Moderation vs Clean Eating
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lemurcat12 wrote: »I eat clean- only because I have to. My med conditions say I have to. Moderation will not work for me on carbs- I have a limit and I have to stick to it or I gain for carbs.... and I LOVE bread, potatoes, pizza and all those yummy goodnesses! But to the OP I think it just depends on the individual- people have to find what works for them and what they can live with.... there is no "right" answer
For me it does, because of my PCOS and Hypothyroidism, it has to. I also never said NO CARBS, I said I have a LIMIT, also as I said towards the end of my post- it depends on the individual
Try reading the whole thing next time before you reply or quote
But what does that have to do with "clean eating"? Eating in a way defined by your own dietary needs is understandable (and commendable) of course, but I don't get why that makes it clean or not. I'm allergic to penicillin, does that make it unclean in my own definition?
Sure it can-- like I said before- I think the definition of "clean" or even "moderation" is on an individual basis, it is and can be different for everyone
for me- its low carb and trying to stick to whole foods (yes I am aware I didn't mention this in my original post)
but for you maybe your version of "clean" is no foods with antibiotics in them- because of your allergy
I am aware of the many definitions of "clean" ie- only whole foods, no added anything, etc, etc, etc
but again- I think it is different for everyone and certainly can be0 -
Also let me clarify that a bit- I wasn't saying that low carb eating is "clean" eating. I was saying that I eat clean and part of that includes eating low carb maybe I should have included no processed carbs.... idk,, but again I think it can and is on an individual basis as @lemurcat12 says- we can have our own inclusions for what "clean" means to us0
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Here's the key question (to repeat):
I don't understand why people insist on using a term that seems to mean nothing coherent and fails to communicate. If you mean you have to eat low carb, why not just say that? That makes total sense and is understandable. Saying you must eat clean for many would not exclude whole grain bread and would exclude plenty of non-carb foods.
To elaborate: calling food "unclean" is rather insulting. And no, it does not sound like it is meant individually, as a matter of mere taste, unclean to me and not to thee. It sounds like it's a statement of some more objective judgment (it fails on some important measure of quality). What is the perceived usefulness of a term that is so clearly misunderstood or used differently by everyone who uses it? What do you get out of saying you "eat clean"?
This is what I most want to understand from these discussions.
At the moment I'm inclined toward the hypothesis of Matt Fitzgerald in Diet Cults.0 -
Also let me clarify that a bit- I wasn't saying that low carb eating is "clean" eating. I was saying that I eat clean and part of that includes eating low carb maybe I should have included no processed carbs.... idk,, but again I think it can and is on an individual basis as @lemurcat12 says- we can have our own inclusions for what "clean" means to us
If everyone can have their own individual definition of "clean," how can it be a useful concept for weight loss and/or fitness?1 -
I've seen the term macros come up a lot here and other boards. Can someone explain that term to me please?
But to stay on topic I do "clean moderation". LOL0 -
Macros is short for macronutrients: protein, carbs, and fat.0
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I eat clean- only because I have to. My med conditions say I have to. Moderation will not work for me on carbs- I have a limit and I have to stick to it or I gain for carbs.... and I LOVE bread, potatoes, pizza and all those yummy goodnesses! But to the OP I think it just depends on the individual- people have to find what works for them and what they can live with.... there is no "right" answer
For me it does, because of my PCOS and Hypothyroidism, it has to. I also never said NO CARBS, I said I have a LIMIT, also as I said towards the end of my post- it depends on the individual
Try reading the whole thing next time before you reply or quote
I think the point being that "clean" is fairly arbitrary...it's pretty much a useless term. There was a laundry list post a page back that listed an *kitten* ton of "clean" definitions...I think they just wanted to add low carb to that arbitrary list.0 -
herrspoons wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Also let me clarify that a bit- I wasn't saying that low carb eating is "clean" eating. I was saying that I eat clean and part of that includes eating low carb maybe I should have included no processed carbs.... idk,, but again I think it can and is on an individual basis as @lemurcat12 says- we can have our own inclusions for what "clean" means to us
If everyone can have their own individual definition of "clean," how can it be a useful concept for weight loss and/or fitness?
It isn't.
Thank you! I agree! It isn't- its just how I choose to describe what I eat and what I choose to eat. Whether that fits into another's categorization of what it means- I could care less.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »
Ah....thanks! I'm going to start making a list for reference.
Try this:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1069278-acronyms-and-terms-for-new-mfp-members-v-6
You may find a better list. . .but I doubt it.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »FYI, most people who practice moderation eat primarily nutritious foods...they're just not afraid to have some desert or a slice or two of pizza every once in awhile.
"Clean" is a very ambiguous term and has about a zillion different meanings depending on the individual.
Do yourself a favor and just eat a well balanced and varied diet that is rich in whole food nutrition...and have some ice cream once in awhile.
This a thousand times! I've kept off 100 plus pounds for 7 or so years by using moderation. I do eat as clean as I can, trying to keep it healthy the majority of the time but Saturdays are my day off from not only logging but I eat what I want. I'm not afraid to eat pizza or really any food. I follow the everything in moderation rule and it has worked out well for me over the years
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I eat moderately clean.
More whole foods from scratch than prepared foods, but I'm not at all above eating convenience foods or even fast food. I mean, I love fresh pasta and bread, but I don't always have the time. And while I have an ice cream maker, I can't get the same consistency that the store-bought, processed, packaged ice cream full of emulsifiers and stabilizers has. Plus, I don't have the equipment to make yogurt or pickles, and I'm fine with packaged tomato sauce because I eat a lot of it and I buy high quality tomatoes for salad/sandwiches, so it would get expensive and time consuming.
I also tend to eat a lot of Mediterranean and Asian, so I feel my diet is pretty healthy, even if I do eat the occasional protein bar or frozen veggie.0 -
SnuggleSmacks wrote: »I eat moderately clean.
More whole foods from scratch than prepared foods, but I'm not at all above eating convenience foods or even fast food. I mean, I love fresh pasta and bread, but I don't always have the time. And while I have an ice cream maker, I can't get the same consistency that the store-bought, processed, packaged ice cream full of emulsifiers and stabilizers has. Plus, I don't have the equipment to make yogurt or pickles, and I'm fine with packaged tomato sauce because I eat a lot of it and I buy high quality tomatoes for salad/sandwiches, so it would get expensive and time consuming.
I also tend to eat a lot of Mediterranean and Asian, so I feel my diet is pretty healthy, even if I do eat the occasional protein bar or frozen veggie.
What on earth do you consider unhealthy about a frozen vegetable?0 -
Also let me clarify that a bit- I wasn't saying that low carb eating is "clean" eating. I was saying that I eat clean and part of that includes eating low carb maybe I should have included no processed carbs.... idk,, but again I think it can and is on an individual basis as @lemurcat12 says- we can have our own inclusions for what "clean" means to us
See, I just don't get the whole "clean" thing.
I could very well say that I eat clean too. I will try to play the lofty "name your way of eating game". I am basically a whole-foods vegetarian. Most of the time, the food I eat comes from the outer grocery store aisles, with just a few ingredients coming from the inner aisles like dried beans, nut butters, and canned tomatoes. I supplement my intake with quality protein bars and shakes. Every few months or so, I eat something that might be defined as a treat when I get the urge.
Yet, I just... eat what I like. So this is why I don't get the whole idea of labeling your diet "clean" or "dirty" or... anything, really.
I've tried to have this discussion with someone else before, and they didn't understand why I was asking, so maybe I'll get somewhere with you.
What does it mean to you when you say to yourself that you eat "clean"? Is it a big change from how you ate before, or are you, like me, simply eating food you like? Why are you choosing that word to describe your food choices? I'm not asking this in antagonizing way, I'm genuinely curious.
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janejellyroll wrote: »
Ah....thanks! I'm going to start making a list for reference.
There's already a thread with a list of acronyms. You could, you know, search for it.
edited because acronyms is plural
Yesterday was National Grammar Day--today you could have let it go and no one would have cared!0 -
mamapeach910 wrote: »I've tried to have this discussion with someone else before, and they didn't understand why I was asking, so maybe I'll get somewhere with you.
What does it mean to you when you say to yourself that you eat "clean"? Is it a big change from how you ate before, or are you, like me, simply eating food you like? Why are you choosing that word to describe your food choices? I'm not asking this in antagonizing way, I'm genuinely curious.
Yes! And that includes those who say they eat "moderately clean" or the like. What does this even mean? I mostly eat whole foods and like to cook, but I'd feel silly saying I eat clean since it means nothing and of course I do eat chocolate and ice cream and pie on holidays, etc., so I'd feel like a giant hypocrite or liar. Also, more importantly, what's the point?
I feel like it's intended to segregate or set you apart from the rest of us who seem to me to eat basically the same (or at least just as well), so I don't get it.
It's like the "looking for a clean eater to share recipes with" posts. Do you honestly think that because I eat holiday pie or the like my chicken and broccoli recipes will be contaminated?
I don't get it, so I end up being snider than I like, for which I apologize. But no one will ever actually address my questions and it's frustrating.
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janejellyroll wrote: »
Ah....thanks! I'm going to start making a list for reference.
There's already a thread with a list of acronyms. You could, you know, search for it.
edited because acronyms is plural
Yesterday was National Grammar Day--today you could have let it go and no one would have cared!
I'd have cared
I always care
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awarreningermany wrote: »I try to eat moderation and as clean as possible. I like to try and have clean sweets when I can as well, but in the end I wont give up or cut out any food groups unless I were to have a medical issue for doing so.
I feel like clean sweets is an oxymoron. Those two words don't belong in the same sentence together. What is a clean sweet?0 -
SnuggleSmacks wrote: »I eat moderately clean.
More whole foods from scratch than prepared foods, but I'm not at all above eating convenience foods or even fast food. I mean, I love fresh pasta and bread, but I don't always have the time. And while I have an ice cream maker, I can't get the same consistency that the store-bought, processed, packaged ice cream full of emulsifiers and stabilizers has. Plus, I don't have the equipment to make yogurt or pickles, and I'm fine with packaged tomato sauce because I eat a lot of it and I buy high quality tomatoes for salad/sandwiches, so it would get expensive and time consuming.
I also tend to eat a lot of Mediterranean and Asian, so I feel my diet is pretty healthy, even if I do eat the occasional protein bar or frozen veggie.
So we need to add frozen vegetables to the unclean list...
Actually frozen veg tends to have more nutrients than fresh.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »mamapeach910 wrote: »I've tried to have this discussion with someone else before, and they didn't understand why I was asking, so maybe I'll get somewhere with you.
What does it mean to you when you say to yourself that you eat "clean"? Is it a big change from how you ate before, or are you, like me, simply eating food you like? Why are you choosing that word to describe your food choices? I'm not asking this in antagonizing way, I'm genuinely curious.
Yes! And that includes those who say they eat "moderately clean" or the like. What does this even mean? I mostly eat whole foods and like to cook, but I'd feel silly saying I eat clean since it means nothing and of course I do eat chocolate and ice cream and pie on holidays, etc., so I'd feel like a giant hypocrite or liar. Also, more importantly, what's the point?
I feel like it's intended to segregate or set you apart from the rest of us who seem to me to eat basically the same (or at least just as well), so I don't get it.
It's like the "looking for a clean eater to share recipes with" posts. Do you honestly think that because I eat holiday pie or the like my chicken and broccoli recipes will be contaminated?
I don't get it, so I end up being snider than I like, for which I apologize. But no one will ever actually address my questions and it's frustrating.
I know! There are so many of us moderates who actually eat relatively "clean", but we don't self-define that way. I'd love to know what's the motivation behind that definition, because I really don't get it.
I think... on some level... I understand defining the way you eat in broad terms. I'm a vegetarian, you cook from scratch (so do I), etc. I just don't get "clean". Maybe it's the part of me that has a cane to wave at the kids on my lawn and reacts to the latest fad thing, because "clean" is sure all the rage. Anything that's all the rage is bound to make my skin crawl. I'm one of those people.
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mamapeach910 wrote: »Also let me clarify that a bit- I wasn't saying that low carb eating is "clean" eating. I was saying that I eat clean and part of that includes eating low carb maybe I should have included no processed carbs.... idk,, but again I think it can and is on an individual basis as @lemurcat12 says- we can have our own inclusions for what "clean" means to us
See, I just don't get the whole "clean" thing.
I could very well say that I eat clean too. I will try to play the lofty "name your way of eating game". I am basically a whole-foods vegetarian. Most of the time, the food I eat comes from the outer grocery store aisles, with just a few ingredients coming from the inner aisles like dried beans, nut butters, and canned tomatoes. I supplement my intake with quality protein bars and shakes. Every few months or so, I eat something that might be defined as a treat when I get the urge.
Yet, I just... eat what I like. So this is why I don't get the whole idea of labeling your diet "clean" or "dirty" or... anything, really.
I've tried to have this discussion with someone else before, and they didn't understand why I was asking, so maybe I'll get somewhere with you.
What does it mean to you when you say to yourself that you eat "clean"? Is it a big change from how you ate before, or are you, like me, simply eating food you like? Why are you choosing that word to describe your food choices? I'm not asking this in antagonizing way, I'm genuinely curious.
I understand and I just do like you but I try to eat whole foods for reasons I think we covered in another forum- lol and because it is what my doc/nutritionist gave me that I could eat for my conditions.......
I don't really understand the reason for labeling it either- I just say its clean because I try not to have processed stuff in it, eat for my med conditions, etc.
I don't think it really matters what or if you "label" your eating- I am no different from the way you eat- from the outsides of the store with a few inclusions from the insides- dry beans, nut butters- except that I have to limit my carbs every day.
It is a very big change from how I ate before- it wasn't necessarily unclean or "dirty" I don't think any food is "bad" or "dirty". But it did include a lot of processed foods from the inside aisle and a lot of "junk" food. I cant say why EVERYONE labels their way of eating as "clean" I can only say what I think it is and why I say it. There is no purpose to it- and no reason for it. It is a personal preference.
I do know though that some people label themselves as "clean" eaters because they buy only organic, nothing extra like gmo's, pesticides, etc. - so that is what it means to them.
But again- I think it means something different to everyone- as it can. Just like moderation can. I would not say eating a whole pizza is moderation- but someone else might- and that is fine. Whatever works for them.
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