STOP COUNTING CALORIES: EAT CLEAN

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Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    this topic is just backwards..it should be stop eating clean: count calories...
  • Elliesque
    Elliesque Posts: 156 Member
    I dont mind watching calories if it means I can eat what I want. I like it dirty sometimes!:drinker:
  • jeremyjirwin
    jeremyjirwin Posts: 15
    I eat candy bars, drink soda, eat chips, go to Taco Bell....

    I've lost 30 lbs in just over a couple months.

    If you don't indulge your cravings every now and again, or if you try and restrict your diet too much, you will break your diet. As long as you are eating within your calorie limit, clean or dirty doesn't matter. Try and keep your diet fairly balanced, and count calories. Anything else is just guessing. I can overeat with "clean" eating the same as I can with "dirty" eating.

    Now, if you'll excuse me, I've earned a couple Reeses Peanut Butter cups today.
  • KimbersNewLife
    KimbersNewLife Posts: 646 Member
    BawxZ.gif

    This is going to get Good.

    LOL!!!
  • maddogobrien
    maddogobrien Posts: 5
    Counting calories is a way to manage your caloric intake. If you eat more calories than you burn you gain weight. Simple as that. Makes no difference whether the food is "clean" or "dirty". From the standpoint of your health eating "clean" makes a huge difference.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    From the standpoint of your health eating "clean" makes a huge difference.

    Groan.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    Counting calories is a way to manage your caloric intake. If you eat more calories than you burn you gain weight. Simple as that. Makes no difference whether the food is "clean" or "dirty". From the standpoint of your health eating "clean" makes a huge difference.

    Not as much as you think.
  • maddogobrien
    maddogobrien Posts: 5
    Counting calories is a way to manage your caloric intake. If you eat more calories than you burn you gain weight. Simple as that. Makes no difference whether the food is "clean" or "dirty". From the standpoint of your health eating "clean" makes a huge difference.

    Not as much as you think.
    I've been to both extremes and it made a difference in terms of being sick less, having more energy, etc. All things in moderation.
  • MuseofSong
    MuseofSong Posts: 322 Member
    Troll thread is trolly!


    trolls.jpg

    Edit:
    But, before I decided to be mature, I already composed a parody . . .

    I see ‘em creepin’,
    the food logs
    I know they’re trying to see if ya’ll are eating dirty
    Try to catch you eating dirty
    Try to catch you eating dirty
    Ya know, they think you’re eating dirty!


    Okay, I'm done now. :tongue:
  • guessrs
    guessrs Posts: 358 Member
    I have to count because it's calorie deficit that results in weight loss. Even if I overeat on clean foods I'll gain weight.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    Counting calories is a way to manage your caloric intake. If you eat more calories than you burn you gain weight. Simple as that. Makes no difference whether the food is "clean" or "dirty". From the standpoint of your health eating "clean" makes a huge difference.

    Yes, at least it does for me. I learned long ago that, for me, WHAT I ate was just as important, if not more so, than how much I ate. No matter how many calories I consume, there is a major difference in how I feel depending on the kinds of food I consume.

    Everyone's goal isn't just to lose weight. For some of us the quality of life, how our bodies actually feel, plays an enormously important role. It seems odd to me that there are so many people here who are antagonistic against this idea.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I guess it will depend on how many calories are in this "clean food" you speak of.. :huh:

    This is correct. I have always eaten nutritious, low and no-processed foods - what many people would refer to as "clean". Almost everything I eat is made from scratch at home. As I got older and less active, I started to gain a little weight over time, even though my diet was still composed of the same healthy foods. It doesn't matter if your food is "clean" or not. It's the amount of calories you take in versus the calories you burn.
  • aimforhealthy
    aimforhealthy Posts: 449 Member
    So much nonsense.

    I moved cross-country this summer and when I got here, the apartment I was expecting to move into had some issues that needed repairing and I lived in a hotel with no fridge or microwave for nearly a month. I ate nothing but fast food and the breakfast they had downstairs for free. Sometimes I even had candy in the evenings from the vending machine. I ran a few times a week but that was otherwise it. I tracked calories, though, and made sure I stayed at or just below 20% of my TDEE.

    I lost 7 lbs that month. Eating "dirty."

    I still have no idea what the scientific definition of "clean eating" is. Oh, right - because there isn't one.
  • andiebaco
    andiebaco Posts: 211 Member
    I never count calories. Ever!
    I do NOT log my food here.

    I simply eat correctly. Meaning I don't eat garbage, I watch portions, I don't snack, I don't use sugar of ANY kind. Not even the fake crap. I drink water, water, water. And only water. When I think I've had enough water, I drink a few more cups of water.
    I exercise 3-5 days a week. I never eat fast food, candy or processed crap.

    Every morning I drink an 8oz glass of water with 1oz of Lemon juice in it within the 10 minutes of waking up.
    I NEVER, EVER skip breakfast. In fact, within 1 hour of waking I eat a 3-4 egg white omelet along with 6oz of Chobani Plain Fat-free Greek Yogurt and 1/2 of an orange, every single day..

    Lunch is usually a large salad with chicken and Fat free Italian dressing. And an apple or something. I'll snack on carrots or other veggies through out the day.

    I drink half my body weight in water every day minimum.

    Dinner is similar to lunch.

    This is my daily routine.


    I never log it and I've lost 40+ pounds. As long as you eat right, exercise and font snack on crap, drink sugary drinks and exercise, you should be fine. You know what you shouldn't be eating or drinking.


    That sounds incredibly boring, and I'm pretty damn sure that you won't be able to eat the same things every single day for the rest of your life..

    And you are missing the wonders of Asian food, REAL Latin food, the yumminess of French cuisine and the awesome curries from Moroccan food...

    I do believe that eating chicken fills you more and longer than a bag of doritos.. but if it fits my calories, and I'm really craving that ice cream, why not try a little bit? \

    At my parents house, my mom cooks healthy, no fast food, lots of vegetables and fruits every meal, meat for lunch (in Mexico main meal is lunch) and a light dinner with a small plate of fruit. Yet, I was an overweight as a kid..

    It's not the "clean" vs "dirty" food, it is all about the quantity... You can eat as much as you want of fruits until you get sick and you are still going to gain weight. You can eat very little processed food and you still going to lose weight (I did, when I had an e.d. back when I was an overly emotional teen).

    Now, I like going out for dinner with friends and have normal food. I enjoy trying new dishes in Singapore. I compensate with exercise and planning the other two meals so my calories are within the limit... And I've been steadily losing both weight and bf %... So yeah...
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    I once did a program where I did not count a single calorie for any: lean meats, fat-free dairy products, most grains, all fruits and vegetables, one serving of potatoes or pasta or rice (the whole grain kind), eggs (clearly in moderation), beans and legumes, and two servings of oil. I lost 100 pounds in less than a year eating that way. You just eat until you're not hungry anymore, and then you stop (and sometimes I ate until I was full...and I still lost weight). I am trying to get back to that way of eating right now because it was my most successful lifestyle. So yes, it does work. But if you need the structure, then counting calories is helpful.

    I LOST ALMOST 100 POUNDS IN LESS THAN 11 MONTHS, EATING FLAMING HOT CHEETOS, SKITTLES, CHIPS AND SALSA, ROLOS, FRENCH FRIES, PIZZA, BURGERS, ICE CREAM... and drinking beer! i didnt have to cut out any thing, if i wanted something, i ate it, and i never missed out on fun family events watching everyone eat while there really wasnt anything for me to eat... "CLEAN"... all i had to do was "moderate" myself, never deprive... and yes, it is deprivation, wether you choose to acknowledge it or not.

    id rather chop off my limbs and enjoy my food, than to spend the rest of my life worrying about eating nothing but plants and chickens...
  • jennjychung
    jennjychung Posts: 10 Member
    i disagree with a lot of what people have been saying! i am asian too, i know what you mean by a ton of ingredients in dishes...it's so time consuming to keep track of your calories. i started off my recent health kick with just a clean eating attitude. i bought everything organic, and stayed away from ALL processed sauces/food. i am not overweight, i just wanted to shed some extra pounds. after i started "clean eating" i felt a BOOST in energy and just overall was in a better mood all day long. but then i started myfitnesspal and started obsessing about counting my calories. after this, i let myself eat some processed food just because it was lower in calories. i felt bloated, tired, and just not as energetic. bottom line, eating clean is MUCH more beneficial than counting calories. i lost a lot of weight since i started this health kick and most of it is because i cut out all processed food from my diet. you feel/look so much better once you go paleo. a lot easier to me than obsessing about calories.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I've tried that. Didn't work. I was craving things too much and couldn't stick to it. I've been at this for 9 months now and it's the longest I've ever lasted with a 'diet'.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    Counting calories is a way to manage your caloric intake. If you eat more calories than you burn you gain weight. Simple as that. Makes no difference whether the food is "clean" or "dirty". From the standpoint of your health eating "clean" makes a huge difference.

    Weight and bodyfat will have a more significant impact on your health markers.
  • AverageUkDude
    AverageUkDude Posts: 371 Member
    Counting calories is a way to manage your caloric intake. If you eat more calories than you burn you gain weight. Simple as that. Makes no difference whether the food is "clean" or "dirty". From the standpoint of your health eating "clean" makes a huge difference.

    Weight and bodyfat will have a more significant impact on your health markers.

    logical post is logical.
  • bmqbonnie
    bmqbonnie Posts: 836 Member
    I think most people really need to count calories for at least a while to relearn portion sizes, get an idea of how best to get in their macros, and get an idea of how much to eat/exercise to lose or maintain. I also think that it's kind of a transition to eating clean. If your calorie limit is 1200 and you blow it all on a Big Mac meal, you're going to be pretty hungry. So you learn to spread it out and fill up on fiber, protein, whole grains, etc.

    I'm not the most faithful of loggers. For a long time I told myself I didn't need to, it was a hassle, it stressed me out and caused binges, etc. Well, that didn't get me anywhere. I'm sick of being fat and here I am, logging faithfully and doing things the MFP way. I still take a break here and there but as time goes on my portions get bigger and my food dirtier, so I need to check myself and come back to logging.

    I eat pretty "clean" (I think? It depends on your definition) but I'd still like to eat out once in a while, have some chips or ice cream, etc. MFP works well for me because it's restrictive in calories, not what I eat. Like I said before, it behooves me to eat pretty clean but it still allows for a treat here and there. If I told myself I was never going to eat a burger again, I'd end up ordering up five of them tomorrow.

    Plus I'm pretty sure that if I stop making my weekly "dirty" biscuits and gravy my marriage is going to be over.
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
    STOP EATING "CLEAN" : COUNT CALORIES


    Fixed the title for OP
  • Noiram55
    Noiram55 Posts: 43
    Counting calories is a way to manage your caloric intake. If you eat more calories than you burn you gain weight. Simple as that. Makes no difference whether the food is "clean" or "dirty". From the standpoint of your health eating "clean" makes a huge difference.

    Yes, at least it does for me. I learned long ago that, for me, WHAT I ate was just as important, if not more so, than how much I ate. No matter how many calories I consume, there is a major difference in how I feel depending on the kinds of food I consume.

    Everyone's goal isn't just to lose weight. For some of us the quality of life, how our bodies actually feel, plays an enormously important role. It seems odd to me that there are so many people here who are antagonistic against this idea.
  • Noiram55
    Noiram55 Posts: 43
    Counting calories is a way to manage your caloric intake. If you eat more calories than you burn you gain weight. Simple as that. Makes no difference whether the food is "clean" or "dirty". From the standpoint of your health eating "clean" makes a huge difference.

    Yes, at least it does for me. I learned long ago that, for me, WHAT I ate was just as important, if not more so, than how much I ate. No matter how many calories I consume, there is a major difference in how I feel depending on the kinds of food I consume.

    Everyone's goal isn't just to lose weight. For some of us the quality of life, how our bodies actually feel, plays an enormously

    important role. It seems odd to me that there are so many people here who are antagonistic against this idea.

    I agree so much with you. I am so fed up with all the antagonistic people on here. How do they know what is best for everyone, as obviously they dont.
  • wingchungym
    wingchungym Posts: 30
    Heaven forbid how much facebook and candy crush saga time am I losing with this bothersome calorie counting and paying attention to my health malarky!/ :wink:
  • LeanneGoingThin
    LeanneGoingThin Posts: 215 Member
    You can eat clean and still overeat. It is not some magic weight loss method. It's always cals in < cals out.
  • maddogobrien
    maddogobrien Posts: 5
    Counting calories is a way to manage your caloric intake. If you eat more calories than you burn you gain weight. Simple as that. Makes no difference whether the food is "clean" or "dirty". From the standpoint of your health eating "clean" makes a huge difference.

    Weight and bodyfat will have a more significant impact on your health markers.
    Definitely, but it's not either/or. Eating fruits, vegetables, lean meats, etc. [i.e. what most people mean being "eating clean"] is healthier than eating fast food, processed food and sugar.
  • maddogobrien
    maddogobrien Posts: 5
    I think most people really need to count calories for at least a while to relearn portion sizes, get an idea of how best to get in their macros, and get an idea of how much to eat/exercise to lose or maintain. I also think that it's kind of a transition to eating clean. If your calorie limit is 1200 and you blow it all on a Big Mac meal, you're going to be pretty hungry. So you learn to spread it out and fill up on fiber, protein, whole grains, etc.

    I'm not the most faithful of loggers. For a long time I told myself I didn't need to, it was a hassle, it stressed me out and caused binges, etc. Well, that didn't get me anywhere. I'm sick of being fat and here I am, logging faithfully and doing things the MFP way. I still take a break here and there but as time goes on my portions get bigger and my food dirtier, so I need to check myself and come back to logging.

    I eat pretty "clean" (I think? It depends on your definition) but I'd still like to eat out once in a while, have some chips or ice cream, etc. MFP works well for me because it's restrictive in calories, not what I eat. Like I said before, it behooves me to eat pretty clean but it still allows for a treat here and there. If I told myself I was never going to eat a burger again, I'd end up ordering up five of them tomorrow.

    Plus I'm pretty sure that if I stop making my weekly "dirty" biscuits and gravy my marriage is going to be over.
    completely agree
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
    This is probably already been said but I can't be bothered to read all the responses.

    Why the heck, on a calorie counting site, would you ask about not counting calories?
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    I think most people really need to count calories for at least a while to relearn portion sizes, get an idea of how best to get in their macros, and get an idea of how much to eat/exercise to lose or maintain. I also think that it's kind of a transition to eating clean. If your calorie limit is 1200 and you blow it all on a Big Mac meal, you're going to be pretty hungry. So you learn to spread it out and fill up on fiber, protein, whole grains, etc.

    I'm not the most faithful of loggers. For a long time I told myself I didn't need to, it was a hassle, it stressed me out and caused binges, etc. Well, that didn't get me anywhere. I'm sick of being fat and here I am, logging faithfully and doing things the MFP way. I still take a break here and there but as time goes on my portions get bigger and my food dirtier, so I need to check myself and come back to logging.

    I eat pretty "clean" (I think? It depends on your definition) but I'd still like to eat out once in a while, have some chips or ice cream, etc. MFP works well for me because it's restrictive in calories, not what I eat. Like I said before, it behooves me to eat pretty clean but it still allows for a treat here and there. If I told myself I was never going to eat a burger again, I'd end up ordering up five of them tomorrow.

    Plus I'm pretty sure that if I stop making my weekly "dirty" biscuits and gravy my marriage is going to be over.
    completely agree

    +2

    I understand the school of thought though. If you primarily eat fruits, veggies and lean protein it's super duper hard to eat to much. So logging is pointless. *BUT* So many people do not actually eat *clean* or in the manner that would make calorie counting unnecessary. Esp in the beginning. I eat mostly clean. The amount of food I have to eat to reach any healthy level of caloric intake is ridiculous. If anything I log to ensure I eat *enough*. To each their own, of course. Whatever works for you personally. But I would tend to think that people have no idea how many calories are in the foods they eat (even the fruits and veggies) and have no idea how much of that food is a good portion or healthy amount to consume. Obtaining the knowledge on proper portions and eating is paramount to any healthy eating lifestyle.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Biggest problem with clean eating is undereating. If you feel full quicker, you'll eat less protein and calories. This is fine if you're only worried about weight. But it's all about bodyfat%.

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