Can you control your weight by "clean eating" alone?
Jthanmyfitnesspal
Posts: 3,522 Member
For me, weight control means counting calories. The moment I stop, I start to gain. But, it doesn't really bother me to do it, so I do. I also do fairly intense workouts several times a week and I must eat extra calories to compensate for them without overcompensating, so again, calorie counting really helps.
I have a friend that has told me they can control their weight by simply by "clean eating."
Here's a recent article that extols this approach, sort of. (At least it extols the virtues of not counting calories):
https://nyti.ms/2D3xzJe
I do note that the author describes some level of portion control and does watch her weight, cutting back on portions if it increases. Therefore, it sounds like she is "all but" calorie counting.
I have a friend that has told me they can control their weight by simply by "clean eating."
Here's a recent article that extols this approach, sort of. (At least it extols the virtues of not counting calories):
https://nyti.ms/2D3xzJe
I do note that the author describes some level of portion control and does watch her weight, cutting back on portions if it increases. Therefore, it sounds like she is "all but" calorie counting.
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Replies
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You control your weight by an appropriate calorie intake for your goals - by whatever means one chooses to manage that. Some can get by with portion control or eating less calorically dense food. Others can't. One way or the other, it all comes down to CICO.17
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That sounds absolutely miserable.
That being said, a lot of people do it that way. It's much harder for people who have trigger foods and love 'junk' food.5 -
There's some people that think low carb magically causes them to lose weight.
There's some who think the new multi level marketing wraps/ shakes/ whatever nonsense you can think of cause them to lose weight.
There's some that know that it boils down to calories. No matter which dieting method one decides is right for them, it comes down to calories for weight loss. Cico .
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I think that my rutabaga, applesauce, compressed dehydrated banana, protein brownies are the only way to go (99Cal per 65g brownie may I point out: 18g Carbs, 1g fat, 6g protein, 24mg cholesterol, 75mg sodium, 3g fiber, 4g sugars of which 1g is added)
Or you can control calories--somehow.6 -
Rutabagas are not clean, just sayin’.2
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Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »Rutabagas are not clean, just sayin’.
You saying that "Swedes" are dirty??!?!
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I think it helps for sure, only because "real" food is a lot heavier than junk food. It's also a lot less exciting than, say, a donut. It becomes a cycle of eating only when you're hungry because you won't crave those foods in excess amounts, and those foods keeping you full for longer.
Throw everything I just said out the window if you've been on a cut for more than a year. God did I crave meat and potatoes 24/7. Would sometimes wake up in a cold sweat wanting a 7th meal even a month into my first bulk.2 -
I posted that article elsewhere, and it actually doesn't sound a bit like "clean eating" to me. (Yes, she says she eats a generally healthful diet with lots of vegetables, but so do many people, like me, who aren't "clean eaters," and she also said nothing is off limits and described eating food items that most clean eaters might claim are processed, and which of course are.)
That said, yes, I can control my weight without calorie counting if I want to, doing similar to what Brody describes (being attentive, eating generally healthfully, eating according to a regular schedule, reading labels and knowing generally how many calories are in things, so on).
At one point I tried a form of clean eating (I didn't know the term, so called it "all natural" or some nonsense) and I gained doing that, since I thought I didn't have to think about things like calories or portion control or eating according to a schedule, that somehow I'd just naturally (heh) not overeat ever.
What I find to be a difference is that for me I can't just rely on "intuitive eating" plus food restrictions -- if I can eat whenever I feel like eating, I will find a way to overeat and get in habits of eating a lot and too often and overeat. If I require myself to mindfully eat -- eat based on my MIND's idea of what are appropriate amounts, when it makes sense to eat, so on, I will eat appropriate calories for maintenance.
Worth noting is that Brody also said she controls her weight by weighing herself regularly and cutting back a bit if she's gaining. Regular weighing is really key for me too.9 -
I generally ate whole foods and healthy and gained weight. I ate too much. If one is aware of portion sizes or has always been thin and never overeats then of course it's possible. It's just that a lot of people are clueless about how much they should be eating. If people knew this, we would not have an obesity epidemic. For me personally, it is much easier to count calories and know more or less what I'm eating in terms of calories, than it is to "guess" by eating a certain whole foods diet, "clean" (whatever that means), or low carb.3
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Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »Rutabagas are not clean, just sayin’.
You saying that "Swedes" are dirty??!?!
Did you wash them “Swedes”?3 -
ent3rsandman wrote: »I think it helps for sure, only because "real" food is a lot heavier than junk food. It's also a lot less exciting than, say, a donut. It becomes a cycle of eating only when you're hungry because you won't crave those foods in excess amounts, and those foods keeping you full for longer.
Throw everything I just said out the window if you've been on a cut for more than a year. God did I crave meat and potatoes 24/7. Would sometimes wake up in a cold sweat wanting a 7th meal even a month into my first bulk.
Thing is, there are many definitions of 'clean' food. As I type this, I'm eating dinner at the computer. A stirfry made up of fresh onion, frozen green beans, frozen cauliflower, frozen spinach, Soyganic smoked tofu, olive oil, and store-bought sweet-and-sour sauce with shirataki noodles. Is it healthy? I'd say so. Is it 'real'? Tastes real to me. Is it clean? Well, tofu is processed, as is the sauce. Oil is a processed food, as are frozen veggies, though I grant not "ultra" processed. So are the noodles. Is it heavier than junk food? Depends on your definition of junk food, I guess. And the quantities. But is it filling? Ohhhh, yeah!3 -
Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »Rutabagas are not clean, just sayin’.
You saying that "Swedes" are dirty??!?!
Did you wash them “Swedes”?
I always wash my "Swedes" behind the ears
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I deeply hate the term "clean eating"
I control my weight like this:
Planning and portioning balanced meals. This means scheduled shopping, more cooking from scratch, and less readymeals, than I used to.
Not eating outside meals, usually.
Eating varied, and eating food I like. Enjoying my meals.
Eating for nourishment and pleasure, not for entertainment and comfort.
Weighing myself every morning, and reacting to the trend, by reducing or cutting out treats.
Staying active through daily functional and fun activities - work, walk, dance, play.
Why it works?
Feeling deprived and demonizing foods makes me crave, crash, cave and overeat.
Good routines makes me feel in control.
Being flexible makes me happy and in control.
Feeling happy and in control makes me satisfied with what I need, and reduces my wants.
Less wanting and envy and resentment makes it easier to feel content with what I need, and not overeat.
Weighing every day takes away the fear of the scale and makes me see that nothing I can do in a single day is going to make me fat or thin, and still every day has an impact on my health and weight long term. Just like the ocean is made up by drops of water.9 -
kommodevaran wrote: »I deeply hate the term "clean eating"
I control my weight like this:
Planning and portioning balanced meals. This means scheduled shopping, more cooking from scratch, and less readymeals, than I used to.
Not eating outside meals, usually.
Eating varied, and eating food I like. Enjoying my meals.
Eating for nourishment and pleasure, not for entertainment and comfort.
Weighing myself every morning, and reacting to the trend, by reducing or cutting out treats.
Staying active through daily functional and fun activities - work, walk, dance, play.
Why it works?
Feeling deprived and demonizing foods makes me crave, crash, cave and overeat.
Good routines makes me feel in control.
Being flexible makes me happy and in control.
Feeling happy and in control makes me satisfied with what I need, and reduces my wants.
Less wanting and envy and resentment makes it easier to feel content with what I need, and not overeat.
Weighing every day takes away the fear of the scale and makes me see that nothing I can do in a single day is going to make me fat or thin, and still every day has an impact on my health and weight long term. Just like the ocean is made up by drops of water.
I'm with you--whoever invented the term "clean eating"? It just grates because--it means nothing.6 -
a 4000 calorie salad with all vegetables is still 4000 calories might be nutritious repeat that 3 meals gets out of hand. All about portion control which is calorie control but if someone has the willpower to do another way more power to them. I know I can't and won't.1
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It's easier to eat within calories when you eat "clean" Speaking from personal experience. After a couple weeks with zero sugar those cravings go away. If you balance your meals with a protein, starch, and vegetable you feel pretty satisfied and it lasts awhile. I never binge when I eat this way... but if I have any type of sugar it sets me off and I'll throw the whole kitchen down this gullet.17
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sschauer513 wrote: »a 4000 calorie salad with all vegetables is still 4000 calories might be nutritious repeat that 3 meals gets out of hand. All about portion control which is calorie control but if someone has the willpower to do another way more power to them. I know I can't and won't.
I want to see a 4000 calorie salad made out of all vegetables!0 -
CircleJerkk wrote: »It's easier to eat within calories when you eat "clean" Speaking from personal experience. After a couple weeks with zero sugar those cravings go away. If you balance your meals with a protein, starch, and vegetable you feel pretty satisfied and it lasts awhile. I never binge when I eat this way... but if I have any type of sugar it sets me off and I'll throw the whole kitchen down this gullet.
How, exactly, do you plan to avoid sugar for the rest of your life? Better to learn to control the cravings than to binge as you're describing.5 -
CircleJerkk wrote: »It's easier to eat within calories when you eat "clean"
Depends on how you define clean; depends on how you eat when not "eating clean." (Also I agree with those above who said it's a grating term -- sounds so self congratulatory and usually it's self-delusional, like people preening about eating no processed foods when they consume protein powder.)
The description of how Brody eats is a good example, as it's clearly not "clean" as usually defined, but it seems she has no issues eating within her calories (without counting) and has a basically healthful diet with lots of vegetables.
I've always based meals on protein, veg, and starch and never added sugar (at least not in any meaningful amount) to meals, as I'm a savory meal person. Doesn't mean I'm a "clean eater" and also didn't prevent me from getting fat, once upon a time. When I'm thoughtful about how I eat I can avoid overeating, and I think often people who adopt some version of eating they call "clean" (even if it includes lots of processed foods in reality) are going from eating in a way where they paid no real attention and maybe didn't even focus on nutrition at all to a planned and structured way of eating that involves more thought. I think it's the structure and thought that's the bigger difference, not that all processed food is evil or whatever.
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bendyourkneekatie wrote: »sschauer513 wrote: »a 4000 calorie salad with all vegetables is still 4000 calories might be nutritious repeat that 3 meals gets out of hand. All about portion control which is calorie control but if someone has the willpower to do another way more power to them. I know I can't and won't.
I want to see a 4000 calorie salad made out of all vegetables!
I want to see the person capable of eating that much volume.4 -
CircleJerkk wrote: »It's easier to eat within calories when you eat "clean" Speaking from personal experience. After a couple weeks with zero sugar those cravings go away. If you balance your meals with a protein, starch, and vegetable you feel pretty satisfied and it lasts awhile. I never binge when I eat this way... but if I have any type of sugar it sets me off and I'll throw the whole kitchen down this gullet.
Sigh. Another pet peeve. You aren’t eating zero sugar if you eat fruits and vegetables and dairy.
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"Can you control your weight by "clean eating" alone?"
My understanding of clean eating is that a person eats foods that are least processed without additives. I can overeat any food. It is harder to overeat broccoli or cabbage than ham or cheese.
I'm not going to say I can't control my weight without counting calories.
I have lost weight without calorie counting or clean eating. It was not consistant. I eventually regained.
Weight management watching my calorie intake no matter the food I eat is easier.0 -
This is such an interesting topic. We are actually watching a worldwide test of this theory in a sense with the new WW Freestyle program. While not technically "clean" it is along those lines. For some it's working and for others it's not. Personally I have to count calories to maintain. For others the "clean eating" path seems to work. I stick with what I have said since losing the weight... Do what works for you.
Food isn't really clean or dirty (I hate that term too) it's just food. Some things seem to be a better choice because they are easier on your system but making certain foods villans doesn't work for many as they have no desire for the lifestyle required to eat "clean". I am one of those. I know certain things are triggers for me so I avoid them. But eating nothing but whole grain, veggies and grilled meat is not sustainable for me.1 -
snowflake954 wrote: »CircleJerkk wrote: »It's easier to eat within calories when you eat "clean" Speaking from personal experience. After a couple weeks with zero sugar those cravings go away. If you balance your meals with a protein, starch, and vegetable you feel pretty satisfied and it lasts awhile. I never binge when I eat this way... but if I have any type of sugar it sets me off and I'll throw the whole kitchen down this gullet.
How, exactly, do you plan to avoid sugar for the rest of your life? Better to learn to control the cravings than to binge as you're describing.
I eat sugar that is naturally occurring, like in fruit. I don't eat packaged sweets. I've been doing it for quite while now, bud. It's not that difficult.7 -
WinoGelato wrote: »CircleJerkk wrote: »It's easier to eat within calories when you eat "clean" Speaking from personal experience. After a couple weeks with zero sugar those cravings go away. If you balance your meals with a protein, starch, and vegetable you feel pretty satisfied and it lasts awhile. I never binge when I eat this way... but if I have any type of sugar it sets me off and I'll throw the whole kitchen down this gullet.
Sigh. Another pet peeve. You aren’t eating zero sugar if you eat fruits and vegetables and dairy.
I guess I should have been more specific. I mean I don't eat cake, cookies, and other sweets3 -
CircleJerkk wrote: »snowflake954 wrote: »CircleJerkk wrote: »It's easier to eat within calories when you eat "clean" Speaking from personal experience. After a couple weeks with zero sugar those cravings go away. If you balance your meals with a protein, starch, and vegetable you feel pretty satisfied and it lasts awhile. I never binge when I eat this way... but if I have any type of sugar it sets me off and I'll throw the whole kitchen down this gullet.
How, exactly, do you plan to avoid sugar for the rest of your life? Better to learn to control the cravings than to binge as you're describing.
I eat sugar that is naturally occurring, like in fruit. I don't eat packaged sweets. I've been doing it for quite while now, bud. It's not that difficult.
So you don't avoid sugar, and you don't eat zero sugar after all. That's what the poster you are responded to was asking about. Avoiding added sugar and eating zero sugar are wildly different.11 -
You can control your weight by eating a specific diet alone, assuming that specific diet causes you to effortlessly eat the correct amount of calories to balance out your energy expenditure.
For some people, making an effort to avoid ultra processed foods will remove the excess calories in their diet and possibly increase their protein and fiber, and weight maintenance may occur. For others, they may easily replace any "processed" calories with nuts and seeds and big bowls of whole grains and avocados and homemade oil based salad dressings etc and still be eating too many cals.
Finding a way of eating that will make it easy to maintain CICO balance for the rest of your life is kind of the Holy Grail of what we're all doing here. I'd say incorporating more whole foods and less ultra processed foods is generally a good strategy for controlling CI, but the whole clean eating movement is just a bunch of arbitrary rules that are more beholden to "health" brands and media than to actual scientifically derived data. IMHO your own trial and error, tracking and data, will get you to your own personal weight maintenance plan far better than trying to fit into a defined diet.2 -
Someone should author a book titled “clean eating diet “ sell a million copies. On the last page put a paragraph saying don’t forget not to eat to much!5
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CircleJerkk wrote: »snowflake954 wrote: »CircleJerkk wrote: »It's easier to eat within calories when you eat "clean" Speaking from personal experience. After a couple weeks with zero sugar those cravings go away. If you balance your meals with a protein, starch, and vegetable you feel pretty satisfied and it lasts awhile. I never binge when I eat this way... but if I have any type of sugar it sets me off and I'll throw the whole kitchen down this gullet.
How, exactly, do you plan to avoid sugar for the rest of your life? Better to learn to control the cravings than to binge as you're describing.
I eat sugar that is naturally occurring, like in fruit. I don't eat packaged sweets. I've been doing it for quite while now, bud. It's not that difficult.
So you don't avoid sugar, and you don't eat zero sugar after all. That's what the poster you are responded to was asking about. Avoiding added sugar and eating zero sugar are wildly different.
Yes, that's true. I worded it wrong. I don't really think about fruits and vegetables as sugar because they don't have a bad effect on me mentally. No depression, anxiety, or binging. But of course without being more specific nobody would know that. So the only sugar I avoid is white sugar, or those added to foods, or really most processed foods.. since I eat canned coconut milk and I guess that is technically processed. My bad8 -
I read this article as essentially being about overcoming Binge Eating Disorder and losing weight because the author is no longer bingeing and can now make mindful, thoughtful decisions about what she puts in her mouth.
Personally, 'clean eating' caused me to gain weight, essentially because it led to binges rather than preventing them. I worked so hard on being 'good' with what I bought at the grocery store and the lunches I brought into work, only to utterly lose control when someone brought in doughnuts or chocolate. Something about it being restricted made it oh so much more desirable.
Now I try not to restrict what I eat, but keep the dietary emphasis on whole foods in the meals I plan. So if I spend all morning craving a Mars bar, you bet I'm going to buy one on my lunch break, but it'll be a treat after the homemade lentil curry and brown rice I've pulled out of the freezer.
I think that's kind of similar to what this article is talking about. By placing the focus on eating healthy foods while still allowing treats, you remove the "FORBIDDEN! EXCITING!" aspect of junk food, which makes it less desirable and easier to avoid.
And I've just spent 15 minutes thinking about Mars bars and chocolate and can tell you, without a word of a lie, I don't really want one right now 5
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