have you lost weight *without* clean eating?

bcattoes

I don't eat clean all the time. In fact by the strict definition many people give "clean eating" I don't eat clean most of the time. And I don't really like salads, so I don't eat many. I also don't eat a lot of packaged foods though, because I love to cook and love my cooking. And I because try to eat healthy most of the time, which isn't limited to clean eating.

The only way I can see that prepackaged foods would inhibit weight loss is that it's typically loaded with sodium and could cause water retention. That wouldn't really impede fat loss, but it could impede weight loss.

Eating out is a little more tricky though, because there really is no way to know how many calories you are getting. This is also true of prepackaged foods to some extent as I think in the US the listed calorie count can legally be +/- 30%.

But when you really think about it, all ribeyes won't have the same fat or calorie count either, and I'm sure some apples have a higher than average sugar count, so it's all just guesses and averages.

amysuespears

I have a good combination of clean eating and eating what I want. I do things in moderation. If I'm at a picnic (like last night), I eat what is offered, I just eat less of it and stay under my calorie goal. If anyone wants to check out my diary, send me a friend request. I have lost a lot of weight eating in moderation. I have coffee with real creamer everyday.... I sometimes eat a cookie that I have made homemade.... I occasionally eat at Subway if I'm craving some jalapenos on a yummy sandwich... I DO NOT eat fast food very often, if at all, and I have the rare diet coke or diet root beer (maybe once or twice a month). I rarely eat bread, but that's because I have digestion issues not because it may or may not be bad for you. If I do eat it, I try to eat whole grain because it digests easier for me. Everyone is different... you have to find what works for you and stick with it! I find that when I starve myself and don't eat enough (or enough variety), I don't lose weight. It took a 5 month plateau for me to figure that one out! Painful lesson, to say the least

selfishshellfish

Ok cutting out all the fads and bull****. Losing weight is a matter of simple maths. Consume less calories than you burn in energy consistently and you will lose weight, even if every calorie is pizza and chips...

This of course is not healthy but it is a fact. You may want to shake up your diet a bit with new foods and ideas to stop the boredom but honestly a slow down or plateau is more likely to be because you are not logging and weighing everything because you think you 'know' your cals and portion sizes.

I have lost 8 stones and kept it off for 4 years now, with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise but honestly it is just simple maths, eat less cals than you burn and you WILL lose weight. simple...
Jules xx

i appreciate your attempt at tough love, but i don't think that weight loss is simple math. bodies are organic matter, not computerized databases. sometimes you can input all the right things, but i think there are plently of people here that can attest that this doesn't guarantee the expected output.

but i'm glad you met your goal and have kept it off.

Whether or not weight loss is simple arithmetic, it makes sense to go back to basics and check your portion control, right?

The great advantage of prepackaged processed food for weight loss is that it comes in very controlled portions. Portion distortion is therefore usually conscious and deliberate, not a matter of 'creep'.

I recommend a book called 'Mindless Eating' by Brian Wansink. If you read it you'll see what I mean.

cici1028

I did, yes. However, I found that when it comes to toning and maintaining, clean eating certainly helps. That said, I cheat quite a bit.

ChaseAlder

I've lost 30 lbs without eating clean. I still eat everything I did before, I just pick and choose when and how much. For example, if I want a Homewreck from Moe's for lunch, I'll have a salad for dinner. I just make room for it in my calorie count. I've been stalled for about two months now at about the same weight because I've been working so much and logging is very difficult (we eat dinner as a crew at the station, etc) but I just eat less to make up for the stuff I have to eat at work.

cloud2011

Here's a link to an interesting article in the New York Times....talks about the math of weight loss.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/15/science/a-mathematical-challenge-to-obesity.html

Flixie00

Yep, but I find on the days when I have less calories to play with I tend to eat cleaner. Also, I am trying to increase my protein intake whilst being a non-meat eater and find it better to eat cleaner.

Mostly, I have loads of extra calories as I work out a lot, so I can fit in the treats I like (chocolate, beer etc). I am also not a big fan of cooking from scratch, so I do buy ready meals, although from healthier retailers.

Unfortunately, I have injury issues at present, so will be eating cleaner today :grumble:

Sidesteal

I don't eat clean and I think it's a poorly defined concept. I do think the idea of eating "mostly" whole and nutrient dense foods is a good one but the problem is that people take it to an all-or-nothing approach (as with most diet related things) and then we see things like

"Can I eat this deli meat? Isn't it just ham?"

And if you're getting to the point that you have to question whether or not you can eat something because of some poorly defined metric, I don't see that as a good thing.

Kussanna

The only way of eating that has ever worked for me is clean eating. If I don't avoid sugar and processed foods then I just can't lose weight. If I eat 1500 calories of processed foods I actually gain weight, and if I eat 1800 calories of whole foods I lose weight. I can't describe it... it just works for me. Every body is different. I also just plain feel better when my body is filled with whole foods that fuel it the right way.

kaetmarie

I've been actively trying to clean up my diet, but I'm still not even close to a clean eater ... just trying to add some more good stuff (here's looking at you veggies!) and because there's more of the good, I'm having fewer wing nights and ice cream for dinner kinds of nights. Not saying that never happens, but it's happening less and it seems to be helping. Good luck!!

LrdTwitchyMcChin

I've been reading Master Your Metabolism (for a 2nd time), and I honestly can say what Jillian says in that book is very true. Last spring was the first time I read this book. It's all about how different faux foods (processed foods) can affect your hormones. Some of the preservatives or chemicals found in foods get our bodies so out of whack. Are bodies weren't meant to break things down like that. That's why it's always best to stick with whole foods. I try to eat as much organic as possible, but it does get pricey so instead I focus on staying away from processed as much as possible when I can't afford the organic. When I had originally revamped my diet to this thinking (I since got way off after getting into a new relationship, but am getting back on track now), I lose 50 lbs with diet alone. I was never left wanting for more to eat either. Now just imagine the weight loss I would've had if I had kicked in the fitness into high gear too!

Also take into consideration how much more you get to eat when you don't eat processed foods. Most processed foods are high in calories (among other things). When I switched to whole foods, I didn't have to limit myself as much as when I ate processed foods.

Bottom line, everyone's bodies are different, but I do truly believe that in order to take care of our bodies (not just look pretty on the outside), we really need to take into consideration what we put into our bodies. If I can't read/pronounce it, I don't eat it. You just need to find the happy balance for you. This is what works for me, and I would support anyone who wanted to try it as well (my efforts weren't very well supported when I first changed my diet).

coe28

I try to eat cleanER, but still eat processed food daily. Still losing weight.

This is me too. I've added a lot of fresh veggies and fruits to my diet, but still can't seem to get rid of those processed foods. They're just too damn convenient and I'm a busy gal. Anyways. I've lost 9 lbs so far and only have 7 more to go

kasarin

I achieved 220lbs of weight loss without clean eating. I eat everything I always ate, just less and went from 390-175. Even rice crispy treats

Awkward30

I eat dirty, train dirtier. Although I rarely eat things out of cans because I'm a germaphobe (not clinically, but probably clinically lol). I've found as long as I log and eat 500 less than I burn, I lose weight. Only exception was that I could not lose weight on birth control and I was ravenous all the time. It was awful.

I think you should go back to logging, but re-calculate your tdee. It dropped with the 25 pound loss and if you didn't readjust then, you could have been eating at maintenance. Just eat at or above your BMR and don't eat back exercise calories unless there are a lot a lot (or enough to make you naturally hungrier).

essjay76

Ok cutting out all the fads and bull****. Losing weight is a matter of simple maths. Consume less calories than you burn in energy consistently and you will lose weight, even if every calorie is pizza and chips...

This of course is not healthy but it is a fact. You may want to shake up your diet a bit with new foods and ideas to stop the boredom but honestly a slow down or plateau is more likely to be because you are not logging and weighing everything because you think you 'know' your cals and portion sizes.

I have lost 8 stones and kept it off for 4 years now, with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise but honestly it is just simple maths, eat less cals than you burn and you WILL lose weight. simple...
Jules xx

I don't know when eating clean became a "fad" or bull****... it's always been around as a time honored way of eating right. I think just recently some industry folks decided to coin the new buzzword/term "clean eating" as a marketing ploy, so huge corporations could make some serious dough selling the more expensive lifestyle.

It's damn cheap to make pasta, bread, and packaged foods. All you need is a little salt and a factory line and you've got instant meals for the masses.

It's also damn cheap to buy an inexpensive piece of meat yourself, or piece of garlic or onion - and throw it in a crockpot or stew pot.

It's also damn cheap to buy a fresh vegetable instead of canned, and you don't need to spend money on a can opener :-)

With that said, I eat "clean" for the most part, even before it became a new "dieting trend"... my choice to eat clean has been more about feeding my body right than for losing weight. (My concern is with the horrendous amount of sodium in pre-packaged foods - I already come from a family with high blood pressure - I don't need to add fuel to the fire).

But I don't knock people who eat like this all the time. If you lose weight eating only one serving of Tostino's versus the 3 servings you might have had before, then it's a better decision you've made for yourself in the long run.

Yes, depriving yourself too much from junk food can only lead to binges... treat yourself!

DieVixen

I lost 63 pounds eating fast food,drinking soda,drinking booze

MizCJ84

I try very hard to eat clean; however, this becomes boring, expensive, and inconvenient at times. I have lost 32 pounds over the past 4 months by exercising regularly and varying my calorie intake. If I have a couple of high calorie days where I'm eating a lot of junky food, such as over the weekend, I will follow that up with several low calorie days. This seems to work well for me. I also try to plan ahead. This weekend I plan on eating out a couple of times and I'll probably have more drinks than I should :smokin: , so I'm trying to watch my calorie intake all this week.

TrailRunner61

I never have referred to how I'm eating as clean but I avoid the canned and boxed foods because of the sodium content. I've lost 35 lbs basically just eating what I want. Lean meats, fruits, veggies, nuts and beans. I make my own lower sodium pizzas and I also have low cal treats like choc rice cakes, low calorie frozen treats and occasionally anything I want as long as I stay 'within my means' calorie-wise. For instance, I had two unavoidable parties last weekend and I ate pulled pork on a bun with bbq sauce, potato salad with real mayo <gasp!>, cheese potatoes and even dessert. That is not a typical meal for me at all so it was a challenge but I ate less than I would have a year ago. Even so, I felt kind of 'yucky' after eating it! Even the next day my tummy felt messed up. I thought I'd need to include those foods in my diet so I'd be able to maintain after reaching goal but after eating healthy stuff for so long, I really don't care for it anymore. But, as life goes, we are challenged with our meals with different circumstances and we have to learn how to eat 'better' when we have less than desirable options. It's a process.

I don't even want the canned stuff now. The thought of salty canned soup or ravioli makes me ill. Yuck.. I still like frozen dinners and pizzas but usually only have them when I don't have the time energy to prepare something. Or I'm just being lazy.

FitForeverAgain

Skinny does NOT equal healthy. Simple equation for WEIGHT LOSS is eat less energy than you burn. Equation for HEALTH is much more complicated, and the results are well worth the effort to learn and effect that change.

Awkward30

I've been reading Master Your Metabolism (for a 2nd time), and I honestly can say what Jillian says in that book is very true. Last spring was the first time I read this book. It's all about how different faux foods (processed foods) can affect your hormones. Some of the preservatives or chemicals found in foods get our bodies so out of whack. Are bodies weren't meant to break things down like that. That's why it's always best to stick with whole foods. I try to eat as much organic as possible, but it does get pricey so instead I focus on staying away from processed as much as possible when I can't afford the organic. When I had originally revamped my diet to this thinking (I since got way off after getting into a new relationship, but am getting back on track now), I lose 50 lbs with diet alone. I was never left wanting for more to eat either. Now just imagine the weight loss I would've had if I had kicked in the fitness into high gear too!

Also take into consideration how much more you get to eat when you don't eat processed foods. Most processed foods are high in calories (among other things). When I switched to whole foods, I didn't have to limit myself as much as when I ate processed foods.

Bottom line, everyone's bodies are different, but I do truly believe that in order to take care of our bodies (not just look pretty on the outside), we really need to take into consideration what we put into our bodies. If I can't read/pronounce it, I don't eat it. You just need to find the happy balance for you. This is what works for me, and I would support anyone who wanted to try it as well (my efforts weren't very well supported when I first changed my diet).

I hate arguments that center on what our bodies are "supposed" to have. That is an arbitrary definition. We are the ultimate omnivores, our bodies were made to be able to process whatever we give them! It's not like primitive men mindfully chose to skip the lean cuisine because they felt it would be healthier to hunt/gather... They didn't have the option and almost undoubtably Are hard wired to pick the most calorically dense foods. Yeah, that's right, the reason so many people have trouble with junk food is that it is evolutionarily favorable for us to eat it. However since there is no longer a scarcity of food for most people, this tendency is just making us fat (note: I'm not absolving us of responsibility, what we eat and how much is squarely on our shoulders).