Do I have to eat 100% clean to lose weight?

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  • niknokd
    niknokd Posts: 127 Member
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    A basic way to sum it up:
    How much you eat = whether you gain or lose (weight)
    What you eat = how your body looks with that gain or loss (body composition)
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    You do not have to eat 100% clean however just creating a calorie deficit will not help your goal.

    Assuming your goal is "eat clean" then true.

    If your goal is lose weight, lose body fat, build muscle, increase health, or increase performance, then false.
  • Ithina1
    Ithina1 Posts: 93 Member
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    No, You will lose weight as long as you are eating at a deficit.

    ^this. Your weight loss could be stalled due to water retention or whatever. You also may have under-estimated some of the things you ate. You won't lose the same amount each week. You're wanting to look for a downard trend. Some weeks I weigh more, some the same, some less. Just keep at it :)
  • crazybookworm
    crazybookworm Posts: 779 Member
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    It may not be the food that has you stalled. Try revamping your exercise routine. If your only form of exercise is running, then your body expects that and then doesn't have to work as hard anymore. Try adding some strength training to your routine. Or adding some HIIT to your running routine to switch things up a little.

    Keeping your body out of an exercise routine will keep it guessing and always result in a great calorie burn!
  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
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    If you want to lose weight you can eat what you like as long as its under your daily goal. However to feel good its probably best
    to try and eat at least 75% clean.

    I still have some junk everyday - sweets normally and still losing here.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    A basic way to sum it up:
    How much you eat = whether you gain or lose (weight)
    What you eat = how your body looks with that gain or loss (body composition)

    Not so. If you lose fat, your body will look the same no matter what you ate while losing it. Your overall health will be better if you get a full compliment of nutrients, so it makes sense to eat a variety of nutrient dense foods for the most part.

    But there is no need to get all OCD about it. This quote kind of sums it up.
    "Once our nutrient needs are met, we don’t get extra credit for eating more nutritious food! - Eric Helms"

    Eat mostly nutritious food, stay in calorie deficit and enjoy yourself a little.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    The only thing that works is moderation.
    For you.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    The only thing that works is moderation.
    For you.

    Yes, him.

    Well, and everyone else too.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    No.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    The only thing that works is moderation.
    For you.

    Yes, him.

    Well, and everyone else too.

    Nonsense
  • LVCeltGirl
    LVCeltGirl Posts: 473
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    I've been using mfp again for the past month and while I lost a solid 8lbs with running, eating back exercise calories, and setting a goal of 1500 cals I have stalled for the past week. However, my diet isn't the healthiest with fries and hamburgers at times because of work. I always pick the correct calorie amount for the junk food but I an wondering if that is what is keeping me from losing weight. I thought it was all about maintaining a deficit but am I wrong?

    I agree with most everyone, that a calorie deficit should = weight loss. That said, I know for my body that I can't just eat deficit and exercise. If I eat my "fat" grams daily or even worse, eat over the fat grams and don't make it "good fats" (think avocados, nuts, olive oil, etc), then I risk weight gain or staying the same. That's me who's been on this diet rollercoaster since I was 11 (I'm now 44 and proud of it) and so it's a delicate balance to my lifestyle change because I also risk my body thinking I'm in starvation mode. Your body could be totally different.

    If you want to see if eating clean or I should say "cleaner", then plan to bring something healthier for lunch a day or two. Or if you can't, see if the fast food places you go to has a "protein style" burger, and if possible substitute a salad for the fries (okay I have problems with that one too but it's only trying it a couple of days a week for a few weeks), and if not possible, then eat less of the fries or order smaller fries. That's a way to shave off some of the calories and fat from the fast food diet. It's all about moderation and making smarter choices. And I suggest to try it for a few weeks to really gauge if it makes a difference. If it does, then incorporate it into your lifestyle change but if it doesn't, then back to the drawing board and try something else. You have to determine what works for you for the long run.

    That's my 2 cents worth.:smile:
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    The only thing that works is moderation.
    For you.

    Yes, him.

    Well, and everyone else too.

    Nonsense
    Utter nonsense.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Unless you have a medical condition that changes the rules, you only need to consume less than you expend to lose fat. What you eat can make a difference in how you look and feel, and even in how quickly you lose, but the deficit is all that is needed.

    But, even a thin person can suffer health consequences from a poor diet. A healthy diet does not have to 100% clean, but as you get older you'll begin to see how important eating proper nutrition is. I have many friends my age (50's) who have never been overweight who are now seeing the effects of long term poor diet.

    Fat loss = calories in / calories out
    Health = more than just that.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I always forget about the "just wait you'll get a horrible disease when you're older" argument.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    The only thing that works is moderation.
    For you.

    Yes, him.

    Well, and everyone else too.
    And me. My diary's open. Not clean, but perfectly healthy. Moderate deficit for sustainable weight loss. Ice cream every single day:bigsmile:
    Edit: and I'm 45, because, apparently, that matters.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I always forget about the "just wait you'll get a horrible disease when you're older" argument.

    Kind of like "just wait till you get a horrible disease when you're fat"?? Much like smoking and lung cancer, most diet related diseases are a gradual process.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Unless you have a medical condition that changes the rules, you only need to consume less than you expend to lose fat. What you eat can make a difference in how you look and feel, and even in how quickly you lose, but the deficit is all that is needed.

    But, even a thin person can suffer health consequences from a poor diet. A healthy diet does not have to 100% clean, but as you get older you'll begin to see how important eating proper nutrition is. I have many friends my age (50's) who have never been overweight who are now seeing the effects of long term poor diet.

    Fat loss = calories in / calories out
    Health = more than just that.
    Hear hear. The earlier you make GOOD habits, the easier it is when you're older.
  • zmoreno10
    zmoreno10 Posts: 69 Member
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    Wow..... just... wow.
  • dirty_dirty_eater
    dirty_dirty_eater Posts: 574 Member
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    Yes.

    99.375% will not do. You must eat 100% clean.
    Of course, eating 100% of something no 2 people seem to be able to agree on is pretty much impossible.

    Therefore, it is actually impossible to lose weight.


    You're welcome for the dazzling display of logic.
  • denniskillz
    denniskillz Posts: 62 Member
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    Calorie deficits work for weight loss, but if you really want to tone then eating clean is mandatory. However you don't have to eat clean 100% of time, it will just take longer to tone if you don't eat clean all the time. Also everyone processes food in different ways so you need to find that middle ground of eating clean and eating anything else. I usually have cheat days since I can't eat clean all the time and right now that seems to work for me, since I don't want to be chiseled like a god. My main goal is to be healthy weight loss and toning is secondary for me. But the main thing is that weight loss will happen with just having a calorie deficit and eating more meals over the course of a day rather than 3 large meals.

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