Discipline and Clean Eating
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Far2shy
Posts: 14 Member
I hate cutting. It makes me cranky and I’m not great at cooking healthy meals so the food that i make while cutting leaves a lot to be desired. I’m disciplined about working out because i enjoy it but not about clean eating because i don’t enjoy the food or lack of variety. Would love to hear suggestions for how you combat this with delicious healthy meal recipes or nutrition tricks to help keep you satiated. Thanks
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Replies
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You cant out exercise a bad diet, so what you eat is important.
We used Hellofresh for a bit to get some different ideas for healthy, yummy meals. After awhile, we got the confidence we needed to go off on our own and make meals based around those recipes and just cancelled the HF subscription.7 -
why does it have to be clean?? Ive lost 100 pounds and have had ice cream basically every day
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I hate cutting. It makes me cranky and I’m not great at cooking healthy meals so the food that i make while cutting leaves a lot to be desired. I’m disciplined about working out because i enjoy it but not about clean eating because i don’t enjoy the food or lack of variety. Would love to hear suggestions for how you combat this with delicious healthy meal recipes or nutrition tricks to help keep you satiated. Thanks
I don't have to combat anything because I don't eat food I don't enjoy and I get a lot of variety. In fact, I would argue that a diet that lacks variety is far more likely to be unhealthy than one that violates any of the 57 different vague definitions* for "clean eating" offered by its advocates.
*Number pulled out of thin air, but at one point someone on these boards was keeping a running list of definitions offered by proponents of "clean" diets, and the number was pretty high.
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What do you mean by "clean eating?" I see you referred to cutting, so are you working with a trainer who told you to only eat certain types of foods, foods that are "clean?" A nutritious diet for health doesn't need to have a lack of variety or not delicious. I think that's a huge misconception, that "healthy"=bland and boring. Also, for weight loss alone, it does all come in to calories in, calories out, regardless of where the calories come from. However, for health and satiety, I focus on making more nutritious choices over ones that are low in nutrition.
I am not picky and like cooking foods with whole, minimally processed ingredients. By minimally processed, I mean not a lot of added weird stuff that doesn't need to be in there--like most preservatives that end in "ate" give me headaches. However, that didn't happen overnight. I'm lucky in that I'm not picky and enjoy cooking, but it was a long process to actually enjoy and perhaps prefer those types of meals.
I'd recommend finding some people to follow on Instagram, like Fit Foodie Finds and Ambitious Kitchen. Fed and Fit is another one I've recently discovered. Another old-fashioned idea is to subscribe to a cooking magazine, like Eating Well or Cooking Light.6 -
I hate cutting. It makes me cranky and I’m not great at cooking healthy meals so the food that i make while cutting leaves a lot to be desired. I’m disciplined about working out because i enjoy it but not about clean eating because i don’t enjoy the food or lack of variety. Would love to hear suggestions for how you combat this with delicious healthy meal recipes or nutrition tricks to help keep you satiated. Thanks
Satiety and "delicious" is very individual. There's a poster here who eats carnivore, loves it, and is losing weight. I'm nauseated at the thought of all the butter he's adding to meals (and I love butter.) What helps me cut calories is reducing fat. Fat carries flavor, so I make sure I use enough spices and seasonings to make up for it.
Thai food (that does not use coconut milk) tends to be low calorie and delicious. Just make sure you don't use American sized portions! I had chicken Pad Thai takeout the other night and got 4 servings out of it. I sauteed cabbage to bulk it up. I had two 75 g servings with scrambled eggs (and 40 g cabbage) for breakfast.
I posted this on another thread recently and have been thinking about it:From Michael Moss's "Salt Sugar Fat," one reason excessive salt is used is to solve the problem of "warmed over flavor."
https://scalar.usc.edu/works/uiuc-food-networks/media/MichaelMoss_SaltSugarFat2013_2.1.pdf
...Among all the miracles that salt performs for the processed food industry, perhaps the most essential involves a plague that the industry calls “warmed-over-flavor,” whose acronym, WOF, is pronounced something like the dog’s bark. WOF is caused by the oxidation of the fats in meat, which gives meat the taste of cardboard or, as some in the
industry describe it, damp dog hair, when the meat is reheated after being precooked and added to soups or boxed meals. “Once warmed-over-flavor gets going, you are pretty well dead in the water, ” said Susan Brewer, a
professor of food science in the University of Illinois’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Science.
...This is where salt comes in. Once WOF sets in, salt becomes a convenient antidote for the processed food industry, which is heavily reliant on reheated meats. One of the most effective cures for WOF is an infusion of fresh spices, especially rosemary, which has antioxidants to counteract the meat’s deterioration. But fresh herbs are costly. So manufacturers more typically make sure they have lots of salt in their formulas. The cardboard or dog-hair taste is still there, but it is overpowered by the salt.
I can eat leftover chicken breast for days on end but am not a fan of leftover chicken thighs. After rereading that, I wondered if it is because thighs are higher fat and are oxidizing. Yesterday for lunch I stir fried (non-stick pan and spray oil) leftover chicken thigh with rice and green beans. I added rosemary, soy sauce, and just 4 g roasted sesame oil. It was delicious!3 -
I hate cutting. It makes me cranky and I’m not great at cooking healthy meals so the food that i make while cutting leaves a lot to be desired. I’m disciplined about working out because i enjoy it but not about clean eating because i don’t enjoy the food or lack of variety. Would love to hear suggestions for how you combat this with delicious healthy meal recipes or nutrition tricks to help keep you satiated. Thanks
I used to have the lunch shift at a very new yoga center in very remote Costa Rica. The staple foods I had to work with were very limited - mostly rice, black beans, and lentils, but I was able to create variety because we had a wide array of spices, seasonings, fruits, and vegetables.
I don't know how you define "clean eating" but I imagine you can have meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, starches, vegetables, fruits, spices, and seasonings. If so, the problem is lack of imagination, and you have taken steps to correct that by posting here
If you can't have any of those things, which and why not?5 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »I hate cutting. It makes me cranky and I’m not great at cooking healthy meals so the food that i make while cutting leaves a lot to be desired. I’m disciplined about working out because i enjoy it but not about clean eating because i don’t enjoy the food or lack of variety. Would love to hear suggestions for how you combat this with delicious healthy meal recipes or nutrition tricks to help keep you satiated. Thanks
I don't have to combat anything because I don't eat food I don't enjoy and I get a lot of variety. In fact, I would argue that a diet that lacks variety is far more likely to be unhealthy than one that violates any of the 57 different vague definitions* for "clean eating" offered by its advocates.
*Number pulled out of thin air, but at one point someone on these boards was keeping a running list of definitions offered by proponents of "clean" diets, and the number was pretty high.
I just spent a lot of time attempting to track this down, and enjoyed revisiting a lot of the clean eating threads from 2011-2015.
I think Diane was the one who kept the list but can't find her exact user name. The search function doesn't like dianethegeek or dianethegreek.
I'll share this post, which has lots of food for thought in the OP and none of the entertaining bickering from the other threads:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/822501/halp-my-sandwich-isnt-clean/p1
Note that there was a typo in the Lyle McDonald link and it is actually this:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-fast-food-meal.html/2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »I hate cutting. It makes me cranky and I’m not great at cooking healthy meals so the food that i make while cutting leaves a lot to be desired. I’m disciplined about working out because i enjoy it but not about clean eating because i don’t enjoy the food or lack of variety. Would love to hear suggestions for how you combat this with delicious healthy meal recipes or nutrition tricks to help keep you satiated. Thanks
I don't have to combat anything because I don't eat food I don't enjoy and I get a lot of variety. In fact, I would argue that a diet that lacks variety is far more likely to be unhealthy than one that violates any of the 57 different vague definitions* for "clean eating" offered by its advocates.
*Number pulled out of thin air, but at one point someone on these boards was keeping a running list of definitions offered by proponents of "clean" diets, and the number was pretty high.
I just spent a lot of time attempting to track this down, and enjoyed revisiting a lot of the clean eating threads from 2011-2015.
I think Diane was the one who kept the list but can't find her exact user name. The search function doesn't like dianethegeek or dianethegreek.
I'll share this post, which has lots of food for thought in the OP and none of the entertaining bickering from the other threads:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/822501/halp-my-sandwich-isnt-clean/p1
Note that there was a typo in the Lyle McDonald link and it is actually this:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-fast-food-meal.html/
"Dianne" with 2 Ns. I think this may be the thread you were thinking of?
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10337480/what-is-clean-eating/p11 -
OP, what I don't like about the notion of "clean eating", by nearly all the common definitions, is that it puts the focus on individual foods that are "clean" so good to eat, vs. "not clean" so not good to eat. That's *tangential* to good nutrition.
A person can eat "clean" and get good overall nutrition, or get pretty poor overall nutrition. (FreeLee the banana girl as a symbol of the latter, anyone?;)). Ditto for "non-clean" eaters: Some get good overall nutrition in the major ways, some don't.
From looking at diaries around here, it seems distressingly common among both the "clean" and "unclean" to get too little protein, and too little MUFAs/PUFA/O-3s. No matter who's doing that, it's not good nutrition, it's not really "eating healthfully". Admittedly, many (surprisingly not all) of the "clean eaters" plenty of veggies/fruits, which is good (but not sufficient).
In my mind, that's the problem with focusing on "clean eating" first and foremost: Nutrition is important. How you get there has relevance to health, but first simply getting enough calories, and decent nutrition (macros, micros, fiber, etc.), are both more important than whether the foods that get you that nutrition are "clean" "highly processed", etc.
Starting with "eat clean" (vs. "get good nutrition") isn't all that helpful. It can be a complete red herring.
Most of the foods that people would consider "clean" are foods that are, in fact, good to eat, of course: Nutrient dense, often more filling. Some (maybe many) of the foods that are "not clean" are not good candidates to make a majority of one's way of eating: Not nutrient dense, not filling, high calorie.
But getting good overall nutrition, IMO, is more important than the "cleanness" of foods used to reach that goal.
In that light, you can eat foods you enjoy (whatever they are), make sure they add up to add up to plenty of protein, include healthy fats, and that there are plenty of varied/colorful veggies and fruits, and you'll be fine. Even well-chosen fast foods, prepared foods, frozen/canned/boxed foods, etc., can make good contributions to nutrition.
Just my opinion, obviously.6 -
kshama2001 wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »I hate cutting. It makes me cranky and I’m not great at cooking healthy meals so the food that i make while cutting leaves a lot to be desired. I’m disciplined about working out because i enjoy it but not about clean eating because i don’t enjoy the food or lack of variety. Would love to hear suggestions for how you combat this with delicious healthy meal recipes or nutrition tricks to help keep you satiated. Thanks
I don't have to combat anything because I don't eat food I don't enjoy and I get a lot of variety. In fact, I would argue that a diet that lacks variety is far more likely to be unhealthy than one that violates any of the 57 different vague definitions* for "clean eating" offered by its advocates.
*Number pulled out of thin air, but at one point someone on these boards was keeping a running list of definitions offered by proponents of "clean" diets, and the number was pretty high.
I just spent a lot of time attempting to track this down, and enjoyed revisiting a lot of the clean eating threads from 2011-2015.
I think Diane was the one who kept the list but can't find her exact user name. The search function doesn't like dianethegeek or dianethegreek.
I'll share this post, which has lots of food for thought in the OP and none of the entertaining bickering from the other threads:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/822501/halp-my-sandwich-isnt-clean/p1
Note that there was a typo in the Lyle McDonald link and it is actually this:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-fast-food-meal.html/
"Dianne" with 2 Ns. I think this may be the thread you were thinking of?
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10337480/what-is-clean-eating/p1
Thanks, @AnnPT77 and @kshama2001 -- that's exactly what I was thinking of. 41 definitions. Not too terribly far off from the 57 I pulled out of thin air.2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »I hate cutting. It makes me cranky and I’m not great at cooking healthy meals so the food that i make while cutting leaves a lot to be desired. I’m disciplined about working out because i enjoy it but not about clean eating because i don’t enjoy the food or lack of variety. Would love to hear suggestions for how you combat this with delicious healthy meal recipes or nutrition tricks to help keep you satiated. Thanks
I don't have to combat anything because I don't eat food I don't enjoy and I get a lot of variety. In fact, I would argue that a diet that lacks variety is far more likely to be unhealthy than one that violates any of the 57 different vague definitions* for "clean eating" offered by its advocates.
*Number pulled out of thin air, but at one point someone on these boards was keeping a running list of definitions offered by proponents of "clean" diets, and the number was pretty high.
I just spent a lot of time attempting to track this down, and enjoyed revisiting a lot of the clean eating threads from 2011-2015.
I think Diane was the one who kept the list but can't find her exact user name. The search function doesn't like dianethegeek or dianethegreek.
I'll share this post, which has lots of food for thought in the OP and none of the entertaining bickering from the other threads:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/822501/halp-my-sandwich-isnt-clean/p1
Note that there was a typo in the Lyle McDonald link and it is actually this:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-fast-food-meal.html/
"Dianne" with 2 Ns. I think this may be the thread you were thinking of?
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10337480/what-is-clean-eating/p1
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I think the term "clean eating" is just another disguise for food shaming. For my part, if a person fits Doritos and Spam into their daily intake, they are doing just fine7
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Thanks everyone for your feedback! I’ve lost weight and made a lot of progress. I used to order out a lot and started cooking my meals and I was enjoying that a lot until i realized that the meals i enjoy cooking are not considered to be healthy like pastas, pastries, creamy sauces. My body fat percentage is still high m. So I’ve been trying the if it fits your macros method and have been struggling with keeping my fat low as I’m used to a higher fat diet. I think i wrote this out of frustration when trying out several food combinations that i love and know how to cook that just didnt fit within my macros.
I think I’ll try different seasoning and maybe stay away from chicken. I suck at cooking chicken!0 -
I do cook quite a bit but I often find I need something quick and easy. My go to is a snack box. I pick a couple raw veggies (cherry tomatoes, celery, carrots etc), chop up some cheese or use a pre-packaged cheese single, olives, nuts or peanut butter packet, 1/4 cup chopped leftover steak or chicken or hard boiled egg…. basically whatever is in the kitchen will do. Each snack box normally has 4-5 items. It is quick and easy.2
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Thanks everyone for your feedback! I’ve lost weight and made a lot of progress. I used to order out a lot and started cooking my meals and I was enjoying that a lot until i realized that the meals i enjoy cooking are not considered to be healthy like pastas, pastries, creamy sauces. My body fat percentage is still high m. So I’ve been trying the if it fits your macros method and have been struggling with keeping my fat low as I’m used to a higher fat diet. I think i wrote this out of frustration when trying out several food combinations that i love and know how to cook that just didnt fit within my macros.
I think I’ll try different seasoning and maybe stay away from chicken. I suck at cooking chicken!
Me too, cause that stuff is tasty! 😂
Have you tried continuing to cook some of those things you like, but having a smaller portion, and then eating a bowl of soup beforehand, a light salad, or some steamed vegetables to bulk it up?
I LOVE pizza. When I was heavier, it would take *at least* 4 slices to fill me up, if not more. Since that time, I've learned how to be happy with 2 slices and a lower calorie vegetable side. That way, I still get the pizza I love, and I get some good greens and variety in my meal.4 -
Thanks everyone for your feedback! I’ve lost weight and made a lot of progress. I used to order out a lot and started cooking my meals and I was enjoying that a lot until i realized that the meals i enjoy cooking are not considered to be healthy like pastas, pastries, creamy sauces. My body fat percentage is still high m. So I’ve been trying the if it fits your macros method and have been struggling with keeping my fat low as I’m used to a higher fat diet. I think i wrote this out of frustration when trying out several food combinations that i love and know how to cook that just didnt fit within my macros.
I think I’ll try different seasoning and maybe stay away from chicken. I suck at cooking chicken!
I wasn't great at cooking chicken until I got a digital meat thermometer - I used to always overcook it to be safe.1
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