Will I lose faster on a more natural diet?

Will I lose weight faster and more consistently if I eat a diet consisting of nothing but whole foods?  I was thinking of restricting myself to only fruits, vegetables, lean meat, eggs, dry beans, nuts and whole grains such as brown rice.  Do you think that this diet would be more effective than a diet with "cheat" foods and processed stuff?  My weight loss always seems to stall if I eat anything processed and I'm beginning to think that calorie isn't just a calorie.

Processed foods contain more sodium, sugar, and preservatives.  These things cause you to retain water. 

That is the main reason why some people lose a large amount of weight their first week, is because they're switching to more whole type foods that are lower in sodium, sugar, and preservatives.

I think a calorie is a calories, but what you eat makes the difference in how your body functions and how you feel.

Ehh... yes, no, and maybe.

If you eat less calorie-dense and processed food, you can usually eat more at the same number of calories, which sometimes reduces the likelihood of cheating. And chances are good that you'll feel better after a few days (you might feel a little lousy at first, though - when I switched to mostly whole foods from having a lot of processed stuff, I felt headachy and tired and generally "blah" for a couple of days, but when it lifted I felt better than before). Feeling more energetic might mean better exercise and better moods.

And some people get bloating from certain artificial ingredients, which doesn't actually stall fat loss, but the numbers on the scale and the way clothes fit make it hard to tell.

Whole foods is usually healthier overall if it's balanced, but strictly by weight loss standards, it probably won't directly help. The benefits are indirect. Including the fact that it's harder to overeat when most foods have to be cooked (snacking on extra raw veggies won't have nearly the negative impact that snacking on cookies would.)

I do way better with a mostly raw fruit/veg diet and fewer grains [upsets my stomach] with proteins mainly from dairy and eggs. Processed foods take longer to go through your system leaving you with an icky bloated feeling.

this way of eating also makes it easy to get a high fiber and extra hydration from your food. both help regulate blood sugar.
without processed things adding to a fluxing blood sugar, your body will be more prone to giving up weight because it is not stressed.

your skin will look great too.


go for it!

If you ate nothing but junk all week but stayed within your calories then your 2 lbs weight gain was probably just water weight from the sodium and sugar.  The fact is that a pound is 3,500 calories...which would make 2lbs 7,000.  I highly doubt you did this since you said you stayed within your calories, therefore, whatever weight you gained was not fat.

I just made the switch from mostly processed foods to more natural healthy choices about 2 weeks ago.  I still think I'm losing weight at about the same rate (the calorie intake has remained the same), but I feel less bloated, I have more energy, and my skin looks amazing.  If you can afford it and are willing to take the extra time to do it, I have only good things to say!

Agree with #5 - whole foods will give you more fiber, which really helps a lot (in my experience).  It keeps you feeling full longer and keeps everything moving through your digestive system.

Ironic topic to me... Cause I was thinking of posting on similar..... When I explain to people to Eat there BMR is calories to lose weight. I cant stress enough that although a calorie is a calorie by definition.. Thats all it is.... Processed foods do cause you to retain water, spike insulin, and all of the bove that everyone mentioned....

Eat Fruits, veggies, and you will do great! Good Post... VERY TRUE!!! Even if they are processed and not raw, they are much better for you than JUNK.... If it comes in a BOX.. DONT EAT IT!!! Thats my rule!

This is how I have lost 168 pounds to date!  It is an adjustment though and something that you need to work into.

Or a bag (except fruit/veggies) loosingthepounds!

I was gonna say bag too..... But there are quite a few things you can get in bags from fruits to veggies to cheese, and I didnt want any arguments lol... But I got the point *wink*

I'm a natural diet, and it def. helps much more than just counting calories/watching the amount of junk I eat. I don't eat beans/grains though, only things that would be consumed raw. A calorie def. is not just a calorie, your body reacts differently to different substances, and giving it something it was never meant to eat is never a good idea, although it seems that most Americans have 65% of their diets based on non-natural foods.