“Fat Free” foods may NOT help you lose fat…..

Today's post: Friday, 12-21-2007

1. First, let’s start with the positive.

There IS a kind of fat free foods that DO help you lose weight.

Hint: They don’t come in boxes on store shelves.

Eating green & other nonstarchy vegetables WILL help you lose fat & fat weight.

They have fiber & water and they have an enormous amount of nutrition. They are good for your health to eat. If like most Americans, you eat very few vegetables other than French fries or baked potatoes, which are NOT in this category, you rarely eat such vegetables at all. And, if you are overfat or have fat you’d like to lose this approaches a certainty.

The trimmest & healthiest people eat several servings a day of green & other nonstarchy vegetables.

Not only do such vegetables contain no fat, they help you feel full; & Weight Watchers has found they are so low in calories you apparently burn that many calories just in digesting them. So they actually list such vegetables as having ZERO points.

Does it work to lose fat to simply eat more green & other nonstarchy vegetables?

You bet it does.

I lost 30 pounds of fat & have kept off 20 of them now almost entirely by adding a serving at lunch every day & a serving at dinner every day. Even better I wasn’t extra hungry.

I still eat protein & fats & oils that are OK for health like walnuts, pecans, extra virgin olive oil, avocados, guacamole, & wild caught salmon. I eat beans often. And, I eat eggs occasionally.

But by adding the vegetable servings, I no longer am hungry for seconds. I don’t eat second helpings any more. I had expected to lose 10 pounds. I did that. When I lost a second 10 pounds, I was pleased. And, since what I was doing wasn’t hard to do, I kept doing it & have kept doing it since. But when I lost the third 10 pounds, not only was I pleased, I was astounded.

(The only reason I gained back 10 pounds is I was forced temporarily by events to get a good bit less exercise.

But as long as I keep doing the exercise I do now & keep eating the vegetables, I’ll not gain back the other 20.

And when I add back the exercise, the 10 pounds will go back off also.)

Notice that although I do eat many foods with fats & oils each day, I still lost 20 pounds of fat that have stayed off.

2. Here’s the negative to avoid.

Would switching to foods labeled as “Fat Free” at the store helped me to lose fat too?

No. In fact the overfat people who do eat them tend to get fatter instead. Ouch !!

Here’s why.

The foods with those labels tend to be cookies & crackers. And, almost all of them are made with refined grains. These foods may taste good. But they have no fiber & very little nutrition so they don’t help turn off your hunger very well. Not having fat increases this effect besides. So this category of foods are NOT a promising food to eat to lose fat at all. It’s not much better or more effective to lose fat than drinking soft drinks which are even worse. They are fat free too !!

But there’s worse news. People who eat such foods are hungry for more of them and eat more each time & often do exactly that thinking they can as the foods are “Fat Free.” This usually results in fat GAIN.

But the worst news is next.

I’ve re-titled the article to make it a bit clearer than the original article’s title. But I not only give full credit to the author & the source I found it in, I feel fortunate to be able to include it here because the article itself is so well done.

Foods labeled as “Fat Free” will NOT help you lose fat

Here’s the article:

“By Shane Ellison

Food labels that scream "fat free" have been a goldmine for the food industry since 1993. They have also hoodwinked millions of unsuspecting victims. Overweight people seek out these labels in the hope of waking up skinny. It never happens. But that doesn't stop them from getting ensnared over and over again. I can hear their rationale: "I'm fat, so I should eat fat-free foods." Wrong.

After the fat is removed, sugar is added. Sugar is great if you're at a birthday party, but that's it. It is nothing more than fat fertilizer and a heart attack waiting to happen. Look for it listed as sucrose, dextrose or cane sugar on the labels of your favorite foods. Then buy something else -- like an all-natural food high in healthy fat.

Healthy fat, which you can find in grass-fed beef, seeds, nuts, avocados, and eggs, is essential for proper growth, development and the maintenance of good health. It provides your body with vital energy without causing you to gain weight. In sharp contrast to carbohydrates, sugar and trans-fats, healthy fats tell your body to burn fat and make you feel fuller quicker. Add them to your grocery list. And forget the fat-free labels.”

[Ed. Note: Shane Ellison is known as "The People's Chemist." He holds a Master's degree in organic chemistry and has first-hand industry experience with drug research, design and synthesis. He is the author of Health Myths Exposed and The Hidden Truth About Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs…..]

"This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise's Total Health Breakthroughs , offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription,

visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com "