Full-fat vs. skim-fat: The truth about dairy products for weight loss

I couldn't find any research showing that low-fat milk is superior to whole milk, perhaps because low-fat milk is inferior to whole milk in every aspect. In 1930, the College of Agriculture at Oregon State University published an article titled "Fatening Pigs to Meet Market Demand," and I extracted a sentence from it that is quite interesting and worth reading: "Skimmed milk is not only the best supplementary feed for pigs, but can also be considered the best way to fatten them." It seems that, to a large extent, our understanding of weight management has regressed; we once correctly used skimmed milk to fatten pigs, but now we treat it as a "slimming drink."

Considering what we've discussed earlier, this data actually makes a lot of sense, and those who oppose calories and believe "fat is harmful" will be surprised, because their theories are based on only one aspect of complex foods. Take another look at the studies above, and then understand what this statement means: the same weight of whole milk has almost twice the calories of skim milk.

Are you going to believe the popular theories (which claim to be driving up obesity rates), or are you going to consider which theory best explains the phenomena observed in scientific research? Here's one explanation, and it perfectly aligns with the data showing that whole milk is more beneficial for weight loss than skim milk: whole milk is less artificially processed, a natural whole food, while skim milk is more heavily processed. This explanation might not completely convince you, because you first have to accept the idea that "processed is bad," meaning that skim milk provides less satiety and satisfaction than whole milk. Each calorie of skim or low-fat milk may provide less satiety, and 4 ounces of whole milk may be more satisfying than 8 ounces of skim milk. If all else is disregarded, drinking skim milk certainly results in less calorie intake and a lower likelihood of weight gain, but the food we eat now influences the types and amounts of food we eat later. Furthermore, the fat in milk slows down the body's digestion and absorption of the sugar in milk.

Your body won't say, "Oh, it's still the same amount of milk, but only half the calories!" Skim milk can only fool the person drinking the milk (not the body), and we can never lose weight by fooling our bodies. If you want to lose weight, enjoy whole milk products. You may not believe what I say or my theories about milk, but just look at the data.

Protein powder: If you want to drink protein powder, it's best to drink it at breakfast, and preferably one with few added ingredients (I drink Promix and Solgar protein powder). Compared to other proteins, I prefer whey protein because it contains a more complete range of nutrients. Protein powder is also a processed food, but if you choose a product with simpler ingredients, it can be considered a relatively healthy processed food. Protein is very satiating and helps build and maintain muscle; therefore, good protein powder can help convert weight from fat to muscle, especially when exercising simultaneously. What's a better choice than drinking a protein powder in the morning? Fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, unprocessed meats, and yogurt.

Soup: Soup is usually a good choice (because of its high water content), but this largely depends on how the soup is made and what's in it.

High-starch vegetables: I've included potatoes, peas, and corn here simply because the aforementioned 24-year study showed these foods are associated with weight gain. People especially love to demonize potatoes, but according to research, they seem to be fine. Potatoes are one of the world's most satiating foods and are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals; they've historically been a staple food in many countries. Today's obesity problem is a phenomenon unique to contemporary society, with its own era-specific causes. This doesn't mean you can eat lots of potatoes every day and not gain weight-various studies suggest otherwise-but you don't need to worry too much about potatoes. However, if you absolutely love potatoes, like many others, your weight loss efforts might be significantly less effective.

White rice: White rice isn't the worst food, and it's hundreds of times healthier than ultra-processed foods. White rice makes up a large portion of the diets of many cultures, yet they remain slim. That said, if you can eat brown rice, go for it. White rice loses the bran and germ found in brown rice during processing, meaning you get less fiber and nutrients. If you had to choose between white rice and white bread, white rice would be the overwhelming winner, as white bread is highly processed (often with a dozen or more added ingredients), while white rice is a single-ingredient food-a significant advantage. However, if you order a bowl of white rice at a restaurant, don't expect it to contain only one ingredient, as Western-style rice is usually seasoned with oil and salt.

4. Less healthy foods: These may cause weight gain.

Low-fat and skim dairy products: The beneficial fats have been removed, making these products less satiating than whole-fat dairy products, and most studies indicate they are also associated with weight gain. Remember? In the 1930s, skim milk was used to fatten pigs.

Smoothies: If you buy a bottle of smoothie from the store, it almost certainly contains added sugar or fruit-flavored syrup, not real fruit. Even if you make your own smoothies at home with fruit, the actual fiber in the fruit will be lost. Many studies have found that blending fruit affects the body's digestion and absorption of fiber. This makes smoothies closer to fruit juice, and fruit juice is definitely a fattening drink!

5. Extremely unhealthy foods: These will make you gain weight.

Ultra-processed foods: potato chips, cookies, biscuits, pies, cakes, ice cream, American muffins, waffles, white sauce pasta, pizza, white bread, fruit juice (yes, including 100% fruit juice), carbonated drinks, lattes, and candy. If you're already drooling while reading this list, don't worry, healthy foods can be delicious too.

All fried foods and most foods made with vegetable oils: soybean oil and most other vegetable oils are a major factor in weight gain, and it's hard to avoid them in the United States.

So-called "health foods" include organic oat bars (containing added sugar), organic dried fruit (usually containing added sugar and no moisture), flavored yogurt (definitely containing sweeteners), and organic cereals (highly processed and containing added sugar).

Most common sauces: Because most sauces contain large amounts of soybean oil, sugar, and salt, they can easily lead to weight gain. Almost all the salad dressings I see in stores use soybean oil.

Highly processed meat products: Bologna sausages and hot dogs are highly processed, so much so that you'd be embarrassed to call them "meat".

Additional explanation: I try to avoid canned foods because most canned food containers contain a synthetic substance called bisphenol A (BPA), which is linked not only to obesity but also to insulin resistance and cancer. Ana Soto, a professor of immunology at Tufts University, stated, "If you include animal studies, I think there's enough evidence to suggest that BPA increases the risk of breast and prostate cancer in humans." BPA can indeed seep into food through the seams of food cans. A Harvard University study found that participants who drank canned soup daily had 1221% higher levels of BPA in their urine compared to those who drank fresh soup daily. The data speaks for itself, but thankfully, more and more companies are starting to use BPA-free food containers. I recommend fresh foods, refrigerated foods, and bottled foods. If you must eat canned foods, look for BPA-free containers. If you can only eat canned vegetables and can't find BPA-free containers, then I think it's worth it as long as you can eat more vegetables.

Healthy drinks

There is a weight loss method that is extremely effective and extremely common, so common that we often overlook it: drinking water. Water has zero calories and helps regulate appetite (sugar-free drinks are also zero calories, but these drinks can disrupt metabolism, while water can boost it).

If you drink everything except water, be careful; what you drink might make you gain weight. Carbonated drinks, fruit juice, alcohol, and any beverage with added sugar (including coffee and sweetened black tea) will hinder your weight loss. Milk is questionable at this point.

One study divided 48 people into two groups, both eating low-calorie foods, but one group drank two 240ml glasses of water before meals. After 12 weeks, the water-drinking group lost 15.5 pounds, while the other group only lost 11 pounds. Regardless of whether calorie restriction is flawed or the duration is too short, the water-drinking group clearly achieved better weight loss. In the long run, restricting calorie intake leads to the body storing more fat, while drinking more water may have the opposite effect. A study of 7 men and 7 women showed that drinking 500ml of water can increase the body's metabolic rate by 30% within 40 minutes. Although this is only a short-term observation, an increased metabolic rate is a good thing. The key problem with low-calorie diets is that the metabolic rate can plummet. If a food causes weight gain in the short term but increases the metabolic rate in the long term, this food is still very beneficial for weight loss, and far superior to weight loss methods that cause short-term weight loss but disrupt metabolism and lead to weight gain in the long run. Of course, these discussions are only theoretical, telling us that drinking water is beneficial to health in both the short and long term and helps with weight management.

Another beverage worth mentioning is green tea. Besides water, green tea is also an excellent slimming drink because it contains unique antioxidants. Many studies show that green tea is particularly helpful in burning visceral fat. This abdominal visceral fat is generally what people most want to lose, and it's also the most harmful to the body. Green tea helps burn fat mainly because it contains a large amount of catechins-antioxidants. According to my research, cocoa, blackberries, and red wine also contain catechins, but green tea has the highest catechin content.