthy” foods you’ve always heard about, or the ones that advertise themselves as healthy, are actually sabotaging your efforts. It can be frustrating to make the decision to change your eating habits and lifestyle only to see no budge whatsoever on the scales or in the way your clothes fit. Here are some of the most surprising foods to avoid when losing weight.You must avoid this type of food
Dairy
Whole Wheat
Just Any Old Salad
Protein Bars
Dried Fruit
Tofu
Avoid Certain Ingredients and Claims
What is "just any old salad?" Not saying it isn't possible, but almost nobody gets heavy on lettuce, tomato wedges and shredded carrots. Dump on 1/4 lb of cheese and a gallon of ranch, then maybe, but there's no reason to avoid salad of any kind...or anything else on that list, for that matter.0 -
I think it can.
I remember when I started working with a personal trainer, we had a discussion about why I wasn't losing much weight despite the fact I was staying within my calories. When he saw that I was eating bread at every meal, he told me I should eat more brown rice, quinoa, etc. and less bread. So based on what you said you eat, the wheat bread, bagels, and even wraps according to my trainer could have an impact on progress. When I made the swaps I actually lost 5 lbs within a few days, and continued to lose.
I forgot how many servings of whole grains is ideal (it may depend on how many total calories you consume), but 1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup of rice, and 1/2 a bagel is 1 serving each. So if you are used to eating 1 whole bagel, sandwiches made with 2 slices of bread, and 1 cup of rice, your servings can add up pretty quickly.0 -
Any food can be demonized on MFP, usually for little or no reason. Just for funsies I've written down some (but by no means all) of the foods and food groups people have said are "bad." Levels of "bad" range from "OMG it will cause cancer. Cancer!" to "you'll never lose weight."
Artificial sweeteners
Natural sweeteners
GMO fruits and vegetables
non-organic fruits and vegetables
organic fruits and vegetables that have harsh organic pesticides
bananas of all types
dried fruit
potatoes (but not sweet potatoes)
sweet potatoes
Any produce not bought at a farmer's market
all meats
fatty meats
red meats (but sometimes grass-fed beef is okay)
chicken (but sometimes cage free is okay)
eggs
canned tuna
ocean fish
fish from farms
overly processed foods
processed foods
foods that aren't "clean" (with no clear definition of "clean")
gluten
carbs both "good" and "bad"
grains (unless they're whole grain)
whole wheat
"white" foods
salt
dairy (except for cottage cheese)
...and today I get to add tofu & protein bars to the list.
OP, eat at a deficit, find foods that help you stay full, and enjoy occasional treats. "Occasional" and "treats" are both subjective terms. Fruits and cheese are a daily treat for me, and fit in my calories. Ice cream is a weekly/biweekly treat, and fits in my calories.10 -
This is actually a very individualized thing IMO.
I have no health issues that would suggest that I might be better off without those foods, but I was able to determine through my own experimenting that when I include them in my diet, I am generally more hungry and feel less satisfied and therefore find that eating the right amount of food, without overeating is very difficult to do. I have to rely on will power to not overeat when I eat food like that. Where I am able to feel more naturally satisfied eating low carbs and high fat.
Many people are unknowingly insulin resistant, pre-diabetic or diabetic and controlling hunger by reducing insulin can be very helpful, especially for those people.
Weather or not those foods present any potential issue for you in achieving your goals is something you can determine within a few weeks by including them in your daily calories and making sure to weigh and measure all food portions accurately so that you can be confident about how much you're actually eating. See how it goes. If you're still unsure, then compare that to a couple of weeks without those foods too.0
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