Does clean eating pay off?

rh091

I understand that the number of calories consumed is a number regardless of what it is, as long as you eat within your deficit you will lose weight. So what impact does clean eating have? Will you lose weight faster, is it better in the long run? I feel better when I eat clean and feel like I am actually changing my nutritional lifestyle and eat about 1600 cals a day and get frustrated when I see people losing weight faster than me that eat less calories and their calories are from junk or packaged or diet foods. Does anyone else share this frustration? Does anyone have insight on the benefits of clean eating with weight loss or is it really just the number.

earlnabby

In for the fun.

summertime_girl

It certainly helps.

AmyG1982

You're gonna get a lot of haters on here I think

I like eating clean because it's healthier and it keeps me full and satiated. I have less headaches and digestion issues, I sleep better and I personally lose weight faster when eating clean.

You need to find a lifestyle that will last for you and remember any progress is good progress. Try not to get too worried about what anyone else is doing. Many of them will fail in the long run anyway. Just do what works for you and what you can stick with and be happy for any and every success you find.

Tal_Kyrte

Being healthy is much more important than losing weight, although the two might overlap. You could lose weight eating nothing but poptarts, if you burned more calories than you ate. However, if you continued just eating junk, you'll become malnourished, have high cholesterol, be at risk for diabetes, etc. When you get older, you'd be at much greater risk for osteoporosis, heart failure, and cancer. Eating clean will allow you to establish healthy eating habits for the rest of your life, long after you've reached your goal weight. Remember that the number on the scale is a poor indicator of health. Eating clean and filling your body with nutritious food helps ensure that you get enough fiber, calcium, iron, protein, omega-3s and much more.

DavPul

i prefer eating clean because when junk food gets in my system i lose my ability to move objects with the power of my mind

cmclear90

Eating clean makes me feel better. I dont feel bloated and stuffed all day and I get less headaches. Yesterday I decided to have a small fry from mcdonalds and oh boy I am paying the price today, my stomach is all messed up, its actually kindof miserable..I should have ate a yogurt instead lol..

And when I eat bad stuff I feel really lazy and dont want to do anything, not worth the calories and/or fat and sugar IMO :grumble:

MityMax96

I understand that the number of calories consumed is a number regardless of what it is, as long as you eat within your deficit you will lose weight. So what impact does clean eating have? Will you lose weight faster, is it better in the long run? I feel better when I eat clean and feel like I am actually changing my nutritional lifestyle and eat about 1600 cals a day and get frustrated when I see people losing weight faster than me that eat less calories and their calories are from junk or packaged or diet foods. Does anyone else share this frustration? Does anyone have insight on the benefits of clean eating with weight loss or is it really just the number.

Just worry about your calories.
"clean" has a different meaning to everyone....

So eat a balanced diet of whole foods, veggies fruit....
Maybe some "junk" food even....
Stay where you need to be with your calories (deficit if you are trying to lose weight) and you will be fine.

BombshellPhoenix

In for psychosomatic feel goods and rainbows.

Honestly, for sustainability. I don't define foods by these terms. Nutrient density is how I judge my foods to meet my nutrient needs...then I eat cake.

PikaKnight

In for psychosomatic feel goods and rainbows.

Honestly, for sustainability. I don't define foods by these terms. Nutrient density is how I judge my foods to meet my nutrient needs...then I eat cake.

^Agreed.

And just going to put one of my favorite quotes in here: "Once our nutrient needs are met, we don’t get extra credit for eating more nutritious food!' - Eric Helms

leggup

I don't eat 'clean' by any means, but I am not on a twinkie diet (a commonly made false dichotomy on this site: Eat Clean or All Twinkies). For the sake of this conversation, I will take "clean" to mean whole foods, no artificial preservatives/sweeteners/dyes. The real world has other food. There are vending machines, work birthday parties, housewarmings, pub crawls. I feel like eating clean is something that has to be flexible to prevent misery. 2 tbsp of Skippy Peanut Butter will not send your body into processed-food-collapse (although, no good if you are allergic).

I eat, average day, probably 5-7 servings of vegetables, fresh or flash frozen and then steamed. Some of my frozen veggies have a lemon butter sauce on them. The perservatives/dyes/whathaveyou are not negatively impacting my health or weight. I would be hard pressed to find a way to compare my non-clean health with someone who eats clean. My hair is shiny, haha.

bajoyba

I think what really matters in the long run is that you find a way of eating that you enjoy and that helps you meet your goals, whatever they are.

If your only goal is the number on the scale, then I guess the calories, regardless of their source, are what matter. You can drop a lot of weight pretty quickly if your deficit is big enough. When it comes to overall health/wellness and meeting more specific fitness goals, a balanced and nutritious diet is what matters, and you'll probably feel like your body is more capable and more satisfied if you're meeting your body's macro and micro-nutrient requirements. I don't consider myself a clean eater, but I do aim for a balanced diet and pay attention to my nutrition, and I feel better overall when I eat that way. Feeling good is important to me, and eating the way I do allows me to fuel my body properly and meet more fitness goals.

If you are comfortable with your method of eating clean, you enjoy it, and it works for you, stick to it. I understand that it can be frustrating when people with different plans appear to be more successful, but all that matters in the long run is sustainability. If things are heading in the right direction for you and your way of eating and exercising suits your preferences, I think it does pay off.

kgeyser

I understand that the number of calories consumed is a number regardless of what it is, as long as you eat within your deficit you will lose weight. So what impact does clean eating have? Will you lose weight faster, is it better in the long run? I feel better when I eat clean and feel like I am actually changing my nutritional lifestyle and eat about 1600 cals a day and get frustrated when I see people losing weight faster than me that eat less calories and their calories are from junk or packaged or diet foods. Does anyone else share this frustration? Does anyone have insight on the benefits of clean eating with weight loss or is it really just the number.

How dare those non-clean eaters be allowed to lose weight! :laugh:

OP, if you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight, no matter where those calories come from unless you have a medical issue. Weight loss is how much you eat. You are correct about that.

When it comes to things like body composition and nutrition, then yes, it is about what you eat. Your macro and micro numbers are going to impact what the end product looks like and how it functions.

Remember that what you eat is only one part of the picture. You don't know what these people are doing for exercise, what their daily activity is like, what their body composition was prior to weight loss, what medical conditions they might have or not have, what resources they have available to them - in short, you are not them. What you consider to be a diet full of junk and packaged and diet food could be a vast improvement over the way they used to eat, and just losing weight can improve someone's health significantly. Not everyone takes the same path to weight loss and health, and it takes some people longer than others to make certain changes.

Eat the food you like to eat that makes you feel the best, and don't worry about what anyone else is doing. It's not a contest.

geek23ka

i am not a huge fan of "clean eating", but i have failed miserably every time i have decided that IIFYM means i can eat pizza and ice cream as long as i stay in a deficit.

because i never can. some people can, but simple carbs set me off into binging hell.

so i avoid triggery foods. i think they are highly individual, but to name a few of mine: donuts, pastries, cake, pizza, spaghetti, bread.

if i avoid those, i tend to do pretty well. if i am really hankering for something carby, i try and offset the insulin response by eating ben and jerry's frozen yogurt (surprisingly a decent amt of protein in it) that also won't destroy my calorie balance for the day.

YMMV

parkscs

In for the hate and pop tarts.

JoshLikesBeer

I feel better when I eat clean

That sounds like a pay off to me.

As far as the number on the scale goes, the only thing that matters is calories in vs. calories out. Of course, there is a lot more to being healthy than just your weight.

squirrelzzrule22

Getting all the right nutrients makes me feel better....which in turn helps me stick to a diet and gives me the energy to exercise. But I don't eat entirely clean, unless whiskey is clean!!! When I eat low cal junk I'm usually at 70% carbs and through the roof on sodium and feeling like crap. So generally I eat cleanish in order to feel better.

onefortyone

For me it's about food volume. for 500 calories, I can either have 1/2 of a decent cheeseburger and be starving an hour later, or I could make a GIANT plate of vegetable-filled, well-seasoned lentil curry & rice, and eat myself silly. So while I certainly don't care about the whole clean vs. dirty debate, I just eat what I believe is going to fill me up and fit into my calories, and time, money, availability of ingredients, my mood etc., all factor into my choice. It doesn't affect my weight loss either way as long as I stay in my calories (though junk food is more likely to put me over). And after watching people for long enough, you see that their 'fast-track' weight loss balances out in the long run, especially if they're severely restricting calories.

There's no black and white IMO. We all have to live our life, we all run out of ingredients or feel too sick/lazy to cook, or burn our supper, or go on road trips, and there's no point beating yourself up for what you consider a 'bad choice'.

Nissi51

I lost 100lbs eating at a deficit and not paying that close attention to WHAT I ate.

I built the body I have currently by eating at a slight deficit and paying very close attention to WHAT I ate (of course time in the iron chamber is necessary).

So, for me, eating "clean" made a big difference in what the smaller package looked like.

A

dym123

I tend to follow the Michael Pollan philosophy: "Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants". I think you need to do what's best for you, for me, avoiding most processed foods is what's best for me. I'm not starving or lacking in variation. It does take planning, I try to cook one or two meals over the weekend, portion and freeze them. This is not a diet and it is sustainable. BTW I hate pop tarts, they're too dry, rather have a donut.

StrawberryJam40

You're gonna get a lot of haters on here I think

I like eating clean because it's healthier and it keeps me full and satiated. I have less headaches and digestion issues, I sleep better and I personally lose weight faster when eating clean.

You need to find a lifestyle that will last for you and remember any progress is good progress. Try not to get too worried about what anyone else is doing. Many of them will fail in the long run anyway. Just do what works for you and what you can stick with and be happy for any and every success you find.

This.

A lot of people are calorie in calorie out and will say the other people are losing weight from eating less calories and burning off more calories than you..via exercise. Therefore, eating anything you want within calorie goal is acceptable.

I am trying to eat clean which even means day 4 of no Dt. Dew regardless of no calorie basis. And, I find I'm fuller and intake less sodium and fat. I went weeks eating fairly clean. One day had frozen pizza with my daughter (within my calories) and in 1/2 hour my stomach hurt so bad.

I just feel better avoiding processed foods, sugars, and fast foods. I feel more energy and more excited to exercise when I fuel my body this way.

Good luck in what you choose. I'm learning it is all about what works best for you.