Clean Eating Bashing?

I think you got it backwards. It's usually people that are "clean eaters" bashing people who lose weight eating junk that I'm more familiar with. With lines like "let's see how healthy you are eating junk in 10 years" or "you may be losing weight, but your poisoning yourself with processed foods" are common by clean eaters.
The debate against clean eaters is usually stated as: you don't JUST have to eat clean to lose weight and be healthy. And for some reason, clean eaters take personal offense to it. There's also much denial about "a calorie is a calorie" argument. Somehow thermogenesis is skewed if one doesn't eat clean.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

It's primarily the ones who've had difficulties with their weight in the past. They've decided (or are unable) to not give up foods high in fat and sugar (i.e. "junk food"), and due to whatever limited success they've had, believe there is something wrong with those who desire to cut such things out of their diet.

I'll take my "limited success" over a cartoon any day.

I agree! This is myFITNESSpal, not myWEIGHTLOSSpal. Eating clean contributes to fitness in more ways than eating twinkies at a deficit does.

Why does eating twinkies mean you aren't fit?

NO ONE SAID THAT! This is exactly what I'm talking about.

It was implied that eating twinkes = not fit.

Still waiting on the three ways eating clean contributes more to fitness than eating "twinkies" or whatever else does.

It was not implied. You inferred it.

3 Reasons: Meeting your nutritional needs before you eat exclusively snacks is on its face better for you or nutritional guidelines would not exist at all. Twinkies take a great deal of processing and transporting of ingredients to accomplish, which contributes to water and air pollution, neither or which are good for you. Twinkies contain a lot of corn-based ingredients which contribute to the mono-cropping of American and threaten the sustainability of the food system.

Do your own freaking research on Twinkies. You are lazy for making me do it for you.

I see some people on here that survive exclusively on fast food and I really don't want to pay for your Obamacare for you.

Reading through the thread, and OP, ironically, you just did exactly what pisses most people off.

I have to agree. That comment was completely unnecessary.

I don't bash it at all, but its not the end all be all.

If you eat fewer calories than your body consumes you will lose weight. However, if you want to be as healthy as possible you should be paying attention to Macro Nutrients and Micro Nutrients. If you only eat Twinkies, are you going to get enough protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, fiber, Vitamin A, B, C, D, E, calcium, potassium etc? I have found you end up eating much healthier to stay below your calorie limit and get all the above nutrition. Filling your calories with vegetables, lean meats, some fruits, dairy, etc IMHO will keep you healthier than just getting your calorie as a calorie.

Didnt read other comments.

I've noticed a little bit, or defending poorer choices like fast food, and yes they do have nutritional value, but seems silly to bash eating fresh fruit and veggies over packaged or prepared foods.

Completely agree

Started eating clean eating the amount of food I did before I
: lost weight
: No eczema
:no longer constantly constipated
:Better sex drive and performance
:better energy levels
:sleep better
:stay in a better mood

I see some people on here that survive exclusively on fast food and I really don't want to pay for your Obamacare for you.

Recently I gained some weight and was trying to lose it and was stuck on one hell of a plateau. I got fed up and decided to try something different. I switched to eating sort of clean, same number of calories, and four pounds fell off like whoa. I wasn't eating a ton of crap before, not a lot of sodium either. I don't eat out much and I cook at home from scratch and have for a long time. The only real difference is going from a pretty normal albeit healthy diet to one that is high in veggies, lean protein, and much lower in grains and cheese.

Some of the clean eating stuff gets a bit silly. I can't fathom a reason one would want to avoid lentils, for example, and I don't want to not EVER eat bread. But I was in the habit of eating more bread than veggies and I figured I could stand to make a change in that department.

1400 cals this way is way more satisfying than 1400 cals ever has been. I gave up most junk food and white wheat products long ago but now I've gone an extra step. Personally, I'm glad I did. Nobody else has to, but again I was stuck in a rut and thought I'd try it and it seemed to get me out of that rut. Could be coincidence, but I feel pretty good so I'm gonna stick with it. Within reason though, because I still like to go out once a week and I still like to make yummy not-clean things for my fiance and me.

well... this sounds like a reasonable approach. We don't stand for that kind of logic around here. :laugh:

as to if I feel better eating clean or not clean and if I do it just for weight loss or not..

I haven't eaten in a way that I'd call truly not clean (mostly processed lots of fast food) in over 25 years so I don't know.

that should answer the question if I do it for weightloss purposes.. Nope. that's my lifestyle.

If you're not washing your foods before you cook, then you eat dirty.




"Clean Eating" is BS. You have a liver and kidneys which "clean your system. The same goes for "Detoxing" your body. Bunch of crap. While they "work" they do more harm. Do your research.

If you want to "eat clean" then eat foods without the processed crap. Easy peasy.

That is what I mean by clean....non processed. I don't get where ppl are talking about cleanses and stuff. Lol. Is this the enema thread? Whoops my bad lol

where do you draw the line at "processed"...how exactly are the black beans in a can so much filthier than if I spent all day making my own black beans? When it comes down to it, everything has some, at least, minimal processing just to get it to your store.

For me...personally....the line is drawn at what I can afford and what I can't live without.

Boxed dinners (hamburger helper etc) I will not buy. I do buy organic cereal but rarely eat it (cereal doesn't agree with me).
I buy my veggies, fruits, and eggs from my local farmers as much as I can. I get organic if I can afford it.
Protein....Can't afford the high dollar stuff.

Ben and Jerry's....will not live without

Werd!

Breyer's4Lyfe!

Didnt read other comments.

I've noticed a little bit, or defending poorer choices like fast food, and yes they do have nutritional value, but seems silly to bash eating fresh fruit and veggies over packaged or prepared foods.

Nobody is saying not to eat fruit and veg...most people would agree that ones diet should largely consist of nutrient dense foods...most people would agree that fruit and veg and lean proteins and healthy fats should all be part of a well rounded and balanced diet...it's the over the top, you can't have anything processed and everything must be organic or you're going to die bull **** that drives people crazy. "Clean Eaters" and paleo folks are like some kind of weird cult religion.

I eat a well balanced diet rich in nutrient dense whole foods...I also eat ice cream regularly and drink beer and stuff...I'm at a healthy weight and BF%...I feel great and I rock my fitness...I don't need to eat 100% whole organic foods to kick *kitten*...nobody does. I meat my nutritional requirements with food...after that, I don't get extra credit for more broccoli...I'm going to have a cookie if I have calories and macro budget for it.

No one bashes grilled chicken and broccoli.

TBH, that sounds flavourless and awful. Like hotel banquet food.

Stahp the bashing!

No one bashes grilled chicken and broccoli.

TBH, that sounds flavourless and awful. Like hotel banquet food.

thats what i was thinking put some salt on it people

As I see it: everyone who's lost weight is sure they're the ones doing it right. And face it, we're all good at losing weight. Are we all good at KEEPING IT OFF? not so much. But isn't this the real goal????

We could all do with a bit of seeing that everyone comes at this from their own place. And that everyone has a successful path. We could do well by helping each other identify that path. We seem to get stuck, as zealots often do, with wanting to cheer/stress/pressure folks onto our own path. I see it often outside the boards. You Like your phone/jacket/carrier/cable/netflix/whatever and want others to like it (either because you truly believe it's best, or want to believe it's best) so you "sell" them on it (again, as zealots often do). Either by promoting its good qualities (AS YOU SEE THEM) or by dismissing the qualities of the other options (AGAIN: AS YOU SEE THEM). All it really does is say a lot about you, and where you're at.

Clean eating is today's whipping boy (because the name is dumb). iffym or "lifting heavy" may soon be the whipping boy. In fact, I pretty much predict they will be.

If you've been around a while, you begin to see patterns.

My point? Remember that everyone comes to myfitnesspal.com at different a place and time in life. Let them have their own journey. I'm not saying don't help them out. But let them see that there ARE many ways up the mountain.

And remember: the goal is to KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF. Consider that when you preach the one right way.

No one bashes grilled chicken and broccoli.

TBH, that sounds flavourless and awful. Like hotel banquet food.

thats what i was thinking put some salt on it people

Actually I think this is where that filthy cheese goes!!!