Portion Control vs. Eating "Clean" ??

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  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    if you eat less calories than your body needs you will lose weight.

    if you are also concerned about your overall health, then your food choices will play a role.

    This. Your body will feel much better getting the right things!!

    Yep. This. Eating the right foods make a difference in health and performance. I eat junk my running, etc suffers. I eat healthier and my running improves. I can consume the same calories in healthier foods or not so healthy. Sure I'll lose weight.... but the difference is how I feel. Junk=don't feel as good, performance suffers. Healthy food= I feel great.

    You're doing fine, but you can't live on pre packaged food forever unless you're rich ;-) it's pretty expensive to do that constantly, but it's good to have some frozen foods around for days you don't want to cook.
  • Cassaaaaandra
    Cassaaaaandra Posts: 184 Member
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    Both methods work very well for me. My only observation with eating clean versus portion control is feeling lousy and bloating after eating meals heavy in processed carbs (pastas, bread even if it's "healthy whole wheat", rice, etc.) regardless of whether the meals falls in my alotted calories for the meal.
  • DIYmomma
    DIYmomma Posts: 74 Member
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    I have been eating clean as everyone calls it. I am slowly trying to switch to all unprocessed, homemade foods. I have only recently started counting calories because I have been struggling to lose weight again, but in the past year I have lost 58lbs by eating less processed junk and drinking water. It will probably take me years to go completely "clean" but I have to say the process is completely worth it. These days if I have to resort to old habits, I feel terrible and bloated for days :(

    That being said, doing what works for you, isnt a bad thing. But there are many benefits to eating a all natural unprocessed diet.
  • Rockmyskinnyjeans
    Rockmyskinnyjeans Posts: 431 Member
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    if you eat less calories than your body needs you will lose weight.

    if you are also concerned about your overall health, then your food choices will play a role.

    ^^ This

    I am not the cleanest eater, but portion control has saved my life, literally. I try to keep tabs on what goes in my mouth, though, that it fits in my daily macros (ie carbs, protein, sugars, sodium, etc). I want to stay under my calories that my body needs so that I continue to lose.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
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    I lost the 50 pounds I wanted to lose (plus 13 extra 'bonus' pounds) easily and painlessly by just cutting back on portion sizes and watching my overall calories. I figured out my TDEE and subtracted 250 calories a day from that. This meant I ate about 2000-2400 calories a day. I lost about a pound and a half a week (much faster than I expected with the small calorie cut I made) and hit my goal in less than a year.

    I ate lots of different foods - oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, donuts, bacon, fruit, salads, pizza, lasagna, buffalo wings, cupcakes, ice cream, cookies, chicken breast, brown rice, steaks, baked potatoes, carrots, broccoli, fried chicken, spinach, cheeseburgers, air popped popcorn, french fries - you get the idea.

    That said, my days are typically filled more with healthy choices than indulgent ones. I also tend not to eat a lot of packaged and/or restaurant food, because I love to cook.

    I've been maintaining this way for over six months now. So far, the maintenance has been as trouble-free as the initial weight loss.
  • xxmzangel
    xxmzangel Posts: 119 Member
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    Portion control, for sure. I was doing low carb for a couple months, then had a bit of a mishap and realized that moderation is going to be my key to success. I do love eating my fruit, but sometimes I just want that chocolate bar, or burger from McDonalds, so I work it in to my calories. The problem with a lot of processed foods however is typically the level of sodium in them, my general rule is that if the sodium is higher than the calories, I don't want it (though there are certain exceptions like cheese and such). When I do want something like that though, I drink a lot of extra water, just to be safe, as to avoid any water retention.

    I have not personally had anyone comment on this, though now that I think about it, I wouldn't give a *kitten*, because if you're truly happy and enjoying how you're eating, as well as losing weight, then that's great! :smile:
  • MellyMelx23o
    MellyMelx23o Posts: 80
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    if you eat less calories than your body needs you will lose weight.

    if you are also concerned about your overall health, then your food choices will play a role.

    ^^ This

    I am not the cleanest eater, but portion control has saved my life, literally. I try to keep tabs on what goes in my mouth, though, that it fits in my daily macros (ie carbs, protein, sugars, sodium, etc). I want to stay under my calories that my body needs so that I continue to lose.

    That e-card is hysterical!
  • Tisworthit92
    Tisworthit92 Posts: 5 Member
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    I do both. I've just switched out junk for healthy stuff that taste good or is low fat. I saw you mentioned chips. Try the Special K Cracker Chips. They're REALLY good and you can have 27 for only 110 calories. The ice cream. I love it lol. but I just get low fat and I only eat a serving size or two which would be 1/2 cup to 1 cup Once a day whenever I have it. So yea just find healthy but delicious substitute, and if you want to "cheat" don't just eat one serving size and you won't feel bad. you'd be surprised and you won't even miss your old stuff.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
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    Do what is working for you. It's better to lose weight not eating clean then to remain at your heaviest weight. It won't hurt you to start subbing but it won't harm you.
  • MellyMelx23o
    MellyMelx23o Posts: 80
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    I lost the 50 pounds I wanted to lose (plus 13 extra 'bonus' pounds) easily and painlessly by just cutting back on portion sizes and watching my overall calories. I figured out my TDEE and subtracted 250 calories a day from that. This meant I ate about 2000-2400 calories a day. I lost about a pound and a half a week (much faster than I expected with the small calorie cut I made) and hit my goal in less than a year.

    I ate lots of different foods - oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, donuts, bacon, fruit, salads, pizza, lasagna, buffalo wings, cupcakes, ice cream, cookies, chicken breast, brown rice, steaks, baked potatoes, carrots, broccoli, fried chicken, spinach, cheeseburgers, air popped popcorn, french fries - you get the idea.

    That said, my days are typically filled more with healthy choices than indulgent ones. I also tend not to eat a lot of packaged and/or restaurant food, because I love to cook.

    I've been maintaining this way for over six months now. So far, the maintenance has been as trouble-free as the initial weight loss.


    AWESOME!!! :bigsmile:
  • paeli
    paeli Posts: 295 Member
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    I like eating healthy/clean foods as I can eat much higher quantities of food for the same amount of calories as junk foods. And it keeps me full longer.
  • capnwo85
    capnwo85 Posts: 1,103 Member
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    Eating cleaner foods just makes me feel better, it's a personal choice. I just prefer overall health, although 3200 cals of clean food is a b#$@#! :)
  • nitka653
    nitka653 Posts: 97 Member
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    You can still do Weight Watchers and choose more whole, clean foods.

    Last I knew, in the new Points Plus system, most fruits and vegies are free (which is as it should be). Yes, they sometimes have sugar in them, but in it's natural form unless you go waaayyyy overboard you can eat as much as you want of these items.

    I've never known anyone to get fat eating apples, oranges and broccoli. If they ate enough to get fat, I'd think they'd have other problems.

    I also tend to eat alot of packaged foods, and know that it's not ideal. I'm extremely lazy and picky, so I pick my battles. I am working towards adding the better choices in though. It's very hard when you work long days with short breaks and lunches to fix fully natural nutritious meals.
  • ElviraCross
    ElviraCross Posts: 331 Member
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    I believe in portion control. I have made MUCH better choices in how I cook and what I eat. I set my goals to "maintain" and lost about 10 pounds. I think it works.
  • nitka653
    nitka653 Posts: 97 Member
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    Eating cleaner foods just makes me feel better, it's a personal choice. I just prefer overall health, although 3200 cals of clean food is a b#$@#! :)

    Ha Ha, Love this statement. I have a friend at work who's a marathon runner. He literally has a cooler he carries around with food items. He does a lot of interesting combo's such as boiled egg mixed in cottage cheese. He makes it work though.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
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    if you eat less calories than your body needs you will lose weight.

    if you are also concerned about your overall health, then your food choices will play a role.

    This - Perfect!
  • fueledbychange
    fueledbychange Posts: 132 Member
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    If your only concern is your weight, and not your health, than go ahead. But if you want to look after your health in all aspects, portion control + clean eating is the way to get there. Not junk.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
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    Eating twinkies at a calorie deficit makes you lose weight...it's also makes you a twinkie. Twinkies are not healthy...That is all!
  • mokpochica
    mokpochica Posts: 21 Member
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    I think it is very difficult to eat totally clean in the world we live in, but I am trying to eat as cleanly as possible (not only for myself, but to model good behavior to my 3 kids). Something I read in a book (it may have been the Engine 2 book?) was that during the Korean War they did autopsies on American soldiers and Korean soldiers. The American soldiers showed early signs of heart disease and the Korean soldiers did not (the Korean diet is very high in vegetables). Remember, these soldiers were young men likely in their early twenties. And this was back in the 50s before our diet was so crap (and before the Korean diet had so much crap, for that matter). Incidentally, we eat a lot of Korean food at my house because my husband is Korean and my kids and I love it too. It's good stuff and I feel great eating it.

    I found a link that mentions this study http://www.eatthefatoftheland.com/bookreviews.html Scroll down. It's point 4.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    if you eat less calories than your body needs you will lose weight.

    if you are also concerned about your overall health, then your food choices will play a role.

    Agreed. I know plenty of people who eat very healthily with emphasis on the "very" so they are overweight and always wondering why they are so overweight. /o\

    There seems to be a drive in the media to educate people that obesity is a result of eating unhealthy food and so people believe that if they eat healthy food, they will not be obese. It is a case of the blind leading the blind.

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