Clean eating vs. just counting your calories
Options
sammy_c_read
Posts: 22 Member
My biggest struggle with weight loss has been making up my mind. One day i tell myself "oh just eat clean and don't worry about counting calories" other days I am like "why cant i just count my calories and eat whatever fits?" I am a student and on M/W I go to school all day so i pack a sandwich and feel guilty about eating the bread and deli meat because they aren't clean but they're also 45 calories bread and all the meat is less than 100 calories. I understand that there is nothing wrong with having to eat certain foods that aren't clean for a good amount of time but why do i get so down on myself about not enjoying/being able to eat "clean"? Is it okay to eat foods that are technically processed but are good in all the calories and macros?
0
Replies
-
Deli meats have a tonne of sodium, but like all things, can be enjoyed in moderation. CICO is important for weight loss. You can eat the healthiest of foods, but if you consume more calories than you use, you'll gain weight.
That being said, eating lower calorie meals lacking the micronutrients will not be great for long term health.5 -
There is no one standard definition of clean eating. Just as a point of interest, I made a list of all of the different ways I've seen it defined around here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10337480/what-is-clean-eating#latest
Calories and the CICO equation are king for weight management. Even if you eat clean, you still need to eat in a way that reaches your calorie goals. Macros and micros are important for general health and well-being. Those can be reached with or without clean eating.
A lot of people find that clean eating, as they define it, makes it easier to reach those goals, but it's not required. I eat a sandwich with low calorie bread and processed lunch meat almost every day. I also make sure that I'm packing my day with veggies, hitting my protein goals, and work to stay within my calorie needs. And I usually have room for a serving of ice cream every night. That works really well for me. You need to find the balance that works well for you. It sounds like 100% clean doesn't do it for you. Some people aim for an 80/20 or 70/30 ratio of clean foods to non clean foods (again, based on whatever personal definition of clean they use).
But, imo, the important thing here is not to fear foods. If there are certain ingredients that cause you problems or you have medical issues that can be helped by a certain WOE, then by all means adjust your plan to do what's best for you. But getting down on yourself for not meeting someone else's standards doesn't sound like a great place to be.25 -
Clean eating is a nice idea, but i is completely unrealistic for me. It is all about the calories anyway - eat too many "clean" calories and you'll still gain weight.9
-
If clean eating means no taco bell, even in moderation, count me out!
You can lose weight eating whatever you please as long as it fits yur calories. Keep an eye on micronutrients and take a vitamin pill if you need to, but if you aren't going to "Eat clean" for the rest of your life, then you need to learn to eat the foods you already eat. If that makes any sense.6 -
I carb cycle, 4 days clean eating very low carb then 2 days I eat high fiber carbs. If I really feel like having something I will do it on the 2 days of eating high fiber cabs (my 2 days is Saturday and Sunday) on Mondays I fast.
On the days I clean eat I will eat less by 200 cals or so. That way I can afford to go over on my weekends.
This works well for me1 -
I would consider multi grain breads and such clean. I eat a can of tuna of multigrain low calorie bread a few times a week and it's under 250 calories and loaded with nutrients. Eating clean to me is more about knowing how your body burns carbs/fat/protein and balancing your nutrient load. While you can lose weight eating anything as long as there is a calorie deficit you will not obtain as much fat loss. Eating clean and knowing your caloric burn per day allows you to balance your nutrient load and preserve lean muscle while coaxing fat burning. I typically shoot for 40% protein 30% carb 30% healthy fats (avocados etc). My resting caloric burn is about 2070 calories so I shoot for 1500-1750 calories consumed most days. Once a week I eat 2500-3000 on a lifting day, this is when I do cheat meals. I like to have high calorie days occasionally to help keep my metabolism from normalizing to the deficit and slowing down. One of the best parts of fitness is getting in touch with your body and learning what you're really made of.0
-
degenerationwhy wrote: »While you can lose weight eating anything as long as there is a calorie deficit you will not obtain as much fat loss.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
5 -
count calories and switch up your exercise routine. switch up your diet. zig zag your calories. eat 6 meals instead of 3, add weight training into your routine. you should bust your plateau. examine all aspecs of your diet and see if your getting excess cals from somewhere including softdrinks. if youve been eating the same thing for a while switch it up, these are the basic ways to break plateaus. they suck but its most likely bc your metab has slowed down too much. bump up the calories by like 300 for a week and then lower by 100 ea week after that, thats called zig-zaging1
-
degenerationwhy wrote: »While you can lose weight eating anything as long as there is a calorie deficit you will not obtain as much fat loss.
What are you talking about?0 -
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Clean eating means putting my takeaway pizza on a plate rather than eating it straight from the box.26
-
You don't have to count your calories, but you DO have to reduce them.
If your idea of clean eating helps you with that, go ahead. But remember that even if you eat that way, if it's too many calories you won't lose a single ounce.1 -
WarSlave1488 wrote: »inotice when i eat clean=look lean, eat impure= cant fit thru the door!
Wut7 -
You can drive yourself crazy trying to eat perfectly or you can enjoy food. If your priority right now is calories, let that be your priority. Use your down time on the weekends to think about, plan, purchase/ prepare cleaner meals if it's still bothering you.0
-
OP, even if you eat "clean" (whatever your definition is) you still have to eat within your calorie limit, or you gain. You can eat "unclean"(whatever your definition is) and lose weight if you eat within your calorie limit.
So if both statements are true, why not make it easier on yourself and more sustainable by eating both, just make sure to stay in your calorie goals? That way you get your nutrition and the treats that you fancy? Its called having a balanced diet.3 -
I follow an 80/20 rule as a lot here do.
80% of my food is whole nutrient dense items such as lean meats, whole veggies etc....
the other 20% whatever I want...could be deli meat on thick white bread or a pie of cake or chips....
CICO for weight loss but if you are interested in health and nutrition and still living life...this is a great place to start.0 -
scjamieson644 wrote: »My biggest struggle with weight loss has been making up my mind. One day i tell myself "oh just eat clean and don't worry about counting calories" other days I am like "why cant i just count my calories and eat whatever fits?" I am a student and on M/W I go to school all day so i pack a sandwich and feel guilty about eating the bread and deli meat because they aren't clean but they're also 45 calories bread and all the meat is less than 100 calories. I understand that there is nothing wrong with having to eat certain foods that aren't clean for a good amount of time but why do i get so down on myself about not enjoying/being able to eat "clean"? Is it okay to eat foods that are technically processed but are good in all the calories and macros?
You need to eat in a sustainable way.
For weight loss you need a calorie deficit. That is all.
You can choose what food you prefer to eat. Clean eating is a vague term.
If you want to reduce or eliminate store bought processed foods you can but it will take some extra effort. You could make your own bread and cook meat and slice it up for sandwiches. Not that hard but it takes time and effort.
You can decide that some store bought foods like bread are fine. There are tons of bread choices. You are still meeting your nutritional needs.
Guilt is a waste of time in this situation.2 -
Alluminati wrote: »OP, even if you eat "clean" (whatever your definition is) you still have to eat within your calorie limit, or you gain. You can eat "unclean"(whatever your definition is) and lose weight if you eat within your calorie limit.
So if both statements are true, why not make it easier on yourself and more sustainable by eating both, just make sure to stay in your calorie goals? That way you get your nutrition and the treats that you fancy? Its called having a balanced diet.
So much this. OP I always hate to see posts like yours, that somehow others have convinced you or you have convinced yourself that you have to eat "clean" in order to lose weight and be healthy. It implies that if you don't eat according to whatever arbitrary set of rules you've put together for yourself that you need to feel guilty, as if the foods you ate are "bad" somehow.
There is nothing wrong with eating a sandwich. Just because something is "processed" doesn't mean it is bad, or that the nutritional benefits have been stripped away. There are many "processed" foods that have lots of nutrients in them, and thinking you need to avoid them because "not clean" seems like a whole lot of extra work and worry over nothing...7 -
scjamieson644 wrote: »My biggest struggle with weight loss has been making up my mind. One day i tell myself "oh just eat clean and don't worry about counting calories" other days I am like "why cant i just count my calories and eat whatever fits?" I am a student and on M/W I go to school all day so i pack a sandwich and feel guilty about eating the bread and deli meat because they aren't clean but they're also 45 calories bread and all the meat is less than 100 calories. I understand that there is nothing wrong with having to eat certain foods that aren't clean for a good amount of time but why do i get so down on myself about not enjoying/being able to eat "clean"? Is it okay to eat foods that are technically processed but are good in all the calories and macros?
I hear you! I just recently got started here, and I can relate. Over the past 6 months or so, I had put on quite a bit of weight and I was eating fairly clean and unprocessed foods. I had discovered that you can still overeat clean, healthy food. I have followed the 80/20 rule for a long time now. Eating clean 80% of the time. But now I'm tracking, too, to make sure I'm not overeating. Hope this helps!4 -
Always just eat within my calories. I try to pick the healthier foods if given a choice, but if I have room for a cookie, I'm eating the darn cookie.6
-
Clean eating, is that when you only eat in the bathtub or shower?8
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392.1K Introduce Yourself
- 43.6K Getting Started
- 259.9K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.4K Fitness and Exercise
- 403 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions