Clean eating vs calories in, calories out?

[jude989]

So in my research I've read that you should avoid processed foods and stick mostly to whole foods. This is the essence of clean eating. Yet, come to find out I still eat processed foods such as yogurt, organic sliced cheese, whole grain wheat bread and whey protein shakes. That's about it for the processed foods I eat and I keep it within my daily caloric intake and am actually at a deficit. I make chicken sandwiches for lunch with a slice of Swiss cheese for fat/protein post workout.

I am trying to lose fat but do the processed things I eat keep me from losing it? Even if I'm at a deficit? Is it all just calories in and calories out, and the whole clean eating thing is mostly bro science?

[cmacken]

Clean eating as you have defined it has nothing to do with weight loss and everything to do with providing your body with the maximum number of nutrients that any particular food can provide.

[ironwill2008]

So in my research I've read that you should avoid processed foods and stick mostly to whole foods. This is the essence of clean eating. Yet, come to find out I still eat processed foods such as yogurt, organic sliced cheese, whole grain wheat bread and whey protein shakes. That's about it for the processed foods I eat and I keep it within my daily caloric intake and am actually at a deficit. I make chicken sandwiches for lunch with a slice of Swiss cheese for fat/protein post workout.

I am trying to lose fat but do the processed things I eat keep me from losing it? Even if I'm at a deficit? Is it all just calories in and calories out, and the whole clean eating thing is mostly bro science?

It's not about the names of the foods you eat, or how they fit into some vaguely-defined category of "clean or dirty," but rather, how many calories a day you are consuming, what the macronutrient makeup of those calories might be, and how that calorie amount compares to your TDEE in regards to your particular goal.


You can become as fat as a whale eating nothing but boiled chicken, rice, and broccoli, and conversely, become jacked eating cheeseburgers and pizza (just two popularly-categorized, "dirty" foods by some uninformed beginners) along with other foods.

[dipatel13]

Read this: http://www.completehumanperformance.com/clean-eating/

[jude989]

It's not about the names of the foods you eat, or how they fit into some vaguely-defined category of "clean or dirty," but rather, how many calories a day you are consuming, what the macronutrient makeup of those calories might be, and how that calorie amount compares to your TDEE in regards to your particular goal.


You can become as fat as a whale eating nothing but boiled chicken, rice, and broccoli, and conversely, become jacked eating cheeseburgers and pizza (just two popularly-categorized, "dirty" foods by some uninformed beginners) along with other foods.

So in other words, eating nothing but chicken, rice and broccoli over a caloric deficit and into a surplus can make you fatter than eating pizza and cheeseburgers at a deficit?

[Mrpb]

And yes eating a diet sufficient in micronutrients and fiber is still essential for good health.

[ironwill2008]

So in other words, eating nothing but chicken, rice and broccoli over a caloric deficit and into a surplus can make you fatter than eating pizza and cheeseburgers at a deficit?

Yes; to be simplistic, it can.


But IRL, what you should do is eat a wide variety of foods that you not only enjoy but that also meet both your macro- and micronutrient requirements while also meeting your daily calorie total. In addition, you need to train on a experience-appropriate weight lifting program. Including some occasional cardio for heart/lung health is also a very good idea.

The combination of proper nutrition combined with weight training will be the most timely method of changing and improving one's body composition.

[AntonisD]

Fat loss = sustained negative imbalance between energy intake and output
Yes, macronutrients matter
Yes, food quality matters
Yes, meal timing and frequency matters
BUT without your caloric intake set where it should be for weight loss (caloric deficit), you won't lose weight.
Why? Because https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_...thermodynamics

[muruku]

No.

[jude989]

Does that count for protein shakes or are they different? What I mean is if you're in a deficit while drinking shakes but not exercising as hard on the days you don't weight train, like say just doing cardio such as uphill hiking, will out gain weight? Or is it calories in calories with protein shakes too?

[magician27]

Does that count for protein shakes or are they different? What I mean is if you're in a deficit while drinking shakes but not exercising as hard on the days you don't weight train, like say just doing cardio such as uphill hiking, will out gain weight? Or is it calories in calories with protein shakes too?

calories in vs calories out . it barely matters what you eat. shakes ,food whatever. protein has calories too, if you eat too much of it , you wont lose weight.