Confessions of a recovering clean eater
Replies
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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.
I understand nutrition VERY WELL, thank you very much. What I don't obviously understand are these varying definitions of catch phrase's "Clean Eating" or "IIFYM", now that I have a better understanding of what those mean (well on this thread anyway) I can see other's points of view. This has nothing to do with my knowledge of Nutrition.
Thanks for the information.0 -
I guess I would fall into the same category as her.....
but I still eat the same foods I did before.....I just eat more.
So who knows.0 -
Following any diet dogmatically will create problems of one sort or another. The only processed foods I eat are shredded wheat and pasta. But sometimes I have to go out and eat at a social function. I'm not going to skip or sit in the corner because it's a fajita buffet. I know I'm committed to eating well, and if I need to stray for one meal in 50? Hell it's just lunch it's not the end of the world.0
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neanderthin I am wondering what you meant by {she isn't clean
" ?
Congrats on what you have accomplished.0 -
"Clean eating vs. IIFYM"
oh god, we'll never hear the end of this.:indifferent:0 -
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.
This, precisely. I follow IIFYM, and sure, I could eat nothing but Krispy Kremes and bacon double cheeseburgers, but I'm going to use up all my calories pretty quickly doing that and therefore feel hungry. So it's a subtle way of teaching and persuading you to eat healthily, and perhaps 'cleaner', with the occasional Krispy Kreme and bacon double cheeseburger.
People that follow IIFYM go on about eating those types of food emphasize it because of all the 'I must eat low carb/low fat.low sugar/clean/plant based diets or else I will not lose weight!' people.0 -
For everyone arguing that "clean eating" is all about health-isn't mental, emotional, and social health important, too? I like IIFYM because it allows me to participate in the social and cultural aspects of food like a normal human person. That *kitten*'s important.0
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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.
I understand nutrition VERY WELL, thank you very much. What I don't obviously understand are these varying definitions of catch phrase's "Clean Eating" or "IIFYM", now that I have a better understanding of what those mean (well on this thread anyway) I can see other's points of view. This has nothing to do with my knowledge of Nutrition.
Thanks for the information.
Clean eating certainly has varied means. IIFYM does not, its very well laid out.
Yes, you may be able to eat a Big Mac and still hit your macros, but the rest of the day you are going to have to work to balance because your fat macro is going to be over. You may not get all the nutrients you need from the Big Mac, but the rest of you meals will likely provide it for you. Besides the fact that Big Macs are not totally devoid of nutrients.
For example, if I eat sushi, I usually have to have a protein and a lot of veggies for my next meal to a)hit my protein goal and b) balance my carbs.
You will find it very hard to eat all "junk" food and still hit your macros and stay within your calories.
This article resonates with me. I am also a reformed clean eater. I also subscribe to IIFYM now. LIke the author, I still eat mostly whole foods, fewer things out of a box, but I no longer fear it. I no longer let myself starve because I didn't prep my food and there is nothing to get easily (I work shiftwork) that is considered "clean". I realize the benefit of foods that aren't considered "clean"0 -
"Clean eating vs. IIFYM"
oh god, we'll never hear the end of this.:indifferent:
I'm pretty sure that's what the article was about.0 -
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.
haha you are joking right????
I have to ask sometimes cause I am never sure when I see something like this if the poster is being serious or not...cause it just so silly.0 -
BUMP.0
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Yes, I do believe everything is good in moderation. I said that bodybuilders are well suited for that diet because they need the daily macros, not that no one else is suited for it. To each his own, and IIFYM is a great thing, ONLY if it is performed right. I myself am a vegan, and I get my daily macros from fruits and veggies, yes, it's possible. Not everything works for everyone, that is my point, IIFYM works for some, paleo works for a few others, and so does vegan/raw vegan. By the way, i am not a professional nutritionist, i am just a 17 year old guy.
This site is for 18+0 -
You can be vegan, paleo or any discipline you desire and still practice IIFYM............not all vegan food would be considered clean, so applying IIFYM would assure you as a vegan that your getting proper nutrition.Yes, I do believe everything is good in moderation. I said that bodybuilders are well suited for that diet because they need the daily macros, not that no one else is suited for it. To each his own, and IIFYM is a great thing, ONLY if it is performed right. I myself am a vegan, and I get my daily macros from fruits and veggies, yes, it's possible. Not everything works for everyone, that is my point, IIFYM works for some, paleo works for a few others, and so does vegan/raw vegan. By the way, i am not a professional nutritionist, i am just a 17 year old guy.0 -
Out of curiosity, do you not hit your macros, since you eat clean? If It Fits Your Macros is a nutritional philosophy, not a specific diet. You can eat any kind of diet you want, as long as you hit your nutritional needs. And if you aren't hitting your nutritional needs, then it isn't "IIFYM."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.0 -
for later0
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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.
To be fair, I'd say it's fair to suggest that most people following IIFYM are worried about macronutrients - not their RDA's of micronutrients. So, if you hit your macros (which, aside from the protein macro, can be fairly arbitrarily set), are you guaranteed to "meet your nutritional needs?" No, you aren't.
Now, of course, if you expand it to IIFYM&M to include hitting all of your recommended macronutrients and micronutrients, then sure. But most people in my experience are not following this plan.0 -
If you are hitting your macronutrients, it's VERY difficult to NOT hit your micronutrients. Micronutrients are in everything, and the variety of foods you need to eat to actually reach your macronutrients and calorie goal pretty much makes hitting your micronutrients automatic.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.
To be fair, I'd say it's fair to suggest that most people following IIFYM are worried about macronutrients - not their RDA's of micronutrients. So, if you hit your macros (which, aside from the protein macro, can be fairly arbitrarily set), are you guaranteed to "meet your nutritional needs?" No, you aren't.
Now, of course, if you expand it to IIFYM&M to include hitting all of your recommended macronutrients and micronutrients, then sure. But most people in my experience are not following this plan.0 -
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.
To be fair, I'd say it's fair to suggest that most people following IIFYM are worried about macronutrients - not their RDA's of micronutrients. So, if you hit your macros (which, aside from the protein macro, can be fairly arbitrarily set), are you guaranteed to "meet your nutritional needs?" No, you aren't.
Now, of course, if you expand it to IIFYM&M to include hitting all of your recommended macronutrients and micronutrients, then sure. But most people in my experience are not following this plan.
that's why i included "varied diet" in my description. i think everyone should use a good quality multivitamin as an "insurance policy", but generally speaking, if you're eating a varied diet and also taking a good multivitamin, you are likely meeting your micronutritional needs as well.0 -
If you are hitting your macronutrients, it's VERY difficult to NOT hit your micronutrients. Micronutrients are in everything, and the variety of foods you need to eat to actually reach your macronutrients and calorie goal pretty much makes hitting your micronutrients automatic.
I disagree entirely. It's quite easy to hit your macros and it lets you eat a wide variety of foods, while it's incredibly hard to hit your RDA's in your micronutrients each day without supplementing and/or eating very specific foods. While some micronutrients are in everything, that doesn't mean the recommended quantity of micronutrients is in everything you eat to reach your macros. That's like me saying macronutrients are in everything, so just hitting your calories just about guarantees you'll hit your macros. Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it?that's why i included "varied diet" in my description. i think everyone should use a good quality multivitamin as an "insurance policy", but generally speaking, if you're eating a varied diet and also taking a good multivitamin, you are likely meeting your micronutritional needs as well.
Agreed.0 -
If you are hitting your macronutrients, it's VERY difficult to NOT hit your micronutrients. Micronutrients are in everything, and the variety of foods you need to eat to actually reach your macronutrients and calorie goal pretty much makes hitting your micronutrients automatic.
I disagree entirely. It's quite easy to hit your macros and it lets you eat a wide variety of foods, while it's incredibly hard to hit your RDA's in your micronutrients each day without supplementing and/or eating very specific foods. While some micronutrients are in everything, that doesn't mean the recommended quantity of micronutrients is in everything you eat to reach your macros. That's like me saying macronutrients are in everything, so just hitting your calories just about guarantees you'll hit your macros. Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it?
How are you (general you) tracking micronutirents? It drives me nuts that MFP doesn't give us this option :grumble:0 -
How are you (general you) tracking micronutirents? It drives me nuts that MFP doesn't give us this option grumble
Personally, I take a multivitamin and I watch my electrolytes, supplementing as needed, and consider that "good enough." I also try and keep my fiber intake consistent, although I suppose that's technically a macro. I've found it's incredibly difficult/restrictive to hit your RDAs of micronutrients without supplementing and I don't think there's really any harm in taking a multivitamin.0 -
If you are hitting your macronutrients, it's VERY difficult to NOT hit your micronutrients. Micronutrients are in everything, and the variety of foods you need to eat to actually reach your macronutrients and calorie goal pretty much makes hitting your micronutrients automatic.
I disagree entirely. It's quite easy to hit your macros and it lets you eat a wide variety of foods, while it's incredibly hard to hit your RDA's in your micronutrients each day without supplementing and/or eating very specific foods. While some micronutrients are in everything, that doesn't mean the recommended quantity of micronutrients is in everything you eat to reach your macros. That's like me saying macronutrients are in everything, so just hitting your calories just about guarantees you'll hit your macros. Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it?
How are you (general you) tracking micronutirents? It drives me nuts that MFP doesn't give us this option :grumble:
On the app there is a spot where you can see them.
The biggest issue with this is not everything is always added in the database. Also, something like Potassium, are not required on labels so it often looks like you are deficient in it when it may not be the case.0 -
I eats my chickenz, then the rice, and some peaz..... and then a cookie.0
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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.
Where do you get your fats and protein from? :frown:0 -
If you are hitting your macronutrients, it's VERY difficult to NOT hit your micronutrients. Micronutrients are in everything, and the variety of foods you need to eat to actually reach your macronutrients and calorie goal pretty much makes hitting your micronutrients automatic.
I disagree entirely. It's quite easy to hit your macros and it lets you eat a wide variety of foods, while it's incredibly hard to hit your RDA's in your micronutrients each day without supplementing and/or eating very specific foods. While some micronutrients are in everything, that doesn't mean the recommended quantity of micronutrients is in everything you eat to reach your macros. That's like me saying macronutrients are in everything, so just hitting your calories just about guarantees you'll hit your macros. Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it?
How are you (general you) tracking micronutirents? It drives me nuts that MFP doesn't give us this option :grumble:
On the app there is a spot where you can see them.
The biggest issue with this is not everything is always added in the database. Also, something like Potassium, are not required on labels so it often looks like you are deficient in it when it may not be the case.
Ah, I'm not using the app-wish they would add it to their site!0 -
Under reports you can view your intake of several micronutrients, but not all at once (not the most useful thing in the world). I think there's a new way to "dump" the data into an excel sheet, and it might be there?If you are hitting your macronutrients, it's VERY difficult to NOT hit your micronutrients. Micronutrients are in everything, and the variety of foods you need to eat to actually reach your macronutrients and calorie goal pretty much makes hitting your micronutrients automatic.
I disagree entirely. It's quite easy to hit your macros and it lets you eat a wide variety of foods, while it's incredibly hard to hit your RDA's in your micronutrients each day without supplementing and/or eating very specific foods. While some micronutrients are in everything, that doesn't mean the recommended quantity of micronutrients is in everything you eat to reach your macros. That's like me saying macronutrients are in everything, so just hitting your calories just about guarantees you'll hit your macros. Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it?
How are you (general you) tracking micronutirents? It drives me nuts that MFP doesn't give us this option :grumble:
On the app there is a spot where you can see them.
The biggest issue with this is not everything is always added in the database. Also, something like Potassium, are not required on labels so it often looks like you are deficient in it when it may not be the case.
Ah, I'm not using the app-wish they would add it to their site!0 -
Meh. I eat something "unhealthy" every single day. I try to eat unprocessed foods most of the time... my meals don't include any boxed or canned anything, but sometimes you gotta say F it and eat some banana bread. I also don't pay any attention to my "miconutrients" The only things I watch are my calories and my protein. Lol.0
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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.
Why?
As I understand it, there are some people who take the IIFYM approach to the extreme and eat loads of crap. However, most do not; most eat fairly clean most of the time but have cookies and cake if they want it and it fits their macros. I understand your dislike of using IIFYM to eat crap. However, I don't understand why that automatically means the best way is to eat paleo, when there is no evidence to suggest that paleo is better for us, or indeed that the diets touted as paleo actually match what the paleolithic people actually ate.0 -
what is IIFYM?0
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what is IIFYM?
If It Fits Your Macros
A good breakdown in here. There are some other links on page 1 of this thread as well
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants0
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