Moderation vs Clean Eating
deannaxsmithx
Posts: 27 Member
are you more successful with your weight loss when eating foods in moderation or eating strictly healthy foods?
moderation in this case meaning eating whatever you'd like as long as it's within your calorie goal. following serving sizes. weighing your food.
clean eating meaning eating only healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, organic products, etc
moderation in this case meaning eating whatever you'd like as long as it's within your calorie goal. following serving sizes. weighing your food.
clean eating meaning eating only healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, organic products, etc
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FYI, most people who practice moderation eat primarily nutritious foods...they're just not afraid to have some desert or a slice or two of pizza every once in awhile.
"Clean" is a very ambiguous term and has about a zillion different meanings depending on the individual.
Do yourself a favor and just eat a well balanced and varied diet that is rich in whole food nutrition...and have some ice cream once in awhile.
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I am more successful with moderation, although I do try to eat a lot of healthy foods too. I find that if I cut out all junk food (for lack of a better term) I cannot sustain it, and I end up binging and screwing up all my previous hard work. It's better for me if I go ahead and eat pizza or candy every now and then, and just watch my overall calorie intake.0
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Moderation. But that's not saying I eat nothing but sugar and chips all day.
Breakfast: egg white/turkey sausage burrito, a banana, and Greek yogurt
Lunch: turkey and provolone on whole grain bread with a bit of honey mustard, and grape tomatoes
Dinner: not sure yet, but it's probably going to be Taco Bell. And then chocolate.1 -
OP - maybe you should search topics before digging this up again ....there are about a million topics on this...
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cwolfman13 wrote: »FYI, most people who practice moderation eat primarily nutritious foods...they're just not afraid to have some desert or a slice or two of pizza every once in awhile.
"Clean" is a very ambiguous term and has about a zillion different meanings depending on the individual.
Do yourself a favor and just eat a well balanced and varied diet that is rich in whole food nutrition...and have some ice cream once in awhile.
This. Even eating "clean" at its strictest definition you can eat too much and gain weight. Might be harder since whole foods tend to fill you up faster, but it is still very possible. Other benefits of eating healthier/whole/organic foods range from less chemicals and hormones to better moods and more energy.
A lot of healthy active people I know (including myself) find a balance in eating a good 80% of their food as whole and nutritious but allowing for the occasional desert, eating out, couple glasses of wine, etc.
You can lose weight eating anything you want as long as you burn more than you eat. However....living on nothing but sugar and grease will catch up to most people eventually.0 -
I track my calories and eat a variety of foods. So if that's what you are using for "moderation", that's what I do. I'll have two slices of thin crust pizza tonight, a weekly ritual. This week also I've had a variety of home cooked meals that would do any clean eater proud.
The slippery slope of "clean eating" is demonising certain foods or even entire food groups/macros (i.e. carbs). It then becomes much harder to get the variety of foods the dieter needs to stay healthy while losing weight.
Not to mention that clean eating all by itself won't guarantee weight loss. Unless it's from the exercise running from store to store trying to find something clean enough to eat.0 -
+1 to wolfman. I just eat a healthier and more nutritious balanced diet. I dont restrict, but I choose to moderate the high calorie foods I used to eat and just eat more fruit, veg, complex carbs and lean protein. Still have chocolate and chips though.0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »FYI, most people who practice moderation eat primarily nutritious foods...they're just not afraid to have some desert or a slice or two of pizza every once in awhile.
"Clean" is a very ambiguous term and has about a zillion different meanings depending on the individual.
Do yourself a favor and just eat a well balanced and varied diet that is rich in whole food nutrition...and have some ice cream once in awhile.
What he said.
Also, just IN. These threads never end well. Too soon for gifs yet?
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As per your definitions, I lean towards Moderation. Simply because eating "clean," I find, is more difficult when you have a fast paced lifestyle. It can be managed of course- I just don't take the time to plan everything out, so I often find myself at Taco John's and just ordering things that fit in my calorie count.
I am losing weight slowly but consistently this way.0 -
Isn't there another thread currently going on on this precise topic?0
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Moderation.
A plan that can last a lifetime. Works for me...........so far.0 -
That's not an either or question. If you eat 80 calories of strawberries instead of 160, you're still moderating.0
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deannaxsmithx wrote: »are you more successful with your weight loss when eating foods in moderation or eating strictly healthy foods?
moderation in this case meaning eating whatever you'd like as long as it's within your calorie goal. following serving sizes. weighing your food.
clean eating meaning eating only healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, organic products, etc
moderation
I love me some ice cream 0 -
deannaxsmithx wrote: »moderation in this case meaning eating whatever you'd like as long as it's within your calorie goal. following serving sizes. weighing your food.
This is not what I understand "moderation" to mean. In my understanding, "moderation" means including whatever foods you want (to the extent they fit your calories) after nutritional considerations are met, such as getting enough healthy fats and protein, fiber, carbs for your level of activity/what makes you feel good, micros, etc. In other words, focusing on having an overall healthy, balanced diet, but also recognizing that food can be about pleasure and enjoyment and not simply nutrition. I'd include as part of this approach making sure that even the nutrient-dense base of your diet is as tasty and enjoyable as possible and ideally as crave-worthy as the more calorie-dense or lower nutrient foods that are eaten primarily for the taste element.
This is how I like to think of food and what works for me, and I consider it moderation.clean eating meaning eating only healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, organic products, etc
I don't think this is what "clean" eating means either. I think it has something to do with processed vs. unprocessed, but many unquestionably processed foods (like skinless boneless chicken breast or skim milk or frozen foods) are just as healthy as their less processed equivalents, and one could certainly make an argument for the merits of other processed foods like kimchi or vinegars or even protein bars and powders, pasta, bread, etc.
But I don't find that all or nothing approaches work for me, or dividing foods into "good" and "bad" or even "healthy" or "unhealthy." Whether a food is the best one to eat at a particular time depends on overall context (i.e., overall diet)--I just finished a biking trip and in that context ate more snack like things and dried fruit and the like (even including the occasional Clif bar) than I normally would, for, I think, health-related reasons, as one needed to fuel long bike rides. Also, I think it's normal for humans to enjoy good foods and wrong to convince yourself that there's something wrong or disgusting or bad about liking a piece of pie. Nor is it remotely true that a diet that contains no pie is healthier than one that includes the occasional piece, assuming both also include a good balance of nutrient-dense foods. That's the problem with the "clean" approach (as well as simply incoherence) IMO.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »FYI, most people who practice moderation eat primarily nutritious foods...they're just not afraid to have some desert or a slice or two of pizza every once in awhile.
"Clean" is a very ambiguous term and has about a zillion different meanings depending on the individual.
Do yourself a favor and just eat a well balanced and varied diet that is rich in whole food nutrition...and have some ice cream once in awhile.
^^ QFT
For me personally, I can not completely eliminate a food from my diet because that is what I'm going to want to eat all the time. If I want something, I just figure out how I am going to make it work in my food diary. I eat on point probably 90% of the time, but still find a way to enjoy what some would consider "junk" food from time to time.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »FYI, most people who practice moderation eat primarily nutritious foods...they're just not afraid to have some desert or a slice or two of pizza every once in awhile.
"Clean" is a very ambiguous term and has about a zillion different meanings depending on the individual.
Do yourself a favor and just eat a well balanced and varied diet that is rich in whole food nutrition...and have some ice cream once in awhile.
Yes, this. I eat in moderation. I eat healthy, home-cooked meals the majority of the time but occasionally I'll have an ice-cream, or my husband will make pancakes, or I'll bake a cake/cookies (is a homemade cake considered 'clean'??).
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That's not an either or question. If you eat 80 calories of strawberries instead of 160, you're still moderating.
Exactly. "Moderation" vs. "Clean Eating" is a false dichotomy. Yes, I'm ignoring the glaring problem of lack of definition for "clean." My position still holds.
ETA: Oops, and OP, eating the portion size a label suggests isn't what moderation means. If it is, I'm quitting, as I like to eat an entire bag of veggies (serves 4) for my lunch. And two servings of chili, but maybe only 1/2 cup of milk. And I don't have to weigh things if I don't want to (and neither does anyone else).0 -
DawnieB1977 wrote: »(is a homemade cake considered 'clean'??).
I've always assumed no, at least not if it contains flour and sugar. But it is confusing!
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lemurcat12 wrote: »DawnieB1977 wrote: »(is a homemade cake considered 'clean'??).
I've always assumed no, at least not if it contains flour and sugar. But it is confusing!
depends on what variant of clean you are doing ...0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »DawnieB1977 wrote: »(is a homemade cake considered 'clean'??).
I've always assumed no, at least not if it contains flour and sugar. But it is confusing!
I started a list once of all the definitions of clean eating that we've seen on the boards. By some you can get away with homemade cake and by others it's a definite no-no.
If you're curious, they include:
Nothing but minimally processed foods.
Absolutely no processed foods.
Shop only the outside of the grocery store.
Nothing out of a box, jar, or can.
Only food that's not in a box or hermetically sealed bag, or from e.g. McDonald's.
Nothing at all with a barcode.
Nothing with more than 5 ingredients.
Nothing with more than 4 ingredients.
Nothing with more than 3 ingredients.
Nothing with more than 1 ingredient.
No added preservatives.
No added chemicals.
No chemicals, preservatives, etc. at all.
No ingredients that you can't pronounce.
No ingredients that sound like they came out of a chemistry book.
Don't eat products that have a TV commercial.
Don't eat products that have a longer shelf life than you do.
No added sugar.
No added refined sugar.
Swap white sugar for brown.
No "white" foods.
Nothing but lean meats, fruits, and vegetables.
Only meat from grass-fed animals and free-range chickens.
Only pesticide-free foods.1 -
diannethegeek wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »DawnieB1977 wrote: »(is a homemade cake considered 'clean'??).
I've always assumed no, at least not if it contains flour and sugar. But it is confusing!
I started a list once of all the definitions of clean eating that we've seen on the boards. By some you can get away with homemade cake and by others it's a definite no-no.
If you're curious, they include:
Nothing but minimally processed foods.
Absolutely no processed foods.
Shop only the outside of the grocery store.
Nothing out of a box, jar, or can.
Only food that's not in a box or hermetically sealed bag, or from e.g. McDonald's.
Nothing at all with a barcode.
Nothing with more than 5 ingredients.
Nothing with more than 4 ingredients.
Nothing with more than 3 ingredients.
Nothing with more than 1 ingredient.
No added preservatives.
No added chemicals.
No chemicals, preservatives, etc. at all.
No ingredients that you can't pronounce.
No ingredients that sound like they came out of a chemistry book.
Don't eat products that have a TV commercial.
Don't eat products that have a longer shelf life than you do.
No added sugar.
No added refined sugar.
Swap white sugar for brown.
No "white" foods.
Nothing but lean meats, fruits, and vegetables.
Only meat from grass-fed animals and free-range chickens.
Only pesticide-free foods.
How does that work? I get bags of avocados and onions with a barcode at the top of the bag.0 -
Don't you still have to eat in moderation if your trying to eat clean?0
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MrCoolGrim wrote: »Don't you still have to eat in moderation if your trying to eat clean?
I would say yes, but several people have told me on here that if you eat clean (according to their definition), it doesn't matter how much you eat.0 -
diannethegeek wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »DawnieB1977 wrote: »(is a homemade cake considered 'clean'??).
I've always assumed no, at least not if it contains flour and sugar. But it is confusing!
I started a list once of all the definitions of clean eating that we've seen on the boards. By some you can get away with homemade cake and by others it's a definite no-no.
If you're curious, they include:
Nothing but minimally processed foods.
Absolutely no processed foods.
Shop only the outside of the grocery store.
Nothing out of a box, jar, or can.
Only food that's not in a box or hermetically sealed bag, or from e.g. McDonald's.
Nothing at all with a barcode.
Nothing with more than 5 ingredients.
Nothing with more than 4 ingredients.
Nothing with more than 3 ingredients.
Nothing with more than 1 ingredient.
No added preservatives.
No added chemicals.
No chemicals, preservatives, etc. at all.
No ingredients that you can't pronounce.
No ingredients that sound like they came out of a chemistry book.
Don't eat products that have a TV commercial.
Don't eat products that have a longer shelf life than you do.
No added sugar.
No added refined sugar.
Swap white sugar for brown.
No "white" foods.
Nothing but lean meats, fruits, and vegetables.
Only meat from grass-fed animals and free-range chickens.
Only pesticide-free foods.
How does that work? I get bags of avocados and onions with a barcode at the top of the bag.
Generally, questioning any of these definitions will get a generic answer of: "You know what I mean." Clean eating seems to be a lot like pornography. There's no solid definition but you know it when you see it.
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janejellyroll wrote: »MrCoolGrim wrote: »Don't you still have to eat in moderation if your trying to eat clean?
I would say yes, but several people have told me on here that if you eat clean (according to their definition), it doesn't matter how much you eat.
From what I understand, WW is pushing that, and made all produce an AYCE category.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »MrCoolGrim wrote: »Don't you still have to eat in moderation if your trying to eat clean?
I would say yes, but several people have told me on here that if you eat clean (according to their definition), it doesn't matter how much you eat.
From what I understand, WW is pushing that, and made all produce an AYCE category.
Whoever created that guideline has never seen what happens when I am in the same room with fresh pineapple. I could easily eat 2,000 calories of pineapple in a sitting.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »MrCoolGrim wrote: »Don't you still have to eat in moderation if your trying to eat clean?
I would say yes, but several people have told me on here that if you eat clean (according to their definition), it doesn't matter how much you eat.
From what I understand, WW is pushing that, and made all produce an AYCE category.
Can you please explain what the abbreiviations "WW" & "AYCE" stand for? thx0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »MrCoolGrim wrote: »Don't you still have to eat in moderation if your trying to eat clean?
I would say yes, but several people have told me on here that if you eat clean (according to their definition), it doesn't matter how much you eat.
From what I understand, WW is pushing that, and made all produce an AYCE category.
Whoever created that guideline has never seen what happens when I am in the same room with fresh pineapple. I could easily eat 2,000 calories of pineapple in a sitting.
The first couple of months on my diet I ate my 1700 calories and then as much cantaloupe as I wanted if I was still hungry in the evenings. I lost weight for a while, until I didn't anymore. It was something of a shock when I started calculating how much cantaloupe I was eating every day!
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WW is Weight Watchers. I have no idea what AYCE is, or a bunch of other acronyms used on here for that matter
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This discussion has been closed.
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