Clean Eating
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Good Luck in your new journey, only you have the power to change you!0
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And this is why using the term "clean eating" is an invitation for dissent! OP, I think you have the right idea...just weren't aware that the term itself is pretty controversial. Adding more fresh whole foods to your diet is good...but most people here will agree that "clean" taken to the extreme is unnecessary.Could you explain in exact terms how you define clean eating. Is it no sugar? No red dye? No MSG? No white flour? No white rice? No cow product unless Bessie is fed strictly on organic grasses growing alongside a burbling stream that's tested negative for DDT and pesticides? No gluten? No partially hydrogenated oil? No artificial butter flavoring? No juice unless it's squeezed by hand and consumed at room temperature within 5 minutes with full pulp? No Splenda?0 -
Good luck as you get started. I am trying to eat a diet that is more based on vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains as well. (I'm vegetarian to start with, so meat isn't an issue). The two main things I'm eating less of are foods with added refined sugars and cheese. I have found that when I eat foods that are higher in fiber and nutrient dense, I feel full longer and am not tempted by the high calorie unhealthy processed foods that were causing me to overeat in the past.
I have two thoughts for the people here who are so down on you for suggesting your plan is to eat "clean": 1) If weight loss is all about calories in/calories out, then you are doing yourself an enormous service when you eliminate "empty" calories -- high calorie foods with no nutritional value. This will make it so much easier for you to hit your calorie goals; and 2) health is about more than just weigh loss, and there is no doubt that eating whole foods and eating fewer processed foods will improve your health.
I hope you have a great and inspiring week as you get started!0 -
My understanding of the term clean eating is based on a diet of lean meats. Fish. Whole grains. Fruits. Veggies. Sticking mainly to the perimeter of the grocery store. Foods as close to their natural state as they can be. Staying away from foods that are man made and packaged. And so on.
Great, and good luck.
Don't allow these negative, weak willed people try to alter your mind.
I personally eat "CLEAN" (yes I said it, I said CLEAN - omg) as much as I can but allow myself the occasional DIRTY (yes I said grubby, dirty, diarroea inducing) treat without guilt.0 -
Hi everyone!
I just heard about this amazing site and am starting my weight loss journey tomorrow.
Welcome, misskelly! As others have said, this is a supportive place, but you unintentionally jumped into a hot button issue and ongoing debate, and that may have led to some inaccurate assumptions.
People have different ideas about the best way to cut calories. For some it's easier to just work with their existing diet and reduce portions or the frequency of dessert. This counters the not uncommon diet message that one must eat bland, fat-free food or follow some dull repetitive plan. (You see a lot of people come here with those assumptions.) For others it's easier and more motivating--more positive seeming--to change their eating in a more fundamental way--to stop eating mostly packaged stuff and get back to cooking, to add in fruits and vegetables. I think both of these work depending on personality, and actually for me the second method (the one you seem to be drawn to) fits my personality better too. I never did eat much packaged stuff (it's a pet peeve that some assume that's how everyone gets fat, but I digress), but I definitely had deviated from my preferred way of eating (based on cooking whole foods, lots of vegetables) and was doing lots of take out from laziness and eating out a lot and not exercising any judgment about portion control when I did). So realizing that I could reduce calories easily by just cooking more (and also not eating outside of meals, not misusing food for emotional stuff) felt like a fundamental positive change that would make me more healthy even if I didn't lose weight, which for me makes it more sustainable, not restricting.
What gets questioned more is what newmeadow mentioned. It's totally great to approach this like a lifestyle change, as about getting healthy, but people worry (especially when "clean eating" gets used) that that goes too far into demonizing perfectly good foods that fit into a healthy diet, especially occasionally. That can make a diet boring and hard to sustain (and also can make new converts kind of annoying, although that's not really our problem). For example, I put a priority on eating a healthy diet, and certainly don't think I eat "dirty" (though I'd never use the "clean" term), but I also happily made burgers last night for Memorial Day and even had store-bought gelato as dessert. The idea that this would no longer fit into my diet because it's somehow not "clean" is the kind of overkill that I think may be counterproductive.
Beyond that, there are simply debates about what "clean eating" even means that aren't worth getting into, like is yogurt (obviously packaged) bad? Seems like even most of the "clean eaters" eat it, but what's the logical distinction? Or I personally am picky about meat for non-diet reasons and buy most of mine from a local farm. Wouldn't it be obnoxious--and also have nothing to do with weight loss--for me to start referring to other meat as non-clean? So on. Anyway, not at all suggesting that you are meaning to engage in such a debate but explaining that there are issues that were raised unintentionally by the post.
Going back to the essence of what you said, however, I think it's smart to figure out what about your food habits may have been making you feel bad and to make this a broader healthy change. But one tip from me (who went a bit overboard at the beginning myself with no real harm) is that there's probably nothing to gain by deciding you can never have something you really love. On the other hand, if you were eating stuff that you weren't even that into (more common than a lot of people acknowledge), best of luck replacing it with tastier and healthier choices!0 -
Welcome to MyFitnessPal! As you can already see, "Clean Eating" is a hot button issue here, mainly because it's a trendy buzzword right now. The pattern usually goes:
1. New user comes on MyFitnessPal (MFP) forums and says that they eat clean and aren't losing weight.
2. Giant debate ensues about what eating-clean means.
3. Turns out that new user is either: A. Only eating 800 calories a day and then binging because it's unsustainable. B. Isn't counting calories and is consuming over the daily allocation due to nuts/cheeses/raw beans. C. User is massively overestimating exercise calories burned.
4. Everyone gets mad and defensive.
Patterns like the one above happen for all sorts of things. "I am at a plateau." "I'm not losing weight" "I have tried everything!" and so on. Current users become frustrated because they see the same thing all the time.
Do what works for you. If you want to kick the pre-packaged foods because you overeat them, go for it. There's nothing wrong with trying to cook more yourself. Some people find that it is unsustainable. Whatever you do end up eating, my best tip/suggestion is to buy a food scale and weigh everything you eat. You would be amazed how many calories are in some "clean/raw" foods, like walnuts.0 -
try cauliflower rice instead of conventional rice I am doing the 5.2 diet which is brilliant!0
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I started this thread because I heard that this was a supportive place. I guess when you are about to embark on a new journey you hope there is a place to go to make it a little easier and a little better.
My tip? Look for support on your wall from your MFP friends - the message boards i think are more for starting discussions / back - and - forth "arguments" on hot topics, time killers, etc. Every time someone brings up clean eating, sugar, processed foods, etc....its like a train wreck....and I just cant....look.... away.
Seriously though - if I have a legitamate concern / question I post it on my "wall" where the handful of people I've gotten 'close" to on MPF will offer insigtful critisism and support. Just IMO - my MFP friends rock :-)0 -
I try hard to by organic, healthy and unprocessed foods. Not as easy as it sounds when I have two preteen daughters! I found reading up about the Paleo diet especially in Cross Fit forums is really informative. It is about eating as natural and clean as possible. I've incorporated it into my diet and I feel much better. I hope this helps.0
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I wash all my food before I eat it. Even my bread.0
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I haven't read all the above - hate negative comments, uneducated answers and being disrespectful to the original poster who asked for tips!! BUT I have been eating clean for the last year, top tip - aim for clean 80% of the time - 100% clean can be extremely daunting, I did do 100% for the first 4 months and lost 1.5stone (obviously combined with exercise too!), but clean eating is essentially eating what nature provides, if its made in a factory, has ingredients that you can't pronounce or don't know what they are - don't eat it
There are some awesome recipes out there, plus using herbs and spices is the key I think to adding flavour etc to your food - rather than the fats/sugars that processed food uses.
Anyway, I've rambled enough, but wish you luck with it - oh and just for those stating the obvious - 'calories out need to be more than calories in' - duh! yeah! But with clean eating you're also focusing on nutrition - 500 cals of good nutrition will help your body work more efficiently to burn fat and get rid of toxins, plus help you feel amazing! - 500cals of processed food/additives/chemicals.... think how hard your body has to work to get rid of all this? Think of how busy your liver is going to be dealing with the toxins - when what you really want it to do is burn fat! Just saying
Good luck again, keep chatting and friending people - theres lots of advice on here and welcome xx :flowerforyou:0 -
I am actually quite surprised by the negative in this post. I heard great things about this forum, and was anticipating supportive comments from people trying for essentially the same thing. C'mon everyone, I was all hyped up!
Keep coming back.....don't get discouraged....a year from now you may understand the cynicism. Maybe even a week from now. Look, if you want to lose weight, watch your calories, get some exercise and don't drive yourself crazy with eating fads.
If you want to eat "clean" bravo, good for you. If it feels right, go out and do it. But hang around here long enough and you will see how crazy it gets.0 -
Hi everyone!
I just heard about this amazing site and am starting my weight loss journey tomorrow. I have just thrown away all of my terrible packaged preservative filled foods, and have done research on clean eating. I was wondering if anyone has any tips or suggestions for me? Thank you!
Can't wait for the healthy new me!
Welcome to MFP... I'll start there oh and Good luck to you. Question one.. why start tomorrow?
Now you threw out food that you could have donated or eaten in moderation the wastefulness of that bothers me when there are food pantries or somewhere else if you decided you didn't want it that would have been more than happy to have accepted it.
Question 2: The other part what is so terrible of packaged food? I eat a wide variety of food my health is better than it's been in 10 years.
Whenever I make any change in regards to my health and fitness, I ask myself "Am I willing to do this forever?" if the answer is yes, than it is probably a good change, if the answer is no, then I probably need to think about why I am making the change.
But since you already think the very helpful posts before me were negative I'll leave with that...
:flowerforyou:0 -
The best tip I can give is to log everything as accurately as possible and to eat all the way to your calorie goal. You might have trouble doing that with super-strict "clean" eating. It's okay to get some of your calories from processed foods or other "unclean" foods you enjoy. The key is to weigh and measure foods so your portions fit in with your calorie goal.0
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I take a shower before I eat. Does that count as 'clean eating"?
OP just eat all foods in moderation. Good luck.0 -
My understanding of the term clean eating is based on a diet of lean meats. Fish. Whole grains. Fruits. Veggies. Sticking mainly to the perimeter of the grocery store. Foods as close to their natural state as they can be. Staying away from foods that are man made and packaged. And so on.
Yep. That's pretty much it. Just be wary of the perimeter. My store's all have their bakery and deli on the perimeter. And those are not really food I want to be eating. :~P0 -
I started this thread because I heard that this was a supportive place. I guess when you are about to embark on a new journey you hope there is a place to go to make it a little easier and a little better.
I haven't read through the whole thread so if someone already said this, forgive me for the repeat. This is a supportive place if you use it wisely. It is best in most instances, imo, to stick to having these discussion on your wall with your friends.
The term 'clean eating' is like putting a bull eye on your forehead in the open forum. Eat well and less of it, go slow and don't beat yourself up if you backslide once in a while.0 -
My understanding of the term clean eating is based on a diet of lean meats. Fish. Whole grains. Fruits. Veggies. Sticking mainly to the perimeter of the grocery store. Foods as close to their natural state as they can be. Staying away from foods that are man made and packaged. And so on.
Yep. That's pretty much it. Just be wary of the perimeter. My store's all have their bakery and deli on the perimeter. And those are not really food I want to be eating. :~P
My stores also have Ice Cream, Dairy, and a handful of other "bad" items on the perimeter.0 -
Losing weight doesn't have to suck or be difficult or restrictive. Stick around MFP, try a few things and change them if they don't work but don't give up. Having said that; I'd stay away from Nutrisystem, Herbalife and other expensive MLM scams or anything Dr. Oz recommends. Pay attention to the "mean" people, you'll find out they aren't mean after all. Buy a digital food scale and weigh everything!
Looking forward to my "dirty" tacos, chips and Coke at Tijuana Flats today like I do every Tuesday.
1/2 my daily calories in one shot and losing weight doing it. 0 -
Clean eating will change your health and hopefully your weight. I disagree that it is all calorie counting. I eat weight (sic) more calories than I am supposed to but I eat very clean and healthy and I lose half a pound a day.
Nbody questioned JennyHolly's statement above?
She eats way more calories that she is supposed to, but because they are "clean" she is losing a 1/2 pound a day????!!!!!
JennyHolly - either you are still eating a huge calorie deficit, or something is not lining up at all with your story. I would be very curious to know how you can eat "way" more calories than you are supposed to and still lose a 1/2 pound per day.
I looked at her diary...just too early in the morning to question anything.
That and I have come to the conclusion that some people...well...never mind...maybe JennyHolly has found the magic bean to weight loss.0 -
Now you threw out food that you could have donated or eaten in moderation the wastefulness of that bothers me when there are food pantries or somewhere else if you decided you didn't want it that would have been more than happy to have accepted it.
Seriously??? And no.. they *don't* take everything (I donate all the time, so I know what they do or do not take). It cant' be opened or expired and only some of them take perishables.. And a lot of my food is opened or expired (but frozen). I hope you have never thrown a morsel of food out while laying that sort of guilt trip on someone. More food goes to waste because people forget to eat it and it spoils. Are you going to berate all of them too?? (better start with yourself as I highly doubt that has never happened to you) And the majority of wasted foods are "rejects" from the company themselves because they were't perfect. A banana that's not curved just so?? Tossed, NOT donated.. So.. there's that issue too.
Ignore the sarcastic unhelpful "I was only joking around" posts and pick out the help which is scattered in between those. They are there. I had to go all in. It's all in or I can't do it. Some people just don't get it.0 -
This is just my opinion, I'm obese, have lost 30 lbs in about 3 months, I sat down and really thought about my eating habits and I realize I didn't get fat until 1. Became a couch potatoe 2. had a love affair with sugar and 3 mindlessly ate without considering how much I was consuming. For me b/c I was so addicted to sugar I had to cut most of it out. It was a vicious cycle I ate sugar I wanted more sugar. I started moving more. I've had chips 3 times in 3 months, I greatly restrict them b/c they trigger binge eating. If I do eat them I count them one by one. I had some last night about 12 of them and then I after looking at the calories decided it wasn't worth the calories. I prefer fruit, vegetable, lean meats. Stay away from processed foods such as chips, candy, cake, icecream etc for the most part. Lots of people eat all of that and still lose weight. It's finding a balance and what works for you. You have to eat less calories than you burn, have a calorie deficit.That's the way I do it. I don't count macros etc. I keep it simple. But some people do and do great with it. I just try to have a calorie deficit.0
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The best advice I can offer is..
-Look into Paleo. It's based on evolution and what our bodies are designed to eat (which doesn't include a single whole grain!).
If you choose to eat paleo, and it allows you to feel satiated and keep you in a caloric deficit - good for you. There is also a community aspect to the Paleo diet, and that can help some people as well.
That said, it isn't based on "evolution" and we are not robots that were "designed" to eat a certain way. There is no inherent advantage to a paleo diet - unless it fits your personal preferences (or medical issues). Then go for it!
Re: Clean eating...
Again - if that works for you and is sustainable. Great. I am ALL about personal preference. One pet peeve I have though, is that when the clean eating debate breaks out on MFP people will often come into the thread and be mad about the negative comments, and will say things like "Well what harm is there in eating clean?? Why so negative?"
Well, IMO, there are potential pitfalls with clean eating...
Here is a great podcast about it:
http://evidencemag.com/clean-eating-myth-podcast/
This is from Armi Legge, who has battled eating disorders since the age of 13, and almost died. The idea of "clean eating" contributed to his unhealthy relationship with food.
On a personal note - the idea of "clean eating" had sabotaged my diet attempts in the past. Dedicating my spare time to learning about nutrition is what led to my current "success".
Note - I am not judging anyone's diet choices, just sharing some information I personally found interesting.0 -
Now you threw out food that you could have donated or eaten in moderation the wastefulness of that bothers me when there are food pantries or somewhere else if you decided you didn't want it that would have been more than happy to have accepted it.
Seriously??? And no.. they *don't* take everything (I donate all the time, so I know what they do or do not take). It cant' be opened or expired and only some of them take perishables.. And a lot of my food is opened or expired (but frozen). I hope you have never thrown a morsel of food out while laying that sort of guilt trip on someone. More food goes to waste because people forget to eat it and it spoils. Are you going to berate all of them too?? (better start with yourself as I highly doubt that has never happened to you) And the majority of wasted foods are "rejects" from the company themselves because they were't perfect. A banana that's not curved just so?? Tossed, NOT donated.. So.. there's that issue too.
Ignore the sarcastic unhelpful "I was only joking around" posts and pick out the help which is scattered in between those. They are there. I had to go all in. It's all in or I can't do it. Some people just don't get it.
I don't throw food out just because all of a sudden I decided I'm going to eat clean or whatever else. I throw out very little food, as I can always find someone that will take it or needs it. She didn't say she threw it out because it was spoiled she wasted it because all of sudden she's decided it was and I quote " terrible packaged preservative filled foods" ... that is wasteful0 -
I rather throw away food in the garbage can than become the garbage can. 0
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The best advice I can offer is..
-Look into Paleo. It's based on evolution and what our bodies are designed to eat (which doesn't include a single whole grain!).
If you choose to eat paleo, and it allows you to feel satiated and keep you in a caloric deficit - good for you. There is also a community aspect to the Paleo diet, and that can help some people as well.
That said, it isn't based on "evolution" and we are not robots that were "designed" to eat a certain way. There is no inherent advantage to a paleo diet - unless it fits your personal preferences (or medical issues). Then go for it!
Re: Clean eating...
Again - if that works for you and is sustainable. Great. I am ALL about personal preference. One pet peeve I have though, is that when the clean eating debate breaks out on MFP people will often come into the thread and be mad about the negative comments, and will say things like "Well what harm is there in eating clean?? Why so negative?"
This I like
Well, IMO, there are potential pitfalls with clean eating...
Here is a great podcast about it:
http://evidencemag.com/clean-eating-myth-podcast/
This is from Armi Legge, who has battled eating disorders since the age of 13, and almost died. The idea of "clean eating" contributed to his unhealthy relationship with food.
On a personal note - the idea of "clean eating" had sabotaged my diet attempts in the past. Dedicating my spare time to learning about nutrition is what led to my current "success".
Note - I am not judging anyone's diet choices, just sharing some information I personally found interesting.0 -
I agree with thisMy understanding of the term clean eating is based on a diet of lean meats. Fish. Whole grains. Fruits. Veggies. Sticking mainly to the perimeter of the grocery store. Foods as close to their natural state as they can be. Staying away from foods that are man made and packaged. And so on.
Yep. That's pretty much it. Just be wary of the perimeter. My store's all have their bakery and deli on the perimeter. And those are not really food I want to be eating. :~P0 -
Clean eating will change your health and hopefully your weight. I disagree that it is all calorie counting. I eat weight (sic) more calories than I am supposed to but I eat very clean and healthy and I lose half a pound a day.
Nbody questioned JennyHolly's statement above?
She eats way more calories that she is supposed to, but because they are "clean" she is losing a 1/2 pound a day????!!!!!
JennyHolly - either you are still eating a huge calorie deficit, or something is not lining up at all with your story. I would be very curious to know how you can eat "way" more calories than you are supposed to and still lose a 1/2 pound per day.
I looked at her diary...just too early in the morning to question anything.
That and I have come to the conclusion that some people...well...never mind...maybe JennyHolly has found the magic bean to weight loss.
WHAT??? I'll trade you TEN goats for a magic bean!!! WANT WANT WANT!!!0 -
I just threw out my fake, imitation Snicker style ice cream bars by Skinny Cow for the real Snickers ice cream bars. I'll take the 20 extra cals for taste any day. I guess we're both making changes!0
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Sorry if there are members here who are offended by the term "clean eating". I obviously did not coin this term. Nor do I think anyone eats "dirty".
Don't be worried about offending anybody, misskelly. You started the thread, and if somebody is going to get their nose out of joint about "clean eating" (or anything else), then they shouldn't open the thread. The people who vent their frustration about any of these topics are just looking to vent. Nor would I shy away from using the term "clean eating", or anything else you want to discuss. Ask what you want. Again, if someone thinks the topic has been beaten to death, or they're going to have an emotional collapse because they think someone's suggesting their diet is "dirty", they're free to move on to a different topic.
Whether you decide that clean eating is the way to go is obviously up to you. Giving up junk food and trying more whole foods is not a bad approach to weight loss and better health in general, in my opinion. Good luck!0
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