If 'eating clean' is so easy for you, how did you get fat?

tycho_mx

I eat fairly "healthy" foods. Fried foods maybe once every two weeks. No dairy due to intolerance means no ice cream, butter, etc. Fair amount of fruits and vegetables.

The issue is the amount.

I can easily consume a bunch of bananas in a sitting.

Steel cut oats? I can easily eat 2 bowls of 2.5 cups each. Maybe with some of the bananas on top. Even with no dairy, that's 1000+ calories. Great before a long bike ride, not for every day.

Or 3 large chicken breasts, pork loin chops, or any other pieces of meat (lean or fatty).

Stir fried vegetables? 4 cups. Salad (lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, no dressing, just lime and maybe a can of water tuna)? I just looked at the capacity of the container. It says 3 qt. It was half full when I took it for lunch last Thursday. That's 6 cups plus the tuna.

So this was not the solution for me - the quality of my diet wasn't bad. Portion control is the key in my situation. I still am working on it but eating mindfully and drinking more water during meals seems to help to actually realize when I am no longer hungry (as opposed to full). And with the quantification in MFP I can actually include some calorie dense foods I love like peanut butter (just maybe not half a container like I would otherwise).

aliceclutz90

I got fat because my stomach is a seemingly bottomless pit. However I don't strictly "eat clean" now and sticking to my macros is NOT easy! I just realise that I can't get away with cramming my face all day every day.

jmv7117

I think there's an assumption that everyone on MFP is or once was "fat" as OP puts it bluntly. That's not necessarily the case. People are here for a variety of reasons. :flowerforyou:

^^^^^THIS

mcibty

People discovered clean eating, you're implying that they've always done it?

webbeyes

Simple math: if I'm eating 4,000 calories of "clean" per day, I'm still 1300 calories over what I should be eating.

Calorie intake > calorie burn = weight gain.

1992Leigh1992

In a way I think this is a fair question. I have been both obese and underweight in my life. When I was underweight I was obsessing over food even more. I was restricting myself and only allowing myself to eat certain things at certain times. When I did eat my planned meals, I enjoyed them and took great pleasure in the act of eating.

Although I am now a healthy weight, I fluctuate far more than the average person. But none of my weight loss or weight gain has been intentiional. I do feel like it will be a life-long struggle for me to ever be at a weight that is healthy and maintain it enough that I don't have to buy new clothes/keep a range of clothes in different sizes.

I can't really speak about 'clean' eating. What I do relate to about the claim that eating well is 'easy' is that after a long enough time without sugary desserts and soft-drink I stop craving them.

I still crave carbohydrates and cheese. But my mind has learned after enough sugar-hangovers that candy, milk chocolate and non-diet softdrink make me feel gross and do nothing to fill me. My other vices (eg. pasta, grillde haloumi) actually lead to a feeling of satisfaction at some point.

Edit: I don't know if this has been posted in this thread, but another possible explanation to 'I struggle to reach 1200 calories' could be BECAUSE nutritious food is more filling.

So if a person who normally eats excess calories made up of junk-food starts eating more fibre and protein, they might feel more overwhelmingly full? That is just a thought I had, not based on any real evidence or science. I just remember when I first started losing weight, I wasn't counting or restricting.

asciiqwerty

I would probably say I "eat clean", though it's not a term i like, we primarily cook from scratch using our own produce or buy from a local farm, we rarely use supermarkets.

However, I didn't adapt my eating habits when I moved from a large city where I walked and cycled every day to a small vilalge where I rely on my car for my commute, I also didn't increase my other activities to compensate. So while I was still eating "clean" my net calorie balance changed and i didn't notice. I also moved from an active role to a sedentary one.

When I started logging, I assumed that lots of our home cooked food (which I love and is scrumptious) was to blame, but as i logged and measure cooking oils and everything else, I found that the content of the food wasn't the problem, the problem was that I was generally eating more than I needed given my activity levels. So now i'm watching the portions and making an effort to be more active more frequently than I have been. I haven't particularly changed my diet, mostly my portions especially of carbs.

jmv7117

People discovered clean eating, you're implying that they've always done it?

I can't speak for others but I do think it is partially due to the ideals from the 1960's. There was the healthy, all natural diet movement so 'eating clean' is definitely not a fad. For us, it has always been that way simply avoiding the new additives as they come out. It's not that difficult of a concept yet others like to put down those who try to eat healthy by avoiding all the food additives.

jmv7117

In a way I think this is a fair question. I have been both obese and underweight in my life. When I was underweight I was obsessing over food even more. I was restricting myself and only allowing myself to eat certain things at certain times. When I did eat my planned meals, I enjoyed them and took great pleasure in the act of eating.

Although I am now a healthy weight, I fluctuate far more than the average person. But none of my weight loss or weight gain has been intentiional. I do feel like it will be a life-long struggle for me to ever be at a weight that is healthy and maintain it enough that I don't have to buy new clothes/keep a range of clothes in different sizes.

I can't really speak about 'clean' eating. What I do relate to about the claim that eating well is 'easy' is that after a long enough time without sugary desserts and soft-drink I stop craving them.

I still crave carbohydrates and cheese. But my mind has learned after enough sugar-hangovers that candy, milk chocolate and non-diet softdrink make me feel gross and do nothing to fill me. My other vices (eg. pasta, grillde haloumi) actually lead to a feeling of satisfaction at some point.

Edit: I don't know if this has been posted in this thread, but another possible explanation to 'I struggle to reach 1200 calories' could be BECAUSE nutritious food is more filling.

So if a person who normally eats excess calories made up of junk-food starts eating more fibre and protein, they might feel more overwhelmingly full? That is just a thought I had, not based on any real evidence or science. I just remember when I first started losing weight, I wasn't counting or restricting.

Not sure if this will help you or others with food cravings but there is a chart floating around in cyberspace that explains what your cravings mean and how you can curb them with a healthier alternative. Also, for those craving sugar - it can be due to yeast overgrowth in the body. Taking probiotics or eating plain yogurt with active bacteria will get the yeast in check effectively eliminating the sugar cravings.

CardinalKoolaid

I find that 'eating clean' is the easiest way to get myself to stop eating chocolate, processed foods and take-aways. I gain weight when I am lazy, when I don't cook from scratch and when I don't weigh my ingredients and control my portion sizes. I also have an office job and have to drive to work, so I don't get much exercise unless I decide to exercise.

I love food and am motivated by being able to eat. I love exercising so I can 'earn' more food. I can eat more if I eat clean and that also helps motivate me to make the right choices.

I told myself that I would not be allowed any 'bad' foods for at least two months. Three months later I don't tend look for the evening snack and I have broken habits. The first two weeks are the hardest.

Now the habits are broken I am allowing myself the odd 'lazy' day, as long as it fits with my calories as I aim for a lifestyle change and not a diet.

Francl27

I think there's an assumption that everyone on MFP is or once was "fat" as OP puts it bluntly. That's not necessarily the case. People are here for a variety of reasons. :flowerforyou:

So clearly the thread does not apply to you, and I wasn't asking you.

Francl27

People discovered clean eating, you're implying that they've always done it?

I just want to know how it was so easy to go from eating too much 'junk' (ie, high calorie foods), to lower calorie foods. I guess some people say the cravings go away after a while... It did help me to eat well for 2 months, but I still gave in when I was offered a piece of cake at a birthday party.

Dunno, maybe it's just me.

And as probiotics helping with sugar cravings, LOL I wish. I don't have 'sugar' cravings anyway. I tend to crave a specific thing.

elkhunter7x6

I am 43 and never had an issue with weight until the last 4 or 5 years. For me becoming overweight was a combination of things such as I ate fried food 4-6 days a week my entire life, my activitly level decreased and I failed to adjust my portion size. I have never been big on deserts, junk food or soda. For me to lose weight all I have had to do is change the way my food was prepared (grilled now instead of fried), fresh vegtables instead of processed foods and mac & cheese, and track my calories. Prior to 2/3/14 I had never dieted before and had no idea how to even begin to diet. This site has been a tremendous help for me!

jmv7117

People discovered clean eating, you're implying that they've always done it?

I just want to know how it was so easy to go from eating too much 'junk' (ie, high calorie foods), to lower calorie foods. I guess some people say the cravings go away after a while... It did help me to eat well for 2 months, but I still gave in when I was offered a piece of cake at a birthday party.

Dunno, maybe it's just me.

And as probiotics helping with sugar cravings, LOL I wish. I don't have 'sugar' cravings anyway. I tend to crave a specific thing.

From your OP

I keep seeing so many threads about people who eat 'clean', avoid processed sugar, follow their hunger signs etc, and it seems so easy for them.

My question to those people is... if your relationship with food is so healthy... how did you get overweight in the first place?

You made the assumption that those mentioned in your first sentence were 'overweight' hence their reason for using MFP. The thing is it is called My Fitness Pal, not My Weight Loss Pal so anyone interested in tracking nutrition and/or calories burned can use the site. You made the assumption (from title) that eating clean was easy for some with the implication that you can't eat clean and get fat. News flash, some have eaten clean from day 1, raised eating clean and continue to do so AND if they over eat they get fat and they can even develop eating disorders. Nothing new. You also made the assumption that folks went from eating for lack of a better word, unclean to eating clean when in fact many of us have eaten this way for years and in some cases decades. Your initial question has been answered by a few here.

I think there's an assumption that everyone on MFP is or once was "fat" as OP puts it bluntly. That's not necessarily the case. People are here for a variety of reasons. flowerforyou

So clearly the thread does not apply to you, and I wasn't asking you.

Your question was posted on a public forum so yes, you were asking her. A surprising number of folks using MFP are not fat, have not been fat, are eating clean and they are reading the forums.

Cravings are an indication your body needs a particular nutrient that is provided through the food being craved. Probiotics do help with sugar cravings. You may need to take an increased level for a short period of time to see the results but they do work. Specific food cravings still indicate a particular need, either nutrient or psychological. If it is psychological, then there are ways to deal with that the same way as you can curb a nutrient craving by providing the nutrient.

cgarand

I'm not sure that some people even understand what 'eating clean' means. I know people who bust their butts working out and then eat things like hot wings (it's just chicken...right?) and huge restaurant salads (it's a salad...gotta be 'clean' right?) Or, they eat a lot of 'diet/low fat' foods' Then they wonder why the scale doesn't budge. I gained weight by eating with abandon and not working out. Will I ever eat nacho's again....sure, but not a whole plate of nacho's.

I kinda get frustrated with people who want to give up after a week or two because they aren't at their goal yet. I don't understand what they are looking for. Do they just want to get to a certain number on the scale then return to the habits that got them out of shape to begin with or do they want to live a healthy life?

CLM1227

I'm a fat person. (Disclaimer)

I have "eaten clean", done "paleo", and "atkins". While doing those and dedicating myself to those, I DID struggle to get in 1200 calories a day. I lost a lot, too. 12 lbs in about a month. But they didn't stay off.

The reason I couldn't get in the 1200 calories/day while on those diets is because I DIDN'T LIKE THE FOOD. So if I couldn't have what I DID want, I just didn't eat. Voila.

Sometimes I don't get the 1200 calories/day naturally because I'm just not interested in food or very hungry - the first half of my cycle. If I'm watching food intake, I work to balance them out in the next half of the month.

Its not a good way to diet. I'm not 100% convinced that calorie counting strictly works as stated by thermodynamic peeps, but I'm falling on it because I just can't say no to every single food I like just because I need to lose weight.

NumbrsNerd

People discovered clean eating, you're implying that they've always done it?

Brilliant! :flowerforyou:

Lesa_Sass

People discovered clean eating, you're implying that they've always done it?

I just want to know how it was so easy to go from eating too much 'junk' (ie, high calorie foods), to lower calorie foods. I guess some people say the cravings go away after a while... It did help me to eat well for 2 months, but I still gave in when I was offered a piece of cake at a birthday party.

Dunno, maybe it's just me.

And as probiotics helping with sugar cravings, LOL I wish. I don't have 'sugar' cravings anyway. I tend to crave a specific thing.

It was not easy, it took some time for me. I started out by giving up alcohol in 2007. Its amazing how much weight you can put on by drinking martinis a couple times a week then making bad food choices due to the alcohol. Then 9 months after that, I gave up diet soda and replaced it with water. I was a vegetarian and thought my diet was pretty darn good. I was on the forums here a couple of years ago and someone made the comment to me of how ridiculous it was to be eating fake meat. I thought they were just being a hater. I started having some pain issues 3 years ago and after 18 months of probing, proding, MRIs, xrays and bloodwork, we found that I had an auto immune disease. I started doing research on how to naturally help myself with my disease and found that by cutting out processed and refined foods that my inflammation could possibly go down, so I did, and it did. I was amazed at how my pain went from an 8 to a 2 just through cutting out fake meat products and replacing them with organic free range type of real meat products. I also replaced my frozen "quick" entrees with batch cooked real foods. Life was good, and the difference it was making in my body, as well as my face were astounding. I actually started looking younger. Today I will say that I look better than I did 10 years ago, and I am 45.

A friend, out to prove all of this was psychosomatic, gave me something processed under the ruse that it was homemade and organic. My pain levels shot up so far that I thought I was going to have to go to the ER. I had no idea what was going on. She came clean and needless to say, she felt like crap. So much so that she even changed her and her childrens diet, cutting out a great deal of processed foods and even buying organic milk.

It is easier for me now because if I do eat that stuff, I will get sick and be in pain. The thing most people find is if they cut out processed and refined foods from their diet, then try to go back, they get hangover like symptoms. Its pretty easy after that not to eat that crap.

tiffanybrooks530

I think the relationship to TERMS is just as important to the relationship to FOOD.
I have been on a rollercoaster most of my life, 5'8 and weight between 135 - 178.
Most of the weight gain came after leaving school, when you think about it when most of us were kids, there was no such thing as having to "make time to exercise" it was called having FUN and PLAY TIME.
I ate everything also fruits and Veggies because my parents did too. When I graduated and got a JOB it was all downhill. “What do you mean I have to ‘make-time’ to work out?” There is no FUN in that… “What do you mean I can’t eat that anymore…its not healthy, why does healthy = taste like dirt aka Boring, tasteless, opposite of everything I love & use to eat....
I even became a Vegetarian/Vegan for 5-6yrs and although I lost 30lbs I was miserable with my limitations and eating fake meat, fake cheese and soy tofu beans ice cream...got hard lesson in IBS and extreme flatulence:embarassed: .
Finally discovered a nice balance of low glycemic, organic, local and free range, low-gluten (not gluten free since that's like impossible for me to sustain) and cheat days with Alcohol, yes.:drinker:
This is a lifestyle I can sustain, Gym 5-7days a week…psssss heck no, 1-2/wk to enjoy the RPM and Zumba & People watch, you know you do it too :noway: .
I rather take a walk, or hang out with my friends and family doing outdoor Activities that I can Zone out and not even realize I just burned 1000 calories.
My new motto is "Just because it can fits in my mouth doesn't mean it belongs there", "You are, smell, and taste like what you eat" , "Being a couch potato zombie isn’t sexy” , “You wanna look Huut ina bikini…you better work B*!!”. That’s just a few to get me going …

WendyTerry420

I was too lazy to cook so I ate fast food 3x a day… for four years. Whoopsie.

Do you find it easy to not be lazy? That's been a problem for me my whole life. It's a tough habit to break, for me anyway.

mfp2014mfp

i'm sure what they mean to say is "since i've decided to commit to being healthy, it has been easy"

before, they ate what they wanted and didn't care, now that they made the commitment to being healthy, they realized how easy it is for them.... i am NOT one of those people, it is a struggle for me, but that's just my two cents.

^

WendyTerry420

<---- dark chocolate covered peanut right here

"You are, smell, and taste like what you eat"

atfirstblush

Ice cream and sweets is what did me in, besides that I ate really healthy lots of fruit, vegeys, lean meat. But when it came to sweets, I love the stuff. I'd eat a big bowl of ice cream every night and then the pounds just started creeping up. A cookie here and there, candy bar when I grocery shopped. Now all sweets are banned from my house. If it doesn't touch my lips then I don't even crave them.

verhunzt

Look, if you eat A LOT then you will probably also feel A LOT more hunger than if you ate nothing.
That's why most people are not hungry in the morning. They're fasting.
There are people who can feel super full at 600 calories a day but as soon as they consume 1600 they claim they're starving.

IT IS hard sometimes to reach 1200 calories.
Even when you're overweight.
Geez, why are people so rude about this.

jmv7117

Look, if you eat A LOT then you will probably also feel A LOT more hunger than if you ate nothing.
That's why most people are not hungry in the morning. They're fasting.
There are people who can feel super full at 600 calories a day but as soon as they consume 1600 they claim they're starving.

IT IS hard sometimes to reach 1200 calories.
Even when you're overweight.
Geez, why are people so rude about this.

I agree! It's also easy to get busy and forget to eat and quite frankly I know there are days I just am not all that hungry. I don't see anything wrong with this either unless it is a consistent, ongoing pattern that has the potential to harm your health. Certain a day or two of low calories is not going to cause long term damage. Also, I think it is common when someone goes on a diet that all of a sudden they simply have a mental block as to what they can eat so don't eat. As to why folks are rude about it, I think it is more of an online lashing out thing. They are miserable so feel the need to share that feeling

verhunzt

Look, if you eat A LOT then you will probably also feel A LOT more hunger than if you ate nothing.
That's why most people are not hungry in the morning. They're fasting.
There are people who can feel super full at 600 calories a day but as soon as they consume 1600 they claim they're starving.

IT IS hard sometimes to reach 1200 calories.
Even when you're overweight.
Geez, why are people so rude about this.

I agree! It's also easy to get busy and forget to eat and quite frankly I know there are days I just am not all that hungry. I don't see anything wrong with this either unless it is a consistent, ongoing pattern that has the potential to harm your health. Certain a day or two of low calories is not going to cause long term damage. Also, I think it is common when someone goes on a diet that all of a sudden they simply have a mental block as to what they can eat so don't eat. As to why folks are rude about it, I think it is more of an online lashing out thing. They are miserable so feel the need to share that feeling

Totally agree!

albayin

Look, if you eat A LOT then you will probably also feel A LOT more hunger than if you ate nothing.
That's why most people are not hungry in the morning. They're fasting.
There are people who can feel super full at 600 calories a day but as soon as they consume 1600 they claim they're starving.

IT IS hard sometimes to reach 1200 calories.
Even when you're overweight.
Geez, why are people so rude about this.

I agree! It's also easy to get busy and forget to eat and quite frankly I know there are days I just am not all that hungry. I don't see anything wrong with this either unless it is a consistent, ongoing pattern that has the potential to harm your health. Certain a day or two of low calories is not going to cause long term damage. Also, I think it is common when someone goes on a diet that all of a sudden they simply have a mental block as to what they can eat so don't eat. As to why folks are rude about it, I think it is more of an online lashing out thing. They are miserable so feel the need to share that feeling

I read a post the other day and I think it was true to some extent. He said often people are afraid of going over so they prefer staying under...not willing to eat doesn't mean they are not hungry or not capable to eat to that amount. Dieters often succeeded for the first a couple of months because they rely on this "willpower" or "mental block" as you mentioned...I still find it hard to believe an over weight person who used to eat more than 3000 calories a day find 1200 hard to hit. Not being rude, it just doesn't make sense to me.

SLLRunner

People discovered clean eating, you're implying that they've always done it?

I can't speak for others but I do think it is partially due to the ideals from the 1960's. There was the healthy, all natural diet movement so 'eating clean' is definitely not a fad. For us, it has always been that way simply avoiding the new additives as they come out. It's not that difficult of a concept yet others like to put down those who try to eat healthy by avoiding all the food additives.

Eating wholesome foods was around long before any of us ever came along, because there were not many processed foods back then. People ate fresh fruits and vegetables, home grown meat, etc. They didn't put hormones in their meat, milk came straight from the cow without any processing. I was raised at 75% this way as well.

The term "clean eating" is a fad It's just a hip way of saying I don't eat many processed foods. Sure, in my opinion, eating less processed foods and more non-processed is the way to go because it makes me feel really good, but I don't need to put some kind of label on it.

2aycocks

We all got fat basically the same way. Taking in more calories than we burn + bad eating habits. Eating clean is a lifestyle that you have to choose. And that usually comes when you are just sick & tired of being FAT.

bcattoes

I make pizza at home using organic and home grown ingredients which is not all that difficult. There is nothing to say that pizza is bad or can't be clean! Honestly, folks love to come up with excuses for not eating clean but that's up to them.

You are correct that pizza is not bad. But, pizza can't be clean because the crust is made from flour, which is processed. You may make something resembling pizza and call it pizza, but it's not really pizza if there is no crust.

I think we need to differentiate between " processed food " and processed food ". Grinding whole grains into whole flour is not the same " process " as grinding grains into flour, bleaching it white and with that getting rid of all nutrients and then adding fake nutrients and other chemicals to allow for longer shelf life. So, yes one can make pizza that is " clean " from flour that was only ground ( which I do not consider processed food, just like I don't consider washing strawberries or peeling an apple as " processed " ) and nothing else. The drawback is that the crust is a bit denser and heavier, plus the flour has a tendency to go rancid after a few month. Run-of-the-mill flour is processed in ways so that would not happen.

I've always heard clean food described as being as close to natural state as possible. Some don't consider any grains clean because they must be threshed. I think that's quite a stretch since other foods for which the outer shell or coating is removed are considered clean (nuts, meat, some fruits and vegetables). But threshing and then grinding is getting pretty far from the natural state.

But IMO the biggest reason ground grains are not clean is that grinding to flour changes the nutritional content. Ground grains quickly lose some of their nutrients to oxidation. I suppose one could make an argument for grains used immediately after grinding being clean.

So much is open to interpretation, but really if you are using flour and cured meats and cheese on a pizza, I doubt you'll find many that would consider that clean. Tasty, but not clean.