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Can You Lose Weight (or Keep from Gaining Weight) When Eating Whole Foods?

February 5, 2013 by Laura 83 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

weight

Before I begin this post, I want to say this:  Being “skinny” is not the goal when it comes to eating a whole foods diet. Our goal is to be healthy, not to have a Barbie doll figure (who, by the way, is made of plastic and is susceptible to having an arm or leg snapped off, just ask my brother). Now let’s begin:

I often receive emails from readers asking me:  “I have some pounds to lose. Can I lose weight while eating whole foods?” or “How do you stay slim while eating such a high fat diet?” or “I want to start eating real foods, but I’m afraid of gaining weight.”

butter

Can I lose weight while eating whole foods?

These questions and fears are very valid and I understand why these emails are coming in. I was afraid of the very same things when I first learned about eating whole foods. For as long as I can remember, we have been told from experts that eating a high fat diet is bad for us. That drinking whole milk and consuming other full fat dairy products is terrible. That butter is a huge no-no. That we needed to eat fat-free yogurt. That we should avoid red meat and focus on lean, white meat. That eggs were horrible and full of cholesterol.

To replace each of these, we were provided with “low fat” and “fat free” substitutes of sour cream, cheese, and milk. We were offered “egg-beaters” to replace eggs in recipes. Margarine became the “healthier choice” because it was lower in saturated fat. And most other processed high fat food companies came out with “low fat” varieties for those who were “health conscious”. (Fat free mayonnaise, anyone?)

I bought into it for years. I think many people did. Most nutrition books on the market still suggest that eating “low fat” varieties of food is the healthier way to go.

Here’s what I learned while eating a “low fat or fat free” diet for many years:  Any time I got into patterns of over-eating – even if it was food that was low in fat – I struggled with maintaining a healthy weight. In addition, I craved more sugar since many low fat foods have sugar added to make up for the loss of flavor that happens when you take naturally occurring fat out of food.

Once I began eating a real food diet, which is higher in real fat – real butter, real cream, whole milk, real sour cream, whole milk yogurt, eggs, beef, lamb (along with whole grains and lots of fruits and veggies) – I found that these foods are so satisfying that my body wasn’t consistently craving what it wasn’t getting! I found that the food tasted so good that I wasn’t constantly disappointed with dry, tasteless food. I found that I had more energy and healthier skin. I found that overall, because I was eating whole food in its original form, I felt so much better than I’d ever felt when I had been eating food that had been stripped of its natural fat.

Cream Cheese Chicken

So can you eat whole foods that are naturally high in fat and maintain a healthy weight, or even lose weight if you need to? Yes!  I’ve watched friends arrive at a healthy weight once they began eating a real food diet. Once they gave up eating processed foods, and even “low fat foods” and began to instead eat a diet of unprocessed, whole foods – the extra pounds just fell off! And I can tell you that for myself, after 15 years of following the latest diet trends (low fat, calorie counting, etc) in an effort to “not gain weight” – eating a diet of real, whole foods (going on eight years now) has been the easiest way I’ve experienced to maintain a healthy weight.

I’m going to say this again:  None of us should have being “skinny” as the goal as we look at this subject. We should be focused on being “healthy”.  Eating a well balanced whole foods diet is healthy. And wow does it ever taste good!

Here are my top five tips (besides eating a whole foods diet) for maintaining a healthy weight:

  1. Don’t Over-Eat: Too much healthy food is still too much food. Eat when you are hungry. Stop eating when you are full. It’s really quite simple. (Except for when it’s chocolate. Then it is difficult. Self control, Laura everyone, self-control.)
  2. Be Balanced:  Sure, I love butter and believe wholeheartedly that it is a healthy fat. But man (or Laura) shall not live on butter alone. Eat a wide variety of whole foods for a healthy balance that will meet all of your body’s needs.
  3. Go Easy on the Sugar:  Yes, even natural sugars like honey, sucanat, and maple syrup. And desserts made with chocolate. But I covered that already.
  4. Exercise:  For so many reasons, just do it. You will not regret it, and your body will love you for it.
  5. Eat Healthy Fats:  Avoid processed, manufactured fats like vegetable oils, crisco, and margarine. Our bodies don’t recognize them, can’t utilize them, and therefore store them in our bodies as fat. Coconut oil, real butter, and palm oil are all fats our bodies can break down and utilize for energy and nourishment.

I hope you will all feel comfortable leaving a comment to share how this journey has been for you. Have you found that eating real, whole foods has helped you achieve a healthy weight? Are you afraid to eat a whole foods diet? Have you been eating a whole foods diet and been happy with the results? 

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Fat and Calories – How Much is Too Much?

June 14, 2012 by Laura 20 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Typically I let Jen, from Getting Fit With Jen, help me out with answering questions in these posts. However, this time I wanted to speak from my own experience. Rest assured, Jen and I talk about all of this quite frequently while she’s working my tail off engaging in a long, lovely stroll with me as we work to get into shape….

I often receive questions about fat and calorie intake, so I thought it might be nice to address Crystal’s question here in case the rest of you have similar questions:

Laura,

I also weight train like you do, but have just began eating this way. I was on a high protein, low fat diet, but have switched to raw milk, butter, and all the other good stuff you use. Could you share with me how you balance your calorie intake with the high fat food? I feel great, but am concerned I am taking in too many calories.

This is a bit of a tricky question, simply because everyone is different, and there is not a “one-size-fits-all” nutrition plan that will work for everyone. However, I will share with you what is working for me..

First of all, I have to say that I haven’t counted calories since I was a newly-wed, almost 18 years ago. This isn’t because I am one of those people who can just eat anything and not worry about weight gain. If only.  I simply found the process of counting calories to be tedious and frustrating. I have since learned more about listening to my body. I now work to be intentional to only eat when I’m hungry, and then to stop eating when I’m full. This has been the most successful method I’ve found to help me maintain a healthy weight. If I get into a habit of over-eating (which would, of course, mean that I am consuming more calories than I need), or if I’m eating a lot of “empty calories”, I definitely start noticing my pants getting tighter. But if I am disciplined to eat only what my body is truly asking for, I find that counting calories is not necessary for me.

As a side note, now that I’m working out regularly, I find that I definitely need more calories, but I have no idea how many. I’m simply listening to my body, eating when I’m hungry, stopping when I’m full, eating protein when I crave it, eating vegetables and fruit in larger portions as I need them, etc.

Easy Breakfast Casserole with Applesauce Bread and Fruit is a great, balanced meal. 
By the way, ignore the juice in this pic. We rarely drink it. 
We must have had company the day I took this picture!

But now let’s get to the fat of the matter. :)  If you’ve been reading here long, you likely know that our family eats a fairly very high fat diet. I don’t hold back on the butter, cream, whole milk, meat, or eggs. I trust our food sources, and I know that whole foods are best for us, even if they may be higher in calories. These high fat foods, when balanced with fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods, are filling, satisfying, and delicious. (Except for those times I eat more food than I should and my pants start getting tight. But let’s avoid bringing that up again, shall we?)

I believe that God made a lovely balance of foods -some which are  naturally high fat/calorie foods (like cream) and some which are naturally low fat/calorie foods (like carrots). I believe that all of these foods, in their whole form, have nutrients in them that our bodies need. 

I also believe that we have stripped many nutrients out of what was originally a whole food, creating “empty calories” (like white pasta) which do little to nothing to nourish our bodies. These foods may be lower in calories than some, but they provide nothing for us, making them a waste of calorie consumption. (And yes, I do still occasionally splurge and eat empty calories, knowing that the majority of the time I make better food choices.)

I believe that eating too much of anything will make you gain weight, whether it’s good for you or not. If all you eat is carrots, and you consistently over-eat them, you will gain weight, even though carrots are low in calories and fat free. (You’ll also turn orange, but that’s beside the point.) ;)

I certainly don’t claim to be an expert on the matter, but these are my thoughts based on my research and experience. I’d love for you to share your experiences with eating a whole foods, nutrient rich diet and how you work to acheive a healthy weight.  (In addition, if you’d like to talk about the times your pants get tight, feel free. Stinkin’ cookies.)

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Be Intentional about Eating (and Serving) Fruits and Vegetables

May 19, 2011 by Laura 61 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

While we’re in the middle of talking about Simple Steps Toward Healthy Eating, I just want to offer a little bit of encouragement and motivation once again in the area of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. I think this is one of the most well known and understood aspects of healthy eating and still one of the most difficult for many people.

If only corn chips or french fries counted as a serving of vegetables. I’m not saying, “don’t ever eat corn chips or french fries”. I’m just saying they don’t offer much in the way of vitamins and other nutrients our bodies need.

We really need a lot of fruits and vegetables. I know this. You know this. (Right? You know this?)

I’ve talked about this here quite a bit, and I tend to bring it up during the times I feel like I myself am in a fruit and veggie rut. Writing this is my little way of kicking myself in the pants (which takes an incredible amount of talent; please feel free to picture me attempting this). I’m also hoping to kick you in the pants (which of course is easier, but not nearly as nice, so please be aware that I am only using that term figuratively, and also you don’t have to worry because I’m not very strong and don’t kick very hard).

All kicking aside, we all need to veggie up. Yes? Do you agree?

farmers_market

So how do we do this? How do we make fruits and vegetables more of a priority? How do we ensure that we are eating enough and feeding our family enough fruits and vegetables?

I’ve thought long and hard and come up with a detailed checklist for us to live by as we focus on eating more fruits and veggies. Are you ready?

  1. Buy fruits and vegetables.
  2. Eat them.
  3. Repeat.

Did you catch all of that? Go back and re-read the list as many times as you need to. Take your time. Let it all soak in.

I think that list sums it up quite well. If we don’t actually purchase fruits and vegetables, they are very hard to eat. Ever noticed that? But don’t just buy them and think they look pretty in your fridge or freezer. You’re going to need to actually eat them if you want them to benefit you the way that they should.

And don’t just serve them to your kids. You need to eat them too. Eating them in front of your kids is highly recommended. Saying lots of things like, “mmm this tastes really good” while you eat them in front of your kids is also a very good idea.

If you don’t really like many fruits or vegetables I’m going to go out on a little limb here and kindly and gently say, “Get over it and eat them anyway”. You’ve got to eat fruits and veggies whether you like them or not. Start with the ones you do like, then keep trying and adding new ones to your diet. I’ve learned to like all kinds of new foods as I’ve gotten older and as I’ve actually given good foods a fair chance. Sure, maybe I like chocolate better than artichokes. I can have chocolate too…I just need to focus on the veggies. I think not eating vegetables because we “don’t like them” is kind of silly, because we are grown-ups, are we not? I’d say “don’t get me started” but I guess I already got myself started. See what happens when I start trying to kick myself in the pants?

Here’s an older post I wrote, the first in the Simple Steps Toward Healthy Eating series I’ve been writing, encouraging you to eat more fruits and veggies. You’ll find several ideas to encourage you to eat more of these colorful foods, so I very much encourage you to go read that post. I also want to remind you that eating fruits and vegetables does not have to be expensive and is very worth the money.

Now, let’s chat together and motivate each other to eat lots and lots of fruits and vegetables.

My favorites are broccoli, green beans, fresh spinach and other leafy greens, carrots, frozen peas, asparagus, tomatoes, apples, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, grapes, cantaloupe and probably some others I’m forgetting at the moment.

What are your favorites? Do you ever find yourself in a veggie rut? What will help you out of that rut? 

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