Did you lose more weight on Clean eaing or calorie deficit

emilycarr71404

I have been trying to 'eat clean" but due to the shaky nature of the term and my love of a weekly dairy queen blizzard, I don't think I am following that to the letter. I have just hit 20 lost in six weeks while doing a little of both methods. Here is my question; to people who did both methods--did you lose more weight doing clean eating or everything else? I see the benefits of doing both but I am honestly curious to see what you all think if you have done both methods.

grimendale

"Clean" eating (however you define the term) by itself cannot make you lose weight. A calorie deficit is required. Clean eating is intended to promote general health and make it easier to maintain a caloric deficit. If you eat clean, but eat at a surplus, you will still gain weight.

rjmudlax13

Well, you lose weight when you are in a calorie deficit. Period. It doesn't matter what you eat, unless you have some sort of medical condition.

If you eat squeaky clean while in a calorie surplus, you will gain weight. If you eat clean in a deficit, you will lose weight.

I really didn't lose weight consistently until I started counting calories.

Mokey41

Eating clean isn't guaranteed weight loss. You can still over eat regardless of what the food is. I don't follow clean eating but do know that a calorie deficit definitely works.

guessrs

Definitely calorie deficit. I choose to eat clean because I find I have more energy throughout the day and feel full and satisfied while aiming at the deficit.

JennC831

Calorie deficit; if you're eating too much of anything you're not going to lose weight...

emilycarr71404

I know a calorie deficit works. That is what I am doing. I was just asking if people found they preferred one way over the other while at a deficit.

Cyclingbonnie

I know you'll get lots of people telling you Eat Clean or It is all about the calorie deficit. I personally think it is actually both. To me eating clean means eating real. Eating nothing fake, no artificial sweeteners, no "low fat" products (I'm not talking skim milk here), no preservatives, no pre packaged products with more than 3 items in its ingredient list. The other side of the coin eat whatever, just don't take in too many calories.

Well you can eat clean way and gain weight ... you can eat nothing but junk and loose weight. My question why would you do either of these? Eating clean is definitely something to strive for while staying within your calorie goal, however who wants to live the rest of their life without having cake, ice cream, doughnuts, chips ... or my personal weakness FRENCH FRIES.

So my approach is to stay clean most of the time and indulge once in a while. So no way for me to tell which I loose faster at, because I do both.

MorningWhispers

Even the majority of us clean eaters are not eating 100 percent clean. You're making an effort to clean up your diet and that's great.

Clean eating does make you feel fuller at a lower calorie amount so its fairly easy to stay under the calorie goal although I imagine if you have a big appetite or add in something not so clean (like Dairy Queen), you would go over that deficit.

For me clean eating is more than just a way to lose weight. It is a total life style change and my over all health has improved so much since I gave up processed foods and refined sugars.

mittencat77

If it fits your macros (IIFYM) seems to be working for me. I am just starting to follow but already feel better...my fat was just too high! I always have a calorie deficit and have little to lose (just getting lean) but I was getting nowhere. Upping the protein and lowering the fat has helped me. I don't even worry about carbs - I never seem to get high enough.

I would really recommend this and look on youtube for video by Dr. Layne Norton re: IIFYM. Explains really well.

Espressocycle

As someone who got fat cooking whole foods from scratch, I can tell you tight now that double portions of quinoa-stuffed acorn squash with curried apricots is no less fattening than a Big Mac.

erickirb

OP do you mean do you lose more weight on Clean eating vs. IIFYM (If it fits your Macros)? As you need a caloric deficit no matter want to lose

I would say you lose more fat (not weight) if you follow IIFYM and your protein intake is set high enough, vs. clean eating where you get less protein since you wouldn't be focusing on getting x amount of it

IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym

it helps me lose body fat when I clean up my diet.

cpbatchelor

I eat clean while maintaining my calorie deficit. I eat clean 90%/10% 6 days a week and allow myself a day off each week. Eating clean has helped change my cravings so on the off day I make good choices but still allow for a splurge. Its summer and real watermelon milkshakes are my fave at a local ice cream joint. Sugar is my biggest weakness but eating clean has helped curb the cravings for sugar. It can be hard to maintain the clean eating and calorie deficit since you are giving up the "low calorie" and "low fat" items. But, I find that I can do it much easier if I spend time Sunday cooking (2 hrs) and planning meals for the week. As I will cook items like jalapeno chicken burgers and stuffed peppers and stick them in the freezer so that they are ready for lunches and dinners throughout the week.

emilycarr71404

I am doing both methods I guess.

WendyTerry420

You can't lose weight without a calorie deficit, no matter what you eat.

OhLeita

Clean eating is a really broad term for me. I did a version of it for health reasons about six months. Most of the food I ate was vegetables followed by fruit, grain/starches, fats and lean no-beef meat. Very little or no processed food made it harder to follow but eating at home rather than in restaurants helped. I didn't bother counting calories and lost a lot of weight but I ate a ton of vegetables so the answer to your question can be 'yes' and 'yes.'

Ang108

I have been eating clean/healthy/unprocessed all my life and still got overweight. Only through calorie deficit did I start losing weight.

mommy3457

I know you'll get lots of people telling you Eat Clean or It is all about the calorie deficit. I personally think it is actually both. To me eating clean means eating real. Eating nothing fake, no artificial sweeteners, no "low fat" products (I'm not talking skim milk here), no preservatives, no pre packaged products with more than 3 items in its ingredient list. The other side of the coin eat whatever, just don't take in too many calories.

Well you can eat clean way and gain weight ... you can eat nothing but junk and loose weight. My question why would you do either of these? Eating clean is definitely something to strive for while staying within your calorie goal, however who wants to live the rest of their life without having cake, ice cream, doughnuts, chips ... or my personal weakness FRENCH FRIES.

So my approach is to stay clean most of the time and indulge once in a while. So no way for me to tell which I loose faster at, because I do both.

lemonmon1

Clean eating > calorie deficit, BUT I don't understand why you can't do both. You want to be healthy, right? Make better choices and you will be healthier and leaner! It's pretty simple. You can eat a calorie deficit and be eating complete crap and what is the point of that? It's not good for you!!!!!

vypeters

You can lose weight on twinkies and chocolate bars if you eat few enough calories. You won't feel so good after a while but you'll lose weight.

Clean eating is about putting healthier food and less additives in your body. I eat about clean, so I'm not the clean ideal spokeswoman, but I have felt better since I've at least been paying attention to the issue.