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

cwolfman13

I know that the OP was talking about - People who act like it's SO EASY to "be on a diet" "eat at a deficit" "not eat junk" "change my lifestyle" "weight loss 'JOURNEY' (ugh)"

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whatever you'd like to call the process of what we're all doing. The question is: How can it be so easy for you right now, all of a sudden, when you obviously totally sucked at making good choices before, because you were "fat" "overweight" "Mr. Chunkmonster"? This was the sentiment of the first post. The answer is: losing weight, and feeling like you've "got it all figured out" makes people smug.

dixiewhiskey

I started eating clean recently. I got fat after eating boxes of brownies, bags of cookies, 3 sandwiches in a day, anything and everything from the frozen section, pasta (mac and cheese and those sidekick type of things), chicken fingers, cheese and crackers (not in moderation), and eating fast food almost every day.

So eating clean made me lose weight because I'm not eating so much cr@p. 57lbs lost in 5.5 months. Yea I'll stick to eating clean.

It's not the fooad that created your overweightness, it was the fact you ate too much of it.
You lost weight because you cut down on your caloric intake.

Blah blah to the Debbie downers and nay sayers who do not have an ounce of professional backgroup but just like everyone have an opinion (negative, positive or indifferent) - Yes, eating clean is a wise choice that is coupled with some cheat time if you just can't wean yourself totally off of crap. What does eating clean mean (for those who think it is a myth), means eating the right foods at the right moderation that leads to a healthier you (there you got a deficit).

According to CNN.com "Eat whole foods, Let ingredients guide you, think big picture, do-it-yourself and listen to your body" - http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/23/health/clean-eating/

By doing these things you have foods that make you feel full quicker and with the "you" included in the equation, you work at the right foods, moderation and seeing the big picture.

The problem with a lot of you is you only see what is in front of you and can't look beyond. As soon as someone speaks of a plan that makes sense (although to some it may not be something they can accomplish - between the ears gets in the way) they come with an opposing view that has no backing. Do your research!

If you want to eat at a deficit and stay rely on bad food as the staple of your diet, do so and enjoy that thin body with clogged arteries down the road.

Whatever

Quotes link from CNN... must be legit.

Anyway, I got fat when I was pregnant with my kids. Had no problem with food or my relationship to food before that. I was active during both pregnancies. **** happens...

levitateme

I know that the OP was talking about - People who act like it's SO EASY to "be on a diet" "eat at a deficit" "not eat junk" "change my lifestyle" "weight loss 'JOURNEY' (ugh)"

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whatever you'd like to call the process of what we're all doing. The question is: How can it be so easy for you right now, all of a sudden, when you obviously totally sucked at making good choices before, because you were "fat" "overweight" "Mr. Chunkmonster"? This was the sentiment of the first post. The answer is: losing weight, and feeling like you've "got it all figured out" makes people smug.

LOL does this mean I'm crazy?

This thread is a mess of quote in a quote in a quote boxes because everyone is arguing about what "clean" eating means. That wasn't the sentiment of what the girl was asking. I find it to be a very valid question. How can a person "struggle" to eat 1200 calories when they are 320 lbs? How is it easy to eat zero carbs when you used to live on fries? You can call it "humble bragging" or "smugness" or whatever you want. It exists.

Girl with the daisy avatar: I really don't want to argue with you, because you are missing the point, but just curious: how much weight have you lost/how long have you maintained it?

SLLRunner

Okay, for those of you who "eat clean", what does that mean to you? What kinds of food does it involve?

It's my impression that eating clean Is fresh fruits and vegetables (I do that), no processed foods (depends, but not much), no cookies, cakes, ice cream, no nuts unless they are raw. I believe in everything in moderation and I've done just fine.

amusedmonkey

WARNING: INCOMING WALL OF TEXT

I'm in way a "clean eater" but maybe I could help clear some things up for you regarding how weight loss has become easy for me.

I got fat because I ate too much, too often, and too calorie dense. Now I eat too much, too often, and too calorie dense... but not all at once.

When you have been at it for over a year like I have you pick up a few tricks that make it a seamless process. It has a learning curve at first, you need to closely observe how your body works, your habits, your triggers, your emotions.. etc and learn ways to regulate them instead of controlling them. I think the majority of the "this is hard" feeling comes from trying to stay in control, which turns it into a stressful guilt laden experience if you happen to slip.

Once I learned my own issues, instead of trying to fix them, I accepted them. Then I embarked on a mission trying anything and everything to minimize their damage until I found what works for me. What works for one may not work for another, you need to discover your own demons and befriend them.

Examples:
- When I "just can't stop eating" I make sure I have enough "nibble" foods that take long to eat, like sunflower or pumpkin seeds in shells. Takes over an hour to finish a 200 calorie cup and when I'm done my jaw is tired and the need to constantly nibble is gone.

- When I feel hungry as a wolf no matter what I eat, from experience I know what foods will fire up my satiation sensors and I just include them in my meal.

- When I feel like I want to fill my stomach till it almost explodes, I have a cup or two of homemade delicious broth based soup, blended, and follow that with a huge, and I mean HUGE bowl of my favorite cucumber and dill salad. This leaves barely any space for overeating other things that are richer in calories.

- When I have cravings for something calorie dense, instead of portioning out microscopic quantities, I eat my maintenance calories that day and keep my other meals on the light side in order to indulge. If I find myself going over my maintenance, I just take a longer walk or cut an extra 50 or 100 calories for the next few days. It works for me because I know I tend to be motivated in bursts and waves, happily sticking to the plan before my next "evil" outbreak.

- When I feel boredom setting in, I try some "trend diet". Not because I'm suddenly drooling over every fad diet out there, but to keep things interesting. It works for me because I know I'm motivated by challenge, and that I lose interest way too fast. A week of something different usually makes me miss "my old boring food", and I tend to come back to a healthier balance with vengeance.

Some may argue my way of doing things is too chaotic and "unhealthy", or that I "need to change".. etc (interesting blind judgement, since all of my health markers have improved considerably). It works perfectly for me and I'm happier for it. It's all about finding what works for you.

Dragonwolf

Oh, hey is this a thread where everyone has differing opinions and is really smug about what they believe?

Must be Wednesday.

I know that the OP was talking about - People who act like it's SO EASY to "be on a diet" "eat at a deficit" "not eat junk" "change my lifestyle" "weight loss 'JOURNEY' (ugh)"

---

whatever you'd like to call the process of what we're all doing. The question is: How can it be so easy for you right now, all of a sudden, when you obviously totally sucked at making good choices before, because you were "fat" "overweight" "Mr. Chunkmonster"? This was the sentiment of the first post. The answer is: losing weight, and feeling like you've "got it all figured out" makes people smug.

It's become easier for me with time, I can't lie about that, but I would never in a million years smugly act like this process is easy. Anyone in the thread who commented that they're doing Paleo and it's SO EASY, come back in 2 months and tell me you're still doing well. The truth is that "eating clean" is not necessary to lose weight. It can also be pretty difficult to continue eating everything you used to eat, only limiting those portions to fit your day.

This post doesn't have a good conclusion because I am distracted at work. Losing weight is hard?? You know what's hard? Browsing MFP when you're not supposed to be, THAT'S HARD. :smokin:

Personally, I found staying in a deficit to be far easier after I overhauled my diet. I dropped my carbs, cut out gluten grains entirely and way back on most other grains (both for other health reasons less so than weight loss), and started eating minimally processed foods (ie - if it comes in packaging and is in my house, it's because it was either butchered and freezer wrapped, or cooked down and canned; most of the foods I eat are things I could "process" pretty easily myself, usually without insanely specialized equipment; I've been known to make my own butter and render my own lard).

The initial leap was difficult, yes, but it was like pulling off a bandaid -- the pain, while sometimes rather intense, is short-lived and goes away after a short time. It pretty quickly becomes easy to eat only nutrient-dense, whole foods when that's the only thing available to you without going out of your way.

It was easy for me in other ways, though. As I mentioned, it was far easier for me to stay within my calorie goal after I changed my diet than it was before. I'm no longer "hungry" due to blood sugar levels spiking and dropping, which leaves me with the leptin-based hunger system, under which I found it harder to overeat and easier to say "food can wait." I went from wanting to gnaw my arm off on "only" 2000 calories a day to tracking my intake to make sure I'm getting enough to eat, and being able to lose weight without tracking at all.

That was an almost overnight change, too, because suddenly, the food I was eating was a lot more filling, and even though it was calorie-dense (yes, calorie-dense; I get sick on salad long before I get "full" if that's all I have), it didn't take much to make and keep me full, so I was eating less volume, and ultimately, fewer calories overall. For the first time in my life, I could follow my hunger signals and not have to worry about overeating. I could even splurge and not have to watch my calories like a hawk to make sure I didn't blow my goals out of the water by hundreds or thousands of calories.

I wasn't always doing that, though. There was a time when I just ate crap and didn't care (gained weight, of course), and there was a time where I ate "healthy" in the "everything in moderation"/IIFYM/"balanced" (by the USDA's definition) sort of way (lost some weight at first, but it was a fight, and there was a long time where I didn't lose any weight and would gain if I wasn't constantly tracking). During that time, every day was a fight. It was hell, and I was miserable, because I was getting nothing for what felt like an insane amount of effort.

bcattoes

Okay, for those of you who "eat clean", what does that mean to you? What kinds of food does it involve?

It's my impression that eating clean Is fresh fruits and vegetables (I do that), no processed foods (depends, but not much), no cookies, cakes, ice cream, no nuts unless they are raw. I believe in everything in moderation and I've done just fine.

I'm not that strict in my definition, but my definition is old (like me) and has degrees of clean rather being very black and white.

Whole foods basically - vegetables, fruits, wild caught fish, meat raised without hormones or antibiotics, wild game, whole grains (not whole grain products), beans, nuts, seeds.

csontos

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

Francl27

Oh, hey is this a thread where everyone has differing opinions and is really smug about what they believe?

Must be Wednesday.

I know that the OP was talking about - People who act like it's SO EASY to "be on a diet" "eat at a deficit" "not eat junk" "change my lifestyle" "weight loss 'JOURNEY' (ugh)"

---

whatever you'd like to call the process of what we're all doing. The question is: How can it be so easy for you right now, all of a sudden, when you obviously totally sucked at making good choices before, because you were "fat" "overweight" "Mr. Chunkmonster"? This was the sentiment of the first post. The answer is: losing weight, and feeling like you've "got it all figured out" makes people smug.

It's become easier for me with time, I can't lie about that, but I would never in a million years smugly act like this process is easy. Anyone in the thread who commented that they're doing Paleo and it's SO EASY, come back in 2 months and tell me you're still doing well. The truth is that "eating clean" is not necessary to lose weight. It can also be pretty difficult to continue eating everything you used to eat, only limiting those portions to fit your day.

This post doesn't have a good conclusion because I am distracted at work. Losing weight is hard?? You know what's hard? Browsing MFP when you're not supposed to be, THAT'S HARD. :smokin:

You are awesome, lol.

jmv7117

Okay, for those of you who "eat clean", what does that mean to you? What kinds of food does it involve?

It's my impression that eating clean Is fresh fruits and vegetables (I do that), no processed foods (depends, but not much), no cookies, cakes, ice cream, no nuts unless they are raw. I believe in everything in moderation and I've done just fine.

Technically, all food is processed in one manner or another. That being said there are minimally processed foods then there are the boxed, packaged processed foods. So we eat minimally processed, organic foods like unbleached flours and whole grain flours. Other foods include organic (locally grown or home grown) produce, local fish, legumes, locally produced cheeses, locally grown mushrooms, home baked goods, nuts, homemade ice cream, home canned foods, home frozen foods and home cooked foods, grass fed beef, free range chicken and eggs, local raw honey, local maple syrup and wild game. We focus on: locally grown or produced, organic, preservative free, no additives [artificial flavours or colours, HFCS, MSG, no thickeners, flavour enhancers]. In general, very little of our food dollar is spent at a grocery store and what is spent there is on foods in the outer aisles, a very small amount in the freezer section, a very small amount in the baking section.

Ang108

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.

krhn

I think the word 'clean' needs to be substituted for another word as it does not seem suitable as if you have too much "clean" food such as pineapples or oranges, your sugar allowance for the day would over exceed normal amounts, would they now be classed as 'unclean foods'?

However if we look at the macro nutrients, then it is possible not to get overweight for the general population. Say for instance, you consumed only plain cooked chicken all day and stopped whenever you felt full and ate whenever you were hungry - I believe you would not gain any weight and in fact lose weight consistently as the protein would be satiating so that it would make you fuller faster and for longer - if this was the case, this type of diet would be "clean", but is it healthy?

And then... (I lost my train of thought whilst listening to music) lol :mad: :mad: :mad:

albatrossmarie

Clean eating does not equal thin. You can eat a very clean menu and gain or maintain your weight.

corgicake

I'm going to substitute 'eating differently' for 'eating clean' - I feel like it still applies, especially on the upbringing point.

I was the only child in a messed up house My mom has obesity-related everything, as do her siblings and all of the half-siblings (who didn't grow up with her, I will add) that didn't get weight loss surgery. The most challenging thing my parents pulled off was hamburger helper until I was about fourteen and decided to learn how to cook real food. There is no backseat driving in the kitchen with a teenage boy, and guess what happens when they don't like their weight? Yep. But I was still the fat guy in gym class and didn't do much. Then came college and the food service jobs and weight, then a job nearly nine miles from the apartment with no car and no willingness to be dependent on the bus system, plus a doctor on the verge of prescribing something to address an obesity-related issue. There are many things that get easier with enough fire under your *kitten*.

Domineer

Eating clean is never easy. However, like i've said on other posts, you sometimes have to gain to lose. I gained back 25 of my initial 55 lb weight loss. I was still eating decently, as far as food choices, but the portions were too big and the exercise decreased. Before eating clean can become "easy", you must experience difficulty. Some people could be lying about it being easy to appear a certain way but for me, breaking the bad habit of eating whatever and whenever was my downfall. After three years of changing my relationship with food, I can say I have a decent grasp on what to eat and how much I need to work out. Poor eating habits are mostly established during youth, and if not brought up to eat clean, you will more than likely pick up weight and keep it on. As Frederick Douglass said, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress". Plain and simple.

SLLRunner

It seems to me that "eating clean" is just another fad term for living off the land. We had a garden, my mother canned fruits and vegetables,made bread, and we ate as little processed food as possible. Back then she called it sensible eating.

Natmarie73

I started eating clean recently. I got fat after eating boxes of brownies, bags of cookies, 3 sandwiches in a day, anything and everything from the frozen section, pasta (mac and cheese and those sidekick type of things), chicken fingers, cheese and crackers (not in moderation), and eating fast food almost every day.

So eating clean made me lose weight because I'm not eating so much cr@p. 57lbs lost in 5.5 months. Yea I'll stick to eating clean.

actually it was a calorie deficet that made you lose weight....

sorry eating "clean" is a buzz word and will have no impact on weight loss if you don't do it in moderation too...

The difference is the calorie deficit is a result of eating clean. If you're eating to satiety and eating 'dirty' you'll eat a lot more than if you eat clean.

In the end, there is a caloric deficiency and that's why the weight is lost but it's not a forced deficiency and that makes a huge difference.

People only have so much willpower. If you're only staying under your calories because you stop yourself from eating (even when you're hungry), then you're going to go right back up once you stop counting calories.

People always say 'oh you'd gain weight if you ate 4000 calories/day of clean foods". Yes, that might be right, but good luck trying to reach that eating meat and vegetables. I could probably eat that in one meal going to McDonald's.

This also doesn't take into consideration the effect on BMR (and there's some good evidence that if you're hungry, your body is telling you you should eat, and if you don't eat, it negatively affects your BMR)

I was going to say just this. Great answer.

Yes, you will gain weight if you eat 4000 calories of fruit, veggies and lean meat every day but it is almost impossible to overeat on fruit and veggies because you get full before you can. Biscuits, chocolate, cake and ice-cream on the other hand - well I can eat 4000 calories of that in no time at all.

To answer the OP, I have always eaten a pretty healthy diet through my life, its how I was brought up as we didn't have junk food in our house so it is what I am used to. I've never been fat and have always been pretty active. But I love desserts and sweets like nobody's business and sometimes imagine I can actually see my thighs getting bigger when I eat them :laugh: So my diet consists of 80-90% clean, healthy food (ie non processed, organic and locally grown) so I don't feel as bad about eating the occasional dessert. Plus, I actually enjoy the taste of fresh food much more than junk food so there's definately no deprivation at all.

amusedmonkey

I started eating clean recently. I got fat after eating boxes of brownies, bags of cookies, 3 sandwiches in a day, anything and everything from the frozen section, pasta (mac and cheese and those sidekick type of things), chicken fingers, cheese and crackers (not in moderation), and eating fast food almost every day.

So eating clean made me lose weight because I'm not eating so much cr@p. 57lbs lost in 5.5 months. Yea I'll stick to eating clean.

actually it was a calorie deficet that made you lose weight....

sorry eating "clean" is a buzz word and will have no impact on weight loss if you don't do it in moderation too...

The difference is the calorie deficit is a result of eating clean. If you're eating to satiety and eating 'dirty' you'll eat a lot more than if you eat clean.

In the end, there is a caloric deficiency and that's why the weight is lost but it's not a forced deficiency and that makes a huge difference.

People only have so much willpower. If you're only staying under your calories because you stop yourself from eating (even when you're hungry), then you're going to go right back up once you stop counting calories.

People always say 'oh you'd gain weight if you ate 4000 calories/day of clean foods". Yes, that might be right, but good luck trying to reach that eating meat and vegetables. I could probably eat that in one meal going to McDonald's.

This also doesn't take into consideration the effect on BMR (and there's some good evidence that if you're hungry, your body is telling you you should eat, and if you don't eat, it negatively affects your BMR)

I was going to say just this. Great answer.

Yes, you will gain weight if you eat 4000 calories of fruit, veggies and lean meat every day but it is almost impossible to overeat on fruit and veggies because you get full before you can. Biscuits, chocolate, cake and ice-cream on the other hand - well I can eat 4000 calories of that in no time at all.

To answer the OP, I have always eaten a pretty healthy diet through my life, its how I was brought up as we didn't have junk food in our house so it is what I am used to. I've never been fat and have always been pretty active. But I love desserts and sweets like nobody's business and sometimes imagine I can actually see my thighs getting bigger when I eat them :laugh: So my diet consists of 80-90% clean, healthy food (ie non processed, organic and locally grown) so I don't feel as bad about eating the occasional dessert. Plus, I actually enjoy the taste of fresh food much more than junk food so there's definately no deprivation at all.

It really is not that hard to overeat with a "clean" diet. Been there done that. Have two slices of low carb flax bread made with organic flax and eggs, an avocado walnut salad, "lean" lamb smothered in coconut oil, and you've got yourself a meal worth 2 mcdonald meals.

Vegetable smoothies with nut butter and chia seeds for thickening, sweet potato fries, various "clean" desserts, organic onion rings made with coconut flour bread batter.. and the list goes on. Heck.. a serving of Paleo pumpkin pancakes is 500 calories, now good luck having just one serving when the munchies strike.

ActionAnnieGO

There is no way in hell that I will ever label foods as "good" or "bad."

My sticker says I've lost 16 lbs., but I lost over fifty pounds in addition to that before I started using MFP. I did it just by eating less and moving more. Every pound I've lost was achieved with a "dirty" diet, and all my bloodwork is steadily improving. I feel great and I don't feel deprived. I just eat a regular, reasonable diet, but with smaller portions.

It pains me to think about all the people that completely give up their favorite foods in order to lose weight. It doesn't have to be that way. All these "food rules" are unnecessary and absurd.

Now all together to the tune of Pink Floyd's "I need a Dirty Woman"...join me if you know it, and consider making it your motto...

Oooooooo, I eat a dirty menu.
Oooooooo, I eat a dirty diet.

jenilla1

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: