Does whole wheat hinder my weight loss attempt?

Proter12 · April 2016

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

stevencloser · April 2016

No.

kimdawnhayden · April 2016

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.

snowflake930 · April 2016

^ditto this, NO

Sued0nim · April 2016

I wholeheartedly agree with part of that

This part: "Avoid ...Claims"

the rest is just daft

ReaderGirl3 · April 2016

Oh good grief. Not true at all!

PaulaWallaDingDong · April 2016

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.

angelica_lisa · April 2016

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.

Kamikazeflutterby · April 2016

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.

Sunny_Bunny_ · April 2016

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.

kshama2001 · April 2016

The real issue is whether or not you are losing weight eating like this. I personally have to limit foods made from wheat flour as they do not satiate me well, making it difficult for me to stick to my calorie goal.

positivepowers · April 2016

Broscience much Proter12?

ghimm · April 2016

There is nothing wrong with these items, but a lot of people with food addictions, like myself, find these processed carb heavy foods very triggering. For example, I have trouble eating just one piece of buttered toast. I want all the toast. I have a friend who can eat a couple jelly beans and walk away. I can't do it. Because of this, I don't typically allow myself to eat these foods. I have less self control and I have trouble sensing "fullness" when I eat them.

It's something to consider for yourself. Are you really eating within your calorie limit? Are you sneaking an extra half a bagel? Do you mindlessly nibble on a piece of bread and not record it? If you're able to have enough and stop, then there is no reason you can't eat those foods.

Good luck!

thecassharvey · April 2016

Check out www.reddit.com/r/keto.

Your answer is there, my friend.

msf74 · April 2016

No

All of them

Not so much of any of them that it causes you to exceed your calorie limit and / or meaning your diet lacks adequate nutrition

Nachise · April 2016

It would be nice to explain WHY some of these foods must be avoided by some people. Just saying to avoid them completely is irresponsible. The above is just jerk philosophy and junk nutrition advice.

Dairy: I'm lactose intolerant. A big glass of milk will have me doubled over in cramps and camped out in the bathroom. Fine for others; not for me. I CAN eat tart yogurt with live cultures. The cultures munch up most of the lactose, and I eat yogurt daily.

Whole Wheat: Fine for almost everybody except for those who have celiac disease. My brother has celiac disease, and before his diagnosis was confirmed, it had nearly destroyed his small intestine. People who claim that they have "wheat belly" may actually have a sensitivity to FODMAPs, which are short chain carbohydrates, mostly different sorts of saccharides, that bother people with irritable bowel syndrome. It's just not the wheat.

Just Any Old Salad: Mixed greens are great. So are tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peppers, and other fresh veggies. When you start loading up a salad with a half a cup of dressing and/or fried meats, or lots of meats, cheese, croutons, and nuts, then that is not any old salad; it is a salad dressed with harmful eating habits.

Protein bars: Unless you are a serious bodybuilder, any protein that you do not burn up in exercise gets stored as fat. Most protein bars have high amounts of sugar and no real nutritional value. Eat real food instead.

Dried Fruit: Everything in moderation. A few pieces of dried fruit provide a nice carb boost, good fiber, vitamins, and are nice in a bowl of cereal, yogurt, or oatmeal. They are high in sugar sometimes because sugar is added in processing, and many fruits are naturally high in sugar. Just not the whole bag, please.

Tofu: Some folks are allergic to soy and should avoid tofu. Tofu is an excellent source of protein, and when combined with rice or other grains, makes a complete protein. Those who are concerned about GMOs should look for organic tofu. It is a versatile and valuable source of protein.

richln · April 2016

There has got to be a troll anagram hidden somewhere in here, I am just not seeing it.

cyberpunkme · April 2016

yas! quit the wheat & gluten habit.

benjaminhk · April 2016

I love grits. It's been awhile since I last had them because they aren't very common in the northern U.S. and I don't make them at home.

laur357 · April 2016

Whole grains are often the easiest way to reach your fiber goals - barley, oats, bran cereals, whole wheat bread. Fiber can help you feel full and does good things for your digestive system, unless you have a medical reason to limit fiber. So you can eat them if you want to. You can limit them if you want to. And you can cut them if you want to.
Just meet your calorie goal! My advice (and you certainly can ignore it) is to eat the way you want to eat forever and can sustain long term, but eat appropriate portions and try to get a good mix of nutrients. If you're going to be miserable without pasta, cutting all the pasta might not be the way to go.

Side note: select items with lots of fiber - berries, seeds (chia and flax), quinoa, potatoes, avocado, cruciferous veggies, some leafy veggies, apples

Does whole wheat hinder my weight loss attempt?

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