By Amy McDonnell | Published on May 2, 2017
In one camp: ‘the way it’s always been done’ clean eaters; in the other, an unrestrictive diet. Who comes out on top?
Health
Flexible eating: Allows all foods in your diet and you set yourself daily targets of fiber from fruit and veg. Some users take it to the extreme and fill up the majority of their calories with junk but get away with looking healthy.
Clean eating: This favors unrefined, whole foods and at its worst users restrict themselves to three or four foods, creating an unhealthy deficit in nutrients but, at its best, it mostly includes a variety of nutritious foods.
Adherence
Flexible eating: ‘If it fits your macros’ lends itself better to adherence, as countless studies show that using a diet that includes your BFF foods and suits your lifestyle keeps you sticking to the plan.
Clean eating: While many can turn clean eating into a lifestyle, there is that risk of an all-or-nothing attitude where you go from an unhealthy diet to a 100% clean, restricted diet. Willpower is fi nite and, eventually, dieting will burn you out.
Body comp
Flexible eating: IIFYM upsets clean eating for better results in muscle growth and fat loss. How? The most accurate way to change your body is to track calories and macros – the foundation of flexible dieting.
Clean eating: This system can leave many dumbfounded as they eat ‘clean’ foods without a trace of weight loss or gain. This can be tracked back to either over or under eating without realizing. Remember calories and macros matter.
Ease
Flexible eating: There can be a problem of too much choice, overwhelming users and causing some to think ‘screw it.’ Tracking and weighing everything that goes into your mouth can become tedious, too.
Clean eating: Clean eating allows for structure and reduces options, which can the diet simpler. Occasionally, it can prove a nuisance when out socially, but the ease of following the plan gives eating clean the nod here.
The takeaway? As with anything in life it’s all about balance. Taking the positives of both and dispensing with the drawbacks leaves you with the perfect diet for anyone.
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