Adding Clean Calories

SLLRunner

JasmineRose14 wrote: »

Hi!

So, I've lost a very very slow 46lbs over the last 4 years, so this isn't a plateau- but I've been noticing that I am not loosing weight like I should, I eat clean 6 days a week (I have a cheat day, I'll probably never not have one) I do not eat anything processed, I keep the higher sugar fruits to a minimum and I never ever eat anything with white sugar (pasta, bread, donuts, ect) and I work out 3-4 days a week with minor weights after cardio... So after I've researched around online, I've seen that maybe I should up my calories for a week or so and see how that goes. The problem is, I don't know what else to add into my diet, I already eat almonds, and I feel like I take in too much protein, my macros seem good- what else can I add in that would be 'clean'???

Congratulations on your weight loss!

If you're not losing weight, don't up your calories. Instead, take a look at your eating habits. Do you weigh your food? Log everything you eat? Do you eat exercise calories back? If so, where do you get your burn estimates from?

Also, have you adjusted your calorie intake down for every ten pounds you've lost?

Finally, keep in mind that weight loss is not linear and that some weeks you will lose, other weeks you won't.

Type of diet is preference only. Clean eating has nothing to do with weight loss, you can still gain weight eating as you describe. It's calories in/calories out.

SLLRunner

JasmineRose14 wrote: »

I assumed it would be obvious that I was staying at or under a calorie goal- my cheat days are not obnoxious and never turn into weeks and months- and it DOES 100% matter how clean your choices are- 1500 calories of lean mean and veggies will absolutely make you healthier and weigh less than 1500 calories in Big Macs and fries- long term. But thanks for all the advice in how to add some healthy calories to my daily routine.

It only matters to you for personal reasons, but in general food type does not matter as to weight loss. There are plenty of people who lose weight and keep it off eating fast food.

Take a look at my diary. I lost 44 pounds not eating clean (thought I don't eat fast food because I don't really like it), and I've been maintaining for over a year all because I restricted calories and not food type. However, you need to do what's best for you.

barbecuesauce

crazyjerseygirl wrote: »

I gained 35lbs on a clean vegetarian diet.
I just lost 30lbs on a dirty calorie deficit.

Yeah, I still eat relatively healthy, it makes me feel better, but I eat WAY less of it. That plus the added benefit of not obsessing over the occasional pizza is worth it's weight in gold!

No cheat days, just 100% honesty days.

It's beautiful, isn't it? No guilt, just "how much cardio should I do in the days beforehand so I maintain my one pound deficit?"

Speaking of which OP, what are you doing for exercise, what do you estimate you burn, how many of those calories are you eating back? If you're under your calories even on your cheat day (which I'm reading as a day in which you eat junk food but still have a deficit), and you're weighing your food and logging every bite, it's time to look at activity.

PeachyCarol

There is far too little talk about real numbers from the OP or a real understanding in her first post on how any of this works.

OP, you are simply eating too much at this point in your weight loss. I'd like to congratulate you on the weight you've lost so far, but if it took you 4 years to lose 46 pounds, you are eating at a very slim deficit and likely not tracking closely at all.

How do you know what your calorie goal is? Have you recalculated it for your new weight?

It does not matter how clean your food is, if you are eating too much of it, you will not lose. Eating more of it will not make the scale move anywhere but up.

Buy a food scale. Weigh all solid foods. Measure all caloric liquids.

Log every bite you take. Select accurate data base entries and verify them with either the USDA website or nutritiondata.self.com.

emmyjo1981

First, way to go on your weight loss so far! I consider myself a "chronic dieter"--I've tried (and successfully failed) at most all 'fad' diets. That said, I finally had to figure out (with the help of my physician) what worked for ME. I always felt like I couldn't live without a cheat day and living a life that was nothing but a bunch of cheat days, I let myself balloon up to 315 pounds on my 5'4" frame. Anyway, long story short, what works for me is knowing how many calories I can have and ensuring that I don't go over those. I don't eat a highly restrictive diet because for me, that's the surest way to fail. I've found that eating in moderation, knowing my BMR and how many calories I am burning off through exercise is the what works for me. If I want some pasta, I allow myself to have it...knowing that it's going to be a sizable chunk of my calories for the day and planning my other meals/snacks around that. If I want to splurge one day and have a Big Mac, I will...and while it happens rarely, I don't feel racked with guilt over eating it. I weigh, measure, portion everything and log every single bite I take. I know what calories I am taking in, what I am expending and how much I burn when I exercise. Sometimes it's a pain in the butt but being diligent causes me to slow down, think about my food choices and make healthier ones if I realize I am eating too empty calories.

I try to eat healthy and be mindful of what I am fueling my body with--and when your brain switches to that gear, it's a beautiful thing. When you come to peace with food and realize that you can eat what you want, in moderation, it's like a weight lifts off your shoulders.

Like some others have said, I tried vegetarian and gained weight...I tried Paleo, gained weight...maybe it was how I was eating, I don't know but I gained like crazy. That said, both times I felt amazing and healthy. But...I don't want to gain weight

Sarasmaintaining

mamapeach910 wrote: »

There is far too little talk about real numbers from the OP or a real understanding in her first post on how any of this works.

OP, you are simply eating too much at this point in your weight loss. I'd like to congratulate you on the weight you've lost so far, but if it took you 4 years to lose 46 pounds, you are eating at a very slim deficit and likely not tracking closely at all.

How do you know what your calorie goal is? Have you recalculated it for your new weight?

It does not matter how clean your food is, if you are eating too much of it, you will not lose. Eating more of it will not make the scale move anywhere but up.

Buy a food scale. Weigh all solid foods. Measure all caloric liquids.

Log every bite you take. Select accurate data base entries and verify them with either the USDA website or nutritiondata.self.com.

Agree with this-I realize everyone loses weight at a different rate, but I lost my first 44lbs in 6 months, just by doing CICO. And I continued to eat fast food 2-3 times a week, as well as all the other foods I enjoyed. My health greatly improved as well, including no longer having a glucose number in the pre-diabetic range. I've been successfully maintaining for two years now, and my glucose number continues to be stable and my blood panels are perfect-I seriously cannot improve on anything. Blood pressure is great, no health issues etc etc. I eat the foods I like, in moderation, and don't label any foods 'good' or 'bad'. That's a very slippery slope and can lead to distorted eating. OP-have you looked into orthorexia? It sounds like you may have some deeper issues with food going on and it may be time to talk to a professional who can help walk you through this.

tracie_minus100

Eating "clean" is great for health and nutrition. Making healthy choices is important! However, it has nothing to do with weight loss. Absolutely nothing. Weight loss is 100% calories in vs. calories out.
Last year I decided I was sick of counting calories and decided to just eat as clean as I could. My diet was very "healthy" and nutrient rich. And I lost nothing. I knew deep down it was because I wasn't watching my calorie intake, but I convinced myself I didn't need to.
Now I've been logging on MFP and staying within my calorie budget and have lost 45lbs since January 5th. My diet consists of lots of "clean" and "unclean" foods.

SergeantSausage

"clean"

LOL