Processed Foods and Weight Loss Stalls

Jestinia

I'm trying to get rid of just a few pounds, and I know the margin of error is slim (ha ha) when there is very little left to lose. So I've been following a very strict calorie count but I've also been eating highly processed foods lately (don't judge, I'm poor and I can only eat rice and beans for so long without going insane and craving mac and cheese). I definitely notice a slowdown in weight loss, though.

I decided to try to figure out why because I don't believe in the magical weight loss properties of organic barley grown on the North slope of an Andean mountain at sunrise, or whatever the heck it is that wealthier people nibble on to stay skinny.

I think I found some reasons it's harder to lose or maintain on processed foods that are simple and make sense and don't matter so much when you have a lot of leeway in your deficit but sure as heck do matter when 50 calories a day extra is enough to stall you out. Thought I'd share for those who notice the same issue:

First thing I found out is that food manufacturers don't have to get the calorie count exactly right on their labels. They can be off by as much as %20 and many have been shown to be off by a lot more. When the margin of error is so tiny, that is more than enough to stall someone on the scale, never mind the explanations of salt bloat or chemicals or whatever that I generally read on weight loss forums. Meanwhile it's easy enough to get calorie counts basically right on fresh foods that aren't all mixed in together. Like meat and veggies you can cook and weigh and measure yourself for accuracy.

Source: http://www.today.com/id/48596412/ns/today-today_news/t/rossen-reports-can-you-believe-diet-frozen-dessert-labels/

Quote: Believe it or not, it's completely legal. Under FDA regulations, packaged foods, even diet foods like these, can be as much as 20 percent off on their labels — the FDA says "to account for variation in portions".

I've been dieting for what seems like my entire life, and I have a pretty good idea of what the difference between a bellyful of 400 calories versus a bellyful of 600 calories feels like, and I notice sometimes that it seems the food portioned out for me by the manufacturer is a larger quantity than stated. Rarely do I get the feeling I was 'cheated' of some calories by those manufacturers. Makes sense, if they're going to go wrong, going over and leaving customers feeling full and happy is probably better for return business than leaving customers feeling hungry and ripped off.

The second issue was more complicated and does have to do with the actual composition of different foods. It seems some foods aren't digested fully by the body (leaving some calories to pass through unused) and also take more energy to digest. The difference is small but can add up. So if you are eating things like nuts, the calories on the label might actually be higher than what your body actually utilizes, while if you are chowing down on something easy to digest (like many processed, soft foods) you are using less energy to digest and your body gets all the calories available in the food, it doesn't pass through your system.

Source: http://www.livescience.com/26799-calorie-counts-inaccurate.html

Quote: Recent studies show that the amount of pounding, slicing, mashing and perhaps even chewing that goes into preparing and eating food affects the number of calories people get. For some foods, a proportion of the calories in them remains "locked up" during digestion, and isn't used by the body. People also expend some of the energy from food just digesting it...


So between these two issues, I'm pretty sure I've figured out why it's harder for me to lose weight on processed foods. Is the solution to get two jobs so I can afford organic blueberry infused Andean barley? No such luck for my future longevity. I think I'll just add a portion percentage calorie cushion over the stated amounts on the box to my diary and then adjust that as needed until I'm feeling full enough to not snap and destroy the planet while still achieving at least a pound a week loss.

This is long and rambling, but maybe it will help someone else noticing the same processed food scale stall.

nomeejerome

A calorie deficit is all that is needed to lose weight and that can be done with any type of foods. Sure, other foods provide more nutrients, but for weight loss, it is all about a calorie deficit.

Sabine_Stroehm

If it were me, I'd not use the money excuse and I'd buy some fresh food (which isn't more expensive) and see if all the sodium in your processed foods is making you retain water.

Jestinia

I don't argue that. But if you are eating highly processed foods, because the labels can be off, you might be getting more calories than you think you are (or less but that isn't the heart of the problem).

And if you are eating some 'whole' foods you might actually be getting less calories than is stated on the package.

Jestinia

If it were me, I'd not use the money excuse and I'd buy some fresh food (which isn't more expensive) and see if all the sodium in your processed foods is making you retain water.

I'm trying to share some information here with people who are going to continue to eat processed foods and who are also losing weight or struggling to maintain. The point is, it might have nothing to do with salt or chemicals and everything to do with the amount of calories stated on the packaging being wrong.

Marina809

A calorie deficit is all that is needed to lose weight and that can be done with any type of foods. Sure, other foods provide more nutrients, but for weight loss, it is all about a calorie deficit.

The OP pretty much states that but the point of her post is that it's harder to get an accurate calorie count on processed foods than on whole, fresh foods. Thus, when a small amount of calories really make a difference, i.e. you have a small amount of weight to lose and there is a fine line between what is a deficit and what isn't you can find yourself stalling because of the inaccuracy of calories claimed on processed foods.

OP, I give myself the same type of cushioning to account for this and always have more confidence in the calories I log for "cleaner" foods.

Jestinia

A calorie deficit is all that is needed to lose weight and that can be done with any type of foods. Sure, other foods provide more nutrients, but for weight loss, it is all about a calorie deficit.

The OP pretty much states that but the point of her post is that it's harder to get an accurate calorie count on processed foods than on whole, fresh foods. Thus, when a small amount of calories really make a difference, i.e. you have a small amount of weight to lose and there is a fine line between what is a deficit and what isn't you can find yourself stalling because of the inaccuracy of calories claimed on processed foods.

OP, I give myself the same type of cushioning to account for this and always have more confidence in the calories I log for "cleaner" foods.

Thanks for concising up my ramble so nicely! :happy: Just to check, I took my Bob Evans Mac and Cheese and poured it into a measuring cup a few minutes ago (wish I'd take an photo!). It is supposed to be 2 cups in the package. It was over by about 1/5th of a cup. Not much, but it sure does matter over time with small margins!

Do I propose heading over to Mr. Evans house with pitchforks and torches? Nah. But for us calorie counters it sure is a good thing to know it when we're getting extra for our dollar!

HeidiCooksSupper

Your point about the squishy-ness of calorie counts on packaging is a good one but I still would argue that the packaged foods aren't doing your diet or your budget any favors.

Rice and beans are not the only inexpensive alternatives and some good vegetables, like carrots, are quite inexpensive and vegetables go on sale, too. A head of cabbage is only a couple dollars and will make many meals. Cabbage is good for you and is only stinky if you overcook it. Sweet potatoes tend to be cheap.

Also, watch for sales on whole chickens. A whole chicken is easy to cook and gets you several meals including bones and scraps for making homemade soup. Load up on chicken leg quarters when they go on sale, cook them all, take the meat off the bones and freeze it in meal-sized portions. Doing things like this often results in meat being far less than $1/portion.

Lentils, beans, brown rice are all good and inexpensive foods especially if you buy them dry and boil them yourself.

For more inspiration, just google "frugal recipes" and you'll find lots of sites with great suggestions.