Eating Clean - No Such Thing

Seefylol

I'd like to clear this up once and for all. Lately, the forums have been plagued with people claiming that they are "eating clean" and it's getting quite annoying.

There is no such thing as “clean" food.

There is no such thing as “dirty" food.

You can eat processed foods. You can eat chocolate, poptarts, hotdogs, drink soda. Go ahead and even have a nice big juicey burger from McDonalds if you wish!

The key is to fit it in to your macronutrients. Make food work for you instead of cowering in fear like the mass majority. You can still enjoy the foods you love. Yes it’s in moderation. You can still even lose fat, eat at a caloric deficit, gain muscle mass and eat poptarts. I promise.

I wish everyone would stop the fear mongering with carbs, processed foods and paleo bullcrap.

FOODS LIKE THESE DO NOT MAKE YOU FAT. OVER EATING THEM DOES.

Thank you.

fooninie

I wish people would stop caring who calls what clean or unclean. Everyone has an opinion (yours is one as well) and it doesn't change anything.

ami5000psu

I don't eat anything red because any time I eat red foods my weight loss stalls.

chunkydunk714

I wish people would stop caring who calls what clean or unclean. Everyone has an opinion (yours is one as well) and it doesn't change anything.

exactly.

rosellasweet

Marry me.

_HeartsOnFire_

I wish people would stop caring who calls what clean or unclean. Everyone has an opinion (yours is one as well) and it doesn't change anything.

exactly.

What they said...

bert16

Whlie I agree with your fundamental (all caps) point, perhaps not everyone talking about eating clean is worried only about losing weight. I don't think of "eating clean" as a weight loss strategy as much as I think of it as a way to eat more healthfully... weight is not the only thing to consider in overall health.

All that being said, I don't necessarily "eat clean" nor eliminate all processed food from my diet...

ittyXbittyXbritty

Well it's a hell of a lot easier to eat "unclean" and b*tch that you're gaining weight, plus all of that junk has a ton of calories and sugar and salt which isn't good for you...so I prefer clean to unclean because it's better for your body.

beachgod

Some people are concerned about more than fat loss, such as cholesterol and blood sugar levels, etc. Eating crap food at a deficit will indeed cause weight loss but it doesn't necessarily equal physical health.

michcor

There is no such thing as "clean" food? Eating clean just means eating foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. It excludes fast foods, processed foods, etc. That's all. It really is a term.

Celebi03

I strongly agree with you OP.

AislinnKitten

I think you're missing the point of what eating clean is, lol.

R_Calvillo

LOUD NOISES!

bcattoes

I don't understand the OP at all. What does food making you fat have to do with clean eating?

While many on MFP don't understand what it means, when this term was first coined it simply meant eating whole natural minimally processed or unprocessed foods. Foods close to their natural form.

Seefylol

I'm not telling people to go stuff their face with unhealthy food, no. All I'm saying is feel free to mix it up every once in a while. Eat foods that love. If you love eating these "clean" foods every single day, then go ahead. But most people I know who are dieting don't do it this way, because cravings eventually do kick in and mentally you'll start caving in, trust me. It's easy to say "Oh I've been eating clean for 7 days", that's cool, try doing it for the rest of your life.

MobOfBricks

I'd like to clear this up once and for all. Lately, the forums have been plagued with people claiming that they are "eating clean" and it's getting quite annoying.

There is no such thing as “clean" food.

There is no such thing as “dirty" food.

You can eat processed foods. You can eat chocolate, poptarts, hotdogs, drink soda. Go ahead and even have a nice big juicey burger from McDonalds if you wish!

The key is to fit it in to your macronutrients. Make food work for you instead of cowering in fear like the mass majority. You can still enjoy the foods you love. Yes it’s in moderation. You can still even lose fat, eat at a caloric deficit, gain muscle mass and eat poptarts. I promise.

I wish everyone would stop the fear mongering with carbs, processed foods and paleo bullcrap.

FOODS LIKE THESE DO NOT MAKE YOU FAT. OVER EATING THEM DOES.

Thank you.

If that s a joke, it s kind of funny because I like sarcasm!

Otherwise it s just sad

baptiste565

when was the last anyone saw an obese person who eats clean?

thisdamselflies

Some people are concerned about more than fat loss, such as cholesterol and blood sugar levels, etc. Eating crap food at a deficit will indeed cause weight loss but it doesn't necessarily equal physical health.

^ This. Clean eating is eating as close to the original food as possible, with minimal processing. I eat (mostly) clean purely because it makes my body feel better, more energetic, etc., than eating junk food filled with sugars, preservatives, and partially hydrogenated oils. For some of us, the choices we make about food are only partly (or not at all) about weight loss and are more about other health benefits.

Seefylol

when was the last anyone saw an obese person who eats clean?

Obese people are obese because they are eating above their daily calorie intake. Not because of what they eat. Seriously..... I give up.

Acg67

Some people are concerned about more than fat loss, such as cholesterol and blood sugar levels, etc. Eating crap food at a deficit will indeed cause weight loss but it doesn't necessarily equal physical health.

So can you present some evidence of blood markers of health significantly worsening after losing a bunch of weight but achieved it by eating "crap food"?

jogglesngoggles

I wish people would stop caring who calls what clean or unclean. Everyone has an opinion (yours is one as well) and it doesn't change anything.

couldn't agree more! I eat what I feel is right for my body, and that might be completely different than everyone else on here! Here's an idea...how about we do what we are all here for...SUPPORT EACHOTHER!

I wish you all the best with whatever you choose to eat!

Mia_RagazzaTosta

Carnivor0us

Some people are concerned about more than fat loss, such as cholesterol and blood sugar levels, etc. Eating crap food at a deficit will indeed cause weight loss but it doesn't necessarily equal physical health.

So can you present some evidence of blood markers of health significantly worsening after losing a bunch of weight but achieved it by eating "crap food"?

Oh goodness, somehow you got off 'ignore'. Thank goodness I stumbled on this post.

coco3382458

I wish people would stop caring who calls what clean or unclean. Everyone has an opinion (yours is one as well) and it doesn't change anything.

I agree. Some people could easily say I wish people would stop saying its ok to eat junk food (aka dirty food) and lose weight when it is so bad for your body. To each their own so just let it be and dont worry about it. I personally could care less what others are eating especially enough to make a thread out of it

baptiste565

when was the last anyone saw an obese person who eats clean?

Obese people are obese because they are eating above their daily calorie intake. Not because of what they eat. Seriously..... I give up.

i know this. its harder to go over ur cals when eating clean foods. u dont need so much self control. but when eating bonbons and poptarts its hard to stop.

coco3382458

I'm not telling people to go stuff their face with unhealthy food, no. All I'm saying is feel free to mix it up every once in a while. Eat foods that love. If you love eating these "clean" foods every single day, then go ahead. But most people I know who are dieting don't do it this way, because cravings eventually do kick in and mentally you'll start caving in, trust me. It's easy to say "Oh I've been eating clean for 7 days", that's cool, try doing it for the rest of your life.

whether they want to mix it up or not is neither here nor there-I find it odd it would matter to you either way

MercenaryNoetic26

As I was going to do this :drinker:

... My kid came and asked me for a bowl of oats. So bizarre. Well, it's Pizza, Pizza tonight :drinker:

itzCoffeeTime

The term clean is just used to categorize food. Most people refer to clean eating as consuming unprocessed foods. There are many ways to lose weight, some of which are healthier than others. Of course the underlying truth for losing weight is consuming less calories than you expend. But just because you can lose weight eating nothing but twinkies, like this professor did at Kansas: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html , doesn't mean it is great for your long term health.

So_Much_Fab

I wish people would stop caring who calls what clean or unclean. Everyone has an opinion (yours is one as well) and it doesn't change anything.

I agree. Some people could easily say I wish people would stop saying its ok to eat junk food (aka dirty food) and lose weight when it is so bad for your body. To each their own so just let it be and dont worry about it. I personally could care less what others are eating especially enough to make a thread out of it

'Zakley. It's not like "clean eating" dangerous. Live and let live.

Tenster

Peoples bodes react differently to carbs thats why some people fear them. For me the key to utilising carbs the best is timing for example at the moment i am trying to strip some body fat off and thats why i only have carbs PWO and a high carb day every saturday.

I know what you mean to an extent though

Trilby16

I agree with you. It's silly. People trying to one-up each other with how "clean" they eat. I didn't even know that was a thing til I joined MFP. I lived happily my whole life just eating mostly meals I cook myself from mostly whole plain ingredients, and I liked it that way. But if I want to have some ice cream, I do. If I want to have a cookie leftover from a conference at work, I do.

A young lady recently posted a picture of herself sticking out her little tiny belly and then another one of her holding it in, and claims that Clean Eating did this for her.

Silliness.