clean eating or small portions

I eat whatever I feel like eating.
If I can't do that then I won't stick to this plan.
It has to be something I can do for the rest of my life if I want to be able to keep losing, and then maintain.
If I deprive myself of foods I want/love then what is the point?
I would rather be fat and happy than skinny and miserable if that was the only option.

track the foods you eat properly, and you can have whatever you want as long as you have he calories in your day planned.

It all depends on what your goals are. If you just want to lose weight, then eat whatever you want as long as you're in a caloric deficit. If you want to feel better overall and make sure your body is getting proper nutrition, then try to incorporate more "clean" meals.

Me personally, when I was 330 plus pounds I couldn't just jump into clean eating. I started by eliminating sodas, then cut fast food to a couple times a week, then started eating more veggies, etc. Now, I'm 185 lbs and I eat fairly nutritious meals all through the week and treat myself to one really bad meal every weekend, i.e. In-N-Out, Pizza, Milkshake, etc.

That's just what worked for me. Try different things and see how your body feels after

More clarifying info: I never had a junk food problem to begin with. I ate pretty much what healthy people all eat, I just ate too much of it. I don't like candy bars but once a yearish, I don't really like cake or cookies all that much. I like green beans. I like fish. I have a natural taste preference for the "healthier" nutrient dense foods, so my situation may be unique compared to yours op.

Don't think of clean eating in terms of all the things you have to give up. Start with substitutions, improvements of the quality of your food where you can. These foods will keep you satisfied, so treats can be treats. You can enjoy them. Portion control is a good strategy for lowering calorie intake, but it is hard if you're just eating the same foods as always, only less.

For me, moving to a cleaner diet meant I got to spend more time discovering healthy ingredients, preparing meals, and enjoying them. It's not a switch you can (or should) just flip overnight. Now I can't see the point of eating half the stuff I used to eat. It doesn't taste as good, it doesn't fill me up, and it doesn't make me feel as good. This is something I've achieved over the course of several years of trying to change my body and get healthier.

I eat 3 large meals and whatever I want, but I do focus on getting whole foods.

emilysusana wrote: »

Don't think of clean eating in terms of all the things you have to give up. Start with substitutions, improvements of the quality of your food where you can. These foods will keep you satisfied, so treats can be treats. You can enjoy them. Portion control is a good strategy for lowering calorie intake, but it is hard if you're just eating the same foods as always, only less.

For me, moving to a cleaner diet meant I got to spend more time discovering healthy ingredients, preparing meals, and enjoying them. It's not a switch you can (or should) just flip overnight. Now I can't see the point of eating half the stuff I used to eat. It doesn't taste as good, it doesn't fill me up, and it doesn't make me feel as good. This is something I've achieved over the course of several years of trying to change my body and get healthier.

I agree with this so much! I have spent the last few years incorporating healthier recipes and habits into my life, and every little change has added up! It's crazy looking back and seeing how natural the transition is when you take it slow and don't expect the change overnight.

Foods I like at a calorie deficit. So neither?

maewalk0126 wrote: »

What did you find success with? Did you have to dive into clean eating, and it worked for you? Or did you eat the same with smaller portions? Myself, I think I'm going to do the smaller portions and try to eat healthier but not clean eating.

Most successful people make changes here and there over time...they don't generally make sweeping changes overnight.

My diet now is "cleaner" that it was four years ago and I put much more emphasis on whole foods and don't eat much in the way of ultra processed foods...in fact, I can't think of any in particular...that said, portion control is still important...you can eat a diet rich in whole foods and still over eat..."clean" doesn't mean you're eating low calorie or that you can just eat any portions you please...

My diet consists of plenty of calorie dense things...I eat a lot of avocados and nuts and cook with good cooking oils and butter...I eat a lot of potatoes and sweet potatoes and lentils and legumes...all pretty calorie dense whole food nutrition...and the list goes on.

#caloriesmatter

I eat what I like only. I wouldn't be able to stick to any diet but mine.
At first I reduced the portions of everything including the sugar in my black coffee.
At first I banked some calories for my chips snacks but after a while I realised I could replace this snack by something else I like but not addictive like chips.
Now after 52 days on mfp I drink my coffee black without sugar and if I put sugar by mistake I don't like the sweet taste anymore.
I don't eat chips anymore.
Overall I reduce the portions of food high in calories but I add extra food low in calories to keep my stomach full.
The result is I tend to eat more vegetables and fruits that I used to.
But in the in the end you need to find what works for you.

What worked best for me is tweaking macros and types of carbs - with more protein (and fiber), and less carbs from foods made from flour, I am able to eat less and maintain a calorie deficit.

My diet consists mainly of whole foods anyway. I think some of the clean eating rules are silly.