Confessions of a recovering clean eater

eric_sg61

Sorry if repost
http://networkedblogs.com/TholQ

Cliffs:
Former clean eater discovers IIFYM, Flexible Dieting

kdiamond

I like this quote from the article - Obviously “clean eating” wasn’t killing me, but it was killing my relationships with people and my passion for life.

ITA with this. I aim to eat healthy most of the time, but I have something processed or unnatural every single day, and I have been the same weight give or take a few pounds I purposely put on, for 9+ years now. In fact, my fitness level is higher today in my 30's than in my 20's when I was the same weight, and I eat IIFYM now. Back then I believed the craze that is clean eating. I still have friends like that now, and while I know why they are doing it (they don't know better), it definitely hinders our fun.

They can't seem to figure out how I maintain my fitness level/weight when I go out drinking beer every weekend.

Whambam087

IIFYM is awesome! May not be everyone's cup of tea but I like it. One can only eat so many meals of chicken, broccoli and brown rice lol

neanderthin

I consider IIFYM to be a clean diet. And based on her physic it's pretty easy to agree that she isn't clean.

readyin5weeks

neanderthin I am wondering what you meant by {she isn't clean " ?

neanderthin

Sarcasm....lol. Your looking awesome .

murphy612

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

neanderthin

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

It's possible your not quite familiar with IIFYM?

twixlepennie

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

No, not really.

QuietBloom

Sorry if repost
http://networkedblogs.com/TholQ

Cliffs:
Former clean eater discovers IIFYM, Flexible Dieting

Someone who has seen the light! :drinker:

murphy612

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

It's possible your not quite familiar with IIFYM?

Educate me then? Everything I've seen and read on here is eat anything you want if it fits in your Protein, Carb, Fat macros or some people think it means just as long as you don't go over your calories. Or I hear a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, it doesn't matter what it is.

How can eating clean and IIFYM be the same nutritionally? A Big Mac from McDonalds might fit your macros but nutritionally it's no where near the same nutritional value of the same amount of calories of vegetables, fruits and whole foods. Am I thinking too simple?

***no hostility going on here, I'm just learning***

msf74

I liked that article.

Open minded, accepting of other views but putting forward the polite suggestion there may be other ways that can work just as well if not better.

Bravo.

twixlepennie

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

It's possible your not quite familiar with IIFYM?

Educate me then? Everything I've seen and read on here is eat anything you want if it fits in your Protein, Carb, Fat macros or some people think it means just as long as you don't go over your calories. Or I hear a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, it doesn't matter what it is.

How can eating clean and IIFYM be the same nutritionally? A Big Mac from McDonalds might fit your macros but nutritionally it's no where near the same nutritional value of the same amount of calories of vegetables, fruits and whole foods. Am I thinking too simple?

***no hostility going on here, I'm just learning***

Here's a great place to start, for more info-
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/822501-halp-my-sandwich-isn-t-clean

and-

http://evidencemag.com/clean-eating-iifym/

and

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-to-a-fast-food-meal-compared-with-nutritionally-comparable-meals-of-different-composition-research-review.html

neanderthin

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

It's possible your not quite familiar with IIFYM?

Educate me then? Everything I've seen and read on here is eat anything you want if it fits in your Protein, Carb, Fat macros or some people think it means just as long as you don't go over your calories. Or I hear a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, it doesn't matter what it is.

How can eating clean and IIFYM be the same nutritionally? A Big Mac from McDonalds might fit your macros but nutritionally it's no where near the same nutritional value of the same amount of calories of vegetables, fruits and whole foods. Am I thinking too simple?

***no hostility going on here, I'm just learning***

Fair enough. IIFYM is basically a philosophy that says you don't have to 100% clean all the time and some discretionary calories can be consumed. If a person hits their macro and micro goals it would dictate that most of the foods they choose where whole and minimally processed from the get go. But eating clean 100% of the time is extremely difficult especially considering there is no clear definition of the word, and having ice cream or Mc Donalds in an otherwise clean diet is not going to slow down someones progress or limit their nutrients....all food has nutrients. We could say that grain is a wastew of calories considering vegetables and fruit on a calorie for calorie basis are up to 100 times more nutrient dense.......shouild we not eat grains? Also don't confuse IIFYM with the website IIFYM.......it's not the same thing.

murphy612

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

It's possible your not quite familiar with IIFYM?

Educate me then? Everything I've seen and read on here is eat anything you want if it fits in your Protein, Carb, Fat macros or some people think it means just as long as you don't go over your calories. Or I hear a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, it doesn't matter what it is.

How can eating clean and IIFYM be the same nutritionally? A Big Mac from McDonalds might fit your macros but nutritionally it's no where near the same nutritional value of the same amount of calories of vegetables, fruits and whole foods. Am I thinking too simple?

***no hostility going on here, I'm just learning***

Fair enough. IIFYM is basically a philosophy that says you don't have to 100% clean all the time and some discretionary calories can be consumed. If a person hits their macro and micro goals it would dictate that most of the foods they choose where whole and minimally processed from the get go. But eating clean 100% of the time is extremely difficult especially considering there is no clear definition of the word, and having ice cream or Mc Donalds in an otherwise clean diet is not going to slow down someones progress or limit their nutrients....all food has nutrients. We could say that grain is a wastew of calories considering vegetables and fruit on a calorie for calorie basis are up to 100 times more nutrient dense.......shouild we not eat grains? Also don't confuse IIFYM with the website IIFYM.......it's not the same thing.

Excellent, thank you. We are both really on the same page you know? It's just both the 'clean eaters' and 'IIFYM' can take it to an extreme that isn't really necessary. Just like religion I guess Your definition sounds like a very healthy way to eat/live, but some of the other definitions I've seen have not sounded healthy at all.

Thanks!

auddii

This was a great read, and I love that it's not condescending like some people can be when talking about IIFYM. I think something written like this is far more likely to reach people because it's not aggressive.

neanderthin

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

It's possible your not quite familiar with IIFYM?

Educate me then? Everything I've seen and read on here is eat anything you want if it fits in your Protein, Carb, Fat macros or some people think it means just as long as you don't go over your calories. Or I hear a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, it doesn't matter what it is.

How can eating clean and IIFYM be the same nutritionally? A Big Mac from McDonalds might fit your macros but nutritionally it's no where near the same nutritional value of the same amount of calories of vegetables, fruits and whole foods. Am I thinking too simple?

***no hostility going on here, I'm just learning***

Fair enough. IIFYM is basically a philosophy that says you don't have to 100% clean all the time and some discretionary calories can be consumed. If a person hits their macro and micro goals it would dictate that most of the foods they choose where whole and minimally processed from the get go. But eating clean 100% of the time is extremely difficult especially considering there is no clear definition of the word, and having ice cream or Mc Donalds in an otherwise clean diet is not going to slow down someones progress or limit their nutrients....all food has nutrients. We could say that grain is a wastew of calories considering vegetables and fruit on a calorie for calorie basis are up to 100 times more nutrient dense.......shouild we not eat grains? Also don't confuse IIFYM with the website IIFYM.......it's not the same thing.

Excellent, thank you. We are both really on the same page you know? It's just both the 'clean eaters' and 'IIFYM' can take it to an extreme that isn't really necessary. Just like religion I guess Your definition sounds like a very healthy way to eat/live, but some of the other definitions I've seen have not sounded healthy at all.

Thanks!

Well there certainly are some people that believe IIFYM means you can eat "junk" food all the time, anytime, but I believe the majority here understand what it means and are mostly trying to put emphasis on it to make a point.....that happens a lot and can lead to some confusion.

vjohn04

Good blog. Nice read.

Thanks for posting.

bdrabik71

.

JakeMcl2013

I do think that people don't have to eat "clean" all the time, I eat only an abundance of fruits and veggies, and sometimes I can have something other than that on reward day. IIFYM is a great thing for some people, only if they do it right. People have been using IIFYM as an excuse to eat tons of nutritionally deficient foods, and thus, most people are doing IIFYM "wrong", in my opinion, IIFYM is only a stable diet for bodybuilders. Also clean eating doesn't have to be boring, and that's why most people switch to IIFYM. If somebody wants to partake in IIFYM, the right way to do it is by eating a paleolithic diet, not the modern american diet. Don't hate on me, this is just my opinion, and if anyone doesn't accept it, just move on.

neanderthin

I do think that people don't have to eat "clean" all the time, I eat only an abundance of fruits and veggies, and sometimes I can have something other than that on reward day. IIFYM is a great thing for some people, only if they do it right. People have been using IIFYM as an excuse to eat tons of nutritionally deficient foods, and thus, most people are doing IIFYM "wrong", in my opinion, IIFYM is only a stable diet for bodybuilders. Also clean eating doesn't have to be boring, and that's why most people switch to IIFYM. If somebody wants to partake in IIFYM, the right way to do it is by eating a paleolithic diet, not the modern american diet. Don't hate on me, this is just my opinion, and if anyone doesn't accept it, just move on.

Well, your opinion is wrong and just accept it.

cookiealbright

Well then, it seems I've been doing it right by accident. I ate mostly clean last month and lost 10 pounds. But I did have a Frownie Sundae with my grandkids one day and didn't worry about it too much on the couple times I ate at restaurants. What does IIFYM stand for anyway?

auddii

I do think that people don't have to eat "clean" all the time, I eat only an abundance of fruits and veggies, and sometimes I can have something other than that on reward day. IIFYM is a great thing for some people, only if they do it right. People have been using IIFYM as an excuse to eat tons of nutritionally deficient foods, and thus, most people are doing IIFYM "wrong", in my opinion, IIFYM is only a stable diet for bodybuilders. Also clean eating doesn't have to be boring, and that's why most people switch to IIFYM. If somebody wants to partake in IIFYM, the right way to do it is by eating a paleolithic diet, not the modern american diet. Don't hate on me, this is just my opinion, and if anyone doesn't accept it, just move on.

Wait, why is IIFYM only suitable for bodybuilders? They are actually usually are the ones who feel you need to be ultra clean (from what I understand). IIFYM is not eat junk food all the time. In fact, a lot of people follow the 80/20 rule, which from what I understand is how a lot of people eat paleo too because they find it too restrictive all the time (and going out with friends can be difficult). They key is moderation.

On the forums, a lot of people say yay junk food, and I have McD's every day, and blah blah blah. But, they may have one thing from McD's a day, and it's their extra. The rest of their day is likely a lot of whole foods that you feel would be appropriate for a paleo diet (although ignoring the requirements for grass fed and restricting carbs). It really is about moderation, but people emphasize it to make a point. I think in general, any diet that is so restrictive that you feel you can't go out for a drink or dinner with friends isn't going to be sustainable long term. The 80/20 rule for any diet helps with that, but being inflexible I think is what can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food.

As to what diet you decide to follow? Go with what keeps you satiated and helps you achieve your goals.

auddii

Well then, it seems I've been doing it right by accident. I ate mostly clean last month and lost 10 pounds. But I did have a Frownie Sundae with my grandkids one day and didn't worry about it too much on the couple times I ate at restaurants. What does IIFYM stand for anyway?

Hopefully that was a brownie sundae since a frownie one just makes me sad... :sad:

PaleoPath4Lyfe

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

It's possible your not quite familiar with IIFYM?

Educate me then? Everything I've seen and read on here is eat anything you want if it fits in your Protein, Carb, Fat macros or some people think it means just as long as you don't go over your calories. Or I hear a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, it doesn't matter what it is.

How can eating clean and IIFYM be the same nutritionally? A Big Mac from McDonalds might fit your macros but nutritionally it's no where near the same nutritional value of the same amount of calories of vegetables, fruits and whole foods. Am I thinking too simple?

***no hostility going on here, I'm just learning***

Basically, IIFYM can fit into any eating lifestyle of your choosing. Whether it is clean eating, Paleo, Primal, General Low Carb, Calorie Countng, etc.

For me being Paleo / Primal - I have my macros set to 60% fat, 20% protein, 10% carbs. What I choose to eat that day should fit into those numbers. (if I am understanding IIFYM correctly).

Ang108

IIFYM is awesome! May not be everyone's cup of tea but I like it. One can only eat so many meals of chicken, broccoli and brown rice lol

I just don't get it when it comes to US food customs. " Clean eating " ( which is a stupid term ) and IIFYM have nothing to do with each other. One is all about how we eat and the other is what we eat. I know several people who eat whole foods and also do IIFYM. What's with the premise that in order to live a happy life one has to eat also junk and processed foods and that that is what a " normal " person really wants ?
Eating according to IIFYM does not automatically mean that one eats only " dirty " ( no matter if it's just a bit dirty or really dirty all the way ) and that it is necessary to live a happy and fulfilled life..
I understand that IIFYM means " eat whatever you want once your macros are covered ". What about the billions of people on this planet who just don't want to eat crap after their macros are covered, because it's just not part of their food culture and because they enjoy whole foods all the time ?
I could easily do IIFYM and I still would not eat fast food, go to Chipotles or the Olive Garden ( for example ) and eat any kind of processed food. I never have and I am not going to start now.

BrainyBurro

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

It's possible your not quite familiar with IIFYM?

Educate me then? Everything I've seen and read on here is eat anything you want if it fits in your Protein, Carb, Fat macros or some people think it means just as long as you don't go over your calories. Or I hear a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, it doesn't matter what it is.

How can eating clean and IIFYM be the same nutritionally? A Big Mac from McDonalds might fit your macros but nutritionally it's no where near the same nutritional value of the same amount of calories of vegetables, fruits and whole foods. Am I thinking too simple?

***no hostility going on here, I'm just learning***

you don't understand nutrition.

IIFYM... eat whatever you want within a varied diet while meeting your macro- and micro-nutritional needs.

clean eating... ignore your nutritional intake and concentrate on eating from an arbitrarily created list of allowable foods and assume/hope that your nutritional needs are met.

by DEFINITION IIFYM > clean eating from a nutritional point of view. if you do IIFYM correctly, then you are guaranteed to meet your nutritional needs. if you do clean eating correctly, you can only hope to meet your nutritional needs - but you never really know because you are simply trusting that the foods you eat will do that for you without making any effort to verify that to be the case. the minute you make the effort to track and verify that your nutritional needs are being met, you are doing IIFYM.

neanderthin

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

It's possible your not quite familiar with IIFYM?

Educate me then? Everything I've seen and read on here is eat anything you want if it fits in your Protein, Carb, Fat macros or some people think it means just as long as you don't go over your calories. Or I hear a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, it doesn't matter what it is.

How can eating clean and IIFYM be the same nutritionally? A Big Mac from McDonalds might fit your macros but nutritionally it's no where near the same nutritional value of the same amount of calories of vegetables, fruits and whole foods. Am I thinking too simple?

***no hostility going on here, I'm just learning***

you don't understand nutrition.

IIFYM... eat whatever you want within a varied diet while meeting your macro- and micro-nutritional needs.

clean eating... ignore your nutritional intake and concentrate on eating from an arbitrarily created list of allowable foods and assume/hope that your nutritional needs are met.

by DEFINITION IIFYM > clean eating from a nutritional point of view. if you do IIFYM correctly, then you are guaranteed to meet your nutritional needs. if you do clean eating correctly, you can only hope to meet your nutritional needs - but you never really know because you are simply trusting that the foods you eat will do that for you without making any effort to verify that to be the case. the minute you make the effort to track and verify that your nutritional needs are being met, you are doing IIFYM.

Better than my definition.....I'm shattered.

cookiealbright

Well then, it seems I've been doing it right by accident. I ate mostly clean last month and lost 10 pounds. But I did have a Frownie Sundae with my grandkids one day and didn't worry about it too much on the couple times I ate at restaurants. What does IIFYM stand for anyway?

Hopefully that was a brownie sundae since a frownie one just makes me sad... :sad:

Kings Restaurant has Frownie's - it's a brownie with a frownie face. lol The opposite of Eat N Park's Smilie cookie!

caseythirteen

What does IIFYM stand for anyway?

= If It Fits Your Macros

CariS001

Great article! I'm interested to know what macros split Layne recommends. Does anyone know?