Getting below 20% BF - do you HAVE to eat "Clean"?

2

Replies

  • Wilson929
    Wilson929 Posts: 100
    I don't eat clean and just workout as hard as I can. Lifting and my form of cardio is Zumba. I eat what I want and what I feel like. I try to keep it as clean as I can, but splurge when I feel the need. It for sure can be done without eating clean. I have no idea what my body fat is, but I would say I'm close to 20%
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Alright I am off to read the macro link. I do understand what they are but my confusion comes from the % method, like 40/30/30. Isn't macros about getting the minimums of what you need to meet your goals, vs staying at a % of a number? If I eat 1500k one day and follow 40/30/30 I eat 150c/112.5p/50f but if I have another day that I eat 2000k, do I aim for 40/30/30 again by eating 200c/150p/66.6f ? There is no magic in the synergy between the ratios, correct? I just eat my required 150c/112.5p/50f and if I go over that I eat what ever I want....right?

    Yeahhh....I go with numbers. I like to be over 110g P and 50-60g F (Fat makes me happy) and then the rest is just whatever. I set up my diary with percentages close to those numbers, but I don't alter my course when I eat more/workout calories shift my goal.

    Protein grams are and should be determined by your weight. There's no magical number. And 50-60 grams of fat seems VEFY high to me but again, I don't know your body weight and goals) I shoot for my protein and fiber goals first, as that helps to keep you full longer while at a calorie deficit, carbs come in last (for me) and I am a runner who needs carbs to fuel my runs, but I simply don't over do it.

    What makes you think my protein goals aren't determined by my weight? Do you think I pulled a number out of the air? And I wouldn't call 50-60 grams of fat high. That's slightly less than 30% of my usual intake. Hardly what I would call a 'high fat' diet by any means.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    How do ice cream and pizza always get into these conversations? Ice cream isn't on either side. It can be "clean" by nearly every definition, or not. So can pizza. Eating either of these items is not evidence of one way or the other, but they come up in all of these threads.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    I find that ice cream thread slightly obnoxious.

    Also I'd like to get to a point I could do that; however I don't think I would flaunt it.

    What the heck is so obnoxious about eating ice cream???
  • krystalrfletcher
    krystalrfletcher Posts: 13 Member
    I think it really depends on your body. I'm about 17% body fat right now trying to cut down to about 13% for a competition. If I have more than 1 or 2 cheats a week my body fat starts creeping up, and now I'm eliminating all cheats for the next 10 weeks to get even lower.
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
    I find that ice cream thread slightly obnoxious.

    Also I'd like to get to a point I could do that; however I don't think I would flaunt it.

    What the heck is so obnoxious about eating ice cream???

    ^ I would like to know this as well. I would probably use the word delicious but ya know. Different strokes? :/
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I find that ice cream thread slightly obnoxious.

    Also I'd like to get to a point I could do that; however I don't think I would flaunt it.

    Ummm..s it's okay to "flaunt" juice cleanses, detoxes, bread substitutes, weight loss/fitness challenges, what you ate for breakfast/lunch/dinner, etc...but it's not okay to do a funny thread as both a parody and a way to show those that moderation and weight loss are possible? What makes that thread "annoying" and the others not?
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    I find that ice cream thread slightly obnoxious.

    Also I'd like to get to a point I could do that; however I don't think I would flaunt it.

    What the heck is so obnoxious about eating ice cream???

    ^ I would like to know this as well. I would probably use the word delicious but ya know. Different strokes? :/

    Exactly! I think I will have some delicious ice cream tonight. I hope that isn't too obnoxious.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    I find that ice cream thread slightly obnoxious.

    Also I'd like to get to a point I could do that; however I don't think I would flaunt it.

    What the heck is so obnoxious about eating ice cream???

    ^ I would like to know this as well. I would probably use the word delicious but ya know. Different strokes? :/

    Exactly! I think I will have some delicious ice cream tonight. I hope that isn't too obnoxious.

    meh, I'm gonna have obnoxious amounts of delicious ice cream and post about it so someone will get butt hurt and complain about sabotage and obnoxious, shirtless jerks who don't understand. Now accepting hate mail . . .
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I find that ice cream thread slightly obnoxious.

    Also I'd like to get to a point I could do that; however I don't think I would flaunt it.

    What the heck is so obnoxious about eating ice cream???

    ^ I would like to know this as well. I would probably use the word delicious but ya know. Different strokes? :/

    Exactly! I think I will have some delicious ice cream tonight. I hope that isn't too obnoxious.

    meh, I'm gonna have obnoxious amounts of delicious ice cream and post about it so someone will get butt hurt and complain about sabotage and obnoxious, shirtless jerks who don't understand. Now accepting hate mail . . .

    I already had my HD Cappuccino Gelato. It was yummy. Oh oops. I just posted about it.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    I find that ice cream thread slightly obnoxious.

    Also I'd like to get to a point I could do that; however I don't think I would flaunt it.

    What the heck is so obnoxious about eating ice cream???

    ^ I would like to know this as well. I would probably use the word delicious but ya know. Different strokes? :/

    Exactly! I think I will have some delicious ice cream tonight. I hope that isn't too obnoxious.

    meh, I'm gonna have obnoxious amounts of delicious ice cream and post about it so someone will get butt hurt and complain about sabotage and obnoxious, shirtless jerks who don't understand. Now accepting hate mail . . .

    ERmahgawd, U so means. WhEn U eats icecreams it tempts me, even doe you are hundreds of miles away. U are a sabotaure. Ur lucky ur a man and have such a good metobolism, I'm a short female and I can't just eat icecreams and its not fair.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I find that ice cream thread slightly obnoxious.

    Also I'd like to get to a point I could do that; however I don't think I would flaunt it.

    What the heck is so obnoxious about eating ice cream???

    ^ I would like to know this as well. I would probably use the word delicious but ya know. Different strokes? :/

    Exactly! I think I will have some delicious ice cream tonight. I hope that isn't too obnoxious.

    I already ate mine. :sad:
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    I find that ice cream thread slightly obnoxious.

    Also I'd like to get to a point I could do that; however I don't think I would flaunt it.

    What the heck is so obnoxious about eating ice cream???

    ^ I would like to know this as well. I would probably use the word delicious but ya know. Different strokes? :/

    Exactly! I think I will have some delicious ice cream tonight. I hope that isn't too obnoxious.

    meh, I'm gonna have obnoxious amounts of delicious ice cream and post about it so someone will get butt hurt and complain about sabotage and obnoxious, shirtless jerks who don't understand. Now accepting hate mail . . .

    ERmahgawd, U so means. WhEn U eats icecreams it tempts me, even doe you are hundreds of miles away. U are a sabotaure. Ur lucky ur a man and have such a good metobolism, I'm a short female and I can't just eat icecreams and its not fair.

    mirin
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    My fiancée is around 18% bodyfat and she loves her brownies, chocolate cookies and ice creams. She just pays attention to her intake and gets regular exercise.

    So I'm going to guess that no it isn't necessary but I bet the more you avoid those sorts of foods the easier it will be to lose that last bit of fat.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    Alright I am off to read the macro link. I do understand what they are but my confusion comes from the % method, like 40/30/30. Isn't macros about getting the minimums of what you need to meet your goals, vs staying at a % of a number? If I eat 1500k one day and follow 40/30/30 I eat 150c/112.5p/50f but if I have another day that I eat 2000k, do I aim for 40/30/30 again by eating 200c/150p/66.6f ? There is no magic in the synergy between the ratios, correct? I just eat my required 150c/112.5p/50f and if I go over that I eat what ever I want....right?

    Yeahhh....I go with numbers. I like to be over 110g P and 50-60g F (Fat makes me happy) and then the rest is just whatever. I set up my diary with percentages close to those numbers, but I don't alter my course when I eat more/workout calories shift my goal.

    Protein grams are and should be determined by your weight. There's no magical number. And 50-60 grams of fat seems VEFY high to me but again, I don't know your body weight and goals) I shoot for my protein and fiber goals first, as that helps to keep you full longer while at a calorie deficit, carbs come in last (for me) and I am a runner who needs carbs to fuel my runs, but I simply don't over do it.

    What makes you think my protein goals aren't determined by my weight? Do you think I pulled a number out of the air? And I wouldn't call 50-60 grams of fat high. That's slightly less than 30% of my usual intake. Hardly what I would call a 'high fat' diet by any means.

    I eat between 80-100 grams of fat a day, and I'm currently at 16% BF. But I'm 45 and need more or my hormones get all wonky. Doesn't hurt that I maintain at 2600, either, so it's easy to fit it in. :)
  • DavePFJ
    DavePFJ Posts: 212 Member
    No you don't. I do get up on my ECA stack though.

    I think some people like to show off how much they can eat and still look good. On the opposite I think some people get off on showing off how little they eat. People are just ****ed up.

    But I read the ice cream thread, and they're eating 1-1.5 servings a night which is only a few hundred calories. Show me a cleanse where they down a pint nightly.
  • Currently hovering just below 17% with daily chocolate, so I'd say no!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Alright I am off to read the macro link. I do understand what they are but my confusion comes from the % method, like 40/30/30. Isn't macros about getting the minimums of what you need to meet your goals, vs staying at a % of a number? If I eat 1500k one day and follow 40/30/30 I eat 150c/112.5p/50f but if I have another day that I eat 2000k, do I aim for 40/30/30 again by eating 200c/150p/66.6f ? There is no magic in the synergy between the ratios, correct? I just eat my required 150c/112.5p/50f and if I go over that I eat what ever I want....right?

    Yeahhh....I go with numbers. I like to be over 110g P and 50-60g F (Fat makes me happy) and then the rest is just whatever. I set up my diary with percentages close to those numbers, but I don't alter my course when I eat more/workout calories shift my goal.

    Protein grams are and should be determined by your weight. There's no magical number. And 50-60 grams of fat seems VEFY high to me but again, I don't know your body weight and goals) I shoot for my protein and fiber goals first, as that helps to keep you full longer while at a calorie deficit, carbs come in last (for me) and I am a runner who needs carbs to fuel my runs, but I simply don't over do it.

    What makes you think my protein goals aren't determined by my weight? Do you think I pulled a number out of the air? And I wouldn't call 50-60 grams of fat high. That's slightly less than 30% of my usual intake. Hardly what I would call a 'high fat' diet by any means.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    For anyone interested curious - you can go to iifym.com and use their calculator to figure out macros...though for me they are off when compared to doing the calculations.

    To figure out how to do the calculations, Sara of the ETP group wrote this out. It's really easy to do/follow:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • ashleearoha
    ashleearoha Posts: 165 Member
    I was 19% in January and I was eating heaps clean and exercising nearly daily (like I am back to now). When I went overseas for a few weeks, it all went out the window..haha
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
    I find that ice cream thread slightly obnoxious.

    Also I'd like to get to a point I could do that; however I don't think I would flaunt it.

    What the heck is so obnoxious about eating ice cream???

    ^ I would like to know this as well. I would probably use the word delicious but ya know. Different strokes? :/

    Exactly! I think I will have some delicious ice cream tonight. I hope that isn't too obnoxious.

    I already ate mine. :sad:

    I'll think of you while I eat my pint of Talenti hazelnut ♡♡♡. Maybe I'll eat it loudly so at least my husband will find ice cream obnoxious
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    12-14% bodyfat, not eaten clean for the duration.
    I do ensure I get plenty of protein, my main meal is very nutrient dense, I eat lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, sweet potato, eggs and such things. But I also have chocolate, cake, cookies, popcorn, ice cream and pizza.
    Oh, and as to fat, I regularly intake 80g of fat, and it has done me no harm. I find it satiating.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    12-14% bodyfat, not eaten clean for the duration.
    I do ensure I get plenty of protein, my main meal is very nutrient dense, I eat lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, sweet potato, eggs and such things. But I also have chocolate, cake, cookies, popcorn, ice cream and pizza.
    Oh, and as to fat, I regularly intake 80g of fat, and it has done me no harm. I find it satiating.

    I'm glad to hear this (and that other people are eating this much fat) I was over here thinking I was some crazy fat eating nut or something.

    This calls for celebratory cheese.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    12-14% bodyfat, not eaten clean for the duration.
    I do ensure I get plenty of protein, my main meal is very nutrient dense, I eat lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, sweet potato, eggs and such things. But I also have chocolate, cake, cookies, popcorn, ice cream and pizza.
    Oh, and as to fat, I regularly intake 80g of fat, and it has done me no harm. I find it satiating.

    I'm glad to hear this (and that other people are eating this much fat) I was over here thinking I was some crazy fat eating nut or something.

    This calls for celebratory cheese.

    Yup, I love cheese, especially goat's cheese. Plus nuts, avocado, seeds, egg yolks, butter... oh and my almost daily poached salmon. I have never considered trying to limit myself to 50-60g fat. Would be hard on a daily basis.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    12-14% bodyfat, not eaten clean for the duration.
    I do ensure I get plenty of protein, my main meal is very nutrient dense, I eat lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, sweet potato, eggs and such things. But I also have chocolate, cake, cookies, popcorn, ice cream and pizza.
    Oh, and as to fat, I regularly intake 80g of fat, and it has done me no harm. I find it satiating.

    I'm glad to hear this (and that other people are eating this much fat) I was over here thinking I was some crazy fat eating nut or something.

    This calls for celebratory cheese.

    I'm getting about 50 grams now and it seems really low for me. For months I've averaged at least 60.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    12-14% bodyfat, not eaten clean for the duration.
    I do ensure I get plenty of protein, my main meal is very nutrient dense, I eat lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, sweet potato, eggs and such things. But I also have chocolate, cake, cookies, popcorn, ice cream and pizza.
    Oh, and as to fat, I regularly intake 80g of fat, and it has done me no harm. I find it satiating.

    I'm glad to hear this (and that other people are eating this much fat) I was over here thinking I was some crazy fat eating nut or something.

    This calls for celebratory cheese.

    For me, at 30% it's set at 58g. It should be 35%...so basically I aim for around 55-65g.
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
    12-14% bodyfat, not eaten clean for the duration.
    I do ensure I get plenty of protein, my main meal is very nutrient dense, I eat lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, sweet potato, eggs and such things. But I also have chocolate, cake, cookies, popcorn, ice cream and pizza.
    Oh, and as to fat, I regularly intake 80g of fat, and it has done me no harm. I find it satiating.

    I'm glad to hear this (and that other people are eating this much fat) I was over here thinking I was some crazy fat eating nut or something.

    This calls for celebratory cheese.

    I'm getting about 50 grams now and it seems really low for me. For months I've averaged at least 60.

    I hit 89g today *shifty eyes*
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    12-14% bodyfat, not eaten clean for the duration.
    I do ensure I get plenty of protein, my main meal is very nutrient dense, I eat lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, sweet potato, eggs and such things. But I also have chocolate, cake, cookies, popcorn, ice cream and pizza.
    Oh, and as to fat, I regularly intake 80g of fat, and it has done me no harm. I find it satiating.

    I'm glad to hear this (and that other people are eating this much fat) I was over here thinking I was some crazy fat eating nut or something.

    This calls for celebratory cheese.

    I'm getting about 50 grams now and it seems really low for me. For months I've averaged at least 60.

    I hit 89g today *shifty eyes*

    :cry:


    I admit though-- the higher carbs are helping me kill my workouts.
  • psmd
    psmd Posts: 764 Member
    I find that ice cream thread slightly obnoxious.

    Also I'd like to get to a point I could do that; however I don't think I would flaunt it.

    What the heck is so obnoxious about eating ice cream???

    ^ I would like to know this as well. I would probably use the word delicious but ya know. Different strokes? :/

    Exactly! I think I will have some delicious ice cream tonight. I hope that isn't too obnoxious.

    I already ate mine. :sad:

    I'll think of you while I eat my pint of Talenti hazelnut ♡♡♡. Maybe I'll eat it loudly so at least my husband will find ice cream obnoxious


    Woah calm down people...no one else gets annoyed by certain threads in MFP? Just a personal opinion. Not telling anyone not to do it if they want to and in fact it gives me something to shoot for. In the meantime, it is still kind of annoying to see a thread about people eating ice cream every single day for a month. I only clicked on it once to see what it was about. Not apologizing for having an opinion.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    I find that ice cream thread slightly obnoxious.

    Also I'd like to get to a point I could do that; however I don't think I would flaunt it.

    What the heck is so obnoxious about eating ice cream???

    ^ I would like to know this as well. I would probably use the word delicious but ya know. Different strokes? :/

    Exactly! I think I will have some delicious ice cream tonight. I hope that isn't too obnoxious.

    I already ate mine. :sad:

    I'll think of you while I eat my pint of Talenti hazelnut ♡♡♡. Maybe I'll eat it loudly so at least my husband will find ice cream obnoxious


    Woah calm down people...no one else gets annoyed by certain threads in MFP? Just a personal opinion. Not telling anyone not to do it if they want to and in fact it gives me something to shoot for. In the meantime, it is still kind of annoying to see a thread about people eating ice cream every single day for a month. I only clicked on it once to see what it was about. Not apologizing for having an opinion.

    Nope I don't find what other people are eating annoying. *shrug* :ohwell:
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    12-14% bodyfat, not eaten clean for the duration.
    I do ensure I get plenty of protein, my main meal is very nutrient dense, I eat lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, sweet potato, eggs and such things. But I also have chocolate, cake, cookies, popcorn, ice cream and pizza.
    Oh, and as to fat, I regularly intake 80g of fat, and it has done me no harm. I find it satiating.

    I'm glad to hear this (and that other people are eating this much fat) I was over here thinking I was some crazy fat eating nut or something.

    This calls for celebratory cheese.

    I'm getting about 50 grams now and it seems really low for me. For months I've averaged at least 60.

    I hit 89g today *shifty eyes*

    :cry:


    I admit though-- the higher carbs are helping me kill my workouts.

    Carbs? What are carbs?

    If I'd eaten fish instead of pizza, like I'd orignally planned, I would have been under 125 grams of carbs today. It's not my fault though, the fat...it calls to me