"Clean" eating vs. Moderation- what works for you?
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I'm all about moderation. If I tried to restrict myself too much I would fail. I've lost over 20 pounds so far, just staying under my calorie goals. I've even worked in girl scout cookies nearly every day for the last month as a treat.0
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I try to eat as healthy as possible most of the time. I suppose that could fit the definition of "clean". I tried the moderation approach, but it didn't work as well. If I have one cookie, I want to have two more. If I take away cookies as an option, I really don't even crave them because they are something I can't have. By eating very healthy, I also find it much easier to stay within my caloric goal. Of course, I'll have a beer when out with friends or a slice of cake at a birthday party. But eating clean except on special occasions works well for me.0
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Everything in moderation. Including moderation.
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Personally I find it much easier to eat within my calorie limits and macros! I make lots of healthy soups etc and eat fruit, but I also like being able to have that "chocolate, biscuit, cheat meal" if I want it. It also makes it easier if i'm going out with friends every once in a while and I can just eat along with them. Occasionally I do go over my cals, but that's ok as I see my diet now as a complete lifestyle change not just something I do for a few weeks!
I think i would be completely miserable if I ate clean all the time! haha It's all about moderation for me.0 -
High variety, local market produce and processed whatever. I avoid artificial sweetners for purely taste reasons and because of headaches induced by one of them. If it fits my macros, micros and tastes good, it goes in the piehole. Lost 40 lbs, bulked, losing 20 now at about a 1 lb a week.0
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95% clean/ paleo (but including dairy). I eat small amounts of grains (oats and rice cakes) during PMS and period weeks for sanity. I steer away from 'treats' and 'cheat meals' as they will trigger a binge. During the hard two weeks a month I have been eating a chocolate mouse or small sized choc bar (85-100 cals) about twice or three times in the week which really helps keep me sane.
Since I'm only 5ft and small boned, and my maintenence is only about 1450 cals I don't have too much room for 'junk food' in my diet without gaining. Rather than incidental additionals cals each day (odd biscuit here , odd bowl of ice cream there) I'd rather have one nice guilt-free slice of cake now and again.0 -
Moderation
because 'clean' food means different things to different people
I think the concept of 'good' or 'bad' foods is just wrong
I eat everything, within my calorie goals .. and if I don't have the calories saved up over the week I'll leave it till I do0 -
During my weight loss: (around 15 months) Anything in moderation
During my maintanance: (so far a year) Anything in moderation0 -
Moderation works for me. Do I try to eat more homemade foods and less processed foods? Yes, but partially because I like them more and I enjoy cooking. But I do drink beer, eat chocolate and go out for food, including burgers and chips. And I'm losing weight. I'll do the same during maintenance. In my mind, one should do what will work best for them for life - if you can eat clean or do Paleo or eat burgers and do it forever while maintaining your weight, then awesome. Do it.0
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Unlike many of the posters here, moderation is something I just can't handle - one slice of cake sends my mind into a food-craving frenzy...never a good idea for me. Also, when I eat 'clean' (i.e. lean meat, veg, fruit), I feel more positive mentally
One thing which surprises me is that people don't want to categorise 'good' and 'bad' foods. For the record, I completely support whatever healthy methods everyone here has used to lose weight, but am curious how, for example, pizza cannot be considered a 'bad' food, considering the chemicals etc. companies add to it?
Again, I am not in any way knocking the IIFYM method, but am just questioning the idea that broccoli is as 'good' a food as pizza?0 -
Moderation for me. 10lbs down in 7 weeks (with a goal of 1lb/week), eating all the same things I did before but less of them. Though I have no room at 1,280 cals for alcohol, so that's gone until I'm back at my goal weight. I can have the odd glass of wine on maintenance cals.
I have pizza every Wednesday night, fish and chips every Friday night, and two good quality chocolates (Thorntons, Lindt etc) a night.
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Unlike many of the posters here, moderation is something I just can't handle - one slice of cake sends my mind into a food-craving frenzy...never a good idea for me. Also, when I eat 'clean' (i.e. lean meat, veg, fruit), I feel more positive mentally
One thing which surprises me is that people don't want to categorise 'good' and 'bad' foods. For the record, I completely support whatever healthy methods everyone here has used to lose weight, but am curious how, for example, pizza cannot be considered a 'bad' food, considering the chemicals etc. companies add to it?
Again, I am not in any way knocking the IIFYM method, but am just questioning the idea that broccoli is as 'good' a food as pizza?
ain't no chemicals (by which I assume you mean preservatives / MSG) in the fresh made pizza I eat - but it's full of calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, yummy carbs etc
Dependent on your nutritional needs a pizza (even a pre-made shop-bought one) could be better for you than that brocolli
also - have you ever seen the chemical breakdown of what you would call 'good' foods
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I go for everything in moderation, although that to me means fitting a treat in occasionally, not every day. I don't know if I eat 'clean' but we do generally cook from scratch, and rarely eat what I define as 'junk food' (Mcdonalds, KFC etc). I prefer to have a 'treat day' once a week and eat really healthily the other days, and on that one day I'll have some homemade cake or cookies. Although lately I've not been doing that and have had too many treats, and I find that even though I'm within calories, that doesn't work for me.
I aim for high protein and lower carb (not low carb, just reduced).
I'm a mum of 3 kids and I want them to know that eating in moderation is ok.0 -
Love this!!!Unlike many of the posters here, moderation is something I just can't handle - one slice of cake sends my mind into a food-craving frenzy...never a good idea for me. Also, when I eat 'clean' (i.e. lean meat, veg, fruit), I feel more positive mentally
One thing which surprises me is that people don't want to categorise 'good' and 'bad' foods. For the record, I completely support whatever healthy methods everyone here has used to lose weight, but am curious how, for example, pizza cannot be considered a 'bad' food, considering the chemicals etc. companies add to it?
Again, I am not in any way knocking the IIFYM method, but am just questioning the idea that broccoli is as 'good' a food as pizza?
ain't no chemicals (by which I assume you mean preservatives / MSG) in the fresh made pizza I eat - but it's full of calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, yummy carbs etc
Dependent on your nutritional needs a pizza (even a pre-made shop-bought one) could be better for you than that brocolli
also - have you ever seen the chemical breakdown of what you would call 'good' foods
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"Clean eating" to me = lower cal veggies/lean proteins, so that I can fit within my way low cal goal (1350). And of course everyone feels better I would think eating more healthy foods but many clean eating paleo, etc etc would have me slathering on lots of butter and other healthy fats - which are great but no way can fit within such a low cal diet for me.
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You'd be better off asking people to define the word "moderation" before they answer the question. Some use it and mean they get beer every weekend and fast food 4 times a week. Others use it to mean they get ice cream once a month. Both assume everyone else uses it the same way they use it themselves.0
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I've lost 56 pounds cutting out virtually nothing that I love to eat. Smaller portions and more activity, I think, are responsible for most of my weight loss. I hate to cook, so I still eat packaged foods and have fast food occasionally, but instead of having a double cheeseburger with fries, I'll have a single cheeseburger and a salad with vinaigrette dressing. I *have* restricted my carbohydrates and cut out added sugar from my diet, but that's due to a diabetes diagnosis and not because there is anything inherently wrong with either of them.
I believe that "clean" eating is less about eating well and more about exercising control over one's life, so no, I don't do it. I do eat veggies from my friend's organic garden and drink milk/eat butter and cheese from my own, unmedicated goat. I'll probably be eating more rabbit and quail in the future, since I'll be raising them myself. However, I see nothing wrong with me using artificial sweeteners rather than stevia (which I find nasty) and definitely find nothing wrong with pastries, pasta, or any other tasty snack food. I don't drink alcohol because my father and grandfather were both untreated alcoholics and consider myself high-risk for addictive behaviors, but see nothing wrong with other people doing it, either.0 -
Unlike many of the posters here, moderation is something I just can't handle - one slice of cake sends my mind into a food-craving frenzy...never a good idea for me. Also, when I eat 'clean' (i.e. lean meat, veg, fruit), I feel more positive mentally
One thing which surprises me is that people don't want to categorise 'good' and 'bad' foods. For the record, I completely support whatever healthy methods everyone here has used to lose weight, but am curious how, for example, pizza cannot be considered a 'bad' food, considering the chemicals etc. companies add to it?
Again, I am not in any way knocking the IIFYM method, but am just questioning the idea that broccoli is as 'good' a food as pizza?
Food is food - if you can find it for sale in your supermarket then it's been passed as safe for human consumption. To randomly decide something is "bad" or "unhealthy" is completely missing the context that your diet isn't comprised of one single food.
You must look at the entire diet.
Not that anyone would, but a diet comprised solely of broccoli would be very unhealthy and therefore "bad".
Pizza actually has a better balance of carbs, fat, protein but again no-one solely eats pizza. By the way everything is composed of chemicals.
As another example of context - when I'm cycling long distance I'm consuming 60g of carbs (mostly sugars) an hour. Which is perfect for me that day to fuel my exercise- it would be a dreadful diet on a day when I'm sitting at a desk all day.
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Aren't moderation and clean eating (depending on your definition) essentially the same thing? Eating the majority of your calories in nutrient rich foods with some room for less nutritionally dense foods? That's exactly what I do and what has been working for me. Call it "clean + treats", call it moderation, call it whatever you want. The problem is that those who call it clean eating build a straw man of people living on nothing but brownies. Even by moderation standards this is not sustainable nor realistic, since you would be hungry all the time.
And then there are different kinds of moderation. Some eat a square of chocolate every days, others eat a whole bar every few days/weeks. For me, I do a little of both. I can easily have a mini chocolate and be satisfied, but I can't easily have a sliver of cheesecake and be done with it. So I just have a normal-large slice of cheesecake, make up for it, and don't do it often.0 -
In the past 5 years or so, I have really noticed what seems to be an enormous shift in what is considered the "ideal" diet. So much emphasis is now placed on eating only whole, unprocessed foods, no added sugar, nothing artificial, ditch "white" carbs, etc. Paleo this, Whole 30 that, don't eat gluten, don't eat bread, etc. I totally get that nutrition and weight loss are two totally different things. What I am curious about is how are "real" people who are currently *successfully* losing weight actually eating? Do you have the occasional bowl of sugar cereal if it fits into your calorie allowance, or are your 1200 calories (or whatever your number is) strictly filled with vegetables, nuts, and organic chicken breasts? I want to know what REALLY works for you, not just what is "ideal".
I had never been a believer in “diets" or drastically changing the things I ate. I have had success in the past with “all things in moderation as long as you count everything. " It may take longer but their isn't a huge shift in losing eating and maintaining.
However this go around after packing 12 lbs on during the holidays I was determined to get the weight off quickly. I stuck to clean eating 75-80% of the time with the off time bring mostly things like snap pea crisps, pork rinds, wine once a week, protein shakes ect. I eat high protein, low carbs and love I broke my addiction to bread! Now, I still eat carbs just not sugary or wheat/yeasty things. I've lost 23 pounds since January 2, so it has been fast. Its slowed given down and I'm getting a normal .5-1.5lb a week now.
I can't say once I am at my goal I won't add a occasional piece of bread but my dependence has been broken which for me is a game changer. Because I could literally eat a loaf of French bread with some butter in one day! Screw sweets, chips, or fried food!
34 yrs, 5 foot 1.5, & small frame
SW: 207, size 18/2x, 36H body fat 42% (according to doctor)
CW: 143, 8, 32DDD, Body fat 28%(according to doctor)
GW: 125-130, size 6, 30D, body fat 22-25% (according to doctor)
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