Learning to eat clean , Tips

Start simple by substituting things. sweeteners instead of sugar. Skimmed instead of semi or whole. Wholemeal instead of white. Oatmeal instead of shreddies/sugary cereals. Bit by bit.

Flyeaglesfly8630 wrote: »

Try to eat lean proteins with little fat. Such as tuna chicken pork or high red meat cuts such as sirloin steak. Also eat complex carbs Brown rice oatmeal wheat pasta whole grains. Avoid fruit in the evening sugar contents are to high turns to fat. Also green yogurt is a fantastic snack with some gronala. Hope this helps.

How does sugar from fruit, turn to fat, if eaten in a calorie deficit? And why does it matter if you eat it in the evening or any other time of the day?

Because it spikes insulin levels and blood sugar levels. You are going to burn that off through out the day. It is a great snack gives you energy for the day or for a workout. It is also a great source of fiber give some take some.

WinoGelato wrote: »

OP this is what always happens when someone posts a thread about clean eating. As you can see, it's a controversial term, largely because it means something different to everyone.

If you want to be successful, and don't have a medical reason to restrict certain types of foods, then just set up MFP with your stats and a reasonable goal, and when MFP provides you a calorie target, aim to hit that target while logging accurately. Eat a variety of nutrient dense foods, things like lean protein, vegetables, whole grains, fruits, healthy fats, etc. but don't get caught up on whether something is "clean" or not. Things that are processed can be part of a healthy diet. Even things like ice cream, pizza, and fast food can be consumed in moderation.

Well said. Diplomatic and to the point. Thumbs up.

Eating clean has nothing to do with fat loss. You can eat all the clean foods you want (whatever that means) and not lose an ounce of fat. Why? Because the only thing required to lose fat is a sustained calorie deficit. To prove my point, a body builder, school teacher, and many others have lost fat eating the majority of their calories from fast foods and candy (not that this is exactly healthy), but it illustrates the point that a calorie deficit is king when it comes to losing weight.

So I suggest that you consume 80% of your foods from nutrient dense whole foods, and the other 20% can be from what you want. This covers your micronutrient and fiber bases, which are crucial to maintaining gut health and general bodily health. If you enjoy eating clean (whatever that really means), go ahead and do it, but realize that it is not required to reach your goals, nor does it mean that a 100% nutrient dense diet is better than one that allows for some sweets, pizza, or other goodies, so long as micronutrients and fiber are met.

http://www.today.com/health/man-loses-56-pounds-after-eating-only-mcdonalds-six-months-2D79329158
http://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/ice-cream-diet
http://propanefitness.com/how-to-get-lean-on-haribo-cheesecake-pringles-taking-the-piss-with-iifym/
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/plans/diets/lose-weight-fast-food-diet/
http://nypost.com/2016/01/27/how-i-lost-nearly-100-pounds-eating-pizza/
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2016/10/beer-and-pie-diet---the-final-verdict.html

rochelledykes wrote: »

I make the wrong food choices easily. I need some ideas on what to eat.

It seems to me you never asked about "Clean" eating, but just how to eat healthier. Lots of good suggestions here without getting too crazy. Some people here are telling you half-science/half-quakery though. (ie: "don't eat fruit at night because... the sugar turns to fat."). If you want the honest truth about how foods affect your body, talk to a Registered Dietitian, the nutrition experts.

If it didn't exist 100years ago, don't eat it.

PS: As a little note. Although that particular discussion is no longer available I distinctly remember doing just the opposite in particular mentioning the cons both financial and gender based cons regarding its long term use in high dosages. Bearing in mind high dosages are only for professional athletes and HIV/AIDS patients or burns victims.

So please skip the judgement on something that is widely used to benefit people. You assume that anything you know nothing about is something to fear. Well done on being human. The cure is to not judge something until you understand it better or avoid sparking a debate and talking of irony on other related medical topics when you yourself have no contribution to make in said debate.

OP--don't complicate your life (or your eating), "eating clean", "eating healthy" are fads right now. It's all over the media. You'll notice the posters responding that have alot of posts--they have all been hugely successful with weight loss and, or excersise. I'd listen to what they have to say. Start with a calorie deficiet and then branch out from there. Be consistent and you'll be successful Good Luck.

rochelledykes wrote: »

I make the wrong food choices easily. I need some ideas on what to eat.

Hi, OP. You've gotten some good advice anyway -- I'd especially look at WinoGelato's post.

As she noted, and as you can see, the term clean tends to confuse people, as some just use it to mean healthy, but many more (and I'd say the usual claimed meaning on MFP) say they mean by it unprocessed only. However, many of those people seem confused by what unprocessed means, as clearly Panera or artificial sugar or protein powder or many other things listed as clean and "unprocessed" by people using the term are processed, even highly processed. Personally, I think many people have gotten the idea that "processed" means high cal/low nutrient junk food or fast food only, but of course that is not the case -- I like to point out that if I dropped all unprocessed food in order to "eat clean" I'd be cutting out things I think are helpful for me, like cottage cheese and plain greek yogurt, olive oil and even olives, smoked salmon, lean ground beef, boneless, skinless chicken breast (okay, I'm not a fan, but I don't think it's bad for you), tofu and tempeh, dried pasta (which can be the base for a really healthy meal), Ezekial bread (if you like it, I'm not that into bread, but it is processed), canned tomatoes and beans, and on and on.

I don't think you are interested in this argument about clean eating, though, or the silliness about claiming all processed foods are bad for you, so I'd just ask what you currently eat and what you see as the struggles.

Tips I'd give -- start with deciding how often you want to eat (I like 3 meals, but it doesn't matter). With some of those meals it might be easy to plan them in advance -- figure out what you like to eat for breakfast or snacks (if you eat breakfast and/or snacks) and plan those. Lunches may be something to plan and make ahead for a week if you are bringing them to work. Dinner often is the one that changes the most. My template for dinner is a source of protein (meat or a meal built around legumes or maybe tempeh or tofu in place of meat), 2-3 vegetables, a starch. Sometimes as a main dish and sides -- roasted chicken with sweet potatoes (roasted), carrots (roasted), and brussels sprouts on the side, for example. Sometimes as a one-pot dish -- rice with a stir fry of lean beef (or tofu), broccoli, onions, peppers, carrots, and some soy sauce and Japanese 7 spice (it's amazing, really). Or shrimp sauteed with whatever vegetables are at hand (let's say zucchini, cauliflower, spinach) in some olive oil, add in some chopped olives or pine nuts and then add to pasta with a bit of feta cheese.

These are just a few of the things I like, but you can start with your own preferences and goals and play around. Maybe log a few things in advance to see how they work. If you give more specifics we can help more.

Welcome!

Oh, and I found it wasn't hard to save some room for a little after dinner extra once I had it down -- ice cream (one serving) or fruit on a day I'm more strapped for calories or a bit of good chocolate or good cheese if I want an alternative to sweet.