Does anybody else find that eating too clean prevents them from losing weight?
zyprexa17
Posts: 10 Member
For some reason, when I completely eliminate added sugars I have a harder time losing weight even when the calories are the same. In fact, it seems I can eat a little bit more when I consume some sugar and still lose weight. My theory is that my body seems to think I'm in starvation mode when I'm only eating things found in there whole state. Maybe it creates a certain stress in the body. The general rule I've made for myself is that when I eat sweets, they have to be homemade. This might make a difference. If I start eating baked goods from Wal-Mart, forget it - weight loss stalls. Just wondering if anybody else has had a similar experience?
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Replies
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No. and starvation mode in that context doesn't exist.
You "Could" eat cookies all day or salad. It is the calories that matter for weight loss.16 -
Define "too clean". What is that? You aren't in starvation mode, and your body doesn't have the ability to think it's in starvation mode from eating "too clean".4
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When I attempt to eat "clean" it triggers off my eating disorder in a major way, which leads to unsustainable eating practices which then leads to binging and complete regression to my old ways.
So sort of? Maybe? Not for the reasons you give though.9 -
I don't mean starvation in the physical sense. I think the body reacts to your mental state. If I eat foods I don't truly enjoy simply because they are "healthy" my body doesn't seem to want to cooperate with me.
And by clean eating, I mean eating unprocessed foods, lots of cooking.8 -
It is more likely that your "clean" foods have more calories. Possibly because the makers of your dirty foods estimate calories more accurately.17
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I don't mean starvation in the physical sense. I think the body reacts to your mental state. If I eat foods I don't truly enjoy simply because they are "healthy" my body doesn't seem to want to cooperate with me.
For weight management, your body cannot differentiate between foods you like and foods you don't like, or "healthy" versus "unhealthy." The only thing that determines whether you lose, gain or maintain your body weight is the number calories consumed, regardless of their source.
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No, eating "clean", whatever you might mean by that, doesn't impact anything in regard to loss. If you are not losing over time, you are eating more than you think. Then it's time to tighten up the weighing, measuring and logging.2
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And PS: Life's too short to choke down food you don't enjoy.
You can have a delicious, nutritious and varied diet that still includes all of the foods you love. You may, however, have to eat smaller portions of them. 11 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »I don't mean starvation in the physical sense. I think the body reacts to your mental state. If I eat foods I don't truly enjoy simply because they are "healthy" my body doesn't seem to want to cooperate with me.
For weight management, your body cannot differentiate between foods you like and foods you don't like, or "healthy" versus "unhealthy." The only thing that determines whether you lose, gain or maintain your body weight is the number calories consumed, regardless of their source.
From experience, I disagree.
There is also quite a bit of interesting research regarding calories and how your body responds to them. An interesting one is "The poor, misunderstood calorie" by William Lagakos. A calorie is not simply a calorie. Everybody has a different metabolism and as a result will use up that calorie at a different rate.30 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »I don't mean starvation in the physical sense. I think the body reacts to your mental state. If I eat foods I don't truly enjoy simply because they are "healthy" my body doesn't seem to want to cooperate with me.
For weight management, your body cannot differentiate between foods you like and foods you don't like, or "healthy" versus "unhealthy." The only thing that determines whether you lose, gain or maintain your body weight is the number calories consumed, regardless of their source.
From experience, I disagree.
There is also quite a bit of interesting research regarding calories and how your body responds to them. An interesting one is "The poor, misunderstood calorie" by William Lagakos. A calorie is not simply a calorie. Everybody has a different metabolism and as a result will use up that calorie at a different rate.
A calorie is simply a scientific unit of measurement. Like 6 inches of string is exactly the same length as 6 inches of spaghetti, even though the two are entirely different. 10 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »I don't mean starvation in the physical sense. I think the body reacts to your mental state. If I eat foods I don't truly enjoy simply because they are "healthy" my body doesn't seem to want to cooperate with me.
For weight management, your body cannot differentiate between foods you like and foods you don't like, or "healthy" versus "unhealthy." The only thing that determines whether you lose, gain or maintain your body weight is the number calories consumed, regardless of their source.
From experience, I disagree.
There is also quite a bit of interesting research regarding calories and how your body responds to them. An interesting one is "The poor, misunderstood calorie" by William Lagakos. A calorie is not simply a calorie. Everybody has a different metabolism and as a result will use up that calorie at a different rate.
IIRC a calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1g of water by 1 degree C. I'm too lazy to look it up but reverse engineering the SHC of water implies it should be, right?
I'm pretty sure a calorie is, in fact, a calorie.13 -
Maybe because you poop more when you eat some sugar.9
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snickerscharlie wrote: »I don't mean starvation in the physical sense. I think the body reacts to your mental state. If I eat foods I don't truly enjoy simply because they are "healthy" my body doesn't seem to want to cooperate with me.
For weight management, your body cannot differentiate between foods you like and foods you don't like, or "healthy" versus "unhealthy." The only thing that determines whether you lose, gain or maintain your body weight is the number calories consumed, regardless of their source.
From experience, I disagree.
There is also quite a bit of interesting research regarding calories and how your body responds to them. An interesting one is "The poor, misunderstood calorie" by William Lagakos. A calorie is not simply a calorie. Everybody has a different metabolism and as a result will use up that calorie at a different rate.
You're confusing calories with nutrition.
Calorie is just a measure of energy like an amp is a measure of electronic current.6 -
Seems to me more likely that when you refuse to eat anything you enjoy, you are not satisfied and keep chewing on the dry Ryvitas a bit longer than you realise. A little of what you fancy helps you control yourself.
And honestly, "I can't lose weight because I eat too clean" sounds awfully like a humblebrag. I'm sure you didn't mean it that way, but that's how it comes across.11 -
Yes they are!A calorie is not simply a calorie.
That's how units of measurement work.
BTW - here's a tip for you.
Anyone writing about "different kinds of calories" is either clueless (and should be avoided) or trying to sell you something (and should be avoided like the plague).15 -
There really isn't any science supporting the claims you made in your OP and subsequent posts: Starvation mode isn't a thing; your body can't differentiate between clean foods, homemade foods, and WalMart baked goods from a weight loss perspective; there's no need to eliminate all added sugar, clean eating is an arbitrary term that means something different to everyone, and a calorie is just a unit of measurement.
So with all that - maybe it's time to take a step back and look at your overall goals, set a reasonable calorie target with an appropriate deficit, focus on eating a variety of foods within that target particularly those which provide nutrition (macro and micro nutrients), satiety, and enjoyment, logging as accurately as possible ideally using a food scale.12 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »I don't mean starvation in the physical sense. I think the body reacts to your mental state. If I eat foods I don't truly enjoy simply because they are "healthy" my body doesn't seem to want to cooperate with me.
For weight management, your body cannot differentiate between foods you like and foods you don't like, or "healthy" versus "unhealthy." The only thing that determines whether you lose, gain or maintain your body weight is the number calories consumed, regardless of their source.
From experience, I disagree.
There is also quite a bit of interesting research regarding calories and how your body responds to them. An interesting one is "The poor, misunderstood calorie" by William Lagakos. A calorie is not simply a calorie. Everybody has a different metabolism and as a result will use up that calorie at a different rate.
False. If Vehicle A goes 10km on a litre of gas and Vehicle B goes 5km on a litre of gas, they are both still consuming 1 litre of gas. Vehicle B's inefficient use of gas will not magically change 1 litre to 2 litres.
The same principle applies to calories. If John and Jane have a slow and fast metabolism (respectively), a 135 calorie banana, slice of beef, or even chips, is going to contribute more weight gain to John. His requirement for fewer calories does not change the caloric value of food.4 -
For some reason, when I completely eliminate added sugars I have a harder time losing weight even when the calories are the same. In fact, it seems I can eat a little bit more when I consume some sugar and still lose weight. My theory is that my body seems to think I'm in starvation mode when I'm only eating things found in there whole state. Maybe it creates a certain stress in the body. The general rule I've made for myself is that when I eat sweets, they have to be homemade. This might make a difference. If I start eating baked goods from Wal-Mart, forget it - weight loss stalls. Just wondering if anybody else has had a similar experience?
I gained weight to obesity eating 100% clean as an extreme fanatic, and lost 85 pounds over 3 years eating the same in much smaller portions. The AMOUNT you eat will cause fat loss, no matter where the food energy comes from.
But WHAT you eat will determine the performance of your body and all the chemical reactions like digestion, metabolism, etc. Your body has metabolic pathways for each type of food (carbs/fats/proteins).
If you want to FEEL best while you lose weight, concentrate on the best healthy options. Most of us already know what that means.6 -
Funny, I've been stuck for two years close to my goal weight. Same two pounds over and over. I'm always hungry when I go to bed but the last two nights I've had a special K protein aka candy bar before I went to bed and the the scale moved half a pound down two days in a row! It never does that. Probably a coincidence but hmm. I'm saving 500 calories for after 8:00 pm and it hasn't hurt anyway. Maybe you need the carbs for some bodily function that lets you lose some weight.3
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Goober1142 wrote: »Funny, I've been stuck for two years close to my goal weight. Same two pounds over and over. I'm always hungry when I go to bed but the last two nights I've had a special K protein aka candy bar before I went to bed and the the scale moved half a pound down two days in a row! It never does that. Probably a coincidence but hmm. I'm saving 500 calories for after 8:00 pm and it hasn't hurt anyway. Maybe you need the carbs for some bodily function that lets you lose some weight.
I've had this happen in the past as well. Stuck at the same weight for months, even a couple years at one point. Then, I go out, eat a huge meal consisting of a hamburger, fries, and milkshake and them bam - I lose 5 pounds in a matter of days.
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Something about this dietary change is affecting the amount of water your body retains, it seems to me.3
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I agree with zyprexa17 that amount matters. For me, I find that I can eat healthy and small amounts, but if I don't exercise I have no results. Likewise I can exercise like a fiend, but if I don't watch the amount I eat, no results. Good luck!!!4
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Interesting effect noted by Lyle McDonald in one of his articles. Posting here for interest: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html/4
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I agree with zyprexa17 that amount matters. For me, I find that I can eat healthy and small amounts, but if I don't exercise I have no results. Likewise I can exercise like a fiend, but if I don't watch the amount I eat, no results. Good luck!!!
Is this so surprising to you? Volume of energy (calories) - (burn) BMR + activty = weight + or -. In other word, the energy balance equation. Physics. The quality of the energy is meaningful for health but weight loss is nothing more than the energy balance equation. Google "the twinkie diet".5 -
How's your sleep? Too low carb for women in particular can affect sleep, which affects cortisol, which affects fat storage, etc.0
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Interesting effect noted by Lyle McDonald in one of his articles. Posting here for interest: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html/
Thank you for posting this. I think this gets closer to explaining what I've experienced than any other responses.
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There is also quite a bit of interesting research regarding calories and how your body responds to them. An interesting one is "The poor, misunderstood calorie" by William Lagakos. A calorie is not simply a calorie. Everybody has a different metabolism and as a result will use up that calorie at a different rate.
He's talking about stuff like satiety and is a big fan of changes that lead to ad lib calorie reduction. He doesn't mean that you will lose weight on 1200 with one diet and not another. (He also thinks protein is important for muscle preservation.) I've read a lot of his stuff and listened to him interviewed on podcasts.
He'd also probably assume that unmeasured super clean (whatever that means, but assuming it means the usual) would lead to a lower cal diet. If super clean includes lots of added fat, cheese, bacon, perhaps not, though. I can't think of anything he's said that suggests that liking your food less (if you don't then go eat others things to excess) would magically make your body hold onto weight. I DO think that's a bad idea and to have a sustainable diet you SHOULD eat food you enjoy.
Anyway, I've done what some would consider a clean diet, and I lost really easily. I've also done less clean and lost equally fine when calories were the same. And I gained weight on "clean" if you include butter and so on, since I convinced myself that so long as I was focusing on cooking from whole foods I'd naturally regulate calories (I did not).
It's easy for many people to have trouble counting accurately, and that might be more the case with extra home cooking for some, as others suggested. I actually found it easier, but that's because my alternative was including more baked goods that others baked (no labels) and of course more local restaurants with no calories given.1 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »There is also quite a bit of interesting research regarding calories and how your body responds to them. An interesting one is "The poor, misunderstood calorie" by William Lagakos. A calorie is not simply a calorie. Everybody has a different metabolism and as a result will use up that calorie at a different rate.
He's talking about stuff like satiety and is a big fan of changes that lead to ad lib calorie reduction. He doesn't mean that you will lose weight on 1200 with one diet and not another. (He also thinks protein is important for muscle preservation.) I've read a lot of his stuff and listened to him interviewed on podcasts.
He'd also probably assume that unmeasured super clean (whatever that means, but assuming it means the usual) would lead to a lower cal diet. If super clean includes lots of added fat, cheese, bacon, perhaps not, though. I can't think of anything he's said that suggests that liking your food less (if you don't then go eat others things to excess) would magically make your body hold onto weight. I DO think that's a bad idea and to have a sustainable diet you SHOULD eat food you enjoy.
Anyway, I've done what some would consider a clean diet, and I lost really easily. I've also done less clean and lost equally fine when calories were the same. And I gained weight on "clean" if you include butter and so on, since I convinced myself that so long as I was focusing on cooking from whole foods I'd naturally regulate calories (I did not).
It's easy for many people to have trouble counting accurately, and that might be more the case with extra home cooking for some, as others suggested. I actually found it easier, but that's because my alternative was including more baked goods that others baked (no labels) and of course more local restaurants with no calories given.
You may have the ideal metabolism. I have a history of restricting and bingeing. I think I've repaired some of the damage. I can maintain eating more now than I did 20 years ago.
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My best guess is that you aren't weighing and measuring your home cooking diligently when you're eating clean. It's a pain, I know. If I make a soup with 7 different ingredients, I have to weigh each one, use the recipe tool, measure the total volume of the finished product and determine what a serving is. It's time consuming.
I've been surprised by the calorie content of my veggie soups though. Very worth the effort.3 -
CynthiasChoice wrote: »My best guess is that you aren't weighing and measuring your home cooking diligently when you're eating clean. It's a pain, I know. If I make a soup with 7 different ingredients, I have to weigh each one, use the recipe tool, measure the total volume of the finished product and determine what a serving is. It's time consuming.
I've been surprised by the calorie content of my veggie soups though. Very worth the effort.
No, I do use the recipe tool for anything homemade. I also weigh everything.
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