Calorie Control or Eating Clean?

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Replies

  • bee3091m
    bee3091m Posts: 6
    Your diet seems a bit restrictive to me. You are really lacking on the carbs end of things. That probably makes you more prone to cravings.

    This is why both counting and macronutrient balance are important IMO. I eat what I want, as long as it fits my macros and meets my nutrient requirements.

    I have a personal trainer who told me to cut out carbs and focus on getting proteins in
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    i like to keep it simple. calorie control. because when i want a snickers... I WANT SNICKERS!!! its like the game tetris... fit it in, make the numbers work! i lost 100 pounds in 11 months eating any foods i wanted, just limited my calories!
  • flatlndr
    flatlndr Posts: 713 Member
    Doing both together has worked nicely for me.
  • RWTBR
    RWTBR Posts: 140 Member
    Oh noez, this topic again.

    There is only one way to lose weight: Consume less calories than you burn. If you are at a calorie deficit, you lose weight. If you are at a surplus, you gain. It doesn't matter if you eat chicken or cheesecake, a calorie is a calorie.

    Now, for your overall health, yes, eat clean. And eating dense foods will help you feel full. But if you eat clean and take in too many calories, you will gain weight.

    The end.
  • bee3091m
    bee3091m Posts: 6
    Here's an interesting post from a guy who says "clean eating made him fat, but switching to ice cream and fast food got him lean. http://www.healthylivingheavylifting.com/how-clean-eating-made-me-fat-but-ice-cream-and-subway-got-me-lean/

    Good perspective on the whole "good vs bad" "clean vs whatever" issue.

    Personally, I eat all kinds of foods, pizza, chocolate, burgers, beer, ice cream - if it fits in my daily calories (and occasionally when it doesn't!), I eat it!

    and judging by your badge you're doing really well, so well done :)

    Thank you for sharing that article!! It was a really interesting read actually.. I don't think i should get so hung up on my daily treats.
  • bee3091m
    bee3091m Posts: 6
    it doesn't have to be one way or another...you can do both...one might help the other...

    This. Big time. Most of the time my dinner is considered "clean." Chicken and rice is the easiest. Then depending on bulk/cut, I fill up with what ever I feel like. Usually that's cookies and milk or some peanut butter and milk.

    Allowing yourself "dirty" items, I feel, will ultimately keep you from a total meltdown and failing.

    Thanks. That's true. When a 'cheat day' rolls around I find that I don't actually want to indulge (or over indulge really) and I eat just as healthily as the other days, with a treat included of course. I don't go over the top when I treat myself and I make sure I measure all the time. My treats raaaaarely go over 100 cal - 150 max

    After I've been at the gym usually I want a cold glass of chocolate milk - yummy!
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    In my opinion you'll do better if you do both. Can you eat doritos, twinkies, and krispy kreme doughnuts and lose weight? Yes. But seriously how many people are successful doing that outside of one guy who tried to show the world it could be done? Not many.

    Check out Kane Sumabat on google. He eats 1-2 dozen Krispy Kremes a week because he likes them. Does not seem to have impacted his workouts.
    Or as Jason Momoa told me, "Save your carbs for the Guinness".
    And then check out lots of folks doing IIFYM.

    Of course the big thing for all of them is they are aware of what they are eating, and do them in proportion to how many cals they burn, versus the average Joe who just eats, and over eats, and thinks a family sized bag of Dorittos and a 64oz soda is a snack for while he watches the football game., and counts cutting his grass for 30 minutes once a week as a good hard workout.
  • Debssssssssss
    Debssssssssss Posts: 84 Member
    I like to have fresh whole foods in my diet more so than others. It makes me feel better. I feel yuck constantly eating processed food. However, I love my vanilla latte's and my dark chocolate. So I have them. Because if I didn't, I wouldn't be happy. I'm still well within my calories, and that's what matters.
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
    I don't eat "clean".
    I just aim for a balanced diet and try to meet my macros.

    Which means I eat plenty of veggies and whole foods, but I also eat pizza and ice cream. My suggestion: eat in a way that makes you feel satisfied, and eat in a way that you feel comfortable sticking to for the rest of your life.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    Calories to control weight
    macronutrients for body composition
    micronutrients for health

    This. Embroidered on the pillowcase you plant your face on every night. This. On the bathroom mirror. This. This. This.
  • MichelleLaree13
    MichelleLaree13 Posts: 865 Member
    I think eating clean is the best but doesn't necessarily lead to weight loss. Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit no matter what your diet is. Can you eat a simple piece of chocolate or other treat that you can pronounce all the ingredients? Maybe a homemade pudding pop or other treat?
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    I have a personal trainer who told me to cut out carbs and focus on getting proteins in

    TOTALLY cutting out carbohydrates is NOT a good idea. You need fiber, which is a carbohydrate. You need the micro-nutrients in vegetables. Vegetables are carbohydrates.

    Food basically breaks down into three components: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. You need proper amounts of each to be healthy. You also need to consume healthy proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to be healthy.

    In the US, the average diet has become too heavily laden with carbohydrates, including lots of heavily processed starches and sugars with little nutritional value and too many calories.

    Many of us need to eat fewer of those nice, pasty white carbs. If your trainer was suggesting eliminating that class of carbs, that's one thing. If the recommendation was to eliminate all carbs, find a new trainer.
  • pipertargaryen
    pipertargaryen Posts: 303 Member

    And controlled portions of ice cream, chocolate and wine for the soul.

    Excuse you.

    One does not simply control portions of wine. Blasphemy!

    You both can come sit with me.

    I work wine in to my calories 6 days a week (I'm never sick. Possibly because that glass and a half per night has my insides pickled ;)). I'm losing steadily. I haven't had an actual binge (like going more than, say, 200 calories above my net for the day) in the 6 months I've been on MFP. My binges involve eating like 1700 calories(gross, not net) instead of 1300. Because I allow myself wine. Because I'll occasionally work in a slice (or 2!)of pizza, or some ice cream, or whatever. As long as I keep my protein up (just for me, personally), get my vitamins in, try to take in healthy fats and not OD on carbs (I don't fear carbs or anything, I just try to keep them at 40% or below, macro-wise), I have been losing non-stop.

    I can't cook to save my life. If it can;t be made in a crockpot or microwave, I probably don't eat it. I don't make pretty, fancy, veggie-filled meals for myself. I 'steam' carrots or asparagus or broccoli in the freakin' microwave most of the time. My chicken comes pre-cooked. My egg whites come in a container. My cheese is pre-shredded. I eat relatively healthy, but I wouldn't call it clean. I work out 5-6 days a week because I *love* to. My body, though not full of 'clean' food, is stronger and healthier than its ever been.

    Basically, calorie-counting and not denying myself, as well as monitoring my macros, has absolutely worked for me. But that's just one woman's experience :)
  • successandgoodhealth
    successandgoodhealth Posts: 3
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  • Sarahsteve7kids
    Sarahsteve7kids Posts: 146 Member
    I don't eat "clean".
    I just aim for a balanced diet and try to meet my macros.

    Which means I eat plenty of veggies and whole foods, but I also eat pizza and ice cream. My suggestion: eat in a way that makes you feel satisfied, and eat in a way that you feel comfortable sticking to for the rest of your life.

    This is perfect!
  • sesefeeney
    sesefeeney Posts: 71 Member
    I gave up eating clean after gaing weight year after year bingeing on my favorite 'forbidden ' foods! As many have said the bottom line is calories! If you want to eat clean more power to you! I prefer to keep my calories to 8400 per week and enjoy my daily ice cream bars. Do what works for you! I think we all know the best thing for ourselves but tend to let others influence our choices!
    so true!!

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