Eating 'Clean'

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GeminiBridget
GeminiBridget Posts: 99 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'd like to hear from anyone on here that understands what eating 'clean' means and how eating clean has helped you achieve your weight loss goals. I eat as clean as possible, no fast foods, avoiding as many processed foods as possible, and using organic products as much as possible. I know when my diet is clean I feel better, have more energy, and my muscle definition is better. Those times when I don't, I feel bloated, tired, and just blah. When I hear people say "I can't lose any more weight despite exercising and eating few calories" I tell them to try eating clean but they'd rather blame the plateau on their metabolism or something else than take the steps to eat healthier.
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Replies

  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Eating "clean" is a meaningless term. I hate it. Focus on nutrients, not arbitrary labels.
  • tquill
    tquill Posts: 300 Member
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    Eating "clean" is a meaningless term. I hate it. Focus on nutrients, not arbitrary labels.

    Agreed.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    I eat clean after a shower
  • tavenne323
    tavenne323 Posts: 332 Member
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    I think it's a very subjective term. I, too, try to stay away from processed foods and fast foods. I also try to get organic when I can, for sure for certain foods....try to make things at home. Even my favorite snack foods, I try to find homemade recipes..at least then I have to work for them.
  • coppertop_4
    coppertop_4 Posts: 258 Member
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    clean to me is NOT eating junk and processed foods.

    When I hit a plateau, I take a couple days of fresh produce, lean protein, protein shakes, and NOTHING packaged or processed.
    To me, this helps my body kick into gear again. And then I go back to eating dinner with my family, and eating the rice a roni or the boxed pasta with my family for dinner... which is NOT clean to me.

    I wish I could eat "clean" all the time... but its boring and I'm a sucker for a good pasta ;)
  • RobP1192
    RobP1192 Posts: 310 Member
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    Eating clean works, but it's not practical. You don't get fat eating chicken and broccoli. But calories in, calories out... you're losing weight. Not necessarily fat. Eating clean, you'll lose fat.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    Eating clean works, but it's not practical. You don't get fat eating chicken and broccoli. But calories in, calories out... you're losing weight. Not necessarily fat. Eating clean, you'll lose fat.

    If you take the IIFYM approach, you will lose the optimal amount of fat with the minimum amount of muscle, even more so than eating "clean" because bodybuilding macros are backed up by scientific research as opposed to what feels good...
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Eating clean works, but it's not practical. You don't get fat eating chicken and broccoli. But calories in, calories out... you're losing weight. Not necessarily fat. Eating clean, you'll lose fat.

    And what would happen if you matched macros and cals, one diet was all clean (whatever that means) and another diet was a mix of "clean" and "unclean" foods?
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    clean to me is NOT eating junk and processed foods.

    When I hit a plateau, I take a couple days of fresh produce, lean protein, protein shakes, and NOTHING packaged or processed.
    To me, this helps my body kick into gear again. And then I go back to eating dinner with my family, and eating the rice a roni or the boxed pasta with my family for dinner... which is NOT clean to me.

    I wish I could eat "clean" all the time... but its boring and I'm a sucker for a good pasta ;)

    Hello cognitive dissonance
  • AleciaG724
    AleciaG724 Posts: 705 Member
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    I was eating and feeding my family "clean" for many years before it was so defined. I've always been a scratch cook, avoiding processed and refined foods as much as possible. I love the availability of clean ingredients and organic foods these days. Unfortunately, I did not control my portion sizes so here I am morbidly obese, but chipping away slowly and steadily.
  • epie2098
    epie2098 Posts: 224 Member
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    The problem is that eating clean is such a generic term that it means different things to different people. I have the Eat Clean Diet book, and even then, there is conflicting information between chapters.

    If you've (proverbial, general you) found out a way to eat that works for you, that's great. I share what works for me with other people, and it may or may not work for them. Each body is different.

    Personally, I have celiac disease and am vegetarian. How I eat isn't just personal preference, it's medical need. I eat relatively clean (remembering it's an umbrella term) 90% of the time, and enjoy vegan dark chocolate or red wine or a gluten-free baked good 10% of the time. Works for me :)
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    There is a group on here devoted to clean eating. The definition of "eating clean" seems to be less problematic in that group... It's much more pleasant than the regular forum.
  • RelativeChaos00
    RelativeChaos00 Posts: 33 Member
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    Eating clean is not a diet or a temporary solution, it's a lifestyle. It's really not hard to find foods that don't have a bunch of junk added to them, you just have to take the time to read labels and be willing to cook. My husband and I started easing into eating clean in January or February and we are both better off for it. I have lost about 15 pounds since then, but I'm the more dedicated of the two of us. He's down a couple but he tends to fall off the clean eating at work and when I'm away and buy junk. Clean eating is a little different to everyone that does it, I still use some cheeses but that's my only concession to dairy. Some people consider raw or organic milk okay. All I know is the difference it makes in my body. Yesterday we were out running errands and did not have time to go home to cook, nor had we thought to bring something better to eat with us and we ate out. Today, I feel a difference in my body from yesterday. I'm more sluggish, I have that ate too much feeling even though I was still within my calorie goals, and I just kinda feel not as up to par as usual. It's funny, I used to feel like this all the time and didn't think anything of it. Now I'm used to eating clean and having more energy, my moods are better, my sleep is better, everything. It's not a temporary diet to me, it's the way I strive to live my life and the way I'm raising my son to eat. At this point my favorite fast foods, and I was a pretty big addict before, aren't even appealing. They don't taste as good as they used to and I don't crave them anymore. I don't cook prepackaged food, I buy real food and I love the change in my body. I absolutely recommend clean eating to people I talk with. It just comes down to eating real food as close to the way nature made it as possible and there's nothing bad for you in that.
  • Liz_Mfp
    Liz_Mfp Posts: 172 Member
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    Eating "clean" is a meaningless term.
    I think it can mean different things to different people.
    Sounds like a "fad" term to me, probably because I'm old and it's a "new word."

    To me it would mean no white flour and no hydrogenated [oils].
    But I haven't seen an official definition anywhere. I've just heard people use it now and then.
    Maybe it means no pesticides, but that word to me would be "organic"

    I'm pretty sure I eat Dirty.
  • fisherman987
    fisherman987 Posts: 19 Member
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    In this world we are surrounded by so many different foods from so many different places. Unfortunately, not all the providers of our food are motivated by what is the most nutritious and nourishing for our bodies. Many are more motivated by what is the most profitable for them, and what will addict us to eating the foods they provide even if it means giving us diabetes, high blood pressure, and making us obese. Eating "clean" requires us to read nutrition labels and basically make a conscious and informed choice about what we put into our bodies. It is probably safe to assume for the most part that the more processed a food is the more unhealthy it will be to our bodies to ingest it. Natural, unprocessed foods that are fresh and require you to prepare them yourself will always be the best for you. Making a commitment to eating healthy and nutritious foods is an absolute necessity to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. The ingredients in fast, prepackaged, convenient foods are guaranteed to make you fat, addicted, and diabetic, with a future likely to end with cancer, a stroke, or a heart attack so you be the judge whether eating "clean" is a waste of time or unrealistic. I have 53 years of eating garbage behind me and almost 9 months of trying to eat healthy and I can assure you that healthy eating coupled with exercise is the "secret" to a longer and healthier life so as for me, I vote yes to eating "clean".
  • GeminiBridget
    GeminiBridget Posts: 99 Member
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    I think it's a very subjective term. I, too, try to stay away from processed foods and fast foods. I also try to get organic when I can, for sure for certain foods....try to make things at home. Even my favorite snack foods, I try to find homemade recipes..at least then I have to work for them.

    Too may people are hung up on the term 'clean' but you understand my point. :)
  • RunningRichelle
    RunningRichelle Posts: 346 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1018745-getting-lean-my-last-4-months-in-pictures

    I make sure to eat at a very moderate deficit- 300-500 cals less than my TDEE per day. I don't work my *kitten* off in the gym. I like doing yoga. And I've gotten to how I look today doing so.

    I definitely feel way better when I eat organic. I know there are still some pesticides on organic produce, but IMO, the less hormone disruptors I put in, the easier it's going to be for me to reach my goals.

    To all the dudes out there who are down on eating clean- I think it's a little harder for women. Our bodies naturally tend to be a little fatter so we can be ready to create other humans. I think we are a little more sensitive to the effects of pesticide residues on food and so on. Sure, we can work really hard and get awesome physiques too, but why not take the road that makes it a little less difficult?

    Anywho, I'm sure someone will rip the above to shreds. Just wanted to share my experience. Have a good Sunday Funday, people :-)
  • GeminiBridget
    GeminiBridget Posts: 99 Member
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    Eating clean is not a diet or a temporary solution, it's a lifestyle. It's really not hard to find foods that don't have a bunch of junk added to them, you just have to take the time to read labels and be willing to cook. My husband and I started easing into eating clean in January or February and we are both better off for it. I have lost about 15 pounds since then, but I'm the more dedicated of the two of us. He's down a couple but he tends to fall off the clean eating at work and when I'm away and buy junk. Clean eating is a little different to everyone that does it, I still use some cheeses but that's my only concession to dairy. Some people consider raw or organic milk okay. All I know is the difference it makes in my body. Yesterday we were out running errands and did not have time to go home to cook, nor had we thought to bring something better to eat with us and we ate out. Today, I feel a difference in my body from yesterday. I'm more sluggish, I have that ate too much feeling even though I was still within my calorie goals, and I just kinda feel not as up to par as usual. It's funny, I used to feel like this all the time and didn't think anything of it. Now I'm used to eating clean and having more energy, my moods are better, my sleep is better, everything. It's not a temporary diet to me, it's the way I strive to live my life and the way I'm raising my son to eat. At this point my favorite fast foods, and I was a pretty big addict before, aren't even appealing. They don't taste as good as they used to and I don't crave them anymore. I don't cook prepackaged food, I buy real food and I love the change in my body. I absolutely recommend clean eating to people I talk with. It just comes down to eating real food as close to the way nature made it as possible and there's nothing bad for you in that.

    Way to go! This is what I'm referring to! So many get hung up on the term, but it's eating healthy. Obesity is rampant in America because most want things fast and think nothing of what it takes to get the food 'fast'. I know that in my parents time people were healthier and that's because they ate fresh produce and there were no GMO's.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Cutting out foods that came in cans/boxes/frozen was key to my 135 lbs of weight loss. Cooking my own meals from scratch using fresh meats and produce as the base for pretty much _everything_ did more for me than anything else.
  • lexherrera
    lexherrera Posts: 56 Member
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    I've cut out most food that comes in a box or a pouch and it's helped a lot! I used to eat pretty much just white rice, meat, pasta, and pastries for breakfast. Definitely not balanced enough. Then I started eating more fruits and veggies, whole grains, and more chicken and fish (not just beef all the time).

    I've gone from 20% BF to ~13% BF just making sure I hit my macros. That includes ice cream a few times a week, pizza every few weeks, but I'd say 90% of my meals are "clean". I'm still meeting my goals.

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