Do you have to eat clean to lose weight?

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  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
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    Nope. In fact, I'm having pizza for dinner tonight ;)
  • cavia
    cavia Posts: 457 Member
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    <
    No.
  • Jess732008
    Jess732008 Posts: 98 Member
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    [quote/]
    This. I lost my weight while not eating 'clean'. After I transitioned into maintenance I got sucked into the whole clean eating thing and tried it for 3 months-it only led to bad things, including me heading down the slippery slope of orthorexia. It didn't do anything magical for my body and health, and it sure didn't do anything good for my mental health. I realized what it was doing to me and I ditched it. Now I'm back to eating the things I enjoy, without labeling food good/bad, clean/dirty, and I have a healthy relationship with food again :smile:
    [/quote]

    Hmmm, for me, it is important to eat foods that are healthy because certain foods trigger my overeating really bad, certain cookies, peanut butter, cheese, yogurt, prepackaged foods and sweets for example. I have eaten a whole jar of peanut butter at a time or a whole bag of chips, cookies, cheese, or small jar of peanut butter at a time. If the food is portioned out when I am eating out ( even fast food) or if I cook it in small quantities, overeating is less of an issue. I tried for a time to eat normal foods like a normal eater and just ended up gaining weight when I was not able to control my eating of those foods. Whole foods are less likely to trigger my overeating. It is like I have to eat them until they are gone.
  • bert16
    bert16 Posts: 726 Member
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    Five responses from people with tickers totalling 729 pounds lost :happy: Love the start of this thread LOL

    Hahahaha... I heart your ticker!!! And congrats on the weight loss - amazing!!!!
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    But if you work behind the desk and just make yoga you will have problems to loose weight.
    Not at all, not if your calorie intake is under control.
  • TheFitHooker
    TheFitHooker Posts: 3,358 Member
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    Nope I didn't start trying to eat cleaner till recently and I've lost 133 lbs.
  • Jesyka_Gee
    Jesyka_Gee Posts: 27 Member
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    I really believe it depends on what your ultimate goal would be. For example, if all you care about is weight loss, than as long as you are meeting your calorie requirements than you can do just that. BUT - if you are trying to create a healthier lifestyle for yourself (not just dieting) than eating clean is an absolute must. There is no other way around it. But again, it depends on what your goal is.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Every day as a snack, I have Pisang Goreng, which is deep fried banana fritters. I have 2-2.5 pieces and they are each worth about 126 calories and are 2" long. Even while eating this, I manage to meet my 1200 calories a day because my meals are mainly focused around South Indian cuisine, which involves low calorie foods, enough carbs and many vegetables.

    My point is, do you really have to eat clean to lose weight? If you eat cake, have ice cream and pizza, and as long as you meet your recommended calorie intake, do you still lose weight? 'm confused about my somewhat unhealthy snacking, so any form of advice would be appreciated!

    Ask yourself what makes deep fried banana fritters "unclean?" Did they fall on the floor and get cat hair on them? Did you prepare them without washing your hands first?

    Seriously, eat what you enjoy. Strive to hit your macronutrient goals. Stay within your calorie range. That's it.
  • TheFitHooker
    TheFitHooker Posts: 3,358 Member
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    I really believe it depends on what your ultimate goal would be. For example, if all you care about is weight loss, than as long as you are meeting your calorie requirements than you can do just that. BUT - if you are trying to create a healthier lifestyle for yourself (not just dieting) than eating clean is an absolute must. There is no other way around it. But again, it depends on what your goal is.

    When I first started losing weight, I just wanted the weight off, but after I lost most of all my weight, I am trying to tighten up and build some muscle, so yup eating clean and getting healthy is a must :). But to just lose weight nope, don't gotta. Exactly this!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I really believe it depends on what your ultimate goal would be. For example, if all you care about is weight loss, than as long as you are meeting your calorie requirements than you can do just that. BUT - if you are trying to create a healthier lifestyle for yourself (not just dieting) than eating clean is an absolute must. There is no other way around it. But again, it depends on what your goal is.



    Before MFP, the only time I ever heard "unclean" in relation to food, it was in the Bible, dietary restrictions for the ancient Hebrews. If you have specific religious views, that's one thing, but for the rest of us, there is *NO SUCH THING* as "unclean" food. That is totally made up.
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    I really believe it depends on what your ultimate goal would be. For example, if all you care about is weight loss, than as long as you are meeting your calorie requirements than you can do just that. BUT - if you are trying to create a healthier lifestyle for yourself (not just dieting) than eating clean is an absolute must. There is no other way around it. But again, it depends on what your goal is.

    there is no credible science supporting your assertion (in bold above). it's all speculation and puffery on the part of the clean eaters at this point...
  • fcordingley
    fcordingley Posts: 25 Member
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    No, you don't HAVE to. I didn't and I lost 35lbs so far. BUT, having lost 35lbs now I feel I have come to the point where I want to FEEL healthier, and have decided to start eating cleanER. It's only been a few days, but I already feel amazing. Will I go out this weekend, party and eat some junk? You bet. Will I come back on Monday and eat clean again? Yup.

    Personal preference. 90/10 clean eating makes me feel good.

    ^^ What she said :)

    It is good not to feel deprived so eating cake and pizza occasionally is good however the cleaner you eat the better you will feel- it also generally means that you will be able to eat more food (quantity) than if you eat the higher calorie foods within your calorie goal.

    Hope that made sense!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    I really believe it depends on what your ultimate goal would be. For example, if all you care about is weight loss, than as long as you are meeting your calorie requirements than you can do just that. BUT - if you are trying to create a healthier lifestyle for yourself (not just dieting) than eating clean is an absolute must. There is no other way around it. But again, it depends on what your goal is.

    That is a belief. Keep in mind that food is energy and everything provides a purpose. If you have an event in a short period of time, simple sugars and caffeine would provide a great benefit to athletic performance. Personally, I eat dirty, and my bloodwork has continued to improve, my BP is 110/70, heart rate is 65-72. So you can't tell me because you eat a bit more clean than me, that you are healthier than I am, especially since I hit my micro and macro nutrient goals.
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
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    I really believe it depends on what your ultimate goal would be. For example, if all you care about is weight loss, than as long as you are meeting your calorie requirements than you can do just that. BUT - if you are trying to create a healthier lifestyle for yourself (not just dieting) than eating clean is an absolute must. There is no other way around it. But again, it depends on what your goal is.

    Um, No. I am very healthy now and my last blood work panel came back pretty much perfect, including no longer having a glucose number in the pre-diabetic range. I'm healthy, happy and enjoy fast food 3-4 times a week :wink:
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Yes, you absolutely have to eat clean to lose weight. All the people posting are lying....

    :insertsarcasm:

    But no, you don't have to eat clean to lose weight or get shredded. Meet your macros and micros, stay within your calorie goal, move your butt...that's all that is needed. You can even dump the "move your butt" if you want to.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
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    Five responses from people with tickers totalling 729 pounds lost :happy: Love the start of this thread LOL
    Yup!
    It's the kind of thing I hope is noticed when people are deciding whose advice to take.

    As for the topic at hand...I do like eating a lot of whole healthy "clean" foods, they fill me up and make me feel good...but I'd never have been able to keep at it for this long if I never got to have pizza or ice cream or chocolate or bagels or those cookies my mom makes with Nutella.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    NO!
  • cingle87
    cingle87 Posts: 717 Member
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    Hell no, if I had to eat clean to lose weight I would have fallen off the wagon months ago and woulndt have lost 3 stone, its all about portion control.
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
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    No, you don't HAVE to. I didn't and I lost 35lbs so far. BUT, having lost 35lbs now I feel I have come to the point where I want to FEEL healthier, and have decided to start eating cleanER. It's only been a few days, but I already feel amazing. Will I go out this weekend, party and eat some junk? You bet. Will I come back on Monday and eat clean again? Yup.

    Personal preference. 90/10 clean eating makes me feel good.

    ^^ What she said :)

    It is good not to feel deprived so eating cake and pizza occasionally is good however the cleaner you eat the better you will feel- it also generally means that you will be able to eat more food (quantity) than if you eat the higher calorie foods within your calorie goal.

    Hope that made sense!

    Like I'd want to eat 300 carrot sticks as opposed to a cup of Ben & Jerry's. ;P There's no "clean" and "unclean". All you need for health is a balanced diet, which for the most part almost everything deemed "unclean" has a nutritional value to it that if you watch your macros, you can meet just as easily as eating nuts, fish and broccoli. Eat what you enjoy. There's no reason to exclude anything.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    Losing weight is about calories. Can eat nothing and lose weight. Can eat only twizzlers and lose weight. Can eat fried butter and lose weight.

    How much energy you have, how your digestion progresses, how hungry you feel, etc are things that depend on what you're putting into the equation. Losing weight is the derpy part.

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