Counting calories vs 'clean eating'

You can still gain weight on a surplus of healthy food.

Why not both?

Here's some information that might help

Log your food accurately and honestly. Go for 80% good choices the other 20% don't worry so much about. I eat lots of delicious food and have consistently lost. Keep it simple find a REASONABLE deficit:

If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=logging+step+guide

Find an activity you enjoy doing - I found I love to ride my bike and lift heavy stuff

Here are 2 more threads that will help take the time to read them:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here?hl=so+you're+new+here

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

"Healthy" juices usually more fattening than soda. "Healthy" granola bars can be more fattening than candy bars. No need to fall for any weight loss ideas that are not based on counting calories. People who avoid counting calories but instead their strategy is to eat healthy or exercise or eat one meal a day or cut out sweets or whatever, or "cut back" on food without counting calories-- these folks are doomed to remain fat and possibly get fatter. Same goes for those who decide to abandon their scale in favor of losing inches instead of pounds. And counting carbs or fat grams instead of calories will not work either. You will lose the same weight whether you get your calories from french fries, cake, steak or collard greens.

My calorie goal from MFP to lose 1lb a week is just over 1400 calories which is okay. I am 5'6/7 and 165lbs.

I've been reading a lot about nutrition and healthy eating, and a lot of people argue that you don't need to count calories as long as you are eating healthily. Somebody said that the calorie deficit I have would be too little to get any results unless I eat clean too, and the calories in vs calories out theory is completely wrong.

Does anyone have any insight into this?! I am so confused at the moment. Or any success stories from anyone eating a similar amount to me?

Thanks!

They do say you don't have to count calories if you are "clean eating" (which has a broad definition of what exactly that is). That doesn't mean calories intake doesn't count at all.
The thing is, with diets like clean eating, the type of food people tend to overeat is often not allowed. So simply by eliminating these foods, you cut your calorie intake. They also tend to eliminate things that most people don't consider and tend to add up, like pop, juice, cream and sugar in coffee, etc.
The other thing is diets like that focus on foods that tend to fill you up and keep you full like protein and fibrous veggies.
It is still calories in vs calories out, it just restricts calories a different way.

Unfortunately it doesn't necessarily work for everyone. Many people will simply replace the calories from the restricted foods with calories from the allowed foods.

Focusing more on nutrient dense foods and eating in a way that will satiate you and keep you full and cutting back on less nutrient dense foods or foods you over eat is a good thing. You can do that with calorie counting too without the total elimination of foods you enjoy or drastic dietary changes.

I am eating clean lately rather than focusing on calories and it seems to be working for me!

"Healthy" juices usually more fattening than soda. "Healthy" granola bars can be more fattening than candy bars. No need to fall for any weight loss ideas that are not based on counting calories. People who avoid counting calories but instead their strategy is to eat healthy or exercise or eat one meal a day or cut out sweets or whatever, or "cut back" on food without counting calories-- these folks are doomed to remain fat and possibly get fatter. Same goes for those who decide to abandon their scale in favor of losing inches instead of pounds. And counting carbs or fat grams instead of calories will not work either. You will lose the same weight whether you get your calories from french fries, cake, steak or collard greens.

I agree.
All I do is cal count and eat whatever I want within those cals. My goal is 1300 a day and I'll have anything from chocolate cereal, toast, soup, chips, crisps to chocolate and I've still lost weight. I really wish I could do the whole clean eating thing but I just can't. Sadly I don't like any veg other than carrots so I'd be doomed plus for me to stay on track it has to be a sustainable diet that I enjoy and won't get fed up and quit after a week.

"Healthy" juices usually more fattening than soda. "Healthy" granola bars can be more fattening than candy bars. No need to fall for any weight loss ideas that are not based on counting calories. People who avoid counting calories but instead their strategy is to eat healthy or exercise or eat one meal a day or cut out sweets or whatever, or "cut back" on food without counting calories-- these folks are doomed to remain fat and possibly get fatter. Same goes for those who decide to abandon their scale in favor of losing inches instead of pounds. And counting carbs or fat grams instead of calories will not work either. You will lose the same weight whether you get your calories from french fries, cake, steak or collard greens.

This is a confusing post. If we are talking about 100 calories of juice or 100 calories of pop , neither is more "fattening". Is it not the same idea as your last line? Even if it is 200 calories of juice and 100 calories of pop, so long as the daily calorie intake isn't exceeded, again, neither is "more fattening".

I'd hardly say that people who use different strategies are doomed to fail. They are simply controlling their calories in vs calories out in another method. It is still the same basic principle. And there are many people who are successful. That said, if you aren't, counting calories would be a good place to start but it isn't always necessary.

How on earth would abandoning your scale in favor of measuring inches lead to failure? If your inches are going down, at some point your weight is too.

"Healthy" juices usually more fattening than soda. "Healthy" granola bars can be more fattening than candy bars. No need to fall for any weight loss ideas that are not based on counting calories. People who avoid counting calories but instead their strategy is to eat healthy or exercise or eat one meal a day or cut out sweets or whatever, or "cut back" on food without counting calories-- these folks are doomed to remain fat and possibly get fatter. Same goes for those who decide to abandon their scale in favor of losing inches instead of pounds. And counting carbs or fat grams instead of calories will not work either. You will lose the same weight whether you get your calories from french fries, cake, steak or collard greens.

This is a confusing post. If we are talking about 100 calories of juice or 100 calories of pop , neither is more "fattening". Is it not the same idea as your last line?

12 ounces of unsweetened apple juice is 170 calories. 12 ounces of Dr Pepper is 150 calories. I think that's the kind of things referenced.