If 'eating clean' is so easy for you, how did you get fat?

my two cents..

People go from one extreme = over eating on everything and being obese; to the other extreme = cutting out all "bad" food, eating clean, and they then lose weight so they think that is the only way and then they read all the BS junk science about how sugar makes your fat, and processed foods make you fat, etc,etc…when in reality overeating on ANY food makes you fat...

From my perspective it is far easier to overeat cake than overeat fresh brocolli. COULD I do it? Maybe, if I REALLY tried. Am I likely to do it? No.

Broccoli is the one veggie that i can definitely overeat. And TBH, I *have* eaten too much in one sitting before. My husband was NOT happy with me that night. :blushing:

Maybe in the past they ate a lot of food processed or otherwise. Now they have discovered clean eating is working for them now. What is your point? To each his own. If clean eating is working for them and they feel great who cares?

I myself feel much better when i eat healthier (not 100% clean) but veggies, fruit, lean meats. I have less heartburn, less bloating less digestive problems.

Just trying to understand. I mean yeah, I feel fuller and better now than I used to, no doubt, but just because I feel better doesn't mean the cravings magically go away and I don't wish every day that I could just go and get a nice 3000 calorie meal (which I've only done once in 14 months). Sure, some things just don't seem worth the calories anymore, so I don't have them, but it doesn't mean I don't crave them.

And yet there are people like the girl a few posts above who claims not to crave or want any 'junk' anymore. I mean, I tried the 'clean eating' thing (for me it means no refined sugar, by the way, so basically no processed foods, but no homemade foods made with sugar either). I lasted 3 months. Maybe they're just in denial? Or maybe they never really liked fast food and pizza in the first place (which seems to be the case of some people here I see), but then why were they eating it?

You don't crave what you haven't developed a taste for. Eating clean doesn't mean you have to give up sugar although I personally don't use white sugar. Raw honey is a good, natural sweetener that is unrefined. I wouldn't buy the pasteurized honey sold in stores because it is processed and has no flavour. There are other natural sweeteners you can use like medjool dates and maple syrup which means you can make a lot of treats at home that don't have the nasties that mass produced foods have. Anyway, I don't like fast food likely because I wasn't exposed to it as a child and we just didn't get into having it. I make pizza at home using organic and home grown ingredients which is not all that difficult. There is nothing to say that pizza is bad or can't be clean! Honestly, folks love to come up with excuses for not eating clean but that's up to them.

“You don't crave what you haven't developed a taste for". This is so true...My sister and I grew up together until our late 20s. She's never craved brownie or pizza...Her craving is no more than a piece of fruit or something equally delicious to her taste. For me craving means cakes, brownies, and chips...

Great post, I totally agree. I ate way too many hot pockets yesterday. I was under my goal, but I felt like having junk.

On the same note, I also don't understand the "I struggle so hard to reach 1200 calories!" people.

Really? because I exercise a ridiculous amount of restraint every day to stay under 1600... That's why I was overweight before.

AMEN to everything you just wrote....I'm having a really hard time today - I just want to eat crap and I'm usually really really good at being good....

Pretentiousness‎ has a ton of calories.

I make pizza at home using organic and home grown ingredients which is not all that difficult. There is nothing to say that pizza is bad or can't be clean! Honestly, folks love to come up with excuses for not eating clean but that's up to them.

You are correct that pizza is not bad. But, pizza can't be clean because the crust is made from flour, which is processed. You may make something resembling pizza and call it pizza, but it's not really pizza if there is no crust.

If Pizza is dirty than I don't want to ever eat "clean"...

Holy moly...

Lots of things are processed...apple sauce is processed and when I make it there is no added sugar is it unclean???? cheese is processed is it unclean?

if processed defines what is "clean" then wth do clean eaters eat? raw veggies/fruits and meat? exlcuding hamburger cause it's processed...

I make pizza at home using organic and home grown ingredients which is not all that difficult. There is nothing to say that pizza is bad or can't be clean! Honestly, folks love to come up with excuses for not eating clean but that's up to them.

You are correct that pizza is not bad. But, pizza can't be clean because the crust is made from flour, which is processed. You may make something resembling pizza and call it pizza, but it's not really pizza if there is no crust.

If Pizza is dirty than I don't want to ever eat "clean"...

Holy moly...

Lots of things are processed...apple sauce is processed and when I make it there is no added sugar is it unclean???? cheese is processed is it unclean?

if processed defines what is "clean" then wth do clean eaters eat? raw veggies/fruits and meat? exlcuding hamburger cause it's processed...

Again, it wasn't the point of my post. I should just have said meat, veggies and fruit instead of 'clean', but again, limited space in the title!

My comment was more to the poster who said pizza can't be "clean" since flour is "processed"

its called learning to moderate yourself and having a modicum of self control. Back in my fat days I could eat a few pints of ice cream or a whole cake by myself..however, I learned, over time, that I can eat one serving of ice cream, one cookie, etc and fit it into my day. I have ice cream every night..

my diary is open...

So what I'm wondering is if you are *done and satisfied* after one cookie? I also stop myself after one cookie (most times) so I'm not totally without self control. I do however spend another hour or more finding as many things to do as possible so that I do not eat 6 more cookies because it is all that is on my mind. It is best for me to buy certain things in single serving sizes so it isn't in my house but that isn't possible for me and won't be for some time. I would love to get to the point where making and following through on the choice didn't consume so much mental space. I'm the same way with spaghetti and a whole bunch of foods. I eat it. I eat normal portions and fill up at the end of the meal but the mental energy spent on not eating another serving (and probably a third) is more than I'd like to admit. It also takes a lot of mental chitchat to banish the feelings of deprivation that results because I'm not deprived. My head knows that.

Is that something that just goes away with time? Something you just don't experience? Is there something you and others do to change that mental process and if so what? That is the big mystery

Whether the "everything in moderation" people want to admit it or not, abstinence from a trigger, at least for a time, is crucial for most people who experience signs of addiction to something. Even Moderation Management (the alternative to AA that supports the idea that at least some people who had drinking problems can learn to drink in moderation) recognizes this, and recognizes it as crucial enough that an abstinence period of no less than 30 days is part of the program.

I have the same problem that you do, particularly if the trigger food is freely available (the package of Oreos or container of ice cream that we've already bought, the array of desserts that people have brought to a party, or the donuts that a coworker brings in to share). It's far easier for me to just say something like "no, thanks," "those aren't mine to eat," or "the amount of sugar in that will make me sick." Regardless of whether the amount of sugar in one item will actually do so, or whether I really am or am not "allowed" to eat the items offered, it helps me to shut that door entirely.

This is because, for me, I know that one item won't make me sick (for most things, anyway), but I won't be able to stop at one. If I eat one, the thought of it will take over my thoughts until I cave and get more. In most cases, that cycle will repeat until there is none left and/or I've actually made myself sick, and sometimes, making myself sick still won't stop me, because the desire to have more outweighs the initial feelings of being sick at that point. I know this, I've tried the "just eat one" route many times, and failed nearly every time, so in that sense, "I'll just have one" will make me sick in one way (failure to have "just one"), and keeps me sick in another (continues to feed the dopamine reaction that food creates in my system).

When I tell myself that even having one will make me sick, or that they aren't mine to eat, or whatever other self talk I use for a given item, it stops the desire dead in its tracks. There is no middle ground between "allowed" and "not allowed" with that self talk. It's not for me, so there's not point in dwelling on it. It removes the power that item has over me.

It is addiction, plain and simple. The item triggers a dopamine response in your system, causing you to feel compelled to consume it more, and the more you consume it, the less satisfying it becomes, and when you're not consuming it, thoughts of it take over your mind. That is the very definition of addiction.

You can, however, break it. You may or may not be able to consume the item in the definition of "moderation" that people like to throw around here (ie - a single serving once or several times a week), but you can break the cycle of craving and eating. It's simple, but may or may not be easy -- stop eating it, at all, for at least 30 days. Don't substitute things for it (ie - if you're cutting out brownies, don't replace it with cookies), but make sure you're eating wholesome, satiating foods. I've personally found it easiest to cut out all refined sugar (and artificial sweeteners), because that eliminates the ability to substitute things. It cuts out the loopholes that your brain my try to find to fulfill the addiction craving.

Also, find out what can outweigh the compulsion. For example, I grew up poor, so spending money just to spend money comes very difficult to me. It easily outweighs most desires I have. I'm able to harness that when I do get a treat, because I buy a single serving's worth, and that's it. I don't have a strong enough justification to spend the money on more, so the "don't spend money unnecessarily" part of my brain overrides the desire for more. If I don't have much money to spend, I can easily tell myself that I can't justify spending the money at all, and pass it up before I've bought it. If I end up buying something, the "don't waste food" part kicks in, and I'm less able to not eat it, especially if it's something that won't keep for long.

Just like with any other addiction, you may or may not be able to eat it without fighting the compulsion it creates. So only time will tell if the cravings ever totally go away for you. Abstinence isn't necessarily a bad thing, particularly if it's easier to do so than to try to satisfy the craving without getting derailed. Generally speaking, the longer you abstain, the more the brain breaks down those connections to the reward centers of your brain for that trigger. In psychology, this is called "extinction." You stop reinforcing the behavior entirely, and eventually the behavior stops. After a time, you may be able to consume small amounts of the trigger and not be triggered, or have a manageable reaction, though how long that time frame is depends on how strong of a reaction you have, how easily it triggers you, how strong the addicted connections were, and how much those connections have broken down.

I make pizza at home using organic and home grown ingredients which is not all that difficult. There is nothing to say that pizza is bad or can't be clean! Honestly, folks love to come up with excuses for not eating clean but that's up to them.

You are correct that pizza is not bad. But, pizza can't be clean because the crust is made from flour, which is processed. You may make something resembling pizza and call it pizza, but it's not really pizza if there is no crust.

If Pizza is dirty than I don't want to ever eat "clean"...

Holy moly...

Lots of things are processed...apple sauce is processed and when I make it there is no added sugar is it unclean???? cheese is processed is it unclean?

if processed defines what is "clean" then wth do clean eaters eat? raw veggies/fruits and meat? exlcuding hamburger cause it's processed...

The problem is there is no clear definition for clean eating. We eat home processed foods that were processed from organic fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, legumes and etc. I can guarantee you that our home processed foods do not have sodium benzoate or BPA in them, nor do they have pesticide residue. Our beef is bought directly from the farmer who takes it to the abattoir where it is cut and wrapped to our specifications. There is processing as I mentioned then there is what mainstream refers to as processed foods like frozen dinners, dry cereals, convenience foods, mass produced baked goods, mass produced snacks and that type of thing. These types of processed food contain a wide range of preservatives, artificial sweeteners, HFCS, MSG, artificial colours, artificial flavours, high levels of sugar and sodium, and the list goes on. Some of these food additives have been linked to health problems (allergies, asthma, gastrointestinal) and cancer or there has been a noted correlation between some of these ingredients and health and/or behavioural problems. The bottom line is no one knows 100% whether or not some of these ingredients are going to cause harm in the future even though they currently appear to be safe. A segment of society is saying, hey wait a minute, we don't want to be a guinea pig. We are choosing to not ingest these ingredients. Those who are choosing to not ingest these ingredients are what this forum refers to as the clean eaters.