Confessions of a recovering clean eater

I do think that people don't have to eat "clean" all the time, I eat only an abundance of fruits and veggies, and sometimes I can have something other than that on reward day. IIFYM is a great thing for some people, only if they do it right. People have been using IIFYM as an excuse to eat tons of nutritionally deficient foods, and thus, most people are doing IIFYM "wrong", in my opinion, IIFYM is only a stable diet for bodybuilders. Also clean eating doesn't have to be boring, and that's why most people switch to IIFYM. If somebody wants to partake in IIFYM, the right way to do it is by eating a paleolithic diet, not the modern american diet. Don't hate on me, this is just my opinion, and if anyone doesn't accept it, just move on.

Wait, why is IIFYM only suitable for bodybuilders? They are actually usually are the ones who feel you need to be ultra clean (from what I understand). IIFYM is not eat junk food all the time. In fact, a lot of people follow the 80/20 rule, which from what I understand is how a lot of people eat paleo too because they find it too restrictive all the time (and going out with friends can be difficult). They key is moderation.

On the forums, a lot of people say yay junk food, and I have McD's every day, and blah blah blah. But, they may have one thing from McD's a day, and it's their extra. The rest of their day is likely a lot of whole foods that you feel would be appropriate for a paleo diet (although ignoring the requirements for grass fed and restricting carbs). It really is about moderation, but people emphasize it to make a point. I think in general, any diet that is so restrictive that you feel you can't go out for a drink or dinner with friends isn't going to be sustainable long term. The 80/20 rule for any diet helps with that, but being inflexible I think is what can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food.

As to what diet you decide to follow? Go with what keeps you satiated and helps you achieve your goals.

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

It's possible your not quite familiar with IIFYM?

Educate me then? Everything I've seen and read on here is eat anything you want if it fits in your Protein, Carb, Fat macros or some people think it means just as long as you don't go over your calories. Or I hear a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, it doesn't matter what it is.

How can eating clean and IIFYM be the same nutritionally? A Big Mac from McDonalds might fit your macros but nutritionally it's no where near the same nutritional value of the same amount of calories of vegetables, fruits and whole foods. Am I thinking too simple?

***no hostility going on here, I'm just learning***

Basically, IIFYM can fit into any eating lifestyle of your choosing. Whether it is clean eating, Paleo, Primal, General Low Carb, Calorie Countng, etc.

For me being Paleo / Primal - I have my macros set to 60% fat, 20% protein, 10% carbs. What I choose to eat that day should fit into those numbers. (if I am understanding IIFYM correctly).

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

It's possible your not quite familiar with IIFYM?

Educate me then? Everything I've seen and read on here is eat anything you want if it fits in your Protein, Carb, Fat macros or some people think it means just as long as you don't go over your calories. Or I hear a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, it doesn't matter what it is.

How can eating clean and IIFYM be the same nutritionally? A Big Mac from McDonalds might fit your macros but nutritionally it's no where near the same nutritional value of the same amount of calories of vegetables, fruits and whole foods. Am I thinking too simple?

***no hostility going on here, I'm just learning***

you don't understand nutrition.

IIFYM... eat whatever you want within a varied diet while meeting your macro- and micro-nutritional needs.

clean eating... ignore your nutritional intake and concentrate on eating from an arbitrarily created list of allowable foods and assume/hope that your nutritional needs are met.

by DEFINITION IIFYM > clean eating from a nutritional point of view. if you do IIFYM correctly, then you are guaranteed to meet your nutritional needs. if you do clean eating correctly, you can only hope to meet your nutritional needs - but you never really know because you are simply trusting that the foods you eat will do that for you without making any effort to verify that to be the case. the minute you make the effort to track and verify that your nutritional needs are being met, you are doing IIFYM.

Well then, it seems I've been doing it right by accident. I ate mostly clean last month and lost 10 pounds. But I did have a Frownie Sundae with my grandkids one day and didn't worry about it too much on the couple times I ate at restaurants. What does IIFYM stand for anyway?

Hopefully that was a brownie sundae since a frownie one just makes me sad... :sad:

Kings Restaurant has Frownie's - it's a brownie with a frownie face. lol The opposite of Eat N Park's Smilie cookie!

Great article! I'm interested to know what macros split Layne recommends. Does anyone know?

I guess I would fall into the same category as her.....

but I still eat the same foods I did before.....I just eat more.

So who knows.

neanderthin I am wondering what you meant by {she isn't clean " ?

Congrats on what you have accomplished.

On the forums, a lot of people say yay junk food, and I have McD's every day, and blah blah blah. But, they may have one thing from McD's a day, and it's their extra. The rest of their day is likely a lot of whole foods that you feel would be appropriate for a paleo diet (although ignoring the requirements for grass fed and restricting carbs). It really is about moderation, but people emphasize it to make a point.

This, precisely. I follow IIFYM, and sure, I could eat nothing but Krispy Kremes and bacon double cheeseburgers, but I'm going to use up all my calories pretty quickly doing that and therefore feel hungry. So it's a subtle way of teaching and persuading you to eat healthily, and perhaps 'cleaner', with the occasional Krispy Kreme and bacon double cheeseburger.

People that follow IIFYM go on about eating those types of food emphasize it because of all the 'I must eat low carb/low fat.low sugar/clean/plant based diets or else I will not lose weight!' people.

you don't understand nutrition.

IIFYM... eat whatever you want within a varied diet while meeting your macro- and micro-nutritional needs.

clean eating... ignore your nutritional intake and concentrate on eating from an arbitrarily created list of allowable foods and assume/hope that your nutritional needs are met.

by DEFINITION IIFYM > clean eating from a nutritional point of view. if you do IIFYM correctly, then you are guaranteed to meet your nutritional needs. if you do clean eating correctly, you can only hope to meet your nutritional needs - but you never really know because you are simply trusting that the foods you eat will do that for you without making any effort to verify that to be the case. the minute you make the effort to track and verify that your nutritional needs are being met, you are doing IIFYM.

I understand nutrition VERY WELL, thank you very much. What I don't obviously understand are these varying definitions of catch phrase's "Clean Eating" or "IIFYM", now that I have a better understanding of what those mean (well on this thread anyway) I can see other's points of view. This has nothing to do with my knowledge of Nutrition.

Thanks for the information.

Clean eating certainly has varied means. IIFYM does not, its very well laid out.
Yes, you may be able to eat a Big Mac and still hit your macros, but the rest of the day you are going to have to work to balance because your fat macro is going to be over. You may not get all the nutrients you need from the Big Mac, but the rest of you meals will likely provide it for you. Besides the fact that Big Macs are not totally devoid of nutrients.

For example, if I eat sushi, I usually have to have a protein and a lot of veggies for my next meal to a)hit my protein goal and b) balance my carbs.
You will find it very hard to eat all "junk" food and still hit your macros and stay within your calories.

This article resonates with me. I am also a reformed clean eater. I also subscribe to IIFYM now. LIke the author, I still eat mostly whole foods, fewer things out of a box, but I no longer fear it. I no longer let myself starve because I didn't prep my food and there is nothing to get easily (I work shiftwork) that is considered "clean". I realize the benefit of foods that aren't considered "clean"

If your goal is weight loss then IIFYM is just as good as eating clean. If your goal is health and nutrition then it's completely different.

haha you are joking right????

I have to ask sometimes cause I am never sure when I see something like this if the poster is being serious or not...cause it just so silly.