Why do people criticise clean eaters/healthy lifestyles.

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  • tycho_mx
    tycho_mx Posts: 426 Member
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    Two reasons I can see:

    1. Wrong forum. This is primarily a calorie-counting database. There's lots of resources for low-carb, no-processed-food, raw vegan, GMO free, locavore, humanely-raised animal feeders. It is a bit of a hijack to come to a general calorie-count forum to proselythize. Personally, I don't care, but I don't comment either.

    2. There's an underlying tone of condescendence even just in the name - I eat clean, therefore you eat dirty food.

    My wife is mostly vegetarian, with an occasional fish thrown in there. Her reasons are environmental impact of her diet. And she's not preachy at all so she gets no attitude back. Makes sense, no?

    Eat whatever you want. If you don't get the results you expect from your diet, change its composition or the amount. I personally don't care that much if you've renounced to chia seeds or gluten gummies. I have my own food issues (lactose) but don't call ice cream dirty :)
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,079 Member
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    People hate what they can't have or find too difficult to do themselves. If these are your friends, you need to decide are you following your dreams, or their lazy attitudes.

    This thread is almost comical in the comments by people proving the point about the attitude of some clean eaters (probably the ones that get "harassed")

    I do not hate clean eating, and I guess I could have it myself if I wanted to, nothing is stopping me - but you know, I like the food I eat and I just don't want to eat clean.
    Clean eaters don't have to follow the "lazy attitudes" of non clean eaters but if their attitude is similar to quoted poster its little surprise that they have these problems with their friends.

    I must say I work in a multi cultural work place - there is a Muslim person who doesn't eat ham products or drink alcohol and there is a vegetarian person - neither of those make a big deal about their food choices and just discretely eat or don't eat (or drink) some of the choices when we go out and neither ever gets harassed about it - others are really not that interested anyway.

    I find I occasionally get a light hearted comment about my eating - diet coke again, paperpudding? - and I just give a light hearted reply - yep, I mostly drink that these days. - what I don't do is give a great lecture "educating" people about the dangers of sugar or any other rant - and conversation moves on within 5 seconds.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    In...

    ...to catch up later.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    People hate what they can't have or find too difficult to do themselves. If these are your friends, you need to decide are you following your dreams, or their lazy attitudes.

    What is it that you think people can't have? What is too difficult to do?

    Lazy attitude about what?

    You are making assumptions about people. Why do you assume that people "hate"?

    As far as I know...I have interfered with no ones dreams.

    I can and do have most everything that I want when it comes to food...if it fits my budget.

    The only difficulty that I face in my eating is restricting my sodium due to blood pressure issues. Even that however is doable once you have spent the time education ones self. I am sure that it is as difficult to restrict sodium as it is to "eat clean".

    As a result of sodium restrictions...I plan and cook 90% of my meals. When I eat out...I research my best options. So I wouldn't say that I am lazy.

    As far as hate goes...hating takes up too much energy...I truly don't have the time nor the energy to "hate" someone because of how they have chosen to eat.

    I would assume that the majority of people that don't "eat clean" spend as much...maybe more...time than I do researching and planning their food intake.

    I find it quite arrogant when someone assigns such labels to someone as you did in such few words. Let's review them...maybe it will shed some light on why people are making some of the comments.

    Two sentences...

    hate
    too difficult to do
    lazy attitudes

    We can just skip the implied labels...like trying to rob the OP of her dreams.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
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    Just setting this here.....

    we-love-chemicals-620-450x636.jpg
    Because I like it.

    Do those complaining about people always judging them because they are smarter, not lazy, better educated and have more will power; so they eat "clean", really confused or are they just looking for another chance to try to convince others why they are better?

    Most people who know me would describe me as intelligent (they may not have seen me type a post on a forum without proofreading it, but we'll go with intelligent :wink: ), I am far from lazy, and my will power...well I can be a bit hard headed and tend to take anything I commit to very seriously. I cook 90% of all my family's meals and prefer things made from scratch, I love veggies and fruit and yes I eat " clean" because I wash all produce prior to consumption, I also wash hands consistently during meal prep and do not cross contaminate surfaces.......OK now I sound ocd, but the point is it is clean by definition of the word....not someone else's false sense of superiority. I have never been insulted regarding my choices and I have never questioned anyone else's choices. I find it hard to believe that the people complaining are so worthy of attention that others out of nowhere feel the need to police their diet.

    I like this one too...

    19ctggrnhxpvvjpg.jpg
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Just setting this here.....

    we-love-chemicals-620-450x636.jpg
    Because I like it.

    Do those complaining about people always judging them because they are smarter, not lazy, better educated and have more will power; so they eat "clean", really confused or are they just looking for another chance to try to convince others why they are better?

    Most people who know me would describe me as intelligent (they may not have seen me type a post on a forum without proofreading it, but we'll go with intelligent :wink: ), I am far from lazy, and my will power...well I can be a bit hard headed and tend to take anything I commit to very seriously. I cook 90% of all my family's meals and prefer things made from scratch, I love veggies and fruit and yes I eat " clean" because I wash all produce prior to consumption, I also wash hands consistently during meal prep and do not cross contaminate surfaces.......OK now I sound ocd, but the point is it is clean by definition of the word....not someone else's false sense of superiority. I have never been insulted regarding my choices and I have never questioned anyone else's choices. I find it hard to believe that the people complaining are so worthy of attention that others out of nowhere feel the need to police their diet.

    I like this one too...

    19ctggrnhxpvvjpg.jpg

    I like this!
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    I've read half of this thread and just surprised that you guys have so many people comment on what they eat. In the past 5 years, I could probably count on one hand the number of times people have asked me why I am eating something. My friends don't care. My co-workers don't care. My family doesn't care. This whole "people making unsolicited comments" is completely foreign to me.

    I have the same experience. People really don't care other than the odd comments here and there in the beginning of my weight loss when I would be seen eating something rich in calories "wouldn't that be detrimental to your weight loss?" my results spoke for themselves and people stopped commenting about what I eat. I eat about 80% "clean", not because I want to eat clean, but because that's the way I've eaten for my entire life, even when I was 300+ pounds.

    I did not even have that concept of "clean" back then or now, for whatever it means. People never comment because I'm just being myself. I'm not projecting this holier than thou my way of eating is better than yours because I'm healthy and you're a lazy ignorant person who eats crap, so people do not really notice when I devour grilled veggies with resolve and leave most of the juicy kebabs on the plate. Most of my preferences just happen to be in the "clean" category because I enjoy the taste.

    I personally don't really mind it when people are judgemental or condescending about my way of eating, so I really don't care if someone else thinks I don't take care of myself when they see me eat a bag of chips, but others might. So instead of preaching how your way of eating is clean (as if others are eating off of a garbage can) and how you care about what you put in your mouth (as if others don't), if someone asks you why you are having this instead of that simply state "because I want to, and I like how it tastes".
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    Whatever happened to just ignoring what others have to say?

    Four people get to make commentary on my food, one of them birthed me.

    Anyone outside of that group of four runs the risk of an immediate knuckle sandwich delivery.
  • wannakimmy
    wannakimmy Posts: 488 Member
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    For the same reason that some clean eaters criticize those who are willing to incorporate processed foods into their diet, the same reason some criticize low carb diets, vegetarian, vegan and vice versa.

    Because many do not accept there is another way that may or may not be better or worse than their current beliefs.

    exactly what i was going to say.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
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    Success brings out hate. Bonus points if you happen to be a walking rebuttal to their favorite excuse. People don't have a strong a reaction to "extreme" or expensive diets though because they anticipate a fast return to the fold. If you can create a working diet that uses almost nothing but convenient things it's going to be a whole different kettle of fish than if you do it with actress-feed so the quinoa is probably if anything cutting down on the hate.

    So totally this. You wouldn't believe the hate I get when I buy ice cream, beer, and donuts at the same time at the grocery store while wearing a bikini and a pair of running shorts.

    Pure and unadulterated.

    ^ Best part about that is it's true. The anger 'cause you must have a magic metabolism.
  • George_Baileys_Ghost
    George_Baileys_Ghost Posts: 1,524 Member
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    At the end of the day, clean/dirty, high carb/low carb, cardio/strength, coke/pepsi, any position presented as gospel truth, condemning all others to hell is going to be criticized and reviled, no matter how much merit it actually holds.

    There's room for all of us, just don't be a d ick.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    Whatever happened to just ignoring what others have to say?

    Four people get to make commentary on my food, one of them birthed me.

    Anyone outside of that group of four runs the risk of an immediate knuckle sandwich delivery.

    How is giving someone a knuckle sandwich ignoring them?
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    Whatever happened to just ignoring what others have to say?

    Four people get to make commentary on my food, one of them birthed me.

    Anyone outside of that group of four runs the risk of an immediate knuckle sandwich delivery.

    How is giving someone a knuckle sandwich ignoring them?
    Yeah. That seems like the exact opposite of ignoring someone. In fact, it sounds like a good way to end up in jail.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    Whatever happened to just ignoring what others have to say?

    Four people get to make commentary on my food, one of them birthed me.

    Anyone outside of that group of four runs the risk of an immediate knuckle sandwich delivery.

    How is giving someone a knuckle sandwich ignoring them?
    Yeah. That seems like the exact opposite of ignoring someone. In fact, it sounds like a good way to end up in jail.
    ^^^lol.
    his definition of ignore=by default, they are not commenting AT ALL on his diet. :laugh:
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Fantastic a clean eating thread that hasn't deteriorated into name calling and sarcasm!
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    Whatever happened to just ignoring what others have to say?

    Four people get to make commentary on my food, one of them birthed me.

    Anyone outside of that group of four runs the risk of an immediate knuckle sandwich delivery.

    How is giving someone a knuckle sandwich ignoring them?
    Yeah. That seems like the exact opposite of ignoring someone. In fact, it sounds like a good way to end up in jail.

    Oh it's not for them, it's for me. I really like punching things.
  • voodoovette
    voodoovette Posts: 5 Member
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    Never mind. obviously support is not what this group is about. flamming apparently is.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
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    Never mind. obviously support is not what this group is about. flamming apparently is.

    Out of an abundance of caution I checked Urban Dictionary and wish I hadn't.

    I quote, "Flamming: The art of chugging a beer from your *kitten* and throwing it back out from said *kitten*."

    http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=flamming
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
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    Never mind. obviously support is not what this group is about. flamming apparently is.

    Out of an abundance of caution I checked Urban Dictionary and wish I hadn't.

    I quote, "Flamming: The art of chugging a beer from your *kitten* and throwing it back out from said *kitten*."

    http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=flamming
    I've got nothing right now.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    First few answers out of the gate.

    "jealousy",, "threatening", "ignorance".

    I have never felt "jealous" of a person eating that way, nor have I felt threatened by an avocado brownie, nor am I ignorant of the claims that style of eating makes.

    My objection to it is that if I had a person in my life eating that strictly I'd find watching it and hearing about it very annoying.

    I would be equally annoyed if someone were obsessive or extreme about eating cheeseburgers and pizza AND NOTHING ELSE this body is a temple of condiments and fried things and NARY A VEGGIE can enter me.

    It's the extremism and the hard work entailed that annoy me.

    I found SuperSize hard to watch for this reason.

    Balance/Variety/Moderation are important to me and I feel the easiest to achieve, maintain, and also the most healthful for mind and body and spirit.

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