Clean Eating

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  • paleojoe
    paleojoe Posts: 442 Member
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    The fact of the matter is, this topic has been beaten to death here. If you do a search you will find multiple threads on it...
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
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    I have a general idea of what it means, like cutting out processed foods and such, I just want a better understanding of what it is.

    Is that okay?

    Unfortunately, there is no single definition of clean eating. It means something different to everyone. This makes it impossible to get a better understanding of what it is. Because it ISN'T actually anything.

    An earlier poster listed mustard as clean. You want a clean definition that involves no processed foods. Mustard is processed. These are at odds with each other, so you 2 will come to different understandings of what it means to eat clean.

    Vegans and Paleo eaters have vastly divergent definitions of "clean eating"

    Short answer is still:

    Pick a list of foods you deem bad. Don't eat them.

    I really disagree with this. There is no "bad" food and encouraging that mentality really isn't healthy (because "healthy" isn't just a physical thing, it's a mental thing as well)

    Right. So we agree. "Clean Eating" is arbitrary, and unnecessarily demonizes certain foods.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Hello friends! I hope you all are having a wonderful day.

    Anyway, I want to start eating clean but I have no idea what that entails. So, for those of you who are eating clean, do you mind giving me some tips please?

    Thanks!

    As I'm sure you've seen already, there are some that are vehemently against clean eating (not sure why, but they are). And for those who are for it, many (many, many) definitions of it. Basically, it means eating natural food. The further a food is from it's natural state, the less "clean" it is. S
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I really disagree with this. There is no "bad" food and encouraging that mentality really isn't healthy (because "healthy" isn't just a physical thing, it's a mental thing as well)

    Thinking some foods are "bad" isn't healthy? I'd like to see the research to back that statement up.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    And wow. Why all the hostility?

    I just wanted to gain a general idea of where to begin and see how you guys do it. There's really no need for smart *kitten* answers.

    Because as soon as someone mentions clean eating the IIFYM crowd comes out in full force to defend their diet.. it's silly really. No one has to agree with your choices. Just do what is right for you, what helps you reach your goals, in a healthy way and ignore the haters. :~)

    I guess you missed the part where that one "clean eater" guy was actually demonizing veg other than green veg and potatoes as being "unhealthy" and "unclean"...it has nothing to do with IIFYM crowd. Most of the IIFYM crowd eats a well balanced diet rich in nutrient dense whole foods...but they don't feel all guilty and ashamed because they had some ice cream for desert...because they don't demonize food.

    The problem is with the clean eating community itself...there is not clear definition and they're the one's that are demonizing foods...even nutrient dense whole foods like colored veggies.

    Give me a frackin' break.
  • akellis0405
    akellis0405 Posts: 6 Member
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    Very interesting. I definitely will do that. =] Thanks for the "outside the box" reply.
  • akellis0405
    akellis0405 Posts: 6 Member
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    How are you able to include ice cream every day!!?? I definitely need that secret in my life! lol Is there something else that you have to completely cut out? Please let me know!
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    And wow. Why all the hostility?

    I just wanted to gain a general idea of where to begin and see how you guys do it. There's really no need for smart *kitten* answers.

    Because as soon as someone mentions clean eating the IIFYM crowd comes out in full force to defend their diet.. it's silly really. No one has to agree with your choices. Just do what is right for you, what helps you reach your goals, in a healthy way and ignore the haters. :~)

    Do you know what IIFYM is? Because it sounds like you really don't.

    sigh. i do. but i'm not getting into this again.
    And for those who are for it, many (many, many) definitions of it.

    I think we should start naming the variations of it like vegetarians do. Like one name for clean eaters, another for clean sans dairy another for organic clean eater.. etc.. lol it's just the label they object to and the lack of a "proper" definition really. since most of those who speak out against it really eat clean and then throw in doritos or snickers occasionally. Supposed to support each other, not shame each other for choosing to eat a certain way. Esp when that chosen path is a healthy one.
    even nutrient dense whole foods like colored veggies.
    I believe the whole "avoid white food" thing came about long before clean eating was anything. I remember in highschool girls telling me that potatoes are unhealthy and to avoid them. I don't eat white rice because it's bleached, stripped of it's nutrients and then the nutrients are added back in, has nothing to do with color. I'll eat a potato sometimes because they are from nature. Nothing wrong with them, except they are a starch and sometimes you need to cut back on how many starchy veggies you eat.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    I really disagree with this. There is no "bad" food and encouraging that mentality really isn't healthy (because "healthy" isn't just a physical thing, it's a mental thing as well)

    Thinking some foods are "bad" isn't healthy? I'd like to see the research to back that statement up.

    It's not research, but here's an example of what I mean by not being mentally healthy - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthorexia_nervosa
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    Supposed to support each other, not shame each other for choosing to eat a certain way. Esp when that chosen path is a healthy one.



    OK, so I'd hope that the clean eaters stop shaming people that don't eat "their" way.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    How are you able to include ice cream every day!!?? I definitely need that secret in my life! lol Is there something else that you have to completely cut out? Please let me know!

    Weight it out and fit it into your daily calorie goals. That's how I do it anyway.
  • TheSlorax
    TheSlorax Posts: 2,401 Member
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    How are you able to include ice cream every day!!?? I definitely need that secret in my life! lol Is there something else that you have to completely cut out? Please let me know!

    I maintain an reasonable calorie goal, meet my nutrition and macronutrient needs during the day, and then sometimes have ice cream at night with my leftover calories. other times it's bourbon. I know, how unclean of me. I actually do eat about 80% "clean" (dependent entirely on your personal definition of "clean") but the majority of people who follow IIFYM do as well.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    Supposed to support each other, not shame each other for choosing to eat a certain way. Esp when that chosen path is a healthy one.



    OK, so I'd hope that the clean eaters stop shaming people that don't eat "their" way.

    then we could have mfp peace
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    How are you able to include ice cream every day!!?? I definitely need that secret in my life! lol Is there something else that you have to completely cut out? Please let me know!

    I don't eat ice cream every day. I eat it on occasion...sometimes I have some dark chocolate for desert...sometimes jelly beans. I just weigh it out and fit it into my goals. Generally speaking my nutritional goals have usually been met by the end of my evening meals...I generally exceed my vitamin and mineral goals and try to get as close as possible to my protein and fat goals...everything else is what it is...I don't get extra credit for having more broccoli when I've already exceeded all of those goals..so why not have a bit of ice cream or other tasty treat.

    Obviously this becomes more difficult if you are on a very restrictive calorie diet...very restrictive calorie diets really don't give you a whole lot of wiggle room outside of basic nutrition if you're really striving to hit your nutritional goals. When I was losing I was grossing around 2100 - 2200 calories per day so it was pretty easy to fit that kind of stuff in. I maintain at around 2700 - 2800 so some sort of desert is in order most evenings just to help maintain my weight as I don't want to lose anymore.
  • thekyleo
    thekyleo Posts: 632 Member
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    see my profile pic... as clean as it gets... also not my ticker. no food is "bad"
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    How are you able to include ice cream every day!!?? I definitely need that secret in my life! lol Is there something else that you have to completely cut out? Please let me know!

    I maintain an reasonable calorie goal, meet my nutrition and macronutrient needs during the day, and then sometimes have ice cream at night with my leftover calories. other times it's bourbon. I know, how unclean of me. I actually do eat about 80% "clean" (dependent entirely on your personal definition of "clean") but the majority of people who follow IIFYM do as well.

    ^This. And why is ice cream so "unclean"? I mean really. Here's the list of ingredients from one of my favorites - Haagen-Dazs Cappucino Gelato -

    skim milk, cream, corn syrup, sugar, egg yolks, coffee, pectin. contains: milk and egg ingredients

    Or Talenti Gelato Double Dark Chocolate

    milk, sugar, chocolate, cream, eggs, dextrose, cocoa, vermouth, carob gum, soy lecithin, vanilla
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    And wow. Why all the hostility?

    I just wanted to gain a general idea of where to begin and see how you guys do it. There's really no need for smart *kitten* answers.

    Because as soon as someone mentions clean eating the IIFYM crowd comes out in full force to defend their diet.. it's silly really. No one has to agree with your choices. Just do what is right for you, what helps you reach your goals, in a healthy way and ignore the haters. :~)

    Do you know what IIFYM is? Because it sounds like you really don't.

    sigh. i do. but i'm not getting into this again.
    And for those who are for it, many (many, many) definitions of it.

    I think we should start naming the variations of it like vegetarians do. Like one name for clean eaters, another for clean sans dairy another for organic clean eater.. etc.. lol it's just the label they object to and the lack of a "proper" definition really. since most of those who speak out against it really eat clean and then throw in doritos or snickers occasionally. Supposed to support each other, not shame each other for choosing to eat a certain way. Esp when that chosen path is a healthy one.
    even nutrient dense whole foods like colored veggies.
    I believe the whole "avoid white food" thing came about long before clean eating was anything. I remember in highschool girls telling me that potatoes are unhealthy and to avoid them. I don't eat white rice because it's bleached, stripped of it's nutrients and then the nutrients are added back in, has nothing to do with color. I'll eat a potato sometimes because they are from nature. Nothing wrong with them, except they are a starch and sometimes you need to cut back on how many starchy veggies you eat.

    It was right here in this thread though...some clean eater actually demonizing veggies that have color like red bell peppers and such because of sugar. Demonizing food in general is ridiculous...but demonizing nutrient dense whole foods is like epic ridiculousness.

    Also, if you understood IIFYM you would understand that you don't just eat all the potatoes...they wouldn't fit into your macros...so yes...you would have to cut back on starchy veggies to fit your macro requirements...but not because potatoes are the devil.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    How are you able to include ice cream every day!!?? I definitely need that secret in my life! lol Is there something else that you have to completely cut out? Please let me know!


    Step 1: Set yourself up with a reasonable Calorie goal/deficit.

    Step 2: Within your Calorie goal, set up appropriate fat and protein goals.

    Step 3: Plan. This means... Well, it'll mean something different for most people, but mostly (IMHO) it means to hit the fat and protein goals mentioned in Step 2, while being below your Calorie goal. It may (probably will) take some experimentation to figure out just what you need to do to get there - maybe preplan some days. You'll want to ensure you get plenty of vitamins and minerals, so make sure your plan includes those - likely plenty of veggies.

    Step 4: Fit ice cream or whatever your heart desires to fill up your remaining Calories.

    Step 5: Provided you followed the above 4 steps, including some exercise to keep fit, succeed and enjoy life.



    ninja'd by the wolfman
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    How are you able to include ice cream every day!!?? I definitely need that secret in my life! lol Is there something else that you have to completely cut out? Please let me know!
    Hi, I made the original comment about eating ice cream every day. Yes, it is a wonderful secret and not hard to do at all.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/925464-fitting-it-in-giggity?hl=Fitting+it+in+giggity
    I have lost 125lbs in about 16 months and I never feel deprived. I used to try and eat 'clean' and it was not sustainable for me, and it led to yoyo dieting and bingeing on foods that I thought were bad: a vicious circle that led to failure every time. Learning to successfully incorporate all the foods I love into a diet with a moderate calorie deficit has been the key to my success this time. I have also learned that there are no bad foods, some are just less nutrient dense than others. My diary is open, and I belong to this group here where I document all the ice cream I eat. :bigsmile:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/16819-eat-pizza-lose-weight-easy
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    How are you able to include ice cream every day!!?? I definitely need that secret in my life! lol Is there something else that you have to completely cut out? Please let me know!
    Hi, I made the original comment about eating ice cream every day. Yes, it is a wonderful secret and not hard to do at all.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/925464-fitting-it-in-giggity?hl=Fitting+it+in+giggity
    I have lost 125lbs in about 16 months and I never feel deprived. I used to try and eat 'clean' and it was not sustainable for me, and it led to yoyo dieting and bingeing on foods that I thought were bad: a vicious circle that led to failure every time. Learning to successfully incorporate all the foods I love into a diet with a moderate calorie deficit has been the key to my success this time. I have also learned that there are no bad foods, some are just less nutrient dense than others. My diary is open, and I belong to this group here where I document all the ice cream I eat. :bigsmile:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/16819-eat-pizza-lose-weight-easy

    ^She is such an inspiration.

    And to the person who asked for research on what I meant by labeling foods as bad isn't mentally healthy - this isn't research but Cindy's experience on how it led to yoyo dieting and binging is an example of the mindset and results of many who demonize foods and agonize over what is "good" and "bad". My own experience is similar. Being afraid of food/demonizing food is not a healthy mindset at all.

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