Does whole wheat hinder my weight loss attempt?

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Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 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?

    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
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
    Proter12 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

    Broscience much Proter12?
  • ghimm
    ghimm Posts: 38 Member
    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
    thecassharvey Posts: 2 Member
    Check out www.reddit.com/r/keto.

    Your answer is there, my friend.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Do all these hinder my weight loss attempt even if I eat my daily calorie limit.

    No
    Which ones can I eat if I eat them in moderation?

    All of them
    Also what do you mean by moderation when wanting to lose weight?

    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
    Nachise Posts: 395 Member
    Proter12 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

    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
    richln Posts: 809 Member
    Proter12 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

    There has got to be a troll anagram hidden somewhere in here, I am just not seeing it.
  • cyberpunkme
    cyberpunkme Posts: 44 Member
    yas! quit the wheat & gluten habit.
  • benjaminhk
    benjaminhk Posts: 353 Member
    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
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    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
  • htimpaired
    htimpaired Posts: 1,404 Member
    yas! quit the wheat & gluten habit.

    Why? OP didn't indicate that he has celiac.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    yas! quit the wheat & gluten habit.

    Because?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Proter12 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

    I lost 42 pounds while eating whole wheat, protein bars, dried fruit, and tofu. I ate tofu very regularly, often daily. I'm still eating those foods and maintaining my weight loss. I don't think your claims are based in reality.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    Check out www.reddit.com/r/keto.

    Your answer is there, my friend.

    The question didn't involve low carb, so I don't see how that is the answer to anything.
  • sky_northern
    sky_northern Posts: 119 Member
    Nachise wrote: »
    Proter12 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

    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: <s>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.</s>

    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.

    You did good, except the Protein bar thing, that was a little out of left field, really protein to fat unless your a body builder.

    OP - You should have a repetitively high calorie allowance to play with, even with a nice deficit to lose weight. You should be able to fit in lots of good nutrients, fat and protein and still have lots of room for your whole wheat things. Moderation is making sure that what you fit into calorie allowance. You might want to play with your carb, protein, fat ratio to find out what works best for you. The ratio that makes it easiest for you to stick with your calorie goal is the best one and it's not the same for everyone.
  • rerez2015
    rerez2015 Posts: 72 Member
    edited April 2016
    I have lost over 100 lbs. In 15 months doing a ketogenic diet. No heavy exercise, just a little walking now and then. NO grains (I get plenty of fiber from low carb vegetables), I do allow myself a little golden flax meal, oat FIBER (NOT OAT FLOUR), yes to black SOY beans & chia seed, no fruit (only berries in moderation), no booze, no noodles, no white or brown sugar, agave or honey, no potatoes, no rice, peas, corn, legumes or other high carb foods no light or fat free foods or anything with hidden carbs or highly processed junk food. I eat real meat, (pork, chicken, beef, fish, eggs, bacon, heavy whipping cream, cheeses, cream cheese, low carb no sugar protein shakes, sugar free jello, shiataki noodles, low carb chocolate or vanilla cake, low carb mug muffins, cream cheese pancakes and many other numerous yummy low carb recipes. GRAINS WILL MAKE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR RISE, THEN CRASH AND YOU WILL CRAVE MORE SUGARY FOODS. EATING HEALTHY FAT WILL FILL YOU UP AND NOT RAISE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR.
    If you avoid the foods above you will crave less, lose more weight faster, and you will be able to eat more satisfying foods. ***I am now off all blood pressure meds (I took 3), my A1C is 5.1 am now off all diabetes meds (I took 3). I also now have normal cholesterol/triglyceride panels.*** You also do not have to exercise to lose weight eating this way. You would be better off waiting until you lose some weight so you don't hurt your joints being this heavy.
    I have my goals set to 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbs, 1500 calories. I take a multi-vitamin for women 50+, magnesium, potassium and vitamin D 3.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    rerez2015 wrote: »
    GRAINS WILL MAKE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR RISE, THEN CRASH AND YOU WILL CRAVE MORE SUGARY FOODS.

    Funny, doesn't happen to me. Maybe it's best not to make claims about such things as if they were universal?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Whole grains are good for you and are packed with fiber...I love my oats and my quinoa and my brown rice and my grits, and my whole grain and seed breads, etc. Without them I wouldn't get anywhere near my fiber targets.

    As moderation goes, I tend to look at it like finances. There are certain things that I have to spend money on...I have to put a roof over my family's head...I need to put food on our table...etc, etc, etc. From a dietary perspective, those types of things would simply be my requisite nutrition...getting my protein and enough dietary fat and carbs and fiber and other vitamins and minerals and micro-nutrition.

    Financially speaking there are any number of "fun" things that I am willing to spend money on from time to time for the sake of simply enjoying life...but these types of things are rather frivolous and I have to make sure I have the budget to do these things and that they aren't interfering with my actual financial obligations...same from a dietary perspective. I like eating some things for the singular purpose of enjoyment...it's frivolous and in most cases doesn't add a whole lot of value to my actual nutrition...but it adds value to my life experience...I just have to make sure I have the budget and that I'm not skipping on my actual nutritional obligations to indulge myself.
  • rerez2015
    rerez2015 Posts: 72 Member
    edited April 2016
    Grains/sugar make everyone's blood sugar rise. That is a fact. Chances are if you are obese you are insulin resistant and don't even know it. Most people are addicted to sugar whether they want to believe it or not. I know many obese people who have lost a lot of weight following the way of living I have. Many 150 pounds and more. They now have normal A1C's, high blood pressure and cholesterol numbers have normalized. No diet is universal, but I know the plan I am on works and it is extremely healthy, a person will not experience sugar cravings, their appetite diminishes, they have more energy and they do not have to exercise themselves to death to burn up all the carbs in their system before they start burning fat. The body burns alcohol first, carbs second and fat last. Eating light or low fat foods usually contain more carbs than regular foods. Lemurcat12, I am glad what you are doing works for you. I wish you nothing but the best. I am simply sharing what has worked for me and many others I know. I have been on low fats diets over the years and have lost, but always gained it back because eventually I caved because my body craved fat. I am no longer addicted to carbs and sugar and for that I am very happy. I still eat carbs, but only healthy carbs and I eat healthy fats, butter, heavy cream, virgin coconut oil, black olives, olive oil, avocado, etc. no hydrogenated fats.
    On a side note...an easy recipe for a yummy chocolate dessert : I love to take an avocado, mash it with a fork, add 2-3 tsps of unsweetened cocoa powder to it, a splash of heavy whipping cream, a pinch of salt, a couple tsps of sugar free chocolate syrup and some sweetener to taste. I use liquid sucralose. ;) I split this into a couple servings. A good read is Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis/cardiologist
    Just sharing what works for me. My doctor is thrilled with my success.
    Whatever works for you.....Good luck!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    rerez2015 wrote: »
    Grains/sugar make everyone's blood sugar rise. Chances are if you are obese you are insulin resistant. Most people are addicted to sugar whether they want to believe it or not. I know 1000's of obese people who have lost weight like I have. Many 150+ pounds. No diet is universal, but I know the plan I am on works and it is extremely healthy, a person will not exprience sugar cravings and they do not have to exercise themselves do death to burn up all the carbs in their system before they start burning fat. The body burns alcohol first, carbs second and fat last. Eating light or low fat foods usually contain more carbs than regular foods.

    My dad was a type II diabetic...he worked with a dietitian and he ate plenty of whole grains...he ate oats pretty much every morning...either that or some whole grain toast with peanut butter. He ate potatoes and sweet potatoes. He ate brown rice, etc, etc, etc. He was easily able to control his diabetes eating this way and be off his meds.

    And no...nobody is actually addicted to sugar...but I know...LCHF evangelism....it cures all and is the only way....blah, blah, blah...
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited April 2016
    rerez2015 wrote: »
    Grains/sugar make everyone's blood sugar rise.

    It depends on what you eat it with, as well as the amount of fiber. Also, so what?

    You claimed that eating grains causes a sugar crash and craving sugary foods. I eat oatmeal for breakfast sometimes, and am no more likely to want to eat before lunch (I eat breakfast at 6 and lunch at 12) than when I eat a vegetable omelet. I also do not crave sugary foods.

    So you are wrong.
    Chances are if you are obese you are insulin resistant.

    I'm not obese. I weigh 125. However, I used to be, and I was not IR.
    Most people are addicted to sugar whether they want to believe it or not.

    Nope. I don't eat particularly high amounts of sugar, and have no problem eating added sugar in moderation. I am more likely to crave meat or cheese than a starchy food, also.

    It's totally okay to do keto, I think it works well for some people. IMO, it's not okay to insist everyone needs to do it or to evangelize. I lost a great deal of weight eating carbs and I enjoy including healthful, whole food carbs like legumes and whole grains and, of course, vegetables and fruits, in my diet. And for me I think it helps with my fitness goals (running, triathlon, some strength stuff). But I am not saying you need to eat the percentage of carbs I do -- I wouldn't insist others should follow my diet just because it works for me.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Absolutely no food or type of food (barring some specific health conditions) will hinder your weight loss as long as you are within your calorie limit.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    rerez2015 wrote: »
    Grains/sugar make everyone's blood sugar rise. That is a fact. Chances are if you are obese you are insulin resistant and don't even know it. Most people are addicted to sugar whether they want to believe it or not. I know many obese people who have lost a lot of weight following the way of living I have. Many 150 pounds and more. They now have normal A1C's, high blood pressure and cholesterol numbers have normalized. No diet is universal, but I know the plan I am on works and it is extremely healthy, a person will not experience sugar cravings, their appetite diminishes, they have more energy and they do not have to exercise themselves to death to burn up all the carbs in their system before they start burning fat. The body burns alcohol first, carbs second and fat last. Eating light or low fat foods usually contain more carbs than regular foods. Lemurcat12, I am glad what you are doing works for you. I wish you nothing but the best. I am simply sharing what has worked for me and many others I know. I have been on low fats diets over the years and have lost, but always gained it back because eventually I caved because my body craved fat. I am no longer addicted to carbs and sugar and for that I am very happy. I still eat carbs, but only healthy carbs and I eat healthy fats, butter, heavy cream, virgin coconut oil, black olives, olive oil, avocado, etc. no hydrogenated fats.
    On a side note...an easy recipe for a yummy chocolate dessert : I love to take an avocado, mash it with a fork, add 2-3 tsps of unsweetened cocoa powder to it, a splash of heavy whipping cream, a pinch of salt, a couple tsps of sugar free chocolate syrup and some sweetener to taste. I use liquid sucralose. ;) I split this into a couple servings. A good read is Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis/cardiologist
    Just sharing what works for me. My doctor is thrilled with my success.
    Whatever works for you.....Good luck!

    Glad what you are doing worked for you. However, you have over-generalized.

    I'm obese but my bloodwork does not point to IR nor do I have high blood pressure or cholesterol.

    I do have to be careful of some foods, but my experience is not universal.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    rerez2015 wrote: »
    Grains/sugar make everyone's blood sugar rise. That is a fact. Chances are if you are obese you are insulin resistant and don't even know it. Most people are addicted to sugar whether they want to believe it or not. I know many obese people who have lost a lot of weight following the way of living I have. Many 150 pounds and more. They now have normal A1C's, high blood pressure and cholesterol numbers have normalized. No diet is universal, but I know the plan I am on works and it is extremely healthy, a person will not experience sugar cravings, their appetite diminishes, they have more energy and they do not have to exercise themselves to death to burn up all the carbs in their system before they start burning fat. The body burns alcohol first, carbs second and fat last. Eating light or low fat foods usually contain more carbs than regular foods. Lemurcat12, I am glad what you are doing works for you. I wish you nothing but the best. I am simply sharing what has worked for me and many others I know. I have been on low fats diets over the years and have lost, but always gained it back because eventually I caved because my body craved fat. I am no longer addicted to carbs and sugar and for that I am very happy. I still eat carbs, but only healthy carbs and I eat healthy fats, butter, heavy cream, virgin coconut oil, black olives, olive oil, avocado, etc. no hydrogenated fats.
    On a side note...an easy recipe for a yummy chocolate dessert : I love to take an avocado, mash it with a fork, add 2-3 tsps of unsweetened cocoa powder to it, a splash of heavy whipping cream, a pinch of salt, a couple tsps of sugar free chocolate syrup and some sweetener to taste. I use liquid sucralose. ;) I split this into a couple servings. A good read is Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis/cardiologist
    Just sharing what works for me. My doctor is thrilled with my success.
    Whatever works for you.....Good luck!

    So much nope in this post.

    I am obese and do not have insulin resistance at all. All my blood panels come back with on normal ranges. My blood sugar is pretty stable (was having dizzy spells a while ago so was constantly checking sugar to make sure it wasn't due to low blood sugar).

    Nope, not addicted to sugar, and I don't consider sugar and addictive substance.

    And no, wheat belly is not a good read. It is full of fear mongering and nonsense.