panorama - UPF

The problem with UPF is that it disrupts the systems that regulate your hunger which makes sticking to a low calorie diet really hard in the long run. Sure, you can lose weight, but you’ll always be hungry. This is exacerbated by the face that consistent calorie counting is really onerous but made lots easier by eating UPF because you don’t have to do calculations that you would with home made food.

I’m something of a yo-yo-er (so always putting a bit on the going to lose it) and the hard and fast rule is: you will lose weight if you’re at a calorie deficit. No matter what you eat.

Its why I’d never even think about a fad diet

If between regular walking around + a spin class and workout at the gym + a long walk I also eat crisps, chocolate, drink pop etc and still be at a calories deficit.

I’ve experienced a lot of people who complain about not being able to lose weight, or moaning that they gain weight if they ‘look’ at a dessert and in every single case I can say that with everything I know about how they eat (regularly going away with them and spending days at a time together) that how they eat is the problem, they just don’t want to see it.

I don’t think that’s a particularly scientific experiment, they are twins not the same person. Their entire routine would need to be the exact same, down to fidgeting which just isn’t possible.

I agree with other posters, if I ate garbage but still kept it calorie controlled I would lose weight.

My diet varies, I eat a big proportion of healthy food but if I want a ‘treat’ I’m not going for some sort of fake healthy version, I just eat the real thing. So I have chocolate, biscuits and sweets pretty much most days but very portion controlled.

Equally you can a gain weight only eating ‘whole’ foods if you eat too much.

I'm a little sceptical about this. Weight naturally fluctuates a bit, and it can be quite normal to go up or down a bit over a fortnight even if you don't make any changes to your diet. Plus we'd need to see what happened when they ate the same for two weeks to see if they have the same metabolism. And a sample of two people over 2 weeks is not scientifically sound.

I think the "it's not about calories" message is quite misleading, because if we eat more than our bodies need, we will gain weight. Many UPFs are designed to be hyperpalatable and it's very easy to eat far too much of them in a way that would be harder with fruit and vegetables, say. Cutting them out is always going to be good for you. But in my experience, watching my calories has always resulted in corresponding weight loss and I do believe the posters who say that it's possible to eat UPFs and be thin. Whether you can eat them and be healthy is another matter!

I'm 61 and have been overweight for years. I only managed to lose weight when I started a zero processed food diet. It wasn't just for weight loss - my bloods were all over the place, pre diabetic, gout, high blood pressure, inflammation markers etc.
After 3 months my bloods are all back to normal, I've been able to cut my meds in half and my blood pressure is going down as are my ankles which were very swollen.
So Im vegetarian and only eat food I have cooked and also lots of raw food. I do eat eggs. I don't use anything processed like margerine or butter, white rice or pasta, only a small amount of potatoes, no quorn or anything like that.
No added salt, no sugar and you have to make your own stock without salt.
To be fair the food is bland and you literally cannot eat a huge amount of it because it is very fibrous and filling so weight loss is inevitable.
But the startling effect was on my blood results.
I feel healthy too, somuch better and the black circles under my eyes have gone.
I used to be able to eat crisps and chocolate and still lose weight but that just doesn't happen when you get to your 60's or 70's.
I've really gained my life back.

I eat very little UPF post menopausal and weight slowly creeping up. Little UPF does not equal weight loss but probably better health for most but not all people

But overall calories still count
Post menopausal but still able to lose weight eating Family sized bags of minstrels/M&M’s & malteasers, a bag of crisps and cake each day because I do so whilst sticking to a calorie deficit

I agree with this. I can eat nothing but junk food and will lose weight because I stick to a calorie allowance.

What!! How are you doing that? Literally just calorie counting and ignoring the nutritional aspect?

But overall calories still count.
Post menopausal but still able to lose weight eating Family sized bags of minstrels/M&M’s & malteasers, a bag of crisps and cake each day because I do so whilst sticking to a calorie deficit.

Yes my diet is now appalling, but I’m a size 10 as opposed to the size 14 I was when eating healthy, home cooked meals!