Definition: why is diet so important?

[NathL]

Hi Cathe and everybody!

From all I have read on the forums, I understand that to get definition, clean eating seems to be the key. I have trouble understanding why it is so.

If you exercise properly, do weight training (to get those muscles you want to show!!!) and work on losing weight (you know when you clothes start to seem too big!!!), shouldn't the weight loss be enough to get those muscles to show? Why isn't the weight loss enough? I understand that even a sensible diet along with weight loss, exercise and weight training is not enough to get definition, that eating very clean is the key. Why is it so?

TIA
Nathalie

 

[MarieCLS]

Hi Nathalie,

Certainly not Cathe, but there are many good explanations if you research the "glycemic index." I don't remember this exactly, but high sugar or processed foods can spike insulin levels and make your body store food as extra body fat. Many people, myself included, can experience this. "Clean eating" is supposed to help burn fat nearly all the time. However, what is "clean" may vary from person to person. Of course, if you eat even the best foods, eating too much of anything may also increase body fat levels.

I hope this helps some. The key is that everyone is so different and you really need to experiment to find what works for you.

 

[kariev]

I agree with the other poster in you must experiment to see what works for you. I know for me, i can and have gotten pretty defined while still incorporating protein bars from the store, lean cuiseins, or other processed diet foods. These things certainly are not clean but since my cals were below maintainance i still got defined. Some people are more sensitive to these "fillers" than others which is why you need to experiment. I try to eat healthy clean foods but if i told myself that i could only eat things that grew from the ground or was once alive, i would feel too restricted and it would cause me to binge.

 

[RapidBreath]

in a word, insulin

Most of the foods that we think of as unclean cause problems for our bodies. Especially insulin resistance. And the presence of insulin in the blood prevents weight loss. As does hydrogenated oils.

Perhaps you just haven't gotten to the point where the muscles are showing yet because you are retaining water. Fluid can mask muscles. (I know, some days I have ankles other days I don't.)

I suggest Dr. Oz's book "You on a Diet" to help understand some of this. Watch out for pickled foods or things in cans that come in a brine. And high fructose corn syrup (contrary to their ad campaign.) does influence the bodies ability to produce and receive in the brain the hormone that tells you to stop eating. So avoid that. I noticed that as soon as I cut out HFCS I ate about a third less food even though I was not cutting out as much sugars/carbs as I do now. Of course I'm not skinny yet

 

[NathL]

I wouldn't have thought that the glycemic index was such a great part of clean eating. It might make the difference between a sensible diet (ex.: not fast food, whole grains but 1-2 chocolate chips cookies a day!) and a clean diet.
As I also saw in another post, body type seems to influence ability to get definition. This might be my case also.
Nathalie

 

[ovaraptur]

I'm glad you asked about clean eating. It's not anything I really aspire to, and I agree with your question "why". (Darn it!) But it is interesting to consider and I may borrow Dr. Oz's book from the library to further investigate.

 

[Shelshula]

The benefit of clean eating is that the less processed the food, the more nutritious it is, the more nutritious the food is, the more filling it is and the stronger the body.

By providing your body with proper building blocks, you body is able to function better making you stronger and healthier. That's why it isn't enough to simply cut calories and people who eat 5,000 calories a day can still suffer from malnutrition.

The reason this is important for definition is that by eating "cleaner" you allow your body to reduce the layer of fat between your skin and your muscles which allows you to better show off your hard earned muscles. It also reduces the abdominal fat which can cause heart disease and the much dreaded pooch. Clean eating also improves your complexion and helps maintain healthy collagen levels which keeps you looking younger and your skin tauter meaning fewer wrinkles, less sag, and less cellulite.

Mark Bittman talks about how its not the beta-carotene in carrots that is healthy for you, its the carrot. Food is very complex and adding things back into food isn't the same thing as eating the original food. The same is true of taking supplements, a dietary supplement is not nearly as good for you as getting the same nutrients from food.

Eating whole grain bread is cleaner then white bread because there are more natural nutrients for your body to absorb. Stripping HFCS from your diet improves your liver function, prevents fatty liver syndrome and allows your natural body signals to function properly allowing you to recognize when you are full eliminating unnecessary calories from your day.

So, to quote Michael Pollan: "Eat real food, mostly plants, not too much."

You will really feel better in the long run.