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Quote: “In order to be wealthy, you must be healthy”

If I eat all organic foods will I lose weight quicker?

            First, proper weight loss will only come inevitably through calorie deficiency whether it is organic or not, period.  Sometimes there is a misconception on weight loss and food consumption or “organic foods”.  In order for one to lose a pound of fat they have to be at a 3,500 calorie deficiency.  On the flip side for one to gain a pound of fat they have to consume 3,500 excess of calories than what their body burns.  Now any small reflection of weight gained or lost shown on the scale from one day to another will be from water and the weight of food the person is eating.  An individual can properly lose fat one of two ways; burn more calories through activity i.e. exercise or eat fewer calories.  Now one can lose more weight without doing this but the weight loss will be mostly water weight and not body fat. ( for a detailed past newsletter on water weight loss click here http://www.pbpfit.com/members/topic02.htm)  

            With any proper weight loss there will be an accompanied water weight loss because of our bodies being roughly 70% water.  However, to properly lose body fat one should shoot for a 1-2lb. weight loss a week or 1-3% of body weight a week.  Regarding long term weight loss there are “some” exclusions to this rule but for the most part one can bank on the previous mentioned for long term permanent/proper weight loss. 

            There are numerous benefits for opting to eat organic foods one being avoiding toxins.  Recently the environment working group (EWG) a non-profit organization made up of scientists performed 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce.  The 12 most contaminated were: Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Cherries Imported grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Red raspberries, Spinach, Strawberries.  The 12 least were: Asparagus, Avocados, Bananas, Broccoli, and Cauliflower, Corn (sweet), Kiwi, Mangos, Onions, Papaya, Peas, (sweet), Pineapples.  This study even examined if washing the produce rid the consumer of pesticides and it showed while washing in general can help, it does not eliminate pesticides that have soaked into the produces skin.

            People seem to sometimes be surprised when weight does not seem to stay off when they stop doing x,y or z.  I “lost this much or that much” on x, y or z diet or doing this exercise(s). (Click here for a past newsletter on what is the best diet for me http://www.pbpfit.com/members/topic17.htm) But then I gained it back, but the diet worked!  How does one define “work”, work should be keeping it off for life!  When people are struggling to lose weight they can be susceptible to many different approaches: super new diets, super new pill(s), exercise routines or super new exercise gadgets. Permanent weight loss has been studied and analyzed for many years on different subjects, the bottom line:  long term weight loss will come with a modified consumption of fewer calories and daily exercise which helps you have more calories burned.  It does not have to be trickier or more complex than the simplicity of burn more calories than you consume.  Although each day companies and individuals will preach or demonstrate why their approach or gadget will solve all weight loss problems!

            Remember, the faster one accepts/understands that long term successful weight loss will come with a permanent lifestyle change of less calories consumed and exercise which will help one burn more calories, no matter what they eat organic or not.  So, if your goal is purely weight loss eating organic or non organic will be greatly insignificant in your success.  Many people do and have lost weight eating organic and eating non organic.

By: J.D. Reber

References:

Jakicic J M, Wing R R, Winters-Hart C. Relationship of physical activity to eating behaviors and weight loss in women. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002:34(10)1653-1659.

Mauer Don, Peaches Top 'Dirty Dozen' of Pesticide-prone Fruits.  Environmental Working Group, available at http://www.ewg.org/node/22569 Sept 2007.

Remember, eat healthy and live wealthy!

Personal training in Lenox, MA