Eating clean, NOT working!?!?

TonyStark30

Clean eat all you want but if you graze on 1kg of Sunflower seeds and raw peanuts a day you will not lose anything.

StacyReneO

Anyone else eating clean and NOT losing weight or inches??? I have only been trying this clean eating thing for a little over a week but have seen NO changes in my body measurements or the scale! Actually, the scale is creeping up! I'm lifting weights but have done very little cardio. I'm disappointed. I really thought cleaning out the processed food would make a big difference, quickly.

Eating clean isn't about lowing weight, it's about overall health. You still need to create a calorie deficit to lose weight.

Joreanasaurous

Too many calories is too many calories. You'll gain weight regardless of what you eat.

This. Plus you just started weight lifting, so you are going to retain some water weight for a bit.

BSdevon

'Eating clean' for a little over a week wont make drastic changes.. eating smart and training smart for months wont give you the ideal body you desire straight away .. but over time your body composition will adjust and change for the better!!! Theres no fast formula.. Keep in mind that starting something new like diet/cardio, resistance training wont undo years and years of bad habit, poor food choices etc.. It takes time to mould and sculpt your body to your desires..

Also standard body weight scales provide a measure of total weight, but don't determine the lean-to-fat ratio of that weight..Standing on most scales can tell you only if you weigh more than the average person, but not if that weight is fat or muscle.

jwdieter

Everything I have read says there is no need to track cals consumed when eating clean.

If anything says that, it's either not talking about weight loss, or it's total bs.

geebusuk

As it's the current trend on here: Why do you think 'eating clean' would help you lose weight/fat?

Very little if any evidence for it that I've seen, especially if for a reasonably healthy and active person.

Confuzzled4ever

Muscle weighs more then fat, so you might gain a little weight at first, but you will be leaner in the long run. I suggest both cardio and lifting weights along with a healthier diet w/ out the processed foods. Also drink lots of water and avoid weighing yourself daily. Instead weigh yourself 1-2 tops a week.

Uh no.. a pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle .. a pound of fat simply takes up more space then a pound of muscle. Think about a pound of feathers vs a pound of steel balls. You'll need a lot more feathers, a larger pile that takes up more space, then you will steell balls, eventhough both piles weigh a pound. So if you are converting fat to muscle and not losing weight you will lose inches, not show a gain. If you are gaining weight you either need to adjust your calories or adjust your exercise routing. SImple.

I agree with the rest of your statement.

Everything I have read says there is no need to track cals consumed when eating clean.

You may want to check your sources..everything I read says in order to lose weight you need to eat less calories then you burn.

Everything has calories, however 1,000 calories of fruits, veggie and lean protein, is a lot more food in quantity then 1,000 calories at a fast food joint.

NatureChik1985

Also remember that when you are lifting, you are adding muscle mass which will make the scale creep up a bit.

Uhh....No.

Adding muscle mass is extremely hard, let alone enough to make the scale move up. Even with "noob" gains.

I agree with this. The Op states that to lose she has to typically eat less than 1000 calories to lose and with switching to clean eating I would be surprised if she is at a surplus. Most likely it is increased water weight from starting a weight lifting program. There is a chance for small newbie gains but it it won't amount to much and you won't keep gaining muscle if you don't fuel your body properly. Let's be honest, there are a lot of people here who beleive they are "building muscle" in a deficit when in reality all they have sone os added strength and dropped fat to reveal the muscle underneath, this does not mean you have actually created muscle.

Clean eating doesn't give you a pass from practicing portion control. You can over eat healthy food and gain just like so called unhealthy food. I should know, because I used to be an obese clean eater.

katiedid1226

It has taken awhile for things to "kick in" so to speak, but finally after six months I am really starting to see my muscles emerge.
Clean eating & lifting heavy....stick with it!

bearkisses

i bet there is a difference in your health!

Francl27

If I only ate clean I think I would be undereating a lot.

Ready2Rock206

ONE WHOLE WEEK!?! ummm - give it some time. Also you might want to log. Sounds like you're plan is to majorly restrict calories? 1000 or less a day? Not a good plan, especially with weight training. Hit a higher calorie goal and give it more than a week.

RGv2

Also remember that when you are lifting, you are adding muscle mass which will make the scale creep up a bit.

Uhh....No.

Adding muscle mass is extremely hard, let alone enough to make the scale move up. Even with "noob" gains.

I agree with this. The Op states that to lose she has to typically eat less than 1000 calories to lose and with switching to clean eating I would be surprised if she is at a surplus. Most likely it is increased water weight from starting a weight lifting program. There is a chance for small newbie gains but it it won't amount to much and you won't keep gaining muscle if you don't fuel your body properly. Let's be honest, there are a lot of people here who beleive they are "building muscle" in a deficit when in reality all they have sone os added strength and dropped fat to reveal the muscle underneath, this does not mean you have actually created muscle.

Clean eating doesn't give you a pass from practicing portion control. You can over eat healthy food and gain just like so called unhealthy food. I should know, because I used to be an obese clean eater.

bcattoes

Eating clean is not magic weight loss. If you eat too many calories you will not lose, no matter how clean your diet is.

bagge72

A whole week, and nothing! Back to the drawing board.

bcattoes

Muscle weighs more then fat, so you might gain a little weight at first, but you will be leaner in the long run. I suggest both cardio and lifting weights along with a healthier diet w/ out the processed foods. Also drink lots of water and avoid weighing yourself daily. Instead weigh yourself 1-2 tops a week.

Uh no.. a pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle .. a pound of fat simply takes up more space then a pound of muscle. Think about a pound of feathers vs a pound of steel balls. You'll need a lot more feathers, a larger pile that takes up more space, then you will steell balls, eventhough both piles weigh a pound. So if you are converting fat to muscle and not losing weight you will lose inches, not show a gain. If you are gaining weight you either need to adjust your calories or adjust your exercise routing. SImple.

I agree with the rest of your statement.

Um, yeah didn't you basically just say the exact same thing only in a longer and more preachy way? Except for the part about converting fat to muscle. If I were wanting to be preachy I'd point out that is impossible and that really just meant losing fat while gaining muscle, but since I knew what you meant, that would just be a little rude. Kind of like feeling the need to explain that 1 lb of feathers would be larger than 1 lb of steel balls, when obviously we were already talking volume.

But I won't do that.

Confuzzled4ever

nope.. because muscle does not weigh more then fat as you said. Fat just takes up more space. Sorry you didn't like me explaining it but it's a common misconception on here.

Yes.. semantics.. losing fat/gaining muslces versus changing fat into muscle is the same thing. Saying muscle weighs more then fat, when it does not.. is not sementacs.. it's misinformation.

kelseyhere

A week is not enough time to see progress. Have patience, wait a month.

cwolfman13

WOW....a whole week? That's like....forever....

Also, you can still over-consume calories eating "clean." I can eat my body weight in nuts and avocados.

navyrigger46

I haven't really been tracking my calories. Everything I have read says there is no need to track cals consumed when eating clean. However, I have a VERY hard time losing weight so I think I may need to track. I do not feel I am overeating at all but I also don't typically lose anything if I'm eating over 1000 cals/day...which is not a lot but if I choose clean foods, it's plenty. I think I have a really crappy metabolism. Which is why I have increased my weight training, in hopes of boosting it.
For me, "clean" foods are foods that are not processed and have 5 ingredients or less (for the most part).

You need to track. 5000 calories of "clean" food a day will do the exact same thing as 5000 calories of "unclean" food.

Rigger