CICO or Eating Clean?

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puja25
puja25 Posts: 31 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am new to mfp and this my first post here. I would really like it if anybody could clear my doubt regarding Diet and Nutrition. I have read discussions where it says that only cico matters. We can eat everything in moderation. But I have seen that whenever I do not eat whole grain I feel bloated and gain a pound or two although I stay within my calorie limit. Is this bloating/weight gain temporary? I eat clean and exercise 5-6 days a week. But some days I have to have that mac an cheese or that slice of chocolate cake. I see so many people losing weight on mfp but they are not eating clean. How does it work? I am confused
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Replies

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    You can eat clean and still gain weight. The bottom line is if you eat more calories than your body needs you will gain weight, whether those calories come from broccoli or chocolate cake.
  • usernameenvy
    usernameenvy Posts: 140 Member
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    If you find yourself feeling bloated and yuck from certain foods then maybe cut those foods out?
  • Geekymonkey99
    Geekymonkey99 Posts: 63 Member
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    I lost 20-25 pounds eating whatever my heart desired. And my heart desires desserts. I often eat like 1200 calories of cookies/cakes for breakfast, depending on what kind of food phase I'm in. (January's logs really highlight that.) I also really like to snack and rarely eat "real meals." Only this month have I been trying to eat less sugar and more protein, but that's more for workout fuel. The bulk of my weight loss (between October and March) was done purely with CICO, and my calories in are all so, so good.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,177 Member
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    CI<CO

    The thing with CI<CO is that I have to think about everything I eat ... I don't have many calories to work with (1250 on rest days), so I don't want to waste them on foods that are going to give me issues ... or foods I don't like ... or foods with no staying power.
  • Geekymonkey99
    Geekymonkey99 Posts: 63 Member
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    Also, yeah, bloating and water weight gain is usually temporary. Logically, if you gain a pound or two in a day or two, you didn't actually eat 3500-7000 calories over, did you? Focus on CICO over the long term, and you should be fine. Just make sure you're logging correctly. (Weigh your foods, etc.)
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    Why not both? They are not mutually exclusive.... You can track your food and eat what you like - if you feel like a piece of choc cake one day, but make nutritious choices the rest of the day/week, is that bad? Or unhealthy?
  • scottacular
    scottacular Posts: 597 Member
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    Both, eat plenty of food that has the most nutritional benefit and also fit in some food that has more mental benefits. Your diet doesn't need a name, it just needs to work for you.
  • loribethrice
    loribethrice Posts: 620 Member
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    Geekymonkey99 wrote: »
    I lost 20-25 pounds eating whatever my heart desired. And my heart desires desserts. I often eat like 1200 calories of cookies/cakes for breakfast, depending on what kind of food phase I'm in. (January's logs really highlight that.) I also really like to snack and rarely eat "real meals." Only this month have I been trying to eat less sugar and more protein, but that's more for workout fuel. The bulk of my weight loss (between October and March) was done purely with CICO, and my calories in are all so, so good.

    You are truly my hero!

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    scottacular wrote: »
    Both, eat plenty of food that has the most nutritional benefit and also fit in some food that has more mental benefits. Your diet doesn't need a name, it just needs to work for you.

    :+1:

  • puja25
    puja25 Posts: 31 Member
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    usernameenvy wrote: »
    If you find yourself feeling bloated and yuck from certain foods then maybe cut those foods out?
    I have eliminated such food items. Its the occasional craving. I don't feel yuck eating it. I feel yuck after eating it.
  • puja25
    puja25 Posts: 31 Member
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    Geekymonkey99 wrote: »
    Also, yeah, bloating and water weight gain is usually temporary. Logically, if you gain a pound or two in a day or two, you didn't actually eat 3500-7000 calories over, did you? Focus on CICO over the long term, and you should be fine. Just make sure you're logging correctly. (Weigh your foods, etc.)

    it was around 2500 . I generally eat 1200 per day. Was my bday :smile:
  • Gianfranco_R
    Gianfranco_R Posts: 1,297 Member
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    puja25 wrote: »
    I am new to mfp and this my first post here. I would really like it if anybody could clear my doubt regarding Diet and Nutrition. I have read discussions where it says that only cico matters. We can eat everything in moderation. But I have seen that whenever I do not eat whole grain I feel bloated and gain a pound or two although I stay within my calorie limit. Is this bloating/weight gain temporary? I eat clean and exercise 5-6 days a week. But some days I have to have that mac an cheese or that slice of chocolate cake. I see so many people losing weight on mfp but they are not eating clean. How does it work? I am confused

    if whole grain make you to bloat it is likely that you have some sort of intolerance. You should work with a dietitian and/or try an elimination diet like the whole30 to find out.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited April 2015
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    I have read discussions where it says that only cico matters
    You have missed a very important part out of that message only matters for weight loss or gain

    People don't actualy say it doesn't matter what you eat for nutritional purposes.
    Eating clean is a bit of a joke phrase though as it seems to mean something different to everyone with some truly idiotic definitions floating around.

    Also don't confuse temporary bloating with fat gain - real weight gain if you like.
    I often gain 3 or 4lbs in a day following a big cycle ride even though I'm in a calorie deficit - combination of the large amount of food still in my system and some muscle soreness.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
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    You totally do have to count calories in order to lose weight. However, for the sake of getting the nutrients you need, and improving your overall health, only counting calories isn't all you have to do to take care of your body, even if it's all that's technically required for weight loss. I don't think so much about eating "clean" as eating low calorie, high nutrient, if that makes any sense. Lean meats, fresh vegetables, whole grains, moderate amounts of healthy fats like olive oil.

    Also, when you lose weight, what you want to lose is fat, and any accompanying excess water. You don't want to lose muscle. Therefore you would do best to work out, including lifting weights or at least weight bearing exercise of some sort, while you lose the extra fat. I try to take a holistic approach to the process rather than being concerned only with my weight on the scale. How do I feel, how do I look, what does my doctor think of my yearly lab results, all that.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited April 2015
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    puja25 wrote: »
    I am new to mfp and this my first post here. I would really like it if anybody could clear my doubt regarding Diet and Nutrition. I have read discussions where it says that only cico matters. We can eat everything in moderation. But I have seen that whenever I do not eat whole grain I feel bloated and gain a pound or two although I stay within my calorie limit. Is this bloating/weight gain temporary? I eat clean and exercise 5-6 days a week. But some days I have to have that mac an cheese or that slice of chocolate cake. I see so many people losing weight on mfp but they are not eating clean. How does it work? I am confused

    Some people would say that grains (including whole grains) aren't "clean." That's just reason #112 why "clean eating" is not a useful term. I have no clue if I supposedly eat "clean" or not, although I imagine not, and yet I've lost 95 lbs (been maintaining a while before going after the final 5).

    Are you saying non-whole grains bloat you or not eating grains does? Anyway, if some food makes you feel bad, don't eat it. That has nothing to do with the fact that CICO determines whether you lose or not (over time, not talking about water weight fluctuations), no matter what strategy you like.
    scottacular wrote: »
    Both, eat plenty of food that has the most nutritional benefit and also fit in some food that has more mental benefits. Your diet doesn't need a name, it just needs to work for you.

    Also, I agree with this.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    CICO was and will always be the answer. How you choose your CI is up to you, but they must be less than CO. Clean eating, or whatever y'all call it is nonsense. You can still overeat and gain while clean eating. You can also lose by default by eating more bulk with less calories. But CICO is always in play. Which means you can eat all the clean food you want but you won't lose any more than another person who works treats into their daily goal, assuming you both have the exact same activity and other stats.
  • puja25
    puja25 Posts: 31 Member
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    I know the term 'clean eating' is an ambiguous term . It means different to different people. When I say I eat clean I mean I try to stay away from refined starch, sugar, unhealthy saturated fats. I rely a lot on cooking my own food at home, eating healthy fats , vegetables, fruits, pulses legumes and protein. Clean Eating is more of a holistic term for me. I was eating a lot of junk before starting out on mfp. So that is my vantage point of saying I eat clean now.

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