How long to see results? Clean eating vs calorie counting?

livvydog6

Hi For the last week I've been counting calories trying to lose weight and I was just wondering how long it will take to see some results? Also, what sort of results can I expect at different times?
My other question is about eating "clean" vs counting calories. Will your body undergo the same transformation if I eat 1200 calories of veggies and fruit as it would if I (hypothetically) eat 1200 calories of French fries and cheeseburgers? Thank you and good luck!!!

_HeartsOnFire_

Unfortunately there's no time table. One person may see results faster than the next.

rybo

This could get interesting.

As far as time goes, there's no real way to predict when you may see results.

Sherrie144

abooutely yes, as not all calories are careated equally...1200 calories of veggies is far different 1200 of french fries and cheeseburgers...

jwdieter

The objective is to change your lifestyle, so you're looking at more than a week. You can gain or lose in a week, but it's not the point.

Eating just veggies and fruit, or just cheeseburgers and fries, will likely lead to different results. One may give you very little protein/fat, the other may give you very little nutrients. You need protein, fats, and nutrients. So pick a diet that will work for you long term and provides these basic elements.

TheRealParisLove

On the clean eating question, you would probably feel terrible in both scenarios. The 1200 in fruit and veggies only will leave you feeling bad because you won't be getting any protein and fat, and the cheeseburger and fries would be like one sandwich and a regular size order of fries for the whole day, leaving you starving most of the time.

Balance is the key. Eat a variety of foods, fruits and vegetables, lean meat, dairy, whole grains, and fats. Have a cheeseburger and fries once in a while. Live your life.

ETA: You have very little weight to lose. You'll get better results by eating more, not less. Try setting your goals at 1/2 pound a week and then making up the additional calorie deficit in exercise, instead of just eating a low calorie diet. Unless you have over 100 pounds to lose, severe calorie restriction doesn't work very well.

HealthyVitamins

I eat clean and count calories and I've seen a difference, visually, in 4 weeks.

But everyone is different, that's just what I've experienced so far.

strongmindstrongbody

Why only 2 choices with the diet plan? You can also eat unprocessed foods along with some processed ones. It really is a happy medium.

highervibes

In for the inevitable

psuLemon

Clean eating does NOT speed up results or improve anything accept satiety (and that is stretch). Eating whole foods can help allow you to eat more and keep low calorie. The more important thing is trying to get 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass and around .35g of fat. The rest should be carbs

Also, if you are active, 1200 calories won't be enough, especially for a young person with very little to lose. Your goal should be 1/2 - 1 lbs per week max and should aim to eat around 50% of your exercise calories.

Acg67

Hi For the last week I've been counting calories trying to lose weight and I was just wondering how long it will take to see some results? Also, what sort of results can I expect at different times?
My other question is about eating "clean" vs counting calories. Will your body undergo the same transformation if I eat 1200 calories of veggies and fruit as it would if I (hypothetically) eat 1200 calories of French fries and cheeseburgers? Thank you and good luck!!!

You'd prob maintain more lbm with fries and burgers due to the protein differences, so go with fries and burgers

Alwayssohungry

Let's see - What kind of results are you expecting? You're 18 so I bet I can guess... anyway here's my two cents here.

Personally - in the first two - three weeks I lost 6 -7 pounds, but gained an enormous amount of knowledge. In the following weeks it averaged to be about 1 pound a week. I say averaged because I went several weeks only losing a half pound, a few weeks losing nothing, and then boom - 2 pounds gone.

Technically eating at a calorie deficit - in your example 1200 or good food or bad food - you will lose weight. I have noticed you feel much fuller and have many less cravings the higher the quality of food you eat. You could easily eat a bacon cheeseburger with fries and be done with your 1200 calories for the day - chances are you will still be hungry and craving food at some point. Sometimes I have a hard time eating my 1310 calories plus my exercise calories when I eat healthy food choices.

Beware the 'eating clean' crowd some of them can be a bit full of themselves.

Ang108

Hi For the last week I've been counting calories trying to lose weight and I was just wondering how long it will take to see some results? Also, what sort of results can I expect at different times?
My other question is about eating "clean" vs counting calories. Will your body undergo the same transformation if I eat 1200 calories of veggies and fruit as it would if I (hypothetically) eat 1200 calories of French fries and cheeseburgers? Thank you and good luck!!!

You cannot say " clean eating versus calorie counting " because from a weight loss standpoint they have nothing to do with each other. You could lose weight by eating exclusively pop tarts and drinking Coke as long as you count calories and stay at a deficit.
I have eaten healthy and non processed food for the last 40 years and still got fat, because even brown rice and beans have calories ( yes, who would have thought that ? ) and I ate too much of them. While I would suggest that you eat healthy to feel good but understand that it is your choice, you HAVE to count calories and eat at a deficit, no matter what you eat, to lose weight.

lolsauce

Hiya! Congrats to you for taking a step towards a healthier lifestyle. As for seeing results, you are going to have to be very patient. When I started counting calories and exercising last year, my weight started dropping at the projected 2lb a week after a few weeks of MFP, but I never noticed any physical change in my body. It got very discouraging. I started taking measurements of my waist, neck, arms, thighs, ect so I could actually see the numbers going down.

In the long run, eating 1200 calories of veggies and fruit is probably going to be better for your body. You would probably feel better filling your body with all that good stuff, but I'm not sure if your actual results will differ from eating 1200 calories of junk.

ritchiedrama

1200 calories of clean food

1200 calories of food

no difference. its still 1200 calories.

psuLemon

BTW, since you have almost no weight to lose, do some heavy weight training with some cardio. Your composition changes will occur faster. Don't even worry about weight loss so much, but instead worry about muscle retention.

mud7urtle

1200 calories of clean food

1200 calories of food

no difference. its still 1200 calories.

ThisThisThisThisThis

If you eat an excess of "Clean foods".. you will still gain weight.

If you track macros to the T on deficit eating "dirty foods".. you will make 10x more progress


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyY8mfrjP0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyY8mfrjP0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyY8mfrjP0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyY8mfrjP0

helenrosemay

My other question is about eating "clean" vs counting calories. Will your body undergo the same transformation if I eat 1200 calories of veggies and fruit as it would if I (hypothetically) eat 1200 calories of French fries and cheeseburgers? Thank you and good luck!!!

That's like asking what's heavier a tonne of feathers or a tonne of bricks!

jenifr818

In for the inevitable

Yep. Dig out the funny .gifs

Mistyfied_MD

It took about a week and half for me to start noticing weight changes after I started counting calories.

And for sure you'll notice a difference in only vegetables vs. cheeseburgers. You'd be getting a lot more nutrients with vegetables, and probably feel a heckuva lot better in general. But you'd still need to be eating some protein and a little fat.

jayb0ne

Calories are calories for weight loss purposes - you just don't get much KFC before you hit your calories for the day is all.

For body recomp (looking lean and healthy rather than simply skinny) it's all about macros (and lifting) - learn what the 3 major macronutrients are and how to use them.

1 - Fit it within your calorie allowance
2 - Fit it within your macro split
3 - ??
4 - Profit!

Jay

Feed_the_Bears

How long will results last? Clean eating or calorie counting? Both! Clean eating at the right amount of calories to fuel your activity, not just mere starvation.

annakow

I saw first results after 2 months, but we are all different. It's my 8th month now. I think 1200 cal is 1200 cal no matter what you eat but eating clean gives you more food in 1200

cmcollins001

abooutely yes, as not all calories are careated equally...1200 calories of veggies is far different 1200 of french fries and cheeseburgers...

A calorie is a unit of measure, so, according to your logic, a foot = 12 inches when measuring oak, but not 12 inches when measuring pine.

str8bowbabe

I think its going to depend on a few things...including clean eating and calorie counting. In my experience, I tried just calorie counting with exercise but I really did not see any results until I started eating cleaner. Now the scale is moving on a regular basis. Good Luck! You will have to find out what works for you. Everyone is different.

totallydelirious

It depends on what you're aiming for. Your body needs all sorts of food groups - fats, carbohydrates, protein, and yes, fruit and veggies. You need all of them for your body to fully function. Your body better processes fats from things like nuts rather than animal fats. You also only need small quantities of things like fat, sugar and salt in your diet (things which burgers are full of), but a lot more vitamins and minerals which you have to eat an array of fruit and vegetables to get. Eating 'clean' i always view as eating the right amounts of the different nutrients your body requires to make it healthy. You should aim to be healthy, not just skinny!

eric_sg61

It depends on what you're aiming for. Your body needs all sorts of food groups - fats, carbohydrates, protein, and yes, fruit and veggies. You need all of them for your body to fully function. Your body better processes fats from things like nuts rather than animal fats. You also only need small quantities of things like fat, sugar and salt in your diet (things which burgers are full of), but a lot more vitamins and minerals which you have to eat an array of fruit and vegetables to get. Eating 'clean' i always view as eating the right amounts of the different nutrients your body requires to make it healthy. You should aim to be healthy, not just skinny!

LOL

ragingmrs

[/quote]

You cannot say " clean eating versus calorie counting " because from a weight loss standpoint they have nothing to do with each other. You could lose weight by eating exclusively pop tarts and drinking Coke as long as you count calories and stay at a deficit.
I have eaten healthy and non processed food for the last 40 years and still got fat, because even brown rice and beans have calories ( yes, who would have thought that ? ) and I ate too much of them. While I would suggest that you eat healthy to feel good but understand that it is your choice, you HAVE to count calories and eat at a deficit, no matter what you eat, to lose weight.
[/quote]

I agree that the calories are still there as I am in the same boat as you with clean eating but just eating too much of it and not exercising enough. But, if the majority of the American public ate clean instead of processed foods they would lose weight by the merit that processed foods tend to be more calorically dense and be less nutritious.

At 5'2" and 200 lbs eating clean, I know if I were to eat the standard American diet I would probably weigh half again as much as I do now.

LJSmith1989

1200 calories of clean food

1200 calories of food

no difference. its still 1200 calories.

ThisThisThisThisThis

If you eat an excess of "Clean foods".. you will still gain weight.

If you track macros to the T on deficit eating "dirty foods".. you will make 10x more progress


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyY8mfrjP0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyY8mfrjP0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyY8mfrjP0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyY8mfrjP0

LOL

slim4health56

In for the inevitable

heheheheheheheheheheh!!!!!!!

wamydia

On the clean eating question, you would probably feel terrible in both scenarios. The 1200 in fruit and veggies only will leave you feeling bad because you won't be getting any protein and fat, and the cheeseburger and fries would be like one sandwich and a regular size order of fries for the whole day, leaving you starving most of the time.

Balance is the key. Eat a variety of foods, fruits and vegetables, lean meat, dairy, whole grains, and fats. Have a cheeseburger and fries once in a while. Live your life.

ETA: You have very little weight to lose. You'll get better results by eating more, not less. Try setting your goals at 1/2 pound a week and then making up the additional calorie deficit in exercise, instead of just eating a low calorie diet. Unless you have over 100 pounds to lose, severe calorie restriction doesn't work very well.

All of this. And, if you really want to see a difference in your body, exercise is important. Eating a low calorie diet will help you lose a few pounds no matter how you go about it, but your body won't look much different unless you build some muscle tone with exercise

Also, please make sure that the 1200 calorie goal is actually correct for your weight, height, age, activity level, etc.. I know it's popular right now to automatically drop to 1200 calories, but it's actually too low for many people.