Who has lost weight NOT eating clean?

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.

ME, I had a Wendy's double 1/2lb burger w/fries yesterday. Well, more like losing fat, because I weigh the same.

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.

Me

I am a dirty, dirty eater.

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.

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 ****.

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:

Ba BAM!

I eat all the foodz! Because I likes em.

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.

I am a dirty, dirty eater.

Oh god say it to me again, but in a deeper dirtier way

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

Best quote on dieting and healthy eating EVER!

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.

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.

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.