skim vs. whole milk?

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AI1108
AI1108 Posts: 488 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've read a lot of debate on this topic so I was hoping someone here could shed some light. I hear some people say its very bad to drink whole milk because it's fattening, while others say they drink it all the time and it doesn't do anything to them.

Does it really matter which one you have for weight loss - skim or whole? Has it ever affected your weight loss/gain?
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Replies

  • LimeyTart
    LimeyTart Posts: 303 Member
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    I cannot drink skim, I just can't handle the way it feels on my tongue. I drink whole or 2%, whichever has a later expiration date when I'm buying LOL. I don't think it's had an impact on my weight loss.
  • KourtneyP83
    KourtneyP83 Posts: 319
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    Whole milk is too think and I hate it ... Skim milk is like water and flavorless. My family drinks 2% but I tried 1% this week and I have decided that for only 20 calories difference, we're going back to 2% next week!
  • Leanne60
    Leanne60 Posts: 21
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    I have heard a couple of things

    1. There is not a high enough fat content in milk to be conerned about
    2. the process of creating skim is bad for your health

    Dont know if there is truth in either but may be best to be guided by the calorie counter on MFP
  • chuckyp
    chuckyp Posts: 693 Member
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    Whole milk is just a lot more calories than skim. 90 cal per cup for skim vs. 150 cal per cup for whole. If you like to drink milk like I do, that adds up. Before I decided to watch my calories, I would easily drink 2 gallons of skim milk a week. If I was drinking whole milk that would be a lot of extra calories. I haven't drank whole milk since I was a teenager. I slowly weaned myself to skim and now whole milk tastes so thick and creamy that I can hardly drink it.
  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
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    Ew and ew. I drink 1% milk love it.
  • nehushtan
    nehushtan Posts: 566 Member
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    Try almond milk. 40 calories a cup, and it tastes pretty good, especially in cereal.
  • OElleBelleO
    OElleBelleO Posts: 54 Member
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    I have always drank whole milk for all of my childhood. My parents always said it was because it tasted better. I really didn't taste a different. Anyway, for weight loss and calorie counting, I would advise skim milk because it is generally lower in calories and you can drink more of it if you want.
  • starkid120
    starkid120 Posts: 204 Member
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    I don't think I've ever had whole milk, except for when I was a baby probably... I always remember drinking 2% or less.

    Recently I've had to keep it down to 1% b/c I'm getting to be lactose intolerant. So drinking milk hasn't become too much of an issue (though it breaks my heart... I love milk!)

    I've taken up drinking chocolate milk after working out and that has been bliss! I haven't seen any reduction in my loss (though, admittedly, I haven't lost much so far...).
  • mamahix
    mamahix Posts: 14
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    Other than calorie differences I think it's really a preference. I perfer skim milk, or 1%. Anything else is just too thick and I don't like it.
  • lbudnick
    lbudnick Posts: 6
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    I grew up with skim so it's all I ever liked. To me, even 2% tastes too creamy. I have a cup and a half of low sugar cereal (mainly shredded wheat or Cheerios) with a cup of skim milk every day. The only change I could see making would be to try almond milk, but for me there's really no reason to leave skim. If you like the taste I would stick to skim.
  • kandeelopez
    kandeelopez Posts: 61 Member
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    As an adult I have always had non-fat milk. BUT, someone pointed out that even this has quite a bit of SUGAR in it and I switched to almond milk, which has about half the sugar and half the calories. In cereal, it's not that different from skim milk.
  • rocklion
    rocklion Posts: 69 Member
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    There are several different answers to this, and all of them lead to one conclusion. A matter of choice. The first thing is if you drink reduced fat milks then Vitamin A is "added" into the milks to make up for that loss when the fat is taken out. A lot of times Vitamin D is also added. That might not sound like a big deal. But by this point, it is becoming less natural and more of a science experiment. Whether this is kosher to you is up to you.

    Secondly, the question is, are you on a low fat diet? Are you exercising regularly? I'm at the point myself where I am working out five to six times a week and I am burning an ample amount of calories. With that in mind, I'm not on a low-fat, low-carb or low anything diet. I am just eating clean and exercising. The result is a lot more calories throughout the day. With the extra calories, I have no qualms about using whole milk versus skim. When I burn 500 calories in a day and compare 80 calories to 150, it's not that big of a deal based upon my preference of no additives and that I like a thicker milk better.

    The big thing is dairy is part of the "bad" fats category. So, don't drink much.
  • Goal_Seeker_1988
    Goal_Seeker_1988 Posts: 1,619 Member
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    I drink almond milk but if I drink cow's milk I buy raw cow's milk.
  • Fitness_Kitty
    Fitness_Kitty Posts: 8
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    Soy milk is the best - High in protein and has lots of vitamins.
    The taste is very aquired! I personally CANNOT drink it haha But my boyfriend has lost 15kg in the past 6 months from regular excersise and a VEGAN diet. Very healthy :)
  • AI1108
    AI1108 Posts: 488 Member
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    Thanks for the replies everyone!

    With the amount of milk I have in my protein shakes, oatmeal and cereal, I think I'm going to stick to skim over regular, but I'm definitely going to try almond and soy! :)
  • jfinnivan
    jfinnivan Posts: 360 Member
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    Be careful with raw milk. A friend of mine and her daughter had unpasteurized milk, and it turns out that one of the cows in the herd had rabies. They both had to go through the rabies treatment (lots of shots).
  • calliope_music
    calliope_music Posts: 1,242 Member
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    i drink both - skim if i'm having an actual glass of milk and whole in my coffee :)
  • dawnrenee567
    dawnrenee567 Posts: 292 Member
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    I find that I don't drink nearly as much milk as I used to, I have a hard time going thru a whole carton before it goes bad.

    1% for me
  • amber_hanners
    amber_hanners Posts: 388 Member
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    i cant tell the difference in the taste so i drink skim for lower calories my husband will only drink 2% though. lol
  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
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    I drink organic whole milk (and full fat in other dairy products) and am counting calories and losing body fat. I drink about 16oz per day and it is not a problem, just drink which ever you prefer and account for the calories.

    For a great protein shake/meal replacement try the following:
    - 2 cups whole milk
    - ½ cup full fat cottage cheese
    - 1 whole banana (7-8in)
    - Protein powered of your choice.
    - Blend with stick blender

    Nutrition:
    - 630 Calories
    - 53g Protein
    - 22g Fat
    - 60g Carbs

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