STOP COUNTING CALORIES: EAT CLEAN
Replies
-
high gi rice is not clean? WTF?
Every Japanese person I met told me to wash the rice until the water runs clear. Then it is clean and good to cook.0 -
Wow. This is all sort of like going onto a low carb support site and telling everyone :"Eat some bread!!" Chances are, it will go over like a fart in church...0
-
Cook your own meals and you eliminate the problem.0
-
i am just concerned that i might overestimate or underestimate calories in which will distort the entire entry >< its quite hard for me to estimate calories spot on.
Then you don't need to stop counting calories. If you are still trying to lose weight (ESPECIALLY if it's only a few kgs or lbs), and you find it difficult to estimate calories with a reasonable degree of accuracy, then calorie counting is going to give you better results than not counting calories. What kind of food you eat is completely irrelevant to this discussion.0 -
I think eating healthy food where you know what is in the food, rather than processed food, is a very good idea for you. You obviously have decent habits already: according to your ticker you want to go from 50 - 45 kilos. Unless you are very small - I don't know how tall you are - that is pretty low, so starving yourself to lose is not a good idea.
So yes, go for food rich on nutrients and well-balanced meals. It will keep you healthy and strong. And if those five kilos don't melt off, it may be that you're actually at a healthy weight at 50 kilos, and you are simply maintaining your health.
yep that's what it is! just eating clean and wholesome food that are full of nutrients
i am 5 ft 3 so because i weigh 53kg, my weight gain is very noticeable! if i was 47kg i would be quite happy no i am not going to starve myself, i love food too much!! 
my weight has always been fluctuating between 49-55kg. i want to lose weight because i always gain weight on my thighs which is not flattering when i'm wearing shorts or jeans0 -
high gi rice is not clean? WTF?
Every Japanese person I met told me to wash the rice until the water runs clear. Then it is clean and good to cook.
i know it's not i didn't say it was? i don't eat rice too often. if i do, i eat black or brown rice and i watch my portion. 0 -
What are you doing here if you don't want to count calories? It's not for everyone. If you don't want to do it...then don't! But eating clean and healthy doesn't mean you won't gain if you are over eating.0
-
Wow. This is all sort of like going onto a low carb support site and telling everyone :"Eat some bread!!" Chances are, it will go over like a fart in church...
:laugh: I love you!0 -
EDIT
'0 -
Eating "clean" isn't going to cause you to lose weight unless it makes it easier for you to eat at a calorie deficit. Counting calories really isn't that difficult, doesn't take that much time once you figure it out, and allows you to know exactly where you are, so that you don't over or under eat. If it doesn't work for you, that is no one's business but your own, but I do wonder why you are on a site built around a calorie counter. You might as well walk into a WW meeting and tell everyone that you don't like the food. It may be true, but it's not a good way to start a conversation.0
-
maintaining weight requires you to eat clean
Lying is bad, mmkay?0 -
My mother has the healthiest diet of almost everyone I know and she has been obese most of her life.0
-
What are you doing here if you don't want to count calories? It's not for everyone. If you don't want to do it...then don't! But eating clean and healthy doesn't mean you won't gain if you are over eating.
i just began calorie counting again after a yr of not counting calories. after two days of doing so, i remembered why i stopped counting calories last yr and i thought about it so i decided to bring this rather controversial topic up. whether we should count calories or not? if you went to a friend's house and ate dinner there, would you ask their family, how many calories is in this and that? or would you just choose healthy selections to eat? sure calorie counting is great, i must admit, i used to be addicted to calorie counting in every single thing i ate because at the end of the day, it comes up to calories in and out. i didn't come here to offend. i just want to make some suggestions and ask for some advice that's all.
that's true, if you overeat, of course you will gain weight, that's why you stop eating when you are nearly full or you have finished the portion you have given yourself and you eat when you are hungry.0 -
I like counting calories. It's like a mini goal everyday that I can set and achieve. I try to eat somewhat clean., i.e. more organic foods, less processed, etc. As long as I eat portioned controlled meals, I'll be fine. You do what works for you. Please don't try to shove your lifestyle down our throats!0
-
I never count calories. Ever!
I do NOT log my food here.
I simply eat correctly. Meaning I don't eat garbage, I watch portions, I don't snack, I don't use sugar of ANY kind. Not even the fake crap. I drink water, water, water. And only water. When I think I've had enough water, I drink a few more cups of water.
I exercise 3-5 days a week. I never eat fast food, candy or processed crap.
Every morning I drink an 8oz glass of water with 1oz of Lemon juice in it within the 10 minutes of waking up.
I NEVER, EVER skip breakfast. In fact, within 1 hour of waking I eat a 3-4 egg white omelet along with 6oz of Chobani Plain Fat-free Greek Yogurt and 1/2 of an orange, every single day..
Lunch is usually a large salad with chicken and Fat free Italian dressing. And an apple or something. I'll snack on carrots or other veggies through out the day.
I drink half my body weight in water every day minimum.
Dinner is similar to lunch.
This is my daily routine.
I never log it and I've lost 40+ pounds. As long as you eat right, exercise and font snack on crap, drink sugary drinks and exercise, you should be fine. You know what you shouldn't be eating or drinking.
FYI, fat free foods like your FF yogurt and FF salad dressing are very processed. They almost always contain extra chemicals, sodium or artificial something to make up for the fat that is removed...0 -
true, clean eating is more satiating but by eating clean, you are basically filling your body with good nutrients. for example vegetables, chicken.
you can eat 'dirty' by eating junk food once in a while in a clean eating lifestyle however, you will need to control portion size.
i am tempted to count calories but sometimes it is just very hard to estimate calories in the food you consume as i said, my parents cook several different dishes during dinner and i basically have to estimate the calories in each dish... so what i am saying is that i want to stop counting calories and eat wholesome, clean food
Please stop regurgitating what someone wrote in a book t make herself money. "Clean" or "dirty" calories are calories and you can, and will gain weight over eating "clean" foods. It's all calories in vs. calories out plain and simple!0 -
Eating "clean" isn't going to cause you to lose weight unless it makes it easier for you to eat at a calorie deficit. Counting calories really isn't that difficult, doesn't take that much time once you figure it out, and allows you to know exactly where you are, so that you don't over or under eat. If it doesn't work for you, that is no one's business but your own, but I do wonder why you are on a site built around a calorie counter. You might as well walk into a WW meeting and tell everyone that you don't like the food. It may be true, but it's not a good way to start a conversation.
i didn't mean to offend calorie counters out there... like i said, i was just curious and wanted to seek advice on times i didn't want to record my calorie intake or simply times when im uncertain of calories in a certain dish like the ones my parents make. i know how to count calories and its very effective. this app makes it so much easier which is why i am using it right now. the thread title may have been misleading.. i don't want any calorie counters out there to stop counting calories calories. i am rather just bringing this topic up. i have read many articles against calorie counting and for clean eating. i'm sorry if i made a bad impression. ofc on a calorie counting app like this i would have thought many were devoted calorie counters, i just wanted to see what people thought or what they would do if they stopped counting calories and just started eating clean. sorry again0 -
true, clean eating is more satiating but by eating clean, you are basically filling your body with good nutrients. for example vegetables, chicken.
you can eat 'dirty' by eating junk food once in a while in a clean eating lifestyle however, you will need to control portion size.
i am tempted to count calories but sometimes it is just very hard to estimate calories in the food you consume as i said, my parents cook several different dishes during dinner and i basically have to estimate the calories in each dish... so what i am saying is that i want to stop counting calories and eat wholesome, clean food
Please stop regurgitating what someone wrote in a book t make herself money. "Clean" or "dirty" calories are calories and you can, and will gain weight over eating "clean" foods. It's all calories in vs. calories out plain and simple!
i wasn't regurgitating.. it's what i know yep it is. 0 -
Eating "clean" isn't going to cause you to lose weight unless it makes it easier for you to eat at a calorie deficit. Counting calories really isn't that difficult, doesn't take that much time once you figure it out, and allows you to know exactly where you are, so that you don't over or under eat. If it doesn't work for you, that is no one's business but your own, but I do wonder why you are on a site built around a calorie counter. You might as well walk into a WW meeting and tell everyone that you don't like the food. It may be true, but it's not a good way to start a conversation.
i didn't mean to offend calorie counters out there... like i said, i was just curious and wanted to seek advice on times i didn't want to record my calorie intake or simply times when im uncertain of calories in a certain dish like the ones my parents make. i know how to count calories and its very effective. this app makes it so much easier which is why i am using it right now. the thread title may have been misleading.. i don't want any calorie counters out there to stop counting calories calories. i am rather just bringing this topic up. i have read many articles against calorie counting and for clean eating. i'm sorry if i made a bad impression. ofc on a calorie counting app like this i would have thought many were devoted calorie counters, i just wanted to see what people thought or what they would do if they stopped counting calories and just started eating clean. sorry again
I'm not offended personally but can't speak for anyone else. I calorie count most of, but not all of, the time. Being incredibly detailed about over time though has allowed me to adjust my perception of what a portion looks like and what it feels like to be truly hungry (vs. bored) or satisfied (vs. stuffed).
The only thing that I will point out is that it is a factual error to say that one must "eat clean" to lose weight or that "eating clean" is "better" than calorie counting. The irrational fear of "chemicals" displayed by so many in the clean eating movement never fails to amaze me. The body needs certain nutrients and we can feed our bodies in a variety of ways. Many of us have been quite successful at body recomposition by eating diets with a good mix of what many would define "clean" along with plenty of "processed" foods, along with a fair amount of added sugar. If you want to look at the reality, you can't overlook this counterexample to the claims in all of those clean eating books that are marketed to the dieting public.0 -
Clean is subjective in nearly any context. What is "clean living"? What is "riding dirty"? Depends.
My definition of clean eating is consuming food with as few artificial ingredients as possible and high quality (natural / organic / minimally or unprocessed).0 -
No thanks, I'd rather eat "dirty" and still get results.
I eat white pasta, potatoes, dairy, red meat, and many other things people categorize as "dirty" such as cheese puffs, pop tarts, and ice cream and amazingly enough I still lost weight and am perfectly healthy.
And counting calories is not tedious; it helps me to see my macros ratios accurately which helps me attain my goals faster by eating the right amount of protein for my body weight. (for example)
i like to eat 'dirty' too because it tastes good lol although, it lacks nutrition value so i try to limit these 'dirty' processed food and control my portion sizes. i don't think potatoes, red meat, dairy should be classified as bad food! yeah i agree now, it's definitely worth it at the end since i've seen great results from it when i was a religious MFP user last yr. i just need to make it an everyday habit again.
Poor cows!0 -
I lost 60 pounds counting calories and exercising. I put on 15 of those by eating clean, not counting calories and exercising less. It's too hard to underestimate the calories - I put on the 15 by eating more unprocessed meats and nuts.0
-
If women miscount their calories it can be detrimental for their loss.
lets say they miscount 100 calories and they consume 1500 calories a day, that is quite a bit vs a guy who consumes 2500 calories.
Not everything is set in stone to 100% of the exact calories regardless if that is what you want to believe.
fruit, meat(one of the hardest consistencies), veggies, etc.
processed food labels can be quite a bit off, my suggestion is Aim lower, because you are probably intaking more.
Personally I dont counter calories, directly. I just have a general idea0 -
Everyone has their own opinions, and everyone is entitled to their own opinions :-)
Everyone is different, there is no 'one size fits all'. Different strokes for different folks.
If you want to stop counting calories and start eating clean, then that's your choice - go for it! There is no right or wrong, there is only what works for you - find it and do it!
My focus is on becoming healthier and as a 'side benefit' this results in feeling better within myself, being happier and shedding excess kilos!
I'm not into 'diet products' eg: diet coke, slimmers yogurts, lean cuisine, etc. I do my best to eat real foods and whole foods that are as natural as possible with no additives or preservatives.
I would rather feed my body the nutrients it needs to sustain it and therefore I look at the effect that foods [and liquids] have on my body once I've consumed them.
I'm wanting to be healthier and well; happy and have a zest for life.
I don't want to be slim and trim yet be unwell from all the harmful ingredients I've consumed as a result of eating 'un' real food.
Oh, and I don't count' calories - I follow Dr Damian Kristof's "Palm Method" - google it if you want to know more.
i agree it's best to feed and take care of your body by eating whole, unprocessed foods. you feel and look better and also it's harder to gain weight from eating veggies everyday than if u were to eat high gi, processed carbs. i know so many people who have embraced this clean eating diet such as fitness guru Blogilates and they have been so very successful.
thank you for this comment!
you realize vegetables are carbs right....?
Yeah but they are "clean" carbs so they are good....
right, I forgot that clean carbs build muscle, burn fat, and rev up metabolism...as opposed to the dirty carbs which just make you gain weight, shut metabolism down, and lose muscle mass....0 -
Another boring series of tit for tat tirades between people espousing clean eating vs. IIFYM. Honestly, people, give it a rest and use the extra time to go burn off a few thousand calories. That actually WILL help you live healthier.
I will cite one study (yes, peer reviewed) that sheds light on the subject. The study, conducted by Philip M. Fernbach, Todd Rogers, Craig R. Fox and Steven A. Sloman, cites a psychological phenomenon called "The Illusion of Explanatory Depth" first postulated by Rozenblit & Kell to describe the ill-informed rants people get into over politics. I am going to go out on a limb here and make an inference which is based purely on supposition: that rants between food fanatics adhere to the same psychological phenomenon. I will quote the abstract below, and you can decide for yourself:
"We hypothesized that people typically know less about such policies than they think they do (the illusion of explanatory depth; Rozenblit & Keil, 2002) and that polarized attitudes are enabled by simplistic causal models. We find that asking people to explain policies in detail both undermines the illusion of explanatory depth and leads to more moderate attitudes (Experiments 1 and 2). We also demonstrate that although these effects occur when people are asked to generate a mechanistic explanation, they do not occur when people are instead asked to enumerate reasons for their policy preferences (Experiment 2). Finally, we show that generating mechanistic explanations reduces donations to relevant political advocacy groups (Experiment 3). The evidence suggests that people’s mistaken sense that they understand the causal processes underlying policies contributes to polarization."0 -
I do agree that everyone is different, but I think if you can get to your goal, and maintain it, without counting calories, it's probably healthier- especially if you are eating a mostly healthy diet. I do count calories, but I also think it's not the most mentally healthy thing, for me,because it can lead to obsession. It's a personal decision, and you have to do what works for you.0
-
I think you shouldn't write posts if you have no idea what you're talking about....
lol.
I've always wanted to qrite that.0 -
I understand the problem but I think it would make sense to try and get an accurate idea of what your parents are serving as food. If you can't, then I'd just eat very small portions and try to fill up on veggies.
Another poster said she doesn't count calories but she [follows a lot of strict rules that I could never follow] and I can see how her guidelines would lead to weight loss, for someone who is able to adhere to them, but if you are respectfully eating what's put on the table, would that work for you?
In your position I would track what I can, eat small portions and see if it shows up on the scale - if you find yourself gaining then obviously you have to dig a little deeper into your parents' cooking habits 0 -
Personally i think its more about making the right choices rather than over thinking calorie consumption. For instance calorie counters sometimes might think like oh this biscuit is only 85 cals whereas this banana is 100 and therefore go for the biscuit because it keeps their calorie count lower. As long as your making a healthy choice is shouldnt be restricted by the amount of calories init but more about the nutritional value. If ur making a choice between 2 cheat meals, maybe go for the lower calorie option then but other than that if its the right choice then calories shoodn't really matter.
Everyones different though but i know i used to be one of those people who would think why waste all those calories on a piece of fruit when i can have a treat for the same amount ha. But after following the Rapid Fitness plans i have a totally diferent outlook on food now and feel much happier and healthier. 0 -
In for another discussion about eating clean. Anyone have snacks?
Seriously though, OP, if eating clean works for you and makes you happy, then that's great. But it's not the only way to lose weight (I'm down 30 pounds eating all the same stuff I ate before, just less). And as far as the dishes you mentioned, you can use the recipe builder and that will make that part a little easier for you.
Good luck!
IMO - this ^^^ . I am down 30 lbs as well, and I really haven't changed WHAT I eat, but how much of it I eat. I use the recipe builder a lot.
On another note, it would be awesome to learn those recipes for two reasons I can think of:
1. You can actually see what goes in, and if you want to make it healthier down the road, you will know what you can cut out and keep in.
2. Great family time to pass down tradition and keep the recipes in the family.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 176K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.6K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions