Why clean eating is a myth

[FitChick]

The article isn't as long as it seems because there are over 100 footnotes, followed by comments.

 

I am inclined to agree with most of what it says about good vs bad foods. All things in moderation unless you are allergic or you know you cannot control yourself. I know not to make fudge any more because I will eat the entire pan. Buying one or two ounces of it satisfies my sweet tooth and even though I might crave more, more, more, it's aaaallllll goooooonnnne!

 

Just stop eating so much.

[sillyanswer]

Just stop eating so much.

 

But it tastes soooo gooood!

[theonlyjuan]

I find eating clean and having a cheat day at the end of the week works best.

 

I know some people who eat crap, drink energy drinks and are in good shape. I always think, imagine how they would look if they didn't have all that?

 

Personally not a big food fan so I don't miss the bad food. It hurts my stomach now

[tman666]

I think the "If It Fits Your Macros" approach works best in moderation, i.e. a person still needs to make an effort to focus most of their diet around lean meats, veggies, fruits, and natural fats most of the time, with some room left for treats. Some people are able to take it farther than others into the "junk food" realm and still feel and look good.

 

Personally speaking, I feel much better when I limit certain foods/drinks: milk, highly glutenous carbs, and beer come to mind. If my guts are all inflamed and hurting, I have a hard time getting motivated to train hard, plus I tend to feel run down, my mood tanks, and I feel "deflated" in general.

 

But I agree with the premise of the article about how dietary neurosis is counterproductive and possibly damaging.

[tbf]

The article isn't as long as it seems because there are over 100 footnotes, followed by comments.

 

I am inclined to agree with most of what it says about good vs bad foods. All things in moderation unless you are allergic or you know you cannot control yourself. I know not to make fudge any more because I will eat the entire pan. Buying one or two ounces of it satisfies my sweet tooth and even though I might crave more, more, more, it's aaaallllll goooooonnnne!

 

Just stop eating so much.

Yes and no. If you consider carbonated drinks with ten teaspoons of sugar, even 1/2 cup is too much sugar. So why bother with empty excessive calories?

[GorillaTheater]

Yes and no. If you consider carbonated drinks with ten teaspoons of sugar, even 1/2 cup is too much sugar. So why bother with empty excessive calories?

 

Because after working outside in 100 degree heat all afternoon, a cold Pepsi is even better than a cold beer.

 

In moderation.

[tbf]

Because after working outside in 100 degree heat all afternoon, a cold Pepsi is even better than a cold beer.

 

In moderation.

Water is your friend!

[Phoe]

I eat clean for meals but then have reasonable snacks that I really enjoy.

 

Chicken, Beef, Fish, Veggies, Whole grains - those make my meals.

 

 

Then my snacks are things like applesauce, pudding, string cheese, dried spicy mangoes (omg those are like candy for me), 100 calorie ice cream snacks, fiber one bars, and whole grain goldfish crackers.

 

 

My snacks are low calorie and reasonable in the macro department, so I get to enjoy my favorite snacks without killing my diet. And because I don't feel deprived, I never have days where I fall off the bandwagon and gorge on crap.

[Star Gazer]

Water is your friend!

 

Ultramarathoners consume flat Coke and Pepsi and even beer towards the end of their runs; if you workout hard enough, you need immediate replacement of glycogen and sodium, which those two drinks provide.

 

(That's my defense, anyway! )

 

I'm no ultrarunner, but I admit to indulging in the most delicious Coke EVER after a 15, 20, 25 mile run... nothing tastes better.

[Star Gazer]

Personally speaking, I feel much better when I limit certain foods/drinks: milk, highly glutenous carbs, and beer come to mind. If my guts are all inflamed and hurting, I have a hard time getting motivated to train hard, plus I tend to feel run down, my mood tanks, and I feel "deflated" in general.

 

But I agree with the premise of the article about how dietary neurosis is counterproductive and possibly damaging.

 

Totally agree with this. I have found certain foods/drinks really drag me down during training, whereas others give me energy and motivate me to train. Some foods just aren't good for my gut the days and night before a long run... "bad things happen." So, I avoid those, as well as those that make me feel heavy. The result is basically a sort of "clean eating."

 

But I also indulge in (plenty of) cheat days. I'm not neurotic about what I eat, I just tend to view it as fuel now, as opposed to stuff that just tastes good, or on the other hand, is going to make me lose weight. It's fuel.

[Star Gazer]

Now I'm craving a Coke. All this cleaning on my day off is such a hard workout...

[GorillaTheater]

Now I'm craving a Coke. All this cleaning on my day off is such a hard workout...

 

After all, you OWE it to yourself!

 

Oh, and TBF, on a typical day in heat like that, mowing or fixing fencelines, I'll typically and literally drink two gallons of water.

 

But that cold sugar and caffeine rush after coming back inside? Almost erotic.

[Star Gazer]

But that cold sugar and caffeine rush after coming back inside? Almost erotic.

 

Yessssss...

 

I drink water (or Nuun) during my workouts - TONS of it. But as soon as I'm done, that caramel-y fizzy caffeinated sweetness... nothing better. It really is almost orgasmic.

[thefooloftheyear]

Much of it is pure genetics..There isnt much anyone can do to alter it..That being said, its not likely I could maintain around a 12% BF 208 lb body on 5000 cals a day if it consisted of Big Macs and Oreo's...

 

TFY

[Maleficent]

BLAH!

 

Sometimes I wish we could just have three pills that gives use everything need nutrient and energy wise.

Wouldn't it it be much more simple?

[Lecturer]

I get what the article is saying and agree with its points for the most part (like how different groups define 'clean' differently).

 

For me, clean eating is really about nutrient:calorie ratio. Junk food contains little to no nutrients, so it doesn't matter if you're eating 100 calories worth or 10,000 calories... eating it is "less than ideal".

 

Like you say, though, people can be capable of governing themselves. We still want to eat and enjoy what we eat, so we have to weigh taste against nutritional ideals.

 

Most people's bodies will not let them suffer malnutrition, so people will eat *at least* until they satisfy their nutritional requirements. If my ideal caloric level is 2000 kcal/day, and I eat 1500 kcals of junk food with no nutrition, my body is going to push me to eat until I've also satisfied nutritional requirements. To that end I might end up eating 3000. This is an overly simplified example, but just meant to illustrate the value of 'clean eating' (by my definition). Eat foods high in nutrition-density, then you can eat some junk food after and still be within your caloric ideals!

[USMCHokie]

Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels...?

[Lecturer]

Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels...?

 

Skinny women-folk do feel amazing . Taste though? Hmm. *Insert Hannible Lecter joke".

 

That's right. I went there.

[Star Gazer]

Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels...?

 

Anyone who says that has never had bacon.

[Phoe]

BLAH!

 

Sometimes I wish we could just have three pills that gives use everything need nutrient and energy wise.

Wouldn't it it be much more simple?

 

Anyone seen Fringe season 5?

 

 

They have a nutrient system similar to that.

[RonaldS]

Yes and no. If you consider carbonated drinks with ten teaspoons of sugar, even 1/2 cup is too much sugar. So why bother with empty excessive calories?

 

There's really no such thing as an 'empty calorie'. A calorie is just a calorie. It's a unit of energy. A calorie from Coke is the same energetically as a calorie from a carrot. It's just a calorie.

 

Star Gazer raises a good point in talking about glycogen and sodium replacement after rigorous exercise. So, you might think the sugar in Coke is nutritionless and empty, but that isn't the case. When your body depletes glycogens (which are bundles of glucose...a sugar), those stores need to be replenished. Is pounding a Coke the most nutritionally beneficial way to do that? No. But it's not terrible either.

 

All of that 'empty' sucrose is going to be metabolized into glucose, which will subsequently be metabolized through glycolysis and the energy from that rxn facilitates the production of ATP and NADH. Your body runs on ATP, so metabolism of that sucrose in the Coke will ultimately provide your body with energy it needs for...well, ATP is an energy source for pretty much every metabolic activity.

 

The problem people have with Coke and refined sugars and 'unclean' foods is when their caloric intake is higher than their caloric demands. It's a numbers game, and if the numbers work out in your favor, it matters less and less what you eat, as long as you aren't displacing other nutrients that your body needs and malnourishing yourself.

 

To expand on Star Gazer's point re: sugar and sodium....that's te entire concept behind Gatorade. It's a way to quickly replenish sugars that your body is breaking down during rigorous exercise. And the sodium is essential to, even though we're taught (very erroneously) that sodium is bad. Good luck contracting a muscle w/o sodium. Or even living, for that matter.

[fortyninethousand322]

I have a friend who went on paleo-style diet after I told him about Gary Taubes. He doesn't work out but eats a lot of meat and fats, avoiding sugar and bread and all of that. I mean he eats a lot of food. Lost 50 pounds in just about 8 months or so.

 

Just one data point but, I tend to think that clean eating is real. At the very least it helps your body work to its fullest potential.

[RonaldS]

I have a friend who went on paleo-style diet after I told him about Gary Taubes. He doesn't work out but eats a lot of meat and fats, avoiding sugar and bread and all of that. I mean he eats a lot of food. Lost 50 pounds in just about 8 months or so.

 

Just one data point but, I tend to think that clean eating is real. At the very least it helps your body work to its fullest potential.

 

Sounds healthy...and safe.

 

Also, how much do you want to bet he gains it all back?

[FitChick]

Oddly, sugar addict that I am, I have never liked soda.

 

My friend's mother is 104 and has always eaten everything -- bread, wine, meat, cheese, as well as fruits, veg, desserts, candy, nuts. She has black coffee every morning and eats a banana everyday. Small portions and a wide variety of foods. She also walks for half an hour after meals, to "help my digestion." Never smoked either. She raised eleven children which is probably why she was never fat. Her secret is to always think positively and to get negative people out of her life. Wise lady.

 

Damn, now I am hungry!

[Eternal Sunshine]

I prefer my sugar in solid form, like chocolate.

 

Personally, I see muscle definition in myself even if I don't eat clean half of the time. I sill watch the calories though.