Clean Eating

I think everyone has hit the clean points dead on. I try to eat cleaner foods as it allows me to eat a meal at 400 calories rather than a side equaling that amount. But I am hardly a "Clean eater" or restricting myself to clean foods.
The key is weigh everything and record everything notonly does this help eat at a deficit it helps make decisions moving forward. I love Pizza, but at 500 calories a slice I know i can be far more satisfied with salmon or chicken without sacrificing my goals.

Think 1 cup potato flakes with preservatives with 2 TBS processed margarine and 1 cup milk for over 500 calories vs chicken thigh, 2 cups steamed broccoli, grilled ear of corn and 2 cups fresh strawberries for under 500 calories. The second option has less calories, more nutrients and fills me up more. I feel better physically eating les preservatives and random chemicals... That is why I try to eat clean more

Exactly!

Think 1 cup potato flakes with preservatives with 2 TBS processed margarine and 1 cup milk for over 500 calories vs chicken thigh, 2 cups steamed broccoli, grilled ear of corn and 2 cups fresh strawberries for under 500 calories. The second option has less calories, more nutrients and fills me up more. I feel better physically eating les preservatives and random chemicals... That is why I try to eat clean more

Exactly!

So by this example a produce section potato is not clean? Also, what are "random" chemicals?

That's what I was wondering. I personally don't get why anyone would use potato flakes just for straight up taste reasons, but my guess is that equivalent amounts of mashed potatoes made with butter and milk from grass fed cows would have similar calories. Margarine is not something I eat, but it's not higher cal than natural butter.

Also you hardly need to add bunches of butter OR margarine or milk, especially not whole, to have good mashed potatoes if you are eating it as an accompaniment to meat with juices. I usually add a bit of milk and more often have roasted potatoes, but you can have potatoes with your chicken and broccoli and stay under 500 if you don't eat huge amounts. Also, you can switch the chicken with other cuts of meat or larger cuts and bust through 500 with it being no more or less clean.

Also eating mostly whole, nutrient dense foods with some other stuff is moderation, not eating clean. Some of the comments make me think that some assume "clean" means just not eating "junk food" all day, which it logically cannot.

I hate the term 'clean eating', but it is true that many people.find it easier to stick to a calorie deficit by eating more whole, unprocessed foods. They simply fill you up more.

I never recommend going overboard with restrictions, but I personally do much better with losing weight and staying happy about it when I make a conscious effort to eat less processed and packaged foods. We still eat 'crap' foods at my house, but it's just a smaller percent of our overall diet now.

While it might be harder to get fat on certain diets than others, there are some people who will just find a way. Don't assume you won't be one of them. Count calories, at least at first. The other day, a google search turned up a raw food MFPer who said she gained weight. I was sad. Knowing me, I'd probably gain weight on anything if I didn't watch myself like a hawk. I could probably go fruitarian and only eat what falls to the ground in front of me and still gain weight. If there's a will, there's a weight.

Think 1 cup potato flakes with preservatives with 2 TBS processed margarine and 1 cup milk for over 500 calories vs chicken thigh, 2 cups steamed broccoli, grilled ear of corn and 2 cups fresh strawberries for under 500 calories. The second option has less calories, more nutrients and fills me up more. I feel better physically eating les preservatives and random chemicals... That is why I try to eat clean more

Why is it every time someone talks about clean eating, the only options seem to be you are either eating clean or you're eating everything from a box? There are plenty of people who eat lots of whole foods but also include convenience foods. It's not an either/or situation.

Think 1 cup potato flakes with preservatives with 2 TBS processed margarine and 1 cup milk for over 500 calories vs chicken thigh, 2 cups steamed broccoli, grilled ear of corn and 2 cups fresh strawberries for under 500 calories. The second option has less calories, more nutrients and fills me up more. I feel better physically eating les preservatives and random chemicals... That is why I try to eat clean more

That's actually because the macros are totally different.

Make the majority of your diet from whole unprocessed sources (whatever your definition of 'clean' is) and have some treats from time to time that fit into cal/macro goals. No need to cut out entire food groups UNLESS you can't control the portions you eat them in or you are legitimately allergic/intolerant to them.

Cuts out processed foods, but still has a protein shake. Cuts out all sugar but still eats fruit. Cuts out all gluten for no particular reason except Dr Oz said so. Cuts out dairy because other animals don't drink other animals milk. Stuff like this is ridiculous and in most cases pointless.

why must there be a clean eating thread every day

You always need to eat a deficit to loose weight. Not denying that by any means at all, which was not the point of my comment. I'm just saying that eating clean and healthy is good. Which it is. I could loose weight eating candy at a calorie deficit all day but I would be super super unhealthy. What's the point of loosing weight if you're unhealthy doing it? I just don't get it.

I'm not a "hater," I just like to work with facts.

In my teens and 20s (and even into my 30s) I couldn't care less about health, I only wanted to be skinny. Hence my diet of pickles, lettuce, black coffee, and cigarettes. And I wasn't special -- ALL the girls I knew did it.