question : will eating clean help me to lose weight faster

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  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Does eating clean have some advantages over just simple calorie counting?

    No. Nutrients are nutrients. That said, you don't want to do "simple calorie counting." You want to make sure you're getting enough protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals in addition to making sure you get the right number of calories.
  • Carmella9
    Carmella9 Posts: 171 Member
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    It depends if you are also planning to exercise, eating clean will give you alot more energy to exercise (therefore you will burn alot more calories and subsequently have an easier weight loss journey)

    For instance if my pre gym snack was a pack of doritos I wouldnt be able to run without feeling lathargic and sick, where as if I had a bannana I would have alot more energy! It all depends on what and why you are loosing the weight....to be skinny or to be healthy and skinny, you need to take care of your insides aswell as your outsides.

    But im not saying you have to skip the biscuit or the chocolate bar, just dont live off of them (as they dont fill you up enough for the amount of calories they contain).

    Just think what would fill you up more and stop you still wanting to eat;

    Walkers crisps: 130 cals
    1 Chick breast: 160 cals

    OR

    Galaxy chocolate: 240 cals
    Jacket potatoe with prawns: 240 cals


    The biggest problem is that junk food does not fill you up so one chocolate bar usually leads to three chocolate bars, same with crisps and therefore you will find it alot more difficult sustaining a lower calorie intake by only eating these sort of foods.
  • conniedj
    conniedj Posts: 470 Member
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    A lot of good responses here already! So--no, eating "clean" isn't about losing weight faster...or at all. But rather the amount of food you can eat vs. processed food. You can eat way more lean protein, veggies, good starches and fruit than say a Fast food mega sammich. The result is that you will not have the fat/sodium/chemical dose that will leave you feeling hungry again in an hour or two.

    AFWIW....it should never be about deprivation. I enjoy eating A LOT. Making wise choices in my food lets me eat more of it, feeling more satisfied. And the bonus? More nutrients to feed the machine! And.....when you start making small changes to the way you eat? Every little change helps....like losing weight--don't expect it all to happen overnight! Slow and steady!!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    For instance if my pre gym snack was a pack of doritos I wouldnt be able to run without feeling lathargic and sick, where as if I had a bannana I would have alot more energy!

    Of course that's because the banana is clean and the Doritos are unclean, as opposed to the quantity of fat and sodium in the Doritos.
  • Carmella9
    Carmella9 Posts: 171 Member
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    Thats the point I was making :)
  • papabear075
    papabear075 Posts: 12 Member
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    I kind of think eating clean can help you lose weight. If you are not counting calories and chose to eat say an apple (80 calories) as opposed to a bag of chips (140 calories) you will lose weight. Not just because of the calorie difference but because the apple will make you feel full faster and you will be less likely to eat 2 apples but more likely to have more than 2 servings of chips. Does that make sense? Also the amount of salt in the chips will enable more water retention so you will be bloated and weight more.
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    For me I found it was where I was in the weight loss process. At first I was eating Lean Cuisine pizzas, and having Special K bars as snacks...diet garbage. Lost lots of weight though as I was at a deficit. As I got to a healthy weight I stopped losing for a long, long time. I started paying attention to quality and cut out processed carbs/sugars (mostly...not perfect) and my body composition changed a lot...I also realized I can eat a LOT MORE FOOD if it's not processed...and I like food.....
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    Nope...says the girl who just had a cupcake with breakfast... :)
  • McGruber03
    McGruber03 Posts: 113
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    Did you mean "loose" weight? LOL
  • Carmella9
    Carmella9 Posts: 171 Member
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    Really?! Maybe its the carbs? When i say that I mean running is that what you also mean? Im sure it could have different effects on different exercises.
  • Kate814
    Kate814 Posts: 145
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    Ok, seems like the general consensus here is no. Well, I'm going to say it depends. "Clean Eating" is tough because there really isn't a set definition of what it consists of. Some people say no processed food, some take it to mean all organic, etc. Clean eating can help you lose weight, if done a certain way, and not on its own. If your eating whole foods (fruits, vegetables, meats, etc) it makes it much easier to reach your desired nutrients and calories and feel like you ate enough to keep you satisfied.

    For example, I wouldn't consider myself a clean eater, but I generally try to eat whole unprocessed foods. My boyfriend doesn't- anything is fair game. Both of us have been losing weight by tracking macros and working out, but I eat much more food than he does (volume wise, not calories or macros) He often feels hungry (whole foods keep you full longer than most processed foods) and has trouble sticking to his macros.

    On its own clean eating may or may not help you lose weight depending on your starting point (cutting out pop, chips, ect will help you lose weight if they are a stable in your diet) but even when you're eating clean foods you can still overeat (or under eat!) and not make progress.

    Hope that helped a little :)
  • evdenapoli
    evdenapoli Posts: 164 Member
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    I personally think it depends on the person. When I was following IIFYM's I lost at a very -very- slow rate. When I started eating clean 80/20 I saw the best results. You don't have anything to loose in trying.
  • evdenapoli
    evdenapoli Posts: 164 Member
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    I personally think it depends on the person. When I was following IIFYM's I lost at a very -very- slow rate. When I started eating clean 80/20 I saw the best results. You don't have anything to loose in trying.

    And I should clarify for me, eating clean is eliminating the processed and refined,
  • Carmella9
    Carmella9 Posts: 171 Member
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    Thats the point I was making :)

    Weird because I always feel better training if I have a bagel or pop tarts as opposed to a banana.

    Really?! Maybe its the carbs? When i say that I mean running is that what you also mean? Im sure it could have different effects on different exercises.
  • rwstoneman1
    rwstoneman1 Posts: 32 Member
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    avoiding processed food is probably a good thing - I haven't really bought into the whole organic foods thing though, if you have money to burn I guess going completely 'clean' may be an interesting experiment.
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
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    I know what you mean by clean eating, and I have to say this.

    You lose weight by a eating a calorie deficit no matter what the food is. if you have like 1,800 calories to eat in a day, some clean foods might have less calories and therefore you could eat more of it than some other food choices. Thats the advantage to some clean foods (i.e. fresh spinach vs frozen spinach souffle that you buy in the grocery freezer.)

    Clean eating might enable you to feel better, because you would be eating more fruits and veg rather than hotdogs and cookies.

    so if you feel better choosing those foods, by all means do so and dont let anyone tell you not to. if eating that way and you see weight loss, it is then shown to be working for you. Some people feel the need to eat cookies and cake on their diet, others feel they want to choose fruit and veg and that is fine too.

    Do what YOU want to do, and dont let anyone stop you or make fun of you for wanting to "eat clean". Especdially if it works for you.
  • Carmella9
    Carmella9 Posts: 171 Member
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    Thats the point I was making :)

    Weird because I always feel better training if I have a bagel or pop tarts as opposed to a banana.

    Really?! Maybe its the carbs? When i say that I mean running is that what you also mean? Im sure it could have different effects on different exercises.
    Nope, I never do cardio. I find it boring and tedious. I weight train.

    Well that probably explains it, if I eat 'unclean foods' before a long run I feel awful, but its probably makes you have a better weight session due to the quick energy release of the sugar (same probably applies to sprinting) where as, Id need slow release energy because I tend to run long distances.
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
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    Lose weight faster? No.

    Advantages? Depends on what kind of person you are. 'Clean eating' (i guess you mean food you cook yourself, veg fruit meat etc & prob whole grains?) can be simpler, if you have time to cook & are great at planning. Eg a common rule of thumb would be: a fist's worth of meat, two handfuls of veg, 1/2 potato or 1/2 cup of rice or grains. That's easy to remember, and that kind of food gives you a lot of bang for your (calorie) buck, it's pretty filling.

    'Clean eating' also can work for some people who have a lot of binge triggers, in that you just don't keep those foods in the house. Willpower isn't so much of a problem (though boredom might be, if you're not into trying things.) Again, if you have a lot of time & control over your cooking/mealtimes, works a treat.

    But: ethnic foods & sauces can work with it, but not easily, you have to figure that out (more work) ie just steak/1/2 potato/salad can get boring. Need time for all the prep/planning. Depending on where you live or work, 'clean' restaurant foods might not be easily available. You might be in social situations in which there's just no 'clean' option. (Mind you, you could eat like 70 or 80 or whatever % 'clean'. You probably should, really, because that's what fits macros best anyway.)

    If you prefer convenience (or are lazy) & greater variety, and don't have any real issues with bingeing/trigger foods, just counting calories & keeping track of protein, carbs & fat takes you the same place weight wise. & really there's a lot of overlap anyway, once you do that. The trick here is really good portion control.

    I ate pretty 'clean' when I lost my weight, maybe 80-90%. I found that period helpful in terms of weight loss, yeah, but probably more in terms of rejigging my attitude & approach to food.

    In maintenance, I've been much more relaxed - would say I'm around 60% 'clean', lol.

    yes thats true for me. I make homemade beef stew, with all fresh ingredients, but i do add in a pack of McCormicks seasoning, because even though that is processed, i like the way it seasons my food, and the meal is way better calorie-wise than if i had bought it at a restaurant and tastes a heck of a lot better than canned stew which tastes like dog food to me.

    I like to make stuff that is one-pot cooking, a little prep work, but it can last 3 days, so that all evens out in the end.

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