Can Clean Eating Help Me Lose Weight? (2024)

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Can Clean Eating Help Me Lose Weight? (1)

What is your reason for following a clean-eating style of living? Is it because you want to lower your blood pressure or reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer? Are you looking for more energy, glowing skin and healthier hair? How about wanting to lose or maintain weight? A plant-based diet, which is at the heart of clean eating, can help you achieve all of this.

A diet that’s high in fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds and balanced with lean protein and healthy fat has been shown to be the most successful at reducing risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other chronic conditions because this style of eating is truly anti-inflammatory. All of those colorful plants are chock-full of inflammation-lowering antioxidants and phytochemicals. As we love to tell our clients, eat the colors of the rainbow every day!

When it comes to weight loss and successful maintenance of weight, clean eating is the way to go. Replacing unhealthy, highly processed items with real, whole, minimally processed foods will shift your hormones from fat-storage mode into fat-burning mode, which will increase your metabolism.

The Standard American Diet (appropriately SAD when abbreviated), which is high in processed, refined carbohydrates and sugar, forces your body to produce a lot of insulin to handle the high levels of glucose entering the bloodstream from the carbohydrate-rich foods. Insulin is a hormone whose job is to shuttle glucose into your cells, where it gets turned into energy. But too much insulin causes your body to package much of that glucose into fat cells, leading to weight gain.

Learning to choose healthier sources of carbohydrates and balancing them out with the right amount of protein and healthy fats will keep insulin levels in check, making it easier to successfully lose weight and keep it off long-term.

If following a clean eating program does not result in desired weight loss or even causes weight gain, then it’s time to look a little closer at what you’re eating. Often, people think eating clean is a license to eat as much as they want as long as the food is “clean.”

But too much of anything can sabotage your weight-loss goals. Similarly, too much sugar, even if it’s natural (like fruit) or from clean sweeteners (such as raw honey and pure maple syrup) as well as from desserts that have been revamped with clean ingredients, can be problematic. Too much of these types of sugars can impact insulin production and affect total calorie expenditure.

A 2012 study published in JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association, compared dieters who followed a low-fat diet with those who followed a low-carbohydrate (low-sugar) diet and those who followed a low-glycemic diet. Researchers found that those following the low-carbohydrate and low-glycemic diets burned significantly more calories (326 more calories and 126 more calories respectively) than those on the low-fat diet. These results show that fruit isn’t necessarily bad or that dessert is off the table. It just means that these foods need to be more carefully thought out and that portion sizes make a difference.

Clean eating is not just another diet fad or a one-size-fits-all meal plan. It’s a philosophy that works for everyone because it can be customized to suit your needs and goals. If losing weight and improving health and vitality are important to you, then clean eating is the answer.

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Can Clean Eating Help Me Lose Weight? (2024)

FAQs

Can Clean Eating Help Me Lose Weight? ›

Dedicate yourself to the clean eating lifestyle, and you'll lose about 3 pounds a week, Reno says. The benefits go beyond weight loss. You'll stay healthy and have more energy.

Does eating clean reduce belly fat? ›

Research indicates people who followed a low-carb diet had a smaller waist circumference in five years than those who didn't. To reduce abdominal fat, try lowering carbohydrates and increasing protein and fiber intake. Also, eat gut-friendly foods and plenty of healthy fats.

Is clean good for weight loss? ›

They found no evidence to suggest that clean food diets are any more effective for losing weight than other types of diets, including low-carb and low-GI diets.

How long after eating clean do you lose weight? ›

Within the first few days you may feel more energized, alert and less bloated. After the first full week or two, you may experience changes in body composition, skin complexion and your mood. After a month and onward, you may have dropped some extra weight, lowered cholesterol levels and decreased high blood pressure.

What do 10 days of clean eating actually do to your body? ›

10 days can make a bigger difference than you think.

A recent study led by Robert Lustig, MD, showed that by simply taking fructose (from added sugar) out of the diet for 10 days, liver fat was reduced nearly 30%. There was no reduction in calories in the diet the patients were put on.

What happens when you eat clean for 2 weeks? ›

“And you'll likely see an increase in your energy levels and some weight loss from shedding water. But I'm not sure anything can really change your health in as little as two weeks.” To really see and feel a difference, you'll have to stick to a clean eating diet for the long haul.

How much weight will I lose clean eating? ›

Dedicate yourself to the clean eating lifestyle, and you'll lose about 3 pounds a week, Reno says. The benefits go beyond weight loss. You'll stay healthy and have more energy.

What are the cons of eat clean diet? ›

The bad: Other interpretations of clean eating can lead to a rigid diet that bans entire foods or food groups like grains—especially gluten-containing grains— soy, legumes, and dairy. These extremes are not supported by research, and you can develop nutrient deficiencies if your food choices are too limited.

What not to eat on a clean diet? ›

Foods to avoid (which are not Clean Food)
  • White flour, which therefore means cutting out all refined cereal products (supermarket cakes, packaged cake and pastry mixes, etc.).
  • Refined carbohydrates like white rice, bread and pasta. ...
  • White sugar, which has been chemically processed.

What to eat to lose 10 pounds in 14 days? ›

In addition to fruits and vegetables, egg whites, soy products, skinless poultry breasts, fish, shellfish, nonfat dairy foods, and 95% lean meat are all recommended for rapid weight loss.

Which body part loses fat first? ›

However, if you pay close attention, you'll notice that various body parts lose weight first, after which you can tailor your diet or exercise routine in a way that enhances these changes. Nevertheless, people's face and neck are the body parts that lose weight first when diet dominates.

How did Kelly Clarkson lose weight? ›

Walking, eating a healthy mix of foods, and enjoying occasional treats are among some of the methods she's used to shed pounds. The singer also says she uses infrared saunas and cold plunges. “Walking in the city is quite the workout. I'm really into infrared saunas right now.

What are the 5 foods that burn belly fat? ›

Five foods that may help burn belly fat include:
  • foods with soluble fiber like fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
  • foods with protein like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
  • fatty fish like tuna and salmon.
  • foods with probiotics like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi.
  • green tea.

What happens the first week of clean eating? ›

After one week of eating healthy, you will feel more energized and alert throughout the day. This is because the foods you eat contain nutrients that boost your energy levels. The type and quantity of food you eat plays an essential role in determining your energy levels during the day.

Will I lose fat if I eat clean? ›

Simply replacing unhealthy foods with healthy ones—not for a few weeks, but forever—will help you achieve weight loss while also offering numerous other benefits.

What is the simplest diet to follow? ›

The Mediterranean diet also ranked first in the categories of easiest diet to follow, best family-friendly diet, best diet for healthy eating and best diet for diabetes, bone and joint and heart-healthy eating, the report said.

Does cleanse help lose belly fat? ›

A cleanse or fast may help you lose weight initially. “Any time you eliminate certain factors from your diet you're likely to lose weight in the beginning,” Rush says. But after the cleanse or fast is over, you may gain the weight again. “These types of diets aren't sustainable over a long period of time,” he says.

What diet burns the most belly fat? ›

What are 5 foods that burn belly fat?
  • foods with soluble fiber like fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
  • foods with protein like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
  • fatty fish like tuna and salmon.
  • foods with probiotics like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi.
  • green tea.

Can you lose fat by eating clean? ›

Adopting a clean eating plan can be a simple and effective way to lose weight and boost your overall health. Additionally, eating clean means relying less on processed, store-bought items and preparing more meals at home, which could save you money.

What foods flush out fat? ›

Here are 11 healthy foods that may help you burn fat.
  • Fatty fish. Salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel, and other fatty fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, which may help you lose body fat. ...
  • MCT oil. ...
  • Coffee. ...
  • Eggs. ...
  • Green tea. ...
  • Whey protein. ...
  • Apple cider vinegar. ...
  • Chili peppers.

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