"Should I track Kcal or just eat clean?"
First, lets define 'clean' as foods that are generally not subjected to refinement processes prior to consumption and contain no or very little artificial ingredients. This is not black and white; there is no clear line separating 'clean' and 'dirty' foods from one another. Foods might contain clean and dirty components, meals also might be a mixture of the too which makes it difficult to be so clear cut about what's what. I don't particular like labelling foods as clean or dirty; but for the sake of the discussion we will as most have an understanding of what 'clean' eating entails (I hope).
Person a) Average trainee struggling with controlling bodyweight decides to diet. A considerable portion of their diet will perhaps be made up of calorie dense foods; breads, cereals and sandwiches with fatty fillings. These foods are easy to eat and are often branded as 'healthy/lighter' choices. The truth is that many of these foodstuffs are not much different from foods that we generally think of as 'unhealthy' in terms of kcal and or macronutrients (carbs/fat/protein). Companies pay huge sums of money to make their products appear healthy and attractive to consumers conscious of weight and health. The vast majority of shop bought sandwiches contain more fat and salt than a McDonalds Hamburger; yet have been labelled as the 'healthy' go-to for lunch in the UK for years. Add to this sugary cereals and toast or fruit juice for breakfast, coffees and tea throughout the day and a ready meal for dinner with a glass of wine and person a) will more than likely be in a calorie surplus. This means weight gain; how much and how quick will be dependant on many calories over BMR (the kcal you need to maintain body weight) that person is consuming over a longer period of time. BMR will depend on multiple factors, but it is often low in untrained/sedentary people (which makes it easier to overeat and thus gain bodyfat).
So, person a) decides to reduce carbohydrates, cut them out completely after 6pm, cuts out wine and sugar in coffee, replaces the ready meal with salad and chicken, uses skimmed milk instead full fat ETC. ETC. This is a generalisation but most people follow those sort of procedures when decided to diet.
After 4 weeks of this they will have lost some bodyweight, some of that body fat. They will then associate said weight loss with the new foods they are eating; rather than the calorie deficit that these new foods have created. Salads, vegetables, lean meats and low GI (glycaemic index) carbs such as brown rice, quinoa, oats etc. are filling and generally leave you feeling satisfied for longer. 500kcal of chicken, rice and veg is ALOT harder to eat than 500kcal's worth of microwavable lasagne, thus causing the dieter to generally eat LESS when eating 'clean'. These 'clean' foods do not have magic fat loss properties, its the reduction in kcal brought about by switching from processed, calorie dense foods which are easier to eat in large quantities, to these lighter unprocessed foods that causes the weight loss. This is something people tend to misinterpret and thus contribute to the weight loss confusion; person a) will proudly tell their friend that the secret to their fat loss was simply no carbohydrates after 6pm or by eating less red meat and more white fish but fail to realise the REAL reason why this worked; calorie reduction. The friend then desperately tries this but of course this will only work dependant on the friends overall diet and kcal intake in relation to BMR.
I'm not saying that kcal intake is the absolute be all and end all to weight management, because its not. Im not advocating a whatever fits into your kcal and you'll loose weight approach. Health is number 1, I always advocate a 'clean' eating approach; consuming MOST of your kcal from unprocessed, fresh produce. Fresh meats and fish, good quaility dairy and fibre rich carbohydrate sources aswell as nutrient dense fruit and vegetables. Allowing a small percentage of overall kcal to be derived from 'dirty' food, if you wish, will not harm your weight loss goals; as long as you eat within your BMR.
In summary, Kcal will have the most bearing on weight management and that eating 'clean' generally causes weight loss because of the reduction of kcal associated with choosing these foods over denser, calorie rich processed foods. Not because of some magical weightloss property in certain foodstuffs; which so frequently people are lead to believe. Track Kcal; apply science and common sense to your weight management and take out the guesswork. Eat mostly unprocessed foods, rich in micronutrients, but allow yourselves to eat foods that you enjoy as this WILL help in the long run.
For more information on dieting and how to apply it to yourself to help reach your goals, message me at rossi01@hotmail.co.uk, via www.facebook.com/naturalaesthet1cs or www.youtube.com/naturalaestheticstv
Natural Aesthetics - Dream and Achieve
Ross Newham
