"Clean" eating vs. Moderation- what works for you?
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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
I love this.
And to answer the OP.. I eat low carb high fat due to medical problems. If it fits in my macros, and is food, I will eat it..within my calorie goal.0 -
Moderation. But what a lot of people do is follow an 80/20 or 90/10 balance. The higher number being more nutritious foods, and then work the treats into your calories/macros. I still eat fast food and pizza once a week and save room for dessert every night. Last night was a cup of chocolate pudding that not only fit into my calories, but also allowed me to hit my protein goal.0
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I try to avoid processed foods and foods with too much sugar... or any sugar at all really, as much as possible. I really do not like the term "clean eating" because it is open to interpretation and implies that anything else is "dirty". To me how can you be trying to be healthy and lose weight if you are eating a lot of sugar and processed foods anyway?0
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eeelizabeth2012 wrote: »I try to avoid processed foods and foods with too much sugar... or any sugar at all really, as much as possible. I really do not like the term "clean eating" because it is open to interpretation and implies that anything else is "dirty". To me how can you be trying to be healthy and lose weight if you are eating a lot of sugar and processed foods anyway?
easily - count calories, watch macros
sugar is nothing unless you have a medical condition
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eeelizabeth2012 wrote: »I try to avoid processed foods and foods with too much sugar... or any sugar at all really, as much as possible. I really do not like the term "clean eating" because it is open to interpretation and implies that anything else is "dirty". To me how can you be trying to be healthy and lose weight if you are eating a lot of sugar and processed foods anyway?
That is where moderation comes into play. Focus on nutrition, then add treats as you can. We aren't saying eat an entire carton of ice cream, just a reasonable portion.0 -
I'm definitely PRO moderation. I couldn't eliminate certain foods from my life without losing the will to live (see profile pic) or constantly craving- I tend to eat healthily 5 days a week and generally under my calorie allowance, which gives me the leeway to indulge at weekends 0
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I don't like bread or potatoes so it wasn't a wrench to remove them from my diet, but I will stil eat rice and pasta. I am not going to moderate myself into misery though, so I just reduce portion sizes and keep my protein level high. I calorie count very carefully, because thats the only thing that works for me.0
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You have to find what works for you. Some feel great eating vegetarian, some need to ditch dairy to feel great. I feel good when I eat a balance of veggies, whole grains and proteins (less sugar, alcohol, and processed foods). But if I don't have a treat at least once a week I'm more likely to eat more until I satisfy the craving.0
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The bolded is why clean eaters get jumped on here. Chemicals.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?
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This is just my observation:
There's really not much different between most "clean" eaters and most "moderation" eaters.
The clean eaters eat mostly whole foods, and once in a while have something that doesn't fit the clean stereotype, but they talk about how clean they eat.
The moderate eaters also eat mostly whole foods, and once in a while have something that doesn't fit the clean stereotype, but talk about Pop Tarts and ice cream.
There's extremists in both camps, but the majority of both probably overlap quite a bit in what kinds of foods they eat.
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calorie deficit is what works for everyone….
everything else - moderation, clean, low carb, no carb, etc is just a tool for creating said deficit…
I personally enjoy all the foods and fit them into my day.
clean eating is totally unnecessary and the verbal gymnastics some do to define foods as 'clean' or 'dirty' is hilarious..
I also don't believe in assigning moral values to food of "good" or "bad" ..food is just energy that your body uses for energy ….different combination give you different results…
calorie deficit for weight loss
macro and micro adherence for body composition and overall health ..
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azulvioleta6 wrote: »Reasonably clean eating really does work for me--but that's not a weight-loss issue, it's just how I want to live and what I want to do for long-term health. I will occasionally have slightly unclean indulgences (wine, chocolate, bread, maybe a piece of cake once or twice a year) with a lot of moderation.
I've always been a clean eater though, so it isn't a sacrifice and I am not depriving myself. I don't want/crave junk food. I've never had Lucky Charms and I'm not going to start now.
why are those things not "clean"..????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?
everything has chemicals in it.
If I have broccoli AND pizza in my day does that make my diet good or bad?
What you need to take into account is the overall diet and if someone is hitting their micro/macro/calorie goals.
what if I have broccoli on my pizza? Does the good in the broccoli negate the bad in the pizza? < that is the problem with labeling foods good or bad, because we do not eat individual foods in a vacuum.0 -
eeelizabeth2012 wrote: »I try to avoid processed foods and foods with too much sugar... or any sugar at all really, as much as possible. I really do not like the term "clean eating" because it is open to interpretation and implies that anything else is "dirty". To me how can you be trying to be healthy and lose weight if you are eating a lot of sugar and processed foods anyway?
easily - count calories, watch macros
sugar is nothing unless you have a medical condition
this …
so if my day consists of chicken, rice, eggs, cottage cheese, vegetables, turkey, whole wheat, two cookies, and two servings of ice cream it is then not healthy because of the sugar, really?0 -
I don't really have any rules, I just do what I do. I'm a female so I have those days where I just crave crap, so I eat it. I have other days/ even weeks where I eat really "clean", whatever that acutally means. I find I have more success when I prepare my own food, but I think that just boils down to an accuracy thing, just because the portions are supposed to be a specific size at a restaurant doesnt mean the new guy didn't give you double croutons on accident.0
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Moderation. Which works more or less well depending on what time of the month it is, but I just know I would never have been able to stick to it if I couldn't eat what I want occasionally.
I still eat a lot of lean meat and loads of veggies, but I also eat pizza, chocolates, cookies, ice cream and cake. I've lost 80 pounds.0 -
OP I appreciate the way you phrased your post which asked for input and anecdotal evidence from people who have tried one or both approaches.
I am on Team Moderation having lost about 30 lbs this way, but I concur with others who have pointed out that most of the time there isn't much difference in the actual diaries of those who eat "clean" vs those doing moderation or IIFYM. One of the chief differences I've observed, and you can already see it coming out in a few posts here, is the perception by "clean eaters" that everyone else is "dirty" or somehow eating a nutritionally deficient diet. You can see it in the comment about "how can pizza not be bad with all those chemicals" post or the "how can sugar and processed foods be healthy" post.
If you notice, the people responding advocating moderation are saying "eat a variety of foods, focus on meeting your goals, but there is no extra credit for eating more broccoli at the end of the day if you've already hit all your other nutritional requirements so if you fancy some wine or gelato, go for it". The clean team tend to be the ones creating straw man arguments like "how can you say a diet of all donuts is better than broccoli".0 -
OP I appreciate the way you phrased your post which asked for input and anecdotal evidence from people who have tried one or both approaches.
I am on Team Moderation having lost about 30 lbs this way, but I concur with others who have pointed out that most of the time there isn't much difference in the actual diaries of those who eat "clean" vs those doing moderation or IIFYM. One of the chief differences I've observed, and you can already see it coming out in a few posts here, is the perception by "clean eaters" that everyone else is "dirty" or somehow eating a nutritionally deficient diet. You can see it in the comment about "how can pizza not be bad with all those chemicals" post or the "how can sugar and processed foods be healthy" post.
If you notice, the people responding advocating moderation are saying "eat a variety of foods, focus on meeting your goals, but there is no extra credit for eating more broccoli at the end of the day if you've already hit all your other nutritional requirements so if you fancy some wine or gelato, go for it". The clean team tend to be the ones creating straw man arguments like "how can you say a diet of all donuts is better than broccoli".
I still say that a diet of all broccoli would be infinitely more unpleasant than a diet of all donuts.
Not that any reasonable person would do either.0
This discussion has been closed.
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