Eating clean? What does it really mean?

magerum

your most likely underestimating your husbands home cooked meals.. he is probably not worried about calories or measuring things he puts into the food, thus your getting extra calories that way. Just my guess.

LOL this reminds me when I was losing weight and we had a date night, my husband cooked dinner....after he told me that the fries were fried in goose fat!!!!

That sounds awesome.

Where do you think I can get goose fat?

Uh...

...from a goose.




Duh.

Seems like the goose would be somewhat unwilling to hand it over.

I don't know many geese though.

Duck fat is delicious to cook with, in general.

jofjltncb6

your most likely underestimating your husbands home cooked meals.. he is probably not worried about calories or measuring things he puts into the food, thus your getting extra calories that way. Just my guess.

LOL this reminds me when I was losing weight and we had a date night, my husband cooked dinner....after he told me that the fries were fried in goose fat!!!!

That sounds awesome.

Where do you think I can get goose fat?

Uh...

...from a goose.




Duh.

Seems like the goose would be somewhat unwilling to hand it over.

I don't know many geese though.

You said "where"...

...not "how".

sepulchura

Somewhat useless term, this "eating clean". Keep it simple, if you are eating crappy food, you are eating crappy food, if you are eating healthy food, you are eating healthy food. In my opinion, and I'm no expert, it's best to try to eat healthy but give yourself a treat now and then.

I do like the eat washed food only after showering definition, that one made me chuckle.

aimforhealthy

This reminds me of the time I suggested to my (Cuban) family that I cook a goose for Christmas dinner. You'd think I had suddenly sprouted 3 heads from the looks I got.

Somewhat useless term, this "eating clean". Keep it simple, if you are eating crappy food, you are eating crappy food, if you are eating healthy food, you are eating healthy food. In my opinion, and I'm no expert, it's best to try to eat healthy but give yourself a treat now and then.

Here is the problem the OP is having and that lots of other people have. Can you definitively define crappy food? Can you define healthy? What's the scientific definition of healthy that can be applied to everyone? How much of a percentage does it have to be of your diet? 100%? If you eat 99% "healthy" according to whatever definition you pick out of the sky, are you no longer "eating healthy?" What about 80%? What about 40%? 10%? It's all totally esoteric and subjective, but by definition, people use words with heavy absolute value judgments when talking about it. That food is either clean or it isn't. It can't be clean for you and dirty for me unless one of us is wrong. Do you see the problem?

servilia

your most likely underestimating your husbands home cooked meals.. he is probably not worried about calories or measuring things he puts into the food, thus your getting extra calories that way. Just my guess.

LOL this reminds me when I was losing weight and we had a date night, my husband cooked dinner....after he told me that the fries were fried in goose fat!!!!

So what? Fat is fat.. Goose fat has the same calories as any other fat you'd fry with. Plus it was probably more delicious. Props to you husband.

paleojoe

your most likely underestimating your husbands home cooked meals.. he is probably not worried about calories or measuring things he puts into the food, thus your getting extra calories that way. Just my guess.

LOL this reminds me when I was losing weight and we had a date night, my husband cooked dinner....after he told me that the fries were fried in goose fat!!!!

That sounds awesome.



Where do you think I can get goose fat?

Not sure about where to get goose fat... but you can get duck fat here.

http://fatworks.wazala.com/widget/?nickname=fatworks&profilepage=1&subdomain=1

Alluminati

What amazes me is people I know IRL who are seemingly intelligent, well spoken, and logical.......except when it comes to food. All of a sudden a bacon cheeseburger is something to throw holy water at because it's "not clean" and ohmyghad it will make you fat. I don't get it.

jonnythan

What amazes me is people I know IRL who are seemingly intelligent, well spoken, and logical.......except when it comes to food. All of a sudden a bacon cheeseburger is something to throw holy water at because it's "not clean" and ohmyghad it will make you fat. I don't get it.

Thank the fitness industry. We've pretty much all grown up with the image that "fitness = hours in the gym and eating nothing but rabbit food" pounded into our heads. Now we're getting "organic free-range vegan non-GMO" yadda yadda pounded into our heads.

It's hard to overcome that.

Bernadette60614

There are multiple dimensions of food characteristics that I look at. Clean, quality ingredients, minimally processed, fresh, nutritious, natural. I want as many as possible every time I eat, that is what I strive for. I didn't really consider that a controversial position before I started using this website, I'm shocked that this offends anyone.

I am as well.

I've heard that fewer than 10% of people who lose weight keep it off. I hope everyone here maintains there weight loss...but in my own experience I find that I feel better, can sustain health eating and lose weight eating 'clean" by your definition above.

besaro

stop. just stop.

jonnythan

I've heard that fewer than 10% of people who lose weight keep it off. I hope everyone here maintains there weight loss...but in my own experience I find that I feel better, can sustain health eating and lose weight eating 'clean" by your definition above.

The reason most people can't keep weight off is that they go on a restrictive "diet" and then gradually (or suddenly) fall back into their old habits.

"Clean eating" is a common example of such a restrictive diet.

Reality is that the people who are most common successful are the ones who learn to fit the foods they love to eat into their diet by eating them in a responsible manner.

OMGeeeHorses

I just eat less processed foods. I don't consider that clean eating. I just see it as better choices of eating for myself.

Quieau

Cognitive dissonance is mighty powerful and present at the MFP forums. They are also not for the faint of heart. But I've learned a lot here, so keep coming back.

Clearly, "clean eating" means different things to different people but most have a common theme of natural, whole and possibly even organic foods as close to their natural state as possible. Least amount of processing possible! But I know very few people who can achieve it 100%, most of us at some point of transition toward the goal of being a clean eater.

I finally figured out a couple of days ago WHY there is such a backlash to the word. One clean-eating opponent stated on a forum post that the term "clean eating" implied that any else was not clean and therefore bad. Ahhhh, that's where the misunderstanding comes in! Don't put words in our mouths! Many clean eaters do eat nonclean foods and 1) Don't consider them bad, just non-nutritive (there's a difference) and 2) Still eat them, but in extreme moderation because of their effects on OTHER aspects of health BESIDES fat loss.

Some of eat clean because we know the extra additives and preservatives and processing lead to many other health dangers like diabetes, high blood pressure, water retention, muddy or dry skin, brittle hair, peeling nails, bloat, inflammation, cancer, heart disease, kidney and liver disease, gut disorders, etc. The list goes on. It's a perspective that goes beyond ONLY the 'calorie is a calorie' mindset that focuses soley (or even puts highest priority on) fat burned. Because weight is about more than fat. It's also about muscle and water, bowel and bladder function, kidney function, etc.

I drink water because it's super good for my kidneys, my skin and my entire body. I don't need to know that everyone drinks coke and still lost weight. Not relevant.

I minimize sugar because it offers low nutrition to the calorie. I can't avoid it all the time or completely because my body actually needs it for fuel and for important processes like heme synthesis. Yes, carbs are critical to the production of heme, an important part of hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your bloodstream. My body has issues with that and demands that I eat high carb sometimes (and even simple sugars) so that my neurological system doesn't fail me. It's a complicated machine, this body is. But I prefer to mostly choose the kind of carbs that come with fiber, vitamins and minerals because they have a more positive impact on my overall body, even though I could lose the same amount of fat by eating the equivalent calories in Twinkies.

I still eat the occasional unclean foods, but not as nutrition. Because they are not "clean" by my definition, they are limited in volume and frequency and they are considered carefully in balance to my exercise levels and water consumption. Their status as 'unclean' reminds me that they are to be limited and not considered primary nutrition or a regular source of fuel/energy. It's like the word "fat" ... it only means "bad" if you think fat is bad, but I've been an unapologetic fat chick for years. Fat is the opposite of skinny. They describe a state of being, not a moral judgement. If a food is not clean, it's unclean. It doesn't mean it's evil, poison or that the people who love it are either. So there's no need to be defensive that I don't consider Coke to be water nor Twinkies to be food. I'm not here to convince anyone to change their lifestyles, but if someone asks what seems to be a sincere question like "What is clean food?" I am willing to answer with my perspective and let others answer with theirs. Let the posts speak for themselves, every reader is not necessarily looking for information, but some simply for validation of their position because it feels threatened somehow by other people doing things differently (and especially with success).

But just keep in mind that in addition to having different ways of reaching goals, we also all have different goals. For many of us (and especially the older we get), this journey is about so much MORE than fat burning and that's where 'clean eating' does gain its distinction even if it has none in the realm of fat burning. I think it's important when we see this constant bickering over terminology and definitions to realize that.

Bernadette60614

How are you defining clean eating?

Quieau

But that's the entire point.

Those foods that aren't "clean" ARE considered bad by the clean eaters.

Except instead of "bad" you use the term "non-nutritive" (which is a total BS nonsense lie of a phrase) and think that avoiding them is better.

That's nonsense and it's judgmental.

Yes, I get that energy is nutrition. But some of us need MORE than simple energy. Like fiber.

I eat cheeseburgers too. Don't know why folks think that cheeseburgers can't be clean. Grassfed beef and dairy, organic veggies, homemade bread. What's not to love? And full of great protein, healthy fats (omega 3s!) and carbs, a little fiber maybe (especially with coleslaw!). The fact that I prefer that to a McDonald's version that has questionable nutritional value is a personal choice like any other. Why is it so threatening to those who choose otherwise?

By your methods of defining terms on absolutely literal levels, every decision (food or otherwise) you make is "judgmental," just like a calorie is a calorie. Technically. I mean, really. Isn't taking personal responsibility for one's health, nutrition and fitness all about being "judgmental" and making decisions based on personal goals and priorities on a daily basis? So it's judgmental. So what? So is deciding that anyone who cares for their overall health is somehow judging those who choose differently.

Ease up. We still like ice cream. We just have a different place for it. If you can accomplish your goals with your methods, more power to you! My luck ran out on that approach years ago.

jonnythan

But that's the entire point.

Those foods that aren't "clean" ARE considered bad by the clean eaters.

Except instead of "bad" you use the term "non-nutritive" (which is a total BS nonsense lie of a phrase) and think that avoiding them is better.

That's nonsense and it's judgmental.

Yes, I get that energy is nutrition. But some of us need MORE than simple energy. Like fiber.

I eat cheeseburgers too. Don't know why folks think that cheeseburgers can't be clean. Grassfed beef and dairy, organic veggies, homemade bread. What's not to love? And full of great protein, healthy fats (omega 3s!) and carbs, a little fiber maybe (especially with coleslaw!). The fact that I prefer that to a McDonald's version that has questionable nutritional value is a personal choice like any other. Why is it so threatening to those who choose otherwise?

By your methods of defining terms on absolutely literal levels, every decision (food or otherwise) you make is "judgmental," just like a calorie is a calorie. Technically. I mean, really. Isn't taking personal responsibility for one's health, nutrition and fitness all about being "judgmental" and making decisions based on personal goals and priorities on a daily basis? So it's judgmental. So what? So is deciding that anyone who cares for their overall health is somehow judging those who choose differently.

Ease up. We still like ice cream. We just have a different place for it. If you can accomplish your goals with your methods, more power to you! My luck ran out on that approach years ago.

Telling people that foods they love and want to eat, and are perfectly healthy, are "unclean" or "non-nutritive" or whatever stupid term you want to use is madness.

And..... seriously? An organic cheeseburger is fine, but a regular cheeseburger is not? News flash: they're nutritionally identical.

Frankly, as someone who appears to be running a 2000+ calorie a day deficit, you have no business giving nutrition advice anyway.

jonnythan

How are you defining clean eating?

Me? I don't define it, because there's no sense to labeling foods as good or bad or clean or unclean.

I don't worry about labels. I worry about nutrients. Nutrients are the things your body actually uses.

Bernadette60614

I skew my eating towards foods which have the greatest nutrient value per calorie, and eat a lesser amount of foods which have less nutrient value.

Most of my friends who say they eat "clean", define clean eating as above.

jofjltncb6

I define eating clean as eating foods which have the greatest nutrient value.

But once you reach your optimal level of nutrients, and you have calories left for the day, then what?

jonnythan

I skew my eating towards foods which have the greatest nutrient value per calorie, and eat a lesser amount of foods which have less nutrient value.

Most of my friends who say they eat "clean", define clean eating as above.

You don't get bonus points for providing your body with more vitamins and minerals than it actually needs. Many nutrients are detrimental in high quantities, too.

I skew my eating towards foods that I really enjoy, making sure that I give my body enough of the nutrients it needs. The body doesn't care whether someone on the internet thinks the food the nutrients were in was "clean" or not.