Just an opinion: Clean-eating vs IIFYM

All-or-Nothing Dieting & Eating Disorder Risk

In 1997, a general physician named Steven Bratman coined the term orthorexia nervosa [21], which he defines as, “an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy food.” It reminds me of the counterproductive dietary perfectionism I’ve seen among many athletes, trainers, and coaches. One of the fundamental pitfalls of dichotomizing foods as good or bad, or clean or dirty, is that it can form a destructive relationship with food. This isn’t just an empty claim; it’s been seen in research. Smith and colleagues found that flexible dieting was associated with the absence of overeating, lower bodyweight, and the absence of depression and anxiety [22]. They also found that a strict all-or-nothing approach to dieting was associated with overeating and increased bodyweight. Similarly, Stewart and colleagues found that rigid dieting was associated with symptoms of an eating disorder, mood disturbances, and anxiety [23]. Flexible dieting was not highly correlated with these qualities. Although these are observational study designs with self-reported data, anyone who spends enough time among fitness buffs knows that these findings are not off the mark.

Sorry for being naive here! What is IIFYM ??
As for clean eating, I interpret it as being pretty much any food that is NOT processed. I feel so much better without fueling my body all the chemicals in processed foods

I have a couple of relatives who are "clean eaters". All they ****ing talk about is food. And how much better their eating is then others around them. And that's really all they talk about. Go to a movie with them, they comment on everyone eating hot dogs, nachos, popcorn. Go to Disneyland, same thing.
I invite them to parties, but have to tell them that if they want their own food, they can bring it. I've personally had to tell them that they can't come if they are going to criticize how others are eating. Don't see how that's a "happy" life.
So yes, happiness is part of being healthy. "Clean" food doesn't do it alone.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I like to "eat clean" as best I can:

- I often cook my own foods and try to limit eating overly processed, preservative laden stuff.
- I don't do artificial sweeteners - my preference.
- I limit soy because of the GMO factor + it not being good for thyroid issues.
- I avoid MSG and HFCS.

That said, I know I'll never be a 100% clean eater - there are just too many foods I'll never be able to give up:

- Pizza
- Garlic wings
- Bacon
- Wine
- Fried Shrimp or Clam Strips
- Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Oreos

...you get the picture. :laugh:

I also don't preach to others based on my consumption preferences, I really don't care what others' put into their mouths!

i am not finding restrticting my diet to be stressful, i'm finding it to be liberating, because i am freeing my mind from all of my pre conceived notions of what regular food is. i am getting opportunities to try all sorts of things i've never tried before, all sorts of different flavors i've never tasted, and it's awesome. my new hobby is nutrition, i read all of my nutrition labels, i also feel better too and i wouldn't trade my health for a cheeseburger any day! of course i have some serious digestive and health issues that i'm dealing with so other people may not be able to see where i'm coming from. eating a cheese burger or potato chips is a recipe for pain the next day for me. of course, i'm not going to tell other people what to eat, or that what i eat is better than what they eat, to each their own. i find that food is medicine that you take regardless and i'm finally starting to cure myself rather than poison myself haha.

I have all the proof that I need....I feel better, my workouts are better and it works for me. If I eat crap food...I feel like crap, my workouts are like crap and it doesn't work for me. That's all I need.

So in other words it's anecdotal? Because I can say the same with me eating IIFYM along with some crap food.

junk food is for fat people. if you don't wanna be fat, don't eat junk food. arguing won't change that.

I'm starting to find the distinction, while an amusing intellectual debate that often isn't very intellectual, to be functionally meaningless, as I've never seen anyone eat clean continuously for life. If you cheat then you are basically saying it's okay sometimes which seems to be the fundamental basis for IIFYM arguments. Perhaps it's in the extent of cheating. Maybe for some 20% cheat is too much and they practice 5%, but the very idea that any amount of junk food is going to kill you is preposterous.