Is clean eating or restrictive dieting worth it?
Happymelz
Posts: 536 Member
I'm just going to leave this here.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/25/orthorexia-when-healthy-eating-becomes-an-obsession.html
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/25/orthorexia-when-healthy-eating-becomes-an-obsession.html
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This is why I eat ice cream frequently. And it's not always Breyers, with their three ingredient vanilla.0
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Of course some people run the risk of taking anything too far, but one can't take an extreme, obsessive case and use it to label everyone who eats clean or paleo or vegan or however they feel best or imply that these diets are a gateway to an eating disorder.
Eating well (whatever your definition of well is) is definitely 'worth it'. There's no need to judge what other people put into their bodies, whether that's free-range organic everything or cupcakes and donuts. You do you, they'll do them, and if anybody needs help with anything, that's between the individual and their healthcare professionals.0 -
Clean eating isn't the problem. Eating too few calories is the problem. She could have the same problem eating Doritos.0
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JeffseekingV wrote: »Clean eating isn't the problem. Eating too few calories is the problem. She could have the same problem eating Doritos.
^This. Orthorexia nervosa is a mental disorder. The weight loss this woman experienced is due to extremely dangerous restricitive dieting, not just eating clean.
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"Clean" is a subjective thing.
Eating healthy is good for you. Not everyone who adopts a healthy lifestyle has an eating disorder, lol.0 -
You know what something about the word clean eating and restrictive diet just screams BORING to me. I hate being bored with food. That's why I always failed with diets in the past. They usually make you eat the same stuff over and over.
I mean, I know there's good variation to a "clean" diet, but I don't know. My mind still perceives it as boring.
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Fruitylicious03 wrote: »You know what something about the word clean eating and restrictive diet just screams BORING to me. I hate being bored with food. That's why I always failed with diets in the past. They usually make you eat the same stuff over and over.
I mean, I know there's good variation to a "clean" diet, but I don't know. My mind still perceives it as boring.
To me, clean(er) eating 90% of the time, allows me to enjoy the things I enjoy more 10% of the time. While still meeting my macros. 0 -
JeffseekingV wrote: »
As Kalikel noted, "clean" doesn't really mean anything. The use of that term always does suggest to me a confusion between nutrition and religious-like purity laws--the idea of unclean food is silly and there's obviously no agreement on what it means. If I didn't know that many people use the term without even thinking about it I'd be more inclined to think it indicates an, uh, orthorexic kind of approach. Instead, I just find it kind of silly.
I'm all for eating healthy and don't think concern with health is inherently problematic at all, although like everything else people can become compulsive about it if they are inclined to that. I just object to the notion that "eating clean" as usually used is a synonym for eating healthy, because it is not.
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Yeah there has to be reasonable limits but eating food that is not covered in pesticides and that has nutritional value is my goal for 80% my meals. Like my mom always says, you can spend it at the grocery store or at the doctor... It's up to you!0
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JeffseekingV wrote: »Fruitylicious03 wrote: »You know what something about the word clean eating and restrictive diet just screams BORING to me. I hate being bored with food. That's why I always failed with diets in the past. They usually make you eat the same stuff over and over.
I mean, I know there's good variation to a "clean" diet, but I don't know. My mind still perceives it as boring.
To me, clean(er) eating 90% of the time, allows me to enjoy the things I enjoy more 10% of the time. While still meeting my macros.
Whatever works for you. like I said I know there is good variety to a clean diet, but for some reason that "boring" just always pops up in my mind when I hear it Lol. I don't eat clean really, I'm just more aware of my macros. I still eat processed food once or twice a week. Because I need their sodium and fat. (It tastes better in them than in my own food I cook)
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Fruitylicious03 wrote: »JeffseekingV wrote: »Fruitylicious03 wrote: »You know what something about the word clean eating and restrictive diet just screams BORING to me. I hate being bored with food. That's why I always failed with diets in the past. They usually make you eat the same stuff over and over.
I mean, I know there's good variation to a "clean" diet, but I don't know. My mind still perceives it as boring.
To me, clean(er) eating 90% of the time, allows me to enjoy the things I enjoy more 10% of the time. While still meeting my macros.
Whatever works for you. like I said I know there is good variety to a clean diet, but for some reason that "boring" just always pops up in my mind when I hear it Lol. I don't eat clean really, I'm just more aware of my macros. I still eat processed food once or twice a week. Because I need their sodium and fat. (It tastes better in them than in my own food I cook)
Sure I'm exactly the same way. I probably eat worse than you right now. But I think I need to clean up my diet a bit to lose a bit more. Then find a way to balance this all out to something reasonable.0 -
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dashaclaire wrote: »Yeah there has to be reasonable limits but eating food that is not covered in pesticides and that has nutritional value is my goal for 80% my meals. Like my mom always says, you can spend it at the grocery store or at the doctor... It's up to you!
...alrighty then....0 -
I'm a food addict. I have mental breakdowns over not getting certain food. I have tried the "everything in moderation" method but I can't do it. I have to eat "clean" 100% because a single cookie leads to a dozen cookies, a pint of ice cream, and whatever else I can find. For me, staying away from those foods is hard the first week, but then I don't crave it much, until I have a bite of something sugary or salty... So I'm an all or nothing person I guess.0
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Hell no.
All food is friend, when consumed in moderation.0 -
JeffseekingV wrote: »
The OP was trying to share an article that shows that SOME people can't handle it and become obsessive to the point of it becoming a disorder.
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JeffseekingV wrote: »
The OP was trying to share an article that shows that SOME people can't handle it and become obsessive to the point of it becoming a disorder.
Then THOSE people shouldn't be doing it? For the rest of us, it's not a problem to try to eat cleaner
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My sister and brother in law started "clean eating" at the beginning of the year, he is down 75 lbs and she 50. It really does work. I'm starting this weekend to see how it helps. It really does change the way you look at food. You can become obsessed with anything, exercise, any type of diet, ect. Yes, there are people that have that addictive personality that can/will take things to an extreme.0
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JeffseekingV wrote: »JeffseekingV wrote: »
The OP was trying to share an article that shows that SOME people can't handle it and become obsessive to the point of it becoming a disorder.
Then THOSE people shouldn't be doing it? For the rest of us, it's not a problem to try to eat cleaner
Especially since it doesn't really mean anything. Eating "clean" means eating based on the way I've decided is good to eat. Which is great, as a concept, unless you are one of those people who really takes it seriously and gets compulsive about it, but it does not explain the obnoxious use of the term "clean" which makes no sense.
Are the foods you don't eat "unclean"?
What are these foods and what's "unclean" about them?
Do you actually think that other people understand what you mean by "clean"? I suspect they do not.
I've seen paleo folks use "clean" to mean no grains, vegans use it to mean no animal products, low fat dieters use it to mean low fat (which IMO isn't even healthy at all), and others use it to mean no processed foods. For the latter, "processed" sometimes oddly does not include obvious processed foods like frozen veggies and boneless, skinless chicken breast (which is often prized over far less processed cuts that happen to be naturally higher fat) and, of course, greek yogurt.
Personally, I try to eat healthy and mostly whole foods (much of which I get from local farms), but I don't think a healthy diet means that I must cut out cheese or grains or even ice cream, and whereas I like the idea of making my ice cream myself from dairy procured from local farms and might start, I don't actually think it will make much difference in how healthy my diet is.
Also, if "eating clean" means cutting specific food items out of your diet (whatever they are), I don't think it has much to do with eating healthy, which IMO is more about getting an appropriate number of calories for your activity level, enough protein, and sufficient micronutrients for health. I've seen lots of people go on about "clean eating" because they cut out "added sugar" or whatever and still eat almost no vegetables.0 -
Seems to me that anything can become unhealthy. Even calorie counting.0
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JeffseekingV wrote: »
The OP was trying to share an article that shows that SOME people can't handle it and become obsessive to the point of it becoming a disorder.
The title you chose does suggest that "clean" eating is risky ( is it worth it).
I am glad you shared the article. I thought it was interesting. I don't understand eating disorders well.0 -
Nobody understands eating disorders very well, lol...not even those who have them or those who treat them.JeffseekingV wrote: »
The OP was trying to share an article that shows that SOME people can't handle it and become obsessive to the point of it becoming a disorder.
The title you chose does suggest that "clean" eating is risky ( is it worth it).
I am glad you shared the article. I thought it was interesting. I don't understand eating disorders well.
Many people who have eating disorders do not eat healthy food. Even if they eat 400 calories in a day, it could be a candy bar and and potato chips.
Eating healthy =/= Eating disorder (and vice versa)
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JeffseekingV wrote: »Clean eating isn't the problem. Eating too few calories is the problem. She could have the same problem eating Doritos.
Not all people with eating disorders restrict calories. Including people with restrictive eating disorders (as many of them restrict other things - such as carbs, 'bad' foods, etc). What makes an eating disorder an eating disorder isn't calorie restriction. It is fear of food and/or gaining weight that interferes with the person's quality of life. In other words, a person who is genuinely troubled by their increasing obsession with their body image and/or food has an eating disorder. A person who is not might have disordered eating, but not an eating disorder.
That said, people use the term orthorexia way too liberally.0 -
Nobody understands eating disorders very well, lol...not even those who have them or those who treat them.JeffseekingV wrote: »
The OP was trying to share an article that shows that SOME people can't handle it and become obsessive to the point of it becoming a disorder.
The title you chose does suggest that "clean" eating is risky ( is it worth it).
I am glad you shared the article. I thought it was interesting. I don't understand eating disorders well.
Many people who have eating disorders do not eat healthy food. Even if they eat 400 calories in a day, it could be a candy bar and and potato chips.
Eating healthy =/= Eating disorder (and vice versa)
True. During the height of mine, I went through a period where all I ate were Little Debbie snack cakes.
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SomeNights246 wrote: »JeffseekingV wrote: »Clean eating isn't the problem. Eating too few calories is the problem. She could have the same problem eating Doritos.
Not all people with eating disorders restrict calories. Including people with restrictive eating disorders (as many of them restrict other things - such as carbs, 'bad' foods, etc). What makes an eating disorder an eating disorder isn't calorie restriction. It is fear of food and/or gaining weight that interferes with the person's quality of life. In other words, a person who is genuinely troubled by their increasing obsession with their body image and/or food has an eating disorder. A person who is not might have disordered eating, but not an eating disorder.
That said, people use the term orthorexia way too liberally.
Yes on both counts. I think it's that fear especially which is the key.0 -
I would say it is usually not worth it, unless you really need to get in shape for a special event. But having a lifestyle where you slowly loose weight will lay the foundation for lasting habits and weight loss that can last a life time. SO worth the slower and healthy path!!0
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SomeNights246 wrote: »JeffseekingV wrote: »Clean eating isn't the problem. Eating too few calories is the problem. She could have the same problem eating Doritos.
Not all people with eating disorders restrict calories. Including people with restrictive eating disorders (as many of them restrict other things - such as carbs, 'bad' foods, etc). What makes an eating disorder an eating disorder isn't calorie restriction. It is fear of food and/or gaining weight that interferes with the person's quality of life. In other words, a person who is genuinely troubled by their increasing obsession with their body image and/or food has an eating disorder. A person who is not might have disordered eating, but not an eating disorder.
That said, people use the term orthorexia way too liberally.
Thanks for the explanations. I had never heard the term orthorexia before, but I could imagine it being misused.
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