Clean eating help
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jend114
Posts: 1,058 Member
Clean eating rule is 80/20 right? Is that daily? Or weekly? I need to make eating adjustments bc I'm sure that's what's holding me back from my goals. Help please!
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Replies
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How would you define "clean"?
Also 80/20 sounds good to me. I vote for daily, also. I have something sweet at least once per day. I just aim to hit my macros and stay within my calorie goals. I'm losing weight.
But I don't eat "clean".0 -
I define clean eating as not processed foods0
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There's no rule, it's basically what you define it as. Personally I consider 80/20 a moderation style of eating and assume "clean" means someone is trying to cut certain things out entirely (which I don't do).
Someone asked about getting started in clean eating yesterday and this is what I wrote (and a link to the thread, as you might find it helpful):
I don't use the term "clean eating," but I mainly cook from whole foods, and have done this for a long time.
IME, weight loss does not naturally come from this -- I gained lots of weight doing it and have also lost weight doing it. What matters is paying attention to what/how much you eat. To the extent you are snacking a lot on foods that you would no longer eat, I suppose it can help, as it requires that you bake cookies rather than buy them or the like (I tend not to like packaged cookies anyway, and am partial to homemade baked goods, but I also do include some ice cream and high-quality chocolate in my diet).
I'd recommend reading about nutrition, which is more about what you do include in your diet than not eating specific foods. Here's an excellent start: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/ and I also like this: http://bigthink.com/videos/david-katz-on-what-we-know-about-diet
What helps me is to try to include some protein and vegetables (I eat a lot) in all meats, and then treat everything else as extras based on what I'm in the mood for. I tend to have a standard breakfast, which makes it easy (mine is 2 egg vegetable omelet with some additional protein or fruit depending on the day). While I wouldn't say that's a better breakfast than any others, having a standard plan for breakfast makes it easy. Lunches I try to make ahead for the week or bring dinner leftovers (I buy lunch too often, though, although I pick options consistent with my overall goals). For dinner I tend to have lots of vegetables and some other sides (like potatoes, sweet potatoes, pasta, rice) on hand and will decide in advance what my protein will be and take it out to defrost if necessary. I will whip up dinner based on that, the vegetables I have on hand, and the starch I'm in the mood for (maybe turn everything into a pasta dish or stir fry, maybe just have some potatoes on the side too).
As you get used to this it becomes easy. You might want to work up to it by focusing on one thing at a time, instead of trying to switch over to home cooking all at once.
What really made it easy for me is when I stopped menu planning and thinking I had to have a recipe and buy things for that recipe. Now I just focus on what I have at home (I learned to do this from cooking from a CSA box of vegetables and figuring out how to use them up, no matter what they were) and it makes it so much easier. I sometimes read cookbooks for ideas but never actually cook from a recipe.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10348748/clean-eating-guide-how-did-you-start0 -
oh dear.
You don't know what you stepped into...0 -
I define clean eating as not processed foods
Do you really mean no processed foods (like no cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt or smoked salmon, no purchased salad made from high-quality ingredients, no canned tomatoes even out of season or dried pasta)? Or do you mean no highly-processed/convenience foods, like frozen dinners?0 -
I define clean eating as not processed foods
'processed foods' has more meanings (at least on MFP) than 'clean eating. Clean eating generally refers to eating foods as close to their natural state as possible.
If you want to eat 80/20 then just make 80% of your foods from whole natural ingredients and fill the other 20% with whatever you want. Keep an eye on overall balance and nutrition and you should be golden.0 -
Ah the daily clean eating debate thread.
I know it's hard to understand, but OP like many others is defining "clean food" not just as that which is unprocessed, but as any food that contributes meaningfully to a good diet; that is, foods that have a high nutrient density, and provide substantial amounts of micronutrients while keeping the diet compliant with its macronutrient constraints.
The question OP is asking, which many people ask and which falls on purposefully deaf ears, is really is it acceptable if 80% of the food I eat aligns with my dietary macro/micro goals, and 20% does not, so long as I stay within my calorie ceiling for the day?
The answer is: sure. You can go very far with this rule. Eventually you may need to reduce that 20% figure to 10 or 5 or 0 depending on your physique goals, but feel free to run with this for now.0 -
I suggest you creep up on 80% by gradually changing over your diet one meal and one choice at a time. What meal today is mostly made up of highly processed foods? What change can you make to improve that?
Bulk cooking can help you create your own convenience foods.0 -
itsthehumidity wrote: »Ah the daily clean eating debate thread.
I know it's hard to understand, but OP like many others is defining "clean food" not just as that which is unprocessed, but as any food that contributes meaningfully to a good diet; that is, foods that have a high nutrient density, and provide substantial amounts of micronutrients while keeping the diet compliant with its macronutrient constraints.
The question OP is asking, which many people ask and which falls on purposefully deaf ears, is really is it acceptable if 80% of the food I eat aligns with my dietary macro/micro goals, and 20% does not, so long as I stay within my calorie ceiling for the day?
The answer is: sure. You can go very far with this rule. Eventually you may need to reduce that 20% figure to 10 or 5 or 0 depending on your physique goals, but feel free to run with this for now.
OP said processed, nothing about macronutrient density.
OP, there is a clean eating thread in the Nutrition Debate section; you may want to read it. Just so you know, your definition of clean eating excludes things like cottage cheese, smoked salmon, and frozen vegetables.0 -
These threads always go well.0
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OP has gotten substantive answers, as well as respectful questions.
I don't see how the "this will go badly" comments do anything more than stir up drama.0 -
ClosetBayesian wrote: »itsthehumidity wrote: »Ah the daily clean eating debate thread.
I know it's hard to understand, but OP like many others is defining "clean food" not just as that which is unprocessed, but as any food that contributes meaningfully to a good diet; that is, foods that have a high nutrient density, and provide substantial amounts of micronutrients while keeping the diet compliant with its macronutrient constraints.
The question OP is asking, which many people ask and which falls on purposefully deaf ears, is really is it acceptable if 80% of the food I eat aligns with my dietary macro/micro goals, and 20% does not, so long as I stay within my calorie ceiling for the day?
The answer is: sure. You can go very far with this rule. Eventually you may need to reduce that 20% figure to 10 or 5 or 0 depending on your physique goals, but feel free to run with this for now.
OP said processed, nothing about macronutrient density.
OP, there is a clean eating thread in the Nutrition Debate section; you may want to read it. Just so you know, your definition of clean eating excludes things like cottage cheese, smoked salmon, and frozen vegetables.
I doubt very many people consider frozen vegetables as "processed foods"0 -
Clean eating rule is 80/20 right? Is that daily? Or weekly? I need to make eating adjustments bc I'm sure that's what's holding me back from my goals. Help please!
If you want to change how you eat, add an extra meal that you can cook from home this week/weekend. Next week add another meal. By the end of four weeks, you will have four dishes in your repertoire.
You can make double or triple batches so that you have food in the freezer already portioned out for you to reheat.0 -
Your profile shows me you have done pretty dam good. You lost 42lbs! Congrats. What do you think is really holding you back? I noticed you dont seem to really log everyday anymore?0
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itsthehumidity wrote: »Ah the daily clean eating debate thread.
I know it's hard to understand, but OP like many others is defining "clean food" not just as that which is unprocessed, but as any food that contributes meaningfully to a good diet; that is, foods that have a high nutrient density, and provide substantial amounts of micronutrients while keeping the diet compliant with its macronutrient constraints.
The question OP is asking, which many people ask and which falls on purposefully deaf ears, is really is it acceptable if 80% of the food I eat aligns with my dietary macro/micro goals, and 20% does not, so long as I stay within my calorie ceiling for the day?
The answer is: sure. You can go very far with this rule. Eventually you may need to reduce that 20% figure to 10 or 5 or 0 depending on your physique goals, but feel free to run with this for now.
Crap, now we are supposed to be able to read people's minds? Cause, ... , she didn't say that
OP, I think 80/20 is great to shoot for, whatever you are defining "clean" as. And I think daily is easier to keep track of.
Also, keep in mind that once you've lost some weight, your loss will slow a bit, that's not unusual. And how much you lose is based on how many calories, so making sure the numbers are in line is key. Keep up the good work!0 -
What is 80/20? Oops never mind.0
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itsthehumidity wrote: »Ah the daily clean eating debate thread.
I know it's hard to understand, but OP like many others is defining "clean food" not just as that which is unprocessed, but as any food that contributes meaningfully to a good diet; that is, foods that have a high nutrient density, and provide substantial amounts of micronutrients while keeping the diet compliant with its macronutrient constraints.
The question OP is asking, which many people ask and which falls on purposefully deaf ears, is really is it acceptable if 80% of the food I eat aligns with my dietary macro/micro goals, and 20% does not, so long as I stay within my calorie ceiling for the day?
The answer is: sure. You can go very far with this rule. Eventually you may need to reduce that 20% figure to 10 or 5 or 0 depending on your physique goals, but feel free to run with this for now.
Crap, now we are supposed to be able to read people's minds? Cause, ... , she didn't say that
No, we don't at all. It just takes the slightest amount of sense and reason sometimes to know what someone is really after. The term clean food is intended to describe food choices that align with a diet that brings you closer to your fitness and health goals. This concept unifies those who use this term, and it's the concept, which generated OP's specific question, that I'm bringing to the surface.
I bet if OP and I sat down, she would agree that what I'm saying is what she meant, or was getting that, even though it wasn't precisely what she said.0 -
itsthehumidity wrote: »itsthehumidity wrote: »Ah the daily clean eating debate thread.
I know it's hard to understand, but OP like many others is defining "clean food" not just as that which is unprocessed, but as any food that contributes meaningfully to a good diet; that is, foods that have a high nutrient density, and provide substantial amounts of micronutrients while keeping the diet compliant with its macronutrient constraints.
The question OP is asking, which many people ask and which falls on purposefully deaf ears, is really is it acceptable if 80% of the food I eat aligns with my dietary macro/micro goals, and 20% does not, so long as I stay within my calorie ceiling for the day?
The answer is: sure. You can go very far with this rule. Eventually you may need to reduce that 20% figure to 10 or 5 or 0 depending on your physique goals, but feel free to run with this for now.
Crap, now we are supposed to be able to read people's minds? Cause, ... , she didn't say that
No, we don't at all. It just takes the slightest amount of sense and reason sometimes to know what someone is really after. The term clean food is intended to describe food choices that align with a diet that brings you closer to your fitness and health goals. This concept unifies those who use this term, and it's the concept, which generated OP's specific question, that I'm bringing to the surface.
I bet if OP and I sat down, she would agree that what I'm saying is what she meant, or was getting that, even though it wasn't precisely what she said.
Wow, you're good.0 -
itsthehumidity wrote: »itsthehumidity wrote: »Ah the daily clean eating debate thread.
I know it's hard to understand, but OP like many others is defining "clean food" not just as that which is unprocessed, but as any food that contributes meaningfully to a good diet; that is, foods that have a high nutrient density, and provide substantial amounts of micronutrients while keeping the diet compliant with its macronutrient constraints.
The question OP is asking, which many people ask and which falls on purposefully deaf ears, is really is it acceptable if 80% of the food I eat aligns with my dietary macro/micro goals, and 20% does not, so long as I stay within my calorie ceiling for the day?
The answer is: sure. You can go very far with this rule. Eventually you may need to reduce that 20% figure to 10 or 5 or 0 depending on your physique goals, but feel free to run with this for now.
Crap, now we are supposed to be able to read people's minds? Cause, ... , she didn't say that
No, we don't at all. It just takes the slightest amount of sense and reason sometimes to know what someone is really after. The term clean food is intended to describe food choices that align with a diet that brings you closer to your fitness and health goals. This concept unifies those who use this term, and it's the concept, which generated OP's specific question, that I'm bringing to the surface.
I bet if OP and I sat down, she would agree that what I'm saying is what she meant, or was getting that, even though it wasn't precisely what she said.
This has not been my experience with that term:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10337480/what-is-clean-eating/p10
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