Britt's Clean Eating Journey

brittdee88

I hope it's alright that I post this here. I like having an account of changes I make in my diet and those I consequently see in my body.
Some background: I'm 30 years old and have been on a diet since I was 5. I have yo-yoed most of my life, suffered with 3 eating disorders (currently in recovery for BED!), and have gotten as high as 179 (though I am sure I was larger but stopped weighing) at the height of my BED and as low as 100 at the height of AN. I'm 4'9", but I have a large frame and build muscle easily, so my prescribed healthy range is 118-131. Since I like to lift weights, I am aiming for 135 for now.
I started at 179 in November 2016 and got down to 159 by November 2017. I tried A LOT of "diets" and different exercise regimes in that time. There were also lots of weeks where I did nothing, and I was still binging at least 2-3 times per week. Frustrated, I recommitted to HIIT, weight training, and calorie counting at the beginning of this year and got down to ~148 at the beginning of last month. Unfortunately, I regained 6 pounds over the course of the rest of the month due to the stress of breaking off a two-year relationship and engagement and essentially estranging myself from my parents. I didn't binge (which is amazing for me, as binging has ALWAYS been my reaction to stress for the past 8 years), but I ate a lot of crappy foods at my meals.
Knowing I am a sugar/food addict, I decided to get back to intuitive eating without added sugar or sweeteners of any kind. I also minimized as many processed foods as possible (I continued to drink a glass of wine daily, and I also had gluten-free rice crackers, gluten-free oats, and sugar-free bottled salad dressings). I also began a gentler daily exercise program because I knew my cortisol levels were sky high. I began last Saturday at 154.2 lbs, and I am 6 pounds lighter today at 148.2. I know these were pounds ripe for losing as I had lost them before, but I feel a huge difference in my body that I didn't feel in February, which I can only attribute to this new lifestyle change. I haven't counted a single calorie or logged a single meal.
I want to continue to clean up my diet as the year progresses, and I will note any changes here. I'm so happy to find a space for those of us who do care about the content of our meals and not just the macros. I know calorie counting works very well, but I believe that this path is the healthiest for me given my tendency towards food obsession and will likely be the most sustainable for me for the rest of my life.

brittdee88

The day isn't over yet, but I wanted to post now since I likely won't be online this weekend.

Week 1 (2/24 - 3/2): No Added Sugar/Less Processed Foods
154.2 lbs to 148.2 lbs (-6 lbs)
Exercise: 6 Daily Burn workouts
Body changes: Significantly less bloating and I can more easily distinguish between actual hunger and cravings. After about 4 days, cravings for junk food/sugar lessened drastically.
Foods Eaten:
Parmesan-crusted flounder (oil*, gf panko*) with sautéed butternut squash and kale (oil*, cooking wine*)
Tuna cakes (gf quick oats*, oil*) with mango-avocado salsa (oil*)
Salmon quinoa bowls with avocado, roasted brussels sprouts (oil*), and sugar-free Annie's dressing (oil*) or homemade Greek yogurt-based dressing
Gluten-free rice crackers*/homemade flax crackers and dubliner cheese
Eggs with cheese
Plain Greek yogurt with pureed banana
Cinnamon-roasted almonds
Sugar-free trail mix
Daily glass of red wine/prosecco (Still on the fence about whether these are truly considered processed, but I won't be giving them up anyway)
* = processed ingredient

I am going to a salad bar tonight with a friend, and I will be having salad and a baked potato depending upon how hungry I feel. Luckily, the restaurant has all its nutrition info online, and I was able to find all of the no-sugar-added options. I am still a bit nervous, but I also want to learn how to make good choices while eating out for sustainability purposes.

After writing this out, I see that oil is definitely the biggest offender in my diet, but I know that it can easily be replaced with butter for most of my purposes. Since I will be packing to move this upcoming week, I am not going to commit to completely eliminating it right away, but I will try to reduce oil intake whenever I can. I will challenge myself to get rid of it once I am settled into my new place.

hroderick

great start! current guidance is gluten-free is only recommended for the very few diagnosed with celiac disease. dont be suckered into fads. and congrats on turning 30 as it is the best decade of life. get the best olive oil for cheap at costco

brittdee88

Thanks for the tips, @hroderick! I actually have a wheat allergy, so it's necessary for me, too.

teniahhowell

I just wanted to encourage you, (not sure of your first name) but firstly congrats to you for putting yourself out there and knowing that writing it out is a way to stay accountable to the patterns you want to see for yourself...Secondly what a huge thing that you noted you did not binge after your breakup this time, that's fantastic progress. It sounds like you are really making some positive changes for your life. I really encourage you to keep on this path of seeking healthy alternatives and good food choices. I highly recommend getting as many possible vegetables into your diet as possible and then gradually cutting out the things that are more harmful (like your oils/dairy etc.) First adding in the good so you don't feel you are taking everything out!! You mentioned, though, substituting butter for the oil, and I would just caution that you perhaps research that one a little more before you make your decision. I think it could potentially be better for you to consider just cutting DOWN the amount of oil and use really good oils when you DO choose to use them (like a nice tsp or so of olive oil in a salad dressing)....not trying to tell you what's best, but just a suggestion to check it out. There are some fabulous research reviews on Dr. Greger's website NutritionFacts.org if you are interested....everything he puts out is free!! Anyway, just wanted to say all the best to you.

NetiOne

brittdee88 -I am wondering why butter would be considered cleaner than olive oil? I have recently dropped butter for olive oil. Thanks!