Who has lost weight NOT eating clean?

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Replies

  • kcritter77
    kcritter77 Posts: 162 Member
    I typically don't eat too many processed/boxed foods outside of my yogurt, cottage cheese and ice cream that I eat every single day. I do this mostly because I can eat more food within my calorie goal that way, not becsuse it is "clean". I only eat meat about once per week and have to be creative to get enough protein in. But I went out to lunch yesterday and had two shredded beef tacos with cheese and sour cream. I made sure to plan my other meals and snacks around them and still had enough calories for my ice cream.
    Can I eat those every day? No. Did I reach my macro goal yesterday? No. But I will today. Is my body changing eating IIFYM and exercising? Yes. That's all that matters.
    That and this is a "lifestyle" I can live with for the rest of my life because there's no "falling off the wagon" or failing on my eating plan. I eat what I want to eat when I want to, then plan the rest of the day around it. I never feel deprived. Ever.
  • VincitQuiSeVincit
    VincitQuiSeVincit Posts: 285 Member
    Weight loss is calories in VS calories out. You can eat nothing but pizza and lose weight.
    I started with just watching my calories but eating whatever I want. What I learned is that after a bagel, a slice of pizza and a bag of M&Ms taking up my entire caloric allowance for the day, is that I WAS STILL HUNGRY. So you start looking for ways to maximize intake at lower calorie levels- Clean foods are the way to go. A giant bowl of veggies kept me full longer and gave me a ton more energy making me want to work out more. It's a vicious cycle- good food makes you feel good which makes it easier to do more and so on.
    Of course, I still eat crap sometimes and call those "good enough" days, but I genuinely find that the longer I eat clean, the less I enjoy indulging because my body doesn't enjoy dealing with burgers and fries.
  • FakingFitness
    FakingFitness Posts: 325 Member
    in...for the dead horse...

    seriously, this is like the 20th thread on clean eating this week...

    This and someone stood next to me in the gym - neck and neck FTW.
    *grabbing my popcorn.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    ME, I had a Wendy's double 1/2lb burger w/fries yesterday. Well, more like losing fat, because I weigh the same.
  • acullen31
    acullen31 Posts: 87 Member
    Ok, i'm on the clean eating bandwagon now ( for my health ) but when I started my weight loss journey about 2 years ago I weighed 155 and I got down to 120 eating whatever I wanted, as long as I stayed under 1200 calories and worked out every day. I ate chickfila a ridiculous amount. It's 100% do able but in the long run, not good for your body!
  • jonilynn70
    jonilynn70 Posts: 145 Member
    Yep as everyone said you can eat whatever you want and lose weight as long as you have that deficit. And to many people that's important. Being fit and being healthy are totally different mindsets than losing weight.
  • kimmianne89
    kimmianne89 Posts: 428 Member
    At first, just being in a calorie deficit is enough. But personally, now i'm 6- 10lbs from my goal, it doesn't work like that anymore.

    So I think, to lose weight and just be in the healthy range, nice and normal.. Just being in a deficit works.
    But if you want to make the most of what you got, eating clean will make you healthier and look healthier. You're not going to get abs even if you workout a lot if you are eating *kitten* food everyday. IMO
  • CkepiJinx
    CkepiJinx Posts: 613 Member
    Me
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    A giant bowl of veggies kept me full longer and gave me a ton more energy making me want to work out more.

    A giant bowl of veggies never did that for me. I can FEEL full eating them, but a half hour later, my guts are growling again and I'm on the hunt for something more calorie dense.

    Now, a bowl of veggies with some protein and fat... that will keep me going. But so will a slice of pizza with some protein and fat.
  • 99clmsntgr
    99clmsntgr Posts: 777 Member
    I am a dirty, dirty eater.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    At first, just being in a calorie deficit is enough. But personally, now i'm 6- 10lbs from my goal, it doesn't work like that anymore.

    So I think, to lose weight and just be in the healthy range, nice and normal.. Just being in a deficit works.
    But if you want to make the most of what you got, eating clean will make you healthier and look healthier. You're not going to get abs even if you workout a lot if you are eating *kitten* food everyday. IMO
    Haha.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    At first, just being in a calorie deficit is enough. But personally, now i'm 6- 10lbs from my goal, it doesn't work like that anymore.

    So I think, to lose weight and just be in the healthy range, nice and normal.. Just being in a deficit works.
    But if you want to make the most of what you got, eating clean will make you healthier and look healthier. You're not going to get abs even if you workout a lot if you are eating *kitten* food everyday. IMO

    Funny, I'm 4 pounds away from goal, and IIFYM is still working just fine for me.
  • VincitQuiSeVincit
    VincitQuiSeVincit Posts: 285 Member
    A giant bowl of veggies kept me full longer and gave me a ton more energy making me want to work out more.

    A giant bowl of veggies never did that for me. I can FEEL full eating them, but a half hour later, my guts are growling again and I'm on the hunt for something more calorie dense.

    Now, a bowl of veggies with some protein and fat... that will keep me going. But so will a slice of pizza with some protein and fat.

    Everyone's bodies reacts differently to different foods. Personally, my body doesn't love dairy. I'm not lactose intolerant, but I just feel bloated from it. I will agree though, adding chicken to my salads or eggs definetly help.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    At first, just being in a calorie deficit is enough. But personally, now i'm 6- 10lbs from my goal, it doesn't work like that anymore.

    So I think, to lose weight and just be in the healthy range, nice and normal.. Just being in a deficit works.
    But if you want to make the most of what you got, eating clean will make you healthier and look healthier. You're not going to get abs even if you workout a lot if you are eating *kitten* food everyday. IMO

    Context is important. You can eat some less nutritious foods here and there in the day and still get abs and still be healthy - the diet as a whole matters, not the individual foods. My ice cream is not clean but I can assure you, it is not ****.
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
    *raises hand*

    me, I did, I did.

    I still am. :drinker:
  • vjm7981
    vjm7981 Posts: 42 Member
    I have not deprived myself of one little thing throughout my journey thus far! I love to drink and eat and will continue to do just that! It's all about moderation. This whole "you have to eat clean" mentality is a bunch of hoo-ha. That's my opinion. Do I eat fruits and veggies, of course, but that's b/c I LIKE them and ENJOY eating them. I whole heartedly believe in the IIFYM option. Has and is continuing to work for me! YOLO, so enjoy the time you have! :drinker:
  • Last summer, between June to August I went from 158 lbs to 135 lbs. I lost 24 lbs in 3 months just by eating healthy and walking 5 times a week + zumba 2 times a week. but I did NOT clean all the time though. I ate healthy most of the time, like eggs, oatmeal or toast for breakfast, salad, tunawrap or peanut butter jelly for lunch, and whole wheat pita with tuna filling, baked salmon with veggies or rice and indian curry for dinner and normal snacks like nuts, fruits and veggies..:) I ate whatever I wanted almost every week, but in moderation:) within my calories...And BAM! I lost weight , and looked slimmer..lost inches and so on..

    But then I gained like 35 lbs when school started..so I ate without control. My weight just kept growing, so when new year was around the corner I decided to lose the weight again..so this January 2013 I started eating healthy...but it didn't go well because my fat intake was too high! BUT THEN in May I became a vegetarian and that helped a lot. My starting weight in May was 166, and to this day I am 17 lbs down..:) all by eating healthy, and hiking..+ some cheat meals here and there :)
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    Ba BAM!

    I eat all the foodz! Because I likes em.
  • malibu5880
    malibu5880 Posts: 31 Member
    Me.

    I'd go nuts if I couldn't munch on some chips or candy once in a while. I couldn't care less what someone else eats - if it works for them, great. I do NOT like when someone tells me their way is better than mine, especially when it's working for me.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    Just wondering. I hear "ya gotta eat clean!" Drilled into so many people's heads around here I wonder if anyone just sticks to eating fewer calories than they burn and losing weight that way. For now at least, I'm not worried about what I eat so much as how many calories I go through in a day. If I want a bowl of cereal in the morning and then to stop off at jack for lunch and get a jumbo jack and fries, I do it. And I'm actually losing weight doing this. Just adding water and exercise.
    I think many of us did this in the beginning, it's a good starting place. I've cleaned up my foods but I can't say I eat perfect (whatever that is) but I prefer healthier foods over unhealthy simple carbs. My body simply responds better to healthier foods than junk/processed pkg'd foods.

    We all have different goals.. I think the most important thing is to pick something, anything and make a chance, make that a habit and then move on to a new goal.

    :flowerforyou:
    Me.

    I'd go nuts if I couldn't munch on some chips or candy once in a while. I couldn't care less what someone else eats - if it works for them, great. I do NOT like when someone tells me their way is better than mine, especially when it's working for me.
    This is where I get in trouble... but for many it's not triggering, for some of us it's easiest to steer clear of what got us here in the first place. Some days I can't eat a piece of cake and be OK, so I try not to eat it for now. Maybe one day the addiction of simply carbs will be lessened for me but for now it's safer for me to steer clear.

    Do I always do that? NO, but I always feel much better when I do... my body feels less lethargic, my brain thinks more clearly, my decision making is much more clear for future food choices when I lean more on the veggies, fruit and lighter proteins.

    We all have to find our way, my way is not the perfect way but it's the best for me at the moment. I like feeding my body clean foods, for me that's like clean fuel vs. that keeps my body running more efficiently, but it doesn't seem to work that way for all of us. Besides that term has so many meanings and we all interpret it differently.
  • nainai0585
    nainai0585 Posts: 199 Member
    I am a dirty, dirty eater.

    Oh god say it to me again....but in a deeper, sexier voice......please.
  • nainai0585
    nainai0585 Posts: 199 Member
    I am a dirty, dirty eater.

    Oh god say it to me again, but in a deeper dirtier way :)
  • _namaste_
    _namaste_ Posts: 246
    I meet my calorie and macro goals while enjoying whatever I feel like (and can fit in). I have eaten ice cream and chocolate every day for the past 3 or 4 days. I tend to stick to around 80/20 for "clean" vs. "dirty" and it works amazing for me.
  • Kabuhtu
    Kabuhtu Posts: 85 Member

    Could I be losing weight faster? Sure. Would I be happy and satisfied? Nope.

    Best quote on dieting and healthy eating EVER!
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
    What's the point if you aren't going to change your lifestyle? The majority of people will simply gain the weight back. And what about health? I'd rather be healthy, not just skinny.
    I'm not saying we should never treat ourselves or have processed food, but none of us would be on this site to begin with if eating **** in moderation worked out, and none of us certainly are going to be healthy regardless.

    Sweeping statements like these are just plain silly.

    Point of fact.

    I am changing my lifestyle. I'm eating less of everything. Quantity has been my problem, not quality.
    I'm exercising on a regular basis, something I've not done for years. Laziness has always been a problem.jv
    I may be fat, I may not be fit, but I am healthy.
    No diabetes. No heart issues. No blood pressure issues. No cholesterol issues. (Funnily enough, I know a number of fit, clean eating people who are dealing with those issues in their lives.)

    We're all here with different goals, and different ways of doing things.

    Like the guy there who wants single digit fat percentage. Good for him. Not a goal for me.

    He's not wrong for his goals, but neither am I.

    But I would be wrong to put my goals on him, or vice versa.
  • I tried eating clean and couldn't. I've always been able to lose weight from cutting calories and honestly I couldn't live without candy every once in awhile.
  • I lost 30 pounds eating meat, cheese, and ranch dressing three times a day and then having a nasty epic cheat day once a week. I am really starting to think that weight loss is mostly calorie related.
  • What's the point if you aren't going to change your lifestyle? The majority of people will simply gain the weight back. And what about health? I'd rather be healthy, not just skinny.
    I'm not saying we should never treat ourselves or have processed food, but none of us would be on this site to begin with if eating **** in moderation worked out, and none of us certainly are going to be healthy regardless.

    Sweeping statements like these are just plain silly.

    Point of fact.

    I am changing my lifestyle. I'm eating less of everything. Quantity has been my problem, not quality.
    I'm exercising on a regular basis, something I've not done for years. Laziness has always been a problem.jv
    I may be fat, I may not be fit, but I am healthy.
    No diabetes. No heart issues. No blood pressure issues. No cholesterol issues. (Funnily enough, I know a number of fit, clean eating people who are dealing with those issues in their lives.)

    We're all here with different goals, and different ways of doing things.

    Like the guy there who wants single digit fat percentage. Good for him. Not a goal for me.

    He's not wrong for his goals, but neither am I.

    But I would be wrong to put my goals on him, or vice versa.
    I agree 100%! On that note, the point for me was to reclaim my life and my health. I have done both through moderation. Not practicing moderation and being lazy was the reason I was obese. I went from being on 5 different maintenance meds to going completely off them all. I lost weight and reclaimed my health while still enjoying "junk"food food on occasion. I have also built muscle and lowered my fat percent to BELOW 20%. I think clean eaters need for moderation eaters need to tell themselves that others are unhealthy, maybe it makes them feel better IDK. Their arguments don't seem very thought out to me.
  • ingraha
    ingraha Posts: 99 Member
    I am going to show my ignorance. What is eating clean? Is ice cream clean? I hope so!
  • getitamb
    getitamb Posts: 2,019 Member
    I do them both. I don't just eat clean but I also don't focus on junk food. I focus on building habits I can live with. I am not going to eat clean forever and be happy but I can cut back on or cut out junk food. I eat more veggies bc I get more energy and I feel better throughout the day. And I feel fuller longer. But everything is ok in moderation. I think it is fine.