Does whole wheat hinder my weight loss attempt?

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.

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.