Is clean eating or restrictive dieting worth it?
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My sister and brother in law started "clean eating" at the beginning of the year, he is down 75 lbs and she 50. It really does work. I'm starting this weekend to see how it helps. It really does change the way you look at food. You can become obsessed with anything, exercise, any type of diet, ect. Yes, there are people that have that addictive personality that can/will take things to an extreme.0
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JeffseekingV wrote: »JeffseekingV wrote: »
The OP was trying to share an article that shows that SOME people can't handle it and become obsessive to the point of it becoming a disorder.
Then THOSE people shouldn't be doing it? For the rest of us, it's not a problem to try to eat cleaner
Especially since it doesn't really mean anything. Eating "clean" means eating based on the way I've decided is good to eat. Which is great, as a concept, unless you are one of those people who really takes it seriously and gets compulsive about it, but it does not explain the obnoxious use of the term "clean" which makes no sense.
Are the foods you don't eat "unclean"?
What are these foods and what's "unclean" about them?
Do you actually think that other people understand what you mean by "clean"? I suspect they do not.
I've seen paleo folks use "clean" to mean no grains, vegans use it to mean no animal products, low fat dieters use it to mean low fat (which IMO isn't even healthy at all), and others use it to mean no processed foods. For the latter, "processed" sometimes oddly does not include obvious processed foods like frozen veggies and boneless, skinless chicken breast (which is often prized over far less processed cuts that happen to be naturally higher fat) and, of course, greek yogurt.
Personally, I try to eat healthy and mostly whole foods (much of which I get from local farms), but I don't think a healthy diet means that I must cut out cheese or grains or even ice cream, and whereas I like the idea of making my ice cream myself from dairy procured from local farms and might start, I don't actually think it will make much difference in how healthy my diet is.
Also, if "eating clean" means cutting specific food items out of your diet (whatever they are), I don't think it has much to do with eating healthy, which IMO is more about getting an appropriate number of calories for your activity level, enough protein, and sufficient micronutrients for health. I've seen lots of people go on about "clean eating" because they cut out "added sugar" or whatever and still eat almost no vegetables.0 -
Seems to me that anything can become unhealthy. Even calorie counting.0
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JeffseekingV wrote: »
The OP was trying to share an article that shows that SOME people can't handle it and become obsessive to the point of it becoming a disorder.
The title you chose does suggest that "clean" eating is risky ( is it worth it).
I am glad you shared the article. I thought it was interesting. I don't understand eating disorders well.0 -
Nobody understands eating disorders very well, lol...not even those who have them or those who treat them.JeffseekingV wrote: »
The OP was trying to share an article that shows that SOME people can't handle it and become obsessive to the point of it becoming a disorder.
The title you chose does suggest that "clean" eating is risky ( is it worth it).
I am glad you shared the article. I thought it was interesting. I don't understand eating disorders well.
Many people who have eating disorders do not eat healthy food. Even if they eat 400 calories in a day, it could be a candy bar and and potato chips.
Eating healthy =/= Eating disorder (and vice versa)
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JeffseekingV wrote: »Clean eating isn't the problem. Eating too few calories is the problem. She could have the same problem eating Doritos.
Not all people with eating disorders restrict calories. Including people with restrictive eating disorders (as many of them restrict other things - such as carbs, 'bad' foods, etc). What makes an eating disorder an eating disorder isn't calorie restriction. It is fear of food and/or gaining weight that interferes with the person's quality of life. In other words, a person who is genuinely troubled by their increasing obsession with their body image and/or food has an eating disorder. A person who is not might have disordered eating, but not an eating disorder.
That said, people use the term orthorexia way too liberally.0 -
Nobody understands eating disorders very well, lol...not even those who have them or those who treat them.JeffseekingV wrote: »
The OP was trying to share an article that shows that SOME people can't handle it and become obsessive to the point of it becoming a disorder.
The title you chose does suggest that "clean" eating is risky ( is it worth it).
I am glad you shared the article. I thought it was interesting. I don't understand eating disorders well.
Many people who have eating disorders do not eat healthy food. Even if they eat 400 calories in a day, it could be a candy bar and and potato chips.
Eating healthy =/= Eating disorder (and vice versa)
True. During the height of mine, I went through a period where all I ate were Little Debbie snack cakes.
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SomeNights246 wrote: »JeffseekingV wrote: »Clean eating isn't the problem. Eating too few calories is the problem. She could have the same problem eating Doritos.
Not all people with eating disorders restrict calories. Including people with restrictive eating disorders (as many of them restrict other things - such as carbs, 'bad' foods, etc). What makes an eating disorder an eating disorder isn't calorie restriction. It is fear of food and/or gaining weight that interferes with the person's quality of life. In other words, a person who is genuinely troubled by their increasing obsession with their body image and/or food has an eating disorder. A person who is not might have disordered eating, but not an eating disorder.
That said, people use the term orthorexia way too liberally.
Yes on both counts. I think it's that fear especially which is the key.0 -
I would say it is usually not worth it, unless you really need to get in shape for a special event. But having a lifestyle where you slowly loose weight will lay the foundation for lasting habits and weight loss that can last a life time. SO worth the slower and healthy path!!0
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SomeNights246 wrote: »JeffseekingV wrote: »Clean eating isn't the problem. Eating too few calories is the problem. She could have the same problem eating Doritos.
Not all people with eating disorders restrict calories. Including people with restrictive eating disorders (as many of them restrict other things - such as carbs, 'bad' foods, etc). What makes an eating disorder an eating disorder isn't calorie restriction. It is fear of food and/or gaining weight that interferes with the person's quality of life. In other words, a person who is genuinely troubled by their increasing obsession with their body image and/or food has an eating disorder. A person who is not might have disordered eating, but not an eating disorder.
That said, people use the term orthorexia way too liberally.
Thanks for the explanations. I had never heard the term orthorexia before, but I could imagine it being misused.
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SomeNights246 wrote: »JeffseekingV wrote: »Clean eating isn't the problem. Eating too few calories is the problem. She could have the same problem eating Doritos.
Not all people with eating disorders restrict calories. Including people with restrictive eating disorders (as many of them restrict other things - such as carbs, 'bad' foods, etc). What makes an eating disorder an eating disorder isn't calorie restriction. It is fear of food and/or gaining weight that interferes with the person's quality of life. In other words, a person who is genuinely troubled by their increasing obsession with their body image and/or food has an eating disorder. A person who is not might have disordered eating, but not an eating disorder.
That said, people use the term orthorexia way too liberally.
Right but in this cae, the article described the girl's problem leading to the eating of too few calories. In this case. Not all cases0 -
I usually wash my foods before I eat them. I recommend that you all do the same.0
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no, eat and drink what you want,0
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My sister and brother in law started "clean eating" at the beginning of the year, he is down 75 lbs and she 50. It really does work. I'm starting this weekend to see how it helps. It really does change the way you look at food. You can become obsessed with anything, exercise, any type of diet, ect. Yes, there are people that have that addictive personality that can/will take things to an extreme.
Yeah, but see, I'm down 124 pounds and never ate "clean" at all. It's all about the calorie deficit for weight loss. They still lost by burning more calories than they ate.0 -
I have lost over 160# by eating at a calorie deficit, cutting out MOST processed, packaged foods, paying attention to portion sizes, fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats and fish, low fat dairy and whole grains. I cook for my family, seldom eat out.
This subject (clean eating) comes up multiple times daily here, it seems. How you fuel your body is a personal choice. Whether or not you want to get proper nutrition depends on what you eat. Calories in vs calories out, eating less calories than you burn works for most people. It is up to you, and maintaining the weight loss once you have gotten to your goal is not easy. The statistics prove it. I want to be in the small majority that keep the weight off and will continue to monitor portion sizes and calories in vs calories out.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »JeffseekingV wrote: »JeffseekingV wrote: »
The OP was trying to share an article that shows that SOME people can't handle it and become obsessive to the point of it becoming a disorder.
Then THOSE people shouldn't be doing it? For the rest of us, it's not a problem to try to eat cleaner
Especially since it doesn't really mean anything. Eating "clean" means eating based on the way I've decided is good to eat. Which is great, as a concept, unless you are one of those people who really takes it seriously and gets compulsive about it, but it does not explain the obnoxious use of the term "clean" which makes no sense.
Are the foods you don't eat "unclean"?
What are these foods and what's "unclean" about them?
Do you actually think that other people understand what you mean by "clean"? I suspect they do not.
I've seen paleo folks use "clean" to mean no grains, vegans use it to mean no animal products, low fat dieters use it to mean low fat (which IMO isn't even healthy at all), and others use it to mean no processed foods. For the latter, "processed" sometimes oddly does not include obvious processed foods like frozen veggies and boneless, skinless chicken breast (which is often prized over far less processed cuts that happen to be naturally higher fat) and, of course, greek yogurt.
Personally, I try to eat healthy and mostly whole foods (much of which I get from local farms), but I don't think a healthy diet means that I must cut out cheese or grains or even ice cream, and whereas I like the idea of making my ice cream myself from dairy procured from local farms and might start, I don't actually think it will make much difference in how healthy my diet is.
Also, if "eating clean" means cutting specific food items out of your diet (whatever they are), I don't think it has much to do with eating healthy, which IMO is more about getting an appropriate number of calories for your activity level, enough protein, and sufficient micronutrients for health. I've seen lots of people go on about "clean eating" because they cut out "added sugar" or whatever and still eat almost no vegetables.
+1!
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JeffseekingV wrote: »JeffseekingV wrote: »
The OP was trying to share an article that shows that SOME people can't handle it and become obsessive to the point of it becoming a disorder.
Then THOSE people shouldn't be doing it? For the rest of us, it's not a problem to try to eat cleaner
Never said it was.
Literally just shared an article, dudes.
lol.
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I'd first start by asking: am I a complete whack job? If so, then perhaps clean eating and restrictive dieting aren't for you... but then again, probably most things aren't for you. Just a quote from your article:What started out as a genuine interest in becoming healthier quickly developed into an obsession. “I had extreme anxiety about everything I ate and became acutely aware of how every ingredient made my body feel,” says Bailey, 28, who works in software development in Boulder, Colorado. Eating out felt like torture because she couldn’t control how the food was prepared. Were the spices organic? Was the chicken raised in cages? Was sugar added to the sauce? Was a dish really gluten-free? “I broke down crying once because I could taste so many different flavors, and I didn’t know what they all were or where the ingredients were sourced,” she says.
Seriously? She started crying... because she could taste different flavors... and she wasn't sure where the ingredients were sourced from...
Yeah. Going to go with the choice of diet not being her problem.0
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