If 'eating clean' is so easy for you, how did you get fat?
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I don't find it particularly hard to "eat clean," or at least eat within my calorie/macro limits, but it's way easier to eat....dirty? Ha! But yeah, eating donuts and chocolate all day would be awesome and really easy, but the results you see eating that way are nowhere near as gratifying as the ones you see when you control your intake and make healthier choices.
It wasn't always easy to eat this way. Like anything else, it had to become a habit to become easy. And a lot of people are surprised at how easy it is once they do it. I've gotten to the point where I'm not tempted to dive into all the treats and birthday cakes that end up in our break room every week.
It's always going to be hard at first. You just have to stick with it and reap the benefits, and then resisting the urge to eat everything in sight won't be nearly as hard as it is now. I also love food, and I manage to eat "unhealthy" foods and still lose weight. It's all about moderation (how cliche is that?).0 -
Hi,Apologies for using 'fat', but overweight was too long to fit in the title.
I keep seeing so many threads about people who eat 'clean', avoid processed sugar, follow their hunger signs etc, and it seems so easy for them.
My question to those people is... if your relationship with food is so healthy... how did you get overweight in the first place?
Fat is a fine word.
People who eat clean get fat too. The ones you've come into contact with maintain their weight because they are eating at their maintenance level, not because they eat clean.
Also, just because someone eats clean does not mean they have a healthy relationship with food.
I only eat clean with respect to washing my fruits and vegetables prior to consumption. Other than this, I eat what i want but I stay within my calorie goals.0 -
I started eating clean recently. I got fat after eating boxes of brownies, bags of cookies, 3 sandwiches in a day, anything and everything from the frozen section, pasta (mac and cheese and those sidekick type of things), chicken fingers, cheese and crackers (not in moderation), and eating fast food almost every day.
So eating clean made me lose weight because I'm not eating so much cr@p. 57lbs lost in 5.5 months. Yea I'll stick to eating clean.
actually it was a calorie deficet that made you lose weight....
sorry eating "clean" is a buzz word and will have no impact on weight loss if you don't do it in moderation too...
The difference is the calorie deficit is a result of eating clean. If you're eating to satiety and eating 'dirty' you'll eat a lot more than if you eat clean.
In the end, there is a caloric deficiency and that's why the weight is lost but it's not a forced deficiency and that makes a huge difference.
People only have so much willpower. If you're only staying under your calories because you stop yourself from eating (even when you're hungry), then you're going to go right back up once you stop counting calories.
People always say 'oh you'd gain weight if you ate 4000 calories/day of clean foods". Yes, that might be right, but good luck trying to reach that eating meat and vegetables. I could probably eat that in one meal going to McDonald's.
This also doesn't take into consideration the effect on BMR (and there's some good evidence that if you're hungry, your body is telling you you should eat, and if you don't eat, it negatively affects your BMR)
You can eat "dirty" and still have the deficet...esp based on my understanding of clean eating.
I can eat 6oz of chicken fingers and a salad from Dairy queen and be just as full from that as I can be from eating 6oz of chicken at home...
and eating over maintenance regardless of how you do it cause weight gain..there is no might about it.
I can easily eat "dirty" food everyday and still manage to hit my macros and stay in a reasonable deficet everyday...and I am never hungry...
It's all about moderation...clean eating is a buzz word...and no amount of debate will change the fact that you can get fat eating clean just as easy as eating "dirty" and if you can eat 4000 calories in one sitting at MacDonalds and you aren't full...wow...
a quarter pounder blt has 600 calories...that is a filling burger, add a salad into that and it's at maybe 700 calories...not sure what you plan on adding to that to get to 4000 calories but it would personally make me puke.
I did a calculation on McDonald's site.
An angus burger, a large fry, a milkshake, and a turnover are 2730 calories (more than I generally net in a day). I could eat that. I'm not saying I wouldn't be full. I would be, but I could eat it without much of a problem.
I'm also not saying you must 'eat clean' to eat at a deficit and lose weight or that it's not possible to gain weight and eat clean. What I'm saying it makes it easier for many people (me included) because of how much more filling quality food is.
I remember buying lean cuisines and low-fat crackers trying to lose weight and always being hungry. I'd 'crack' all the time and would end up bingeing on entire frozen pizzas. "I'll make it and eat just two slices to stay under my calories" I would say and before I knew it, I'd devoured an entire pizza which was 2000 calories.
Beyond weight loss as well there are huge benefits to getting plenty of vegetables and proteins into your system.
Why do you have to get a large fry? A small is perfectly satisfying. I on occasion get a 6 piece nugget and a small fry and easily fit it into my day. It's moderation.
Because I can and you get better value by ordering a large fry.
I'm not saying that you can't lose weight if you eat McDonald's regularly. I'm saying that it's much easier if you're eating real food.
6 McNuggets, a medium fry, and a medium coke is 860 calories; eating that, I would be starving 2 hours later. That is not near enough food for me in a meal (and only has 19g of protein!).0 -
I started eating clean recently. I got fat after eating boxes of brownies, bags of cookies, 3 sandwiches in a day, anything and everything from the frozen section, pasta (mac and cheese and those sidekick type of things), chicken fingers, cheese and crackers (not in moderation), and eating fast food almost every day.
So eating clean made me lose weight because I'm not eating so much cr@p. 57lbs lost in 5.5 months. Yea I'll stick to eating clean.
actually it was a calorie deficet that made you lose weight....
sorry eating "clean" is a buzz word and will have no impact on weight loss if you don't do it in moderation too...
The difference is the calorie deficit is a result of eating clean. If you're eating to satiety and eating 'dirty' you'll eat a lot more than if you eat clean.
In the end, there is a caloric deficiency and that's why the weight is lost but it's not a forced deficiency and that makes a huge difference.
People only have so much willpower. If you're only staying under your calories because you stop yourself from eating (even when you're hungry), then you're going to go right back up once you stop counting calories.
People always say 'oh you'd gain weight if you ate 4000 calories/day of clean foods". Yes, that might be right, but good luck trying to reach that eating meat and vegetables. I could probably eat that in one meal going to McDonald's.
This also doesn't take into consideration the effect on BMR (and there's some good evidence that if you're hungry, your body is telling you you should eat, and if you don't eat, it negatively affects your BMR)
You can eat "dirty" and still have the deficet...esp based on my understanding of clean eating.
I can eat 6oz of chicken fingers and a salad from Dairy queen and be just as full from that as I can be from eating 6oz of chicken at home...
and eating over maintenance regardless of how you do it cause weight gain..there is no might about it.
I can easily eat "dirty" food everyday and still manage to hit my macros and stay in a reasonable deficet everyday...and I am never hungry...
It's all about moderation...clean eating is a buzz word...and no amount of debate will change the fact that you can get fat eating clean just as easy as eating "dirty" and if you can eat 4000 calories in one sitting at MacDonalds and you aren't full...wow...
a quarter pounder blt has 600 calories...that is a filling burger, add a salad into that and it's at maybe 700 calories...not sure what you plan on adding to that to get to 4000 calories but it would personally make me puke.
I did a calculation on McDonald's site.
An angus burger, a large fry, a milkshake, and a turnover are 2730 calories (more than I generally net in a day). I could eat that. I'm not saying I wouldn't be full. I would be, but I could eat it without much of a problem.
I'm also not saying you must 'eat clean' to eat at a deficit and lose weight or that it's not possible to gain weight and eat clean. What I'm saying it makes it easier for many people (me included) because of how much more filling quality food is.
I remember buying lean cuisines and low-fat crackers trying to lose weight and always being hungry. I'd 'crack' all the time and would end up bingeing on entire frozen pizzas. "I'll make it and eat just two slices to stay under my calories" I would say and before I knew it, I'd devoured an entire pizza which was 2000 calories.
Beyond weight loss as well there are huge benefits to getting plenty of vegetables and proteins into your system.
Why do you have to get a large fry? A small is perfectly satisfying. I on occasion get a 6 piece nugget and a small fry and easily fit it into my day. It's moderation.
Because I can and you get better value by ordering a large fry.
I'm not saying that you can't lose weight if you eat McDonald's regularly. I'm saying that it's much easier if you're eating real food.
6 McNuggets, a medium fry, and a medium coke is 860 calories; eating that, I would be starving 2 hours later. That is not near enough food for me in a meal (and only has 19g of protein!).
I guess it comes down to what you as an individual get full on. I get sated on much less than you, therefore less calories. (Also, I don't drink soda, so there's always that too.) 0 -
I only eat fast food once a week (if that), barely eat out at restaurants, I cook protein veg brown rice/carb side most days of the week. I gained weight because I eat too much of this food. Last night I made roasted veggies and those thin pork chops (marinated, not fried in any oil). All good until you eat 2 pork chops, etc. My dinner was healthy, I just eat too much food. I don't binge on cookies and brownies, I do eat chips, from a bowl not straight from the bag. I eat too much lunch and too much dinner. That's how I got "fat".0
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I have always said exercise is the easy part, eating clean is the hardest part of losing weight. we say eat clean as a constant reminder to people so through repetition we might be able to program it into our brains that is what we are to do. it's not because it's easy, it isn't easy for me now and it won't be easy for me tomorrow.0
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As stated allready I pretty much ate whatever whenever call it ignorance no clue on nutrition or TDEE or BMR or pretty much anything in regards to food and excercise. Now I try to stick to whole foods foods with one ingredient and I still eat other types of foods cookies icecream cake brownies but I try to do it in moderation and not a whole tub of icecream in one evening or a whole package of oreos in one sitting (for the record I still have been known to do this) But thats why I dont buy that stuff becouse I will eat it. All of it then want to go to the store to buy more. call it what you will.0
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I started eating clean recently. I got fat after eating boxes of brownies, bags of cookies, 3 sandwiches in a day, anything and everything from the frozen section, pasta (mac and cheese and those sidekick type of things), chicken fingers, cheese and crackers (not in moderation), and eating fast food almost every day.
So eating clean made me lose weight because I'm not eating so much cr@p. 57lbs lost in 5.5 months. Yea I'll stick to eating clean.
actually it was a calorie deficet that made you lose weight....
sorry eating "clean" is a buzz word and will have no impact on weight loss if you don't do it in moderation too...
The difference is the calorie deficit is a result of eating clean. If you're eating to satiety and eating 'dirty' you'll eat a lot more than if you eat clean.
In the end, there is a caloric deficiency and that's why the weight is lost but it's not a forced deficiency and that makes a huge difference.
People only have so much willpower. If you're only staying under your calories because you stop yourself from eating (even when you're hungry), then you're going to go right back up once you stop counting calories.
People always say 'oh you'd gain weight if you ate 4000 calories/day of clean foods". Yes, that might be right, but good luck trying to reach that eating meat and vegetables. I could probably eat that in one meal going to McDonald's.
This also doesn't take into consideration the effect on BMR (and there's some good evidence that if you're hungry, your body is telling you you should eat, and if you don't eat, it negatively affects your BMR)
^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^
I don' always find it 'easy' to eat clean, but I do find it WAY easier to stay within my kcal limits and macros when I do.0 -
I just came in to say:
The concept of avoiding certain "bad" food is the reason I never tried dieting before. There is no way in hell that I will ever label foods as "good" or "bad."
Now to make up for my rant, here's a cat eating pancakes:
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In order to not write a novel I honestly believe it links back to fat people realizing they can generally eat a greater quantity of food when they eat clean vs when the don't and still be within the same caloric parameters.
Like, I can get a meal from McDonalds for lunch that would be 1200+ cals but if I spend more time carefully choosing what most consider clean then for that same amount of calories I can have enough food that will keep me full from breakfast all the way until dinner time.
Also, fat is not bad word. Use it freely.0 -
And I'm sure I need to eat much more than you as well.Why do you have to get a large fry? A small is perfectly satisfying. I on occasion get a 6 piece nugget and a small fry and easily fit it into my day. It's moderation.
Because I can and you get better value by ordering a large fry.
I'm not saying that you can't lose weight if you eat McDonald's regularly. I'm saying that it's much easier if you're eating real food.
6 McNuggets, a medium fry, and a medium coke is 860 calories; eating that, I would be starving 2 hours later. That is not near enough food for me in a meal (and only has 19g of protein!).
I guess it comes down to what you as an individual get full on. I get sated on much less than you, therefore less calories. (Also, I don't drink soda, so there's always that too.)
Give me a big steak, and some stir-fried veggies and I'd be full until dinner at fewer calories than that little McDonald's meal.
You don't drink soda. Does that make it easier for you to lose weight? Would it be impossible for someone to lose weight if they had soda? Why not just have soda in moderation?
It's the same conversation that people have regarding eating clean but about not drinking soda. You can have soda every day and still lose weight, but it makes it more difficult; just as you can eat chocolate bars or chips every day (in moderation) and still lose weight but it makes it more difficult.0 -
I am more curious about those who " eat 1000 calories and full" while having 100 pounds to lose...I am a slight case of food addiction so I know why I can't lose weight...0
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Even clean foods can be high in calories and fat, you eat too much don't exercise and you gain weight.0
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It's kinda like when people get on here to lose weight then say they have a hard time eating 1,200 calories. Yeah? You became overweight or obese eating 800 a day? You were probably eating closer to 2,500-3,000 a day. I think you can manage 1,200.0
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I personally try to eat clean because, in the long run, eating fast food or t.v. dinner or whatever is ultimately bad for, even if you can lose weight doing it. Sure, you can lose weight, but in the end that processed stuff, along with whatever other bad habits you have, will probably lead to something like high blood pressure or heart disease. I don't think eating clean and being fat have to be mutually exclusive. Sometimes we cook terrific tasting clean food... and I eat too much... and I get fat.
OP, I dig your honesty with your love for food. Sometimes I feel like food and alcohol are my biggest pleasures (aside from sweet, sweet naughty time) and I don't think it's ever going to change. Like you, I'm trying my best to work on moderation. I eat as cleanly as possible, because most of the time I don't eat all that clean.0 -
I am more curious about those who " eat 1000 calories and full" while having 100 pounds to lose...I am a slight case of food addiction so I know why I can't lose weight...
THIS!0 -
For me it was simple portion control and a seditary life style.0
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I am more curious about those who " eat 1000 calories and full" while having 100 pounds to lose...I am a slight case of food addiction so I know why I can't lose weight...
Ya, I honestly think those people are lying to themselves. I can't imagine overweight people not being able to eat 1200 calories.
That or they've starved themselves for so long that their metabolism is so damaged that it's barely burning anything.0 -
My diet before actively trying to lose weight was for the most part what people on here would call "clean eating". I just ate way too much. I have always been able to put away a lot food. I don't really like a lot of processed food, don't really eat fast food and prefer savory to sweet food for the most part. I have always loved eating until I am stuffed but I am learning to be satisfied with less. For me it was a change in quantity I needed not quality.
This describes me exactly. I love to cook. I rarely buy anything packaged. I make my own bread, my own crackers, my own granola. I can't imagine a situation in which I would eat fast food--the smell of it turns my stomach. I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian, but I love the challenge of vegan baking. But long story short, I was eating too much, and I had the mindset that since I worked out, I could eat as much as I wanted. I packed it on slowly, but I packed it on.0 -
I am more curious about those who " eat 1000 calories and full" while having 100 pounds to lose...I am a slight case of food addiction so I know why I can't lose weight...
Ya, I honestly think those people are lying to themselves. I can't imagine overweight people not being able to eat 1200 calories.
That or they've starved themselves for so long that their metabolism is so damaged that it's barely burning anything.
I have a friend who swears by eating clean making her lose weight...The fact is every time she goes on diet, she cuts out pizza, brownie, and other "junk food" she called. But I am tired of explaining to her why she loses weight because she insists that it's eating clean the key to weight loss while carbs make her gain weight...oh well...0
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