As promised, I am going to dedicate this post to my clean eating journey that I have embarked on. I will say before I get into this, that I have done something like this before for religious reasons. I did the Daniel's fast (as in Daniel in the bible) for 21 days w/ Newhope church. Basically it was a vegan diet w/ no processed foods. I felt wonderful when I did it, and I lost weight! So why didn't I keep doing it? Well it was pretty expensive, and also it was very very strict. So I will also talk about the changes I am making this time around to make the a permanent part of my life.
So what is clean eating? In a nutshell it's this: no processed foods. That's right, no processed foods. It is heavy on lean protein, fruits and veggis, and whole grains. Some dairy seems to be ok as well. This is a great diet for a few reasons. 1. We were born to eat unprocessed foods, it's what our bodies really want. 2. You are not doing any crazy "fad" diet, it's something that can and should end up being a total lifestyle, which means that you have a greater chance of maintaining weight loss. I started w/ a very strict version of this which was given to me by my friend Meg called the "bust your rut diet". Basically it's the clean eating diet, but it's lower on carbs. If you want more details, let me know and I will share them with you. But a typical day would consist of oatmeal for breakfast with some fruit. Then lunch would be a tofu stir fry w/ loads of veggis and brown rice. Dinner would be fish w/ some whole grain like barley or quinoa with 2 veggis like a salad w/ lowfat dressing and also asparagus. Then throughout the day I would have snacks like an apple or banana or applesauce, also on the docket were celery w/ nut butter and shredded wheat cereal. Then at night I would munch on almonds and fresh and frozen berries. I have done this for 2 1/2 weeks now, and have lost 7lbs. So that is all well and good. I have been coping w/ heartburn for the past year or so. I have it every day, and I HATE taking more meds than I need to. Also I have been so TIRED as of late. The most wonderful thing(s) about this diet is that I rarely have heartburn, and I have SO much more energy!!!!! It's the most wonderful thing ever! If you want more information on the diet, go to www.eatcleandiet.com There is a wonderful book about it that explains it in great detail, much better than I ever could!
So here is what I have to lend, and that's how to get around the downsides of clean eating (yes there are some!) and how to stick with it. First, there is the misconception that fresh foods are more expensive. To a degree they are. How do you get around that? Well I would point you to the farmers market. I get a ton of produce there for half of what I would pay at the store. A CSA is also a good option. You can read more about CSAs and find one near you at www.localharvest.org I won't lie, the first shopping trip you will need to stock your pantry with things you need like brown rice, almonds, etc. That will be expensive. But after that it's not so bad, and I find this diet is actually cheaper than my normal diet was.
Second, you will be hungry for the first week or so and you will get food cravings. I don't know when the food cravings will stop, mine are still there. So as for being hungry, drink lots of water. But the most important tip I can give is to SUCK IT UP! It will go away. You just have to accept that this is going to happen, you are taking in less calories, that is the way it is. Ride it out, and you will be fine I promise. As for the cravings, I modified the diet slightly. For example, I eat frosted mini wheats (the mom's natural organic kind which was 99 cents at Kroger on sale BTW, cheaper than the non organic). That helps me w/ my sweet tooth. Sure it's marginally processed, but if I allow myself this little indulgence daily, then I am less likely to overeat a whole tray of brownies. I also allow myself 2 tsps of brown sugar on my oatmeal. I DETEST plain oatmeal. I heart oatmeal w/ brown sugar. Sure it's not on the diet, but it helps me stick w/ the over all plan so I gladly do it!
Ok what about eating out. I do it, it's no big thing. Stick w/ the option that fits best w/ the diet. Example: I was at On the Border and I got the shrimp fajitas w/ black beans. I did have a few chips and salsa but just a few. This is a good place to introduce Bethenny Frankel's philosophy of "taste everything, eat nothing". For more info, read her book, Naturally Thin. I had a few chips and salsa, it satisfied my craving, and I didn't eat the whole damn plate of them. The trick is to eat slow and savor. nom nom nom. And it's fine if you have a small indulgance. Last night I had 5 spoonfulls of chocolate ice cream (made locally at the dairy) it was sinful, but I was satisfied w/ less than 1/4 cup of ice cream, my craving was satisfied, and I am still losing weight. Also it's ok if you have some processed items. I still eat regular peanut butter, and sometimes I do have processed things like pretzels. I just try to limit those things. Once you stick w/ this diet, you won't crave processed foods anymore. For example, we were at taco johns and I got a cheese quesadilla. We were on the road and there weren't many options and I was STARVING! I thought it would be the most delicious thing, a nice cheat on my diet, but it was DISGUSTING. My taste buds are changing and I am happy! :)
This has gone so well, that I am going to stay on the eat clean diet, and incorporate in Bethenny's taste everything eat nothing. For example, I will eat clean all day, but when my friend Sam brings in some of her tasty cupcakes, I will have a few bites of it, savor it, enjoy it, and let it go. No guilty feelings. nom nom nom. It's my way for being healthy, but still enjoying food!
There is a crucial exercise component of any diet, and I will talk about that, but perhaps in another post. I hope this post is useful. If you have questions I will answer them to the best of my abilities, and I will keep everyone updated on my progress, and any other tips I come up with!
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