Clean Eating Club - Saturday 11/22

cherapple

What is clean eating?

"In a nutshell, eating clean is the practice of eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. It also means staying away from the junk that typically makes up the Standard American Diet (S.A.D) These types of food include man-made sugar, bad fats (hydrogenated, trans-fat), preservatives, white bread, and any other ingredients that are unnecessary. An easy way to remember if a food is clean is: “If man made it, don’t eat it.”

A person who eats clean generally practices the following:

* Eliminates refined sugar
* Cooks healthy meals
* Packs healthy meals
* Makes healthy choices when dining out
* Drinks a lot of water
* Eats 5-6 small meals per day
* Combines healthy proteins with complex carbohydrates at every meal, which provides a feeling of fullness.
* Eliminates alcoholic beverages (or significantly limits them)
* Always eats breakfast."

~From http://www.eatingcleanworks.com

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This "club" is for anyone who wants to eat more natural, "cleaner" foods. Anyone is welcome to join, and anyone can start the thread each day. Just copy and past this first message into a "new topic." You don't have to follow the diet perfectly, but it's easier than you might think! Let's support each other in the quest to eat whole and natural foods, eliminate cravings, feel full all day long, and melt off body fat.

cherapple

What is clean eating?

"In a nutshell, eating clean is the practice of eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. It also means staying away from the junk that typically makes up the Standard American Diet (S.A.D) These types of food include man-made sugar, bad fats (hydrogenated, trans-fat), preservatives, white bread, and any other ingredients that are unnecessary. An easy way to remember if a food is clean is: “If man made it, don’t eat it.”

A person who eats clean generally practices the following:

* Eliminates refined sugar
* Cooks healthy meals
* Packs healthy meals
* Makes healthy choices when dining out
* Drinks a lot of water
* Eats 5-6 small meals per day
* Combines healthy proteins with complex carbohydrates at every meal, which provides a feeling of fullness.
* Eliminates alcoholic beverages (or significantly limits them)
* Always eats breakfast."

~From http://www.eatingcleanworks.com

____
This "club" is for anyone who wants to eat more natural, "cleaner" foods. Anyone is welcome to join, and anyone can start the thread each day. Just copy and past this first message into a "new topic." You don't have to follow the diet perfectly, but it's easier than you might think! Let's support each other in the quest to eat whole and natural foods, eliminate cravings, feel full all day long, and melt off body fat.

cherapple

Preworkout breakfast:

Oatmeal
Apple
Skim milk
Egg whites

I was just looking at the meals I ate yesterday and realizing I never ate any vegetables all day long. Doh! I'll have to remedy that today. That could be a problem with just following the "basic rules" of clean eating. It's still easy to leave out a whole food group because it doesn't specify what to eat beyond complex carbs and lean protein. Of course, vegetables are complex carbs, but whole grains, cereals, wraps, and breads -- and often fruits, too -- are much more convenient to grab!

None of our local libraries carry Tosca's books (what does that say about the world?), so I'm going to have to buy them. Precision Nutrition looks way too precise for me at this point, as does BFFM. I'll conquer Tosca's diet first and see whether I feel like I need to get more precise with my food intake after that. I'm sure I'll want another health and fitness challenge at some point!

Off to the gym for a lower body and core workout on the machines.
Cheryl

cherapple

Post workout lunch:
Whole grain tortilla
1.6 oz Turkey
Mesclun mix
2 Tbs. Hommus
1/4 cup Cottage cheese
Mixed berry "ice cream"

jessmomof3

None of our local libraries carry Tosca's books (what does that say about the world?), so I'm going to have to buy them. Precision Nutrition looks way too precise for me at this point, as does BFFM. I'll conquer Tosca's diet first and see whether I feel like I need to get more precise with my food intake after that. I'm sure I'll want another health and fitness challenge at some point!

Off to the gym for a lower body and core workout on the machines.
Cheryl

You can also request books at the library. That's what I did w/ Tosca's book. :laugh: Ours is a small town library, and they did buy it. Of course, they're used to me reading all of the health/ nutrition books there. :blushing: I think you're doing great starting w/ clean eating, smaller changes that you can stick with. That's what I have done and just continue to make things cleaner.

Jess

jessmomof3

I'm here! I did Cathe's Gym Style Legs this morning. Will do a Core workout later on.

Breakfast:
1/2 c. old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 c. Fiber One cereal + 1/2 c. whole cranberries
1 T. NM PB, 1 T. flax
1/2 c. cottage cheese

Won't have a mid-morning snack since I didn't eat breakfast until 8.

Jess

Angiebangie

I get really frustrated with that too! I wish there was a list with all the proteins (besides meat, and in portion sizes, nuts, beans, yogurt etc.) I don't want to eat 20 oz. of meat each day, but don't know how much yogurt, or nuts and beans I need compared to a 5 oz. meat serving.

jessmomof3

I get really frustrated with that too! I wish there was a list with all the proteins (besides meat, and in portion sizes, nuts, beans, yogurt etc.) I don't want to eat 20 oz. of meat each day, but don't know how much yogurt, or nuts and beans I need compared to a 5 oz. meat serving.

Ok, I try to just go for the portion size of each serving. The Dannon nonfat plain yogurt (1 cup serving) has 110 cals and 12g protein. I just try to get in about 25g of protein w/ each mini-meal. Cottage cheese also has around 13g of protein for 1/2 cup (and about 80 cals if you get the fat free). For me, those are easy ways to get in some protein w/ snacks! HTH or feel free to ask if you have any questions!

Jess

cherapple

I get really frustrated with that too! I wish there was a list with all the proteins (besides meat, and in portion sizes, nuts, beans, yogurt etc.) I don't want to eat 20 oz. of meat each day, but don't know how much yogurt, or nuts and beans I need compared to a 5 oz. meat serving.

Yes, I wonder that, too. What constitutes a protein? Is milk a carb or a protein? Same for yogurt? Nuts only add a few grams of protein, so are they really a protein? I don't want to eat turkey, chicken, or tofu at every meal. The egg whites are great, though. You can easily add them to so many things.

Angiebangie

I don't want to eat egg whites all day either The thing with the cheese is it's so many calories, to eat a whole cup of cottage cheese, plus I don't like it anyway. And most yogurts are really just like desserts with all the sugar, so you have to eat plain, which is fine, and the nut butters are so high in fat! Okay I'm just complaining, I tend to want to do everything perfectly and if I just eat clean and the numbers aren't exact I can figure it out along the way.

In Tosca's book she says to use Whey protein, I have Soy (Spirutein) do you think that matters?

Angiebangie

I get really frustrated with that too! I wish there was a list with all the proteins (besides meat, and in portion sizes, nuts, beans, yogurt etc.) I don't want to eat 20 oz. of meat each day, but don't know how much yogurt, or nuts and beans I need compared to a 5 oz. meat serving.

Ok, I try to just go for the portion size of each serving. The Dannon nonfat plain yogurt (1 cup serving) has 110 cals and 12g protein. I just try to get in about 25g of protein w/ each mini-meal. Cottage cheese also has around 13g of protein for 1/2 cup (and about 80 cals if you get the fat free). For me, those are easy ways to get in some protein w/ snacks! HTH or feel free to ask if you have any questions!

Jess

My friend is an athletic trainer and she and I were talking about protein intake, and she said that too much protein can be bad, I know there are so many different opinions on protein, and whether or not your athletic, weightlifting etc. but Jess, 125-150 g. of protein seems like way too much?? I remember doing some formula last year when I started lifing and it had me at like 70g or so, where as if I weren't it was around 40g. Where are you getting your information/ideas on protein amounts?

Angiebangie

Just found this:

Shortcut: An ounce of meat or fish has approximately 7 grams of protein.


Beef
Hamburger patty, 4 oz – 28 grams protein
Steak, 6 oz – 42 grams
Most cuts of beef – 7 grams of protein per ounce
Chicken
Chicken breast, 3.5 oz - 30 grams protein
Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size)
Drumstick – 11 grams
Wing – 6 grams
Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams
Fish
Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce
Tuna, 6 oz can - 40 grams of protein
Pork
Pork chop, average - 22 grams protein
Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams
Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams
Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams
Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams
Canadian-style bacon (back bacon), slice – 5 – 6 grams
Eggs and Dairy
Egg, large - 6 grams protein
Milk, 1 cup - 8 grams
Cottage cheese, ½ cup - 15 grams
Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8-12 grams, check label
Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) – 6 grams per oz
Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) – 7 or 8 grams per oz
Hard cheeses (Parmesan) – 10 grams per oz
Beans (including soy)
Tofu, ½ cup 20 grams protein
Tofu, 1 oz, 2.3 grams
Soy milk, 1 cup - 6 -10 grams
Most beans (black, pinto, lentils, etc) about 7-10 grams protein per half cup of cooked beans
Soy beans, ½ cup cooked – 14 grams protein
Split peas, ½ cup cooked – 8 grams
Nuts and Seeds
Peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons - 8 grams protein
Almonds, ¼ cup – 8 grams
Peanuts, ¼ cup – 9 grams
Cashews, ¼ cup – 5 grams
Pecans, ¼ cup – 2.5 grams
Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup – 6 grams
Pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup – 19 grams
Flax seeds – ¼ cup – 8 grams

cherapple

I'm not worrying about numbers right now. All I know is that the protein is making me feel full and helping to keep away food cravings. I haven't even been paying attention to how much I eat in each meal, or in a day, beyond whether I've met the MFP guideline (and I'm looking at that just for curiosity). I'm just happy to have a "good" amount of protein in each meal, combined with complex carbs, whereas before I sometimes didn't have any protein, or very small amounts.

I'm also coming off being a vegetarian, so that by itself is increasing my protein.

Thanks for the list, Angie! I'm going to print it out and put it in the clean eating recipe book that I'm making.

jawaria

Hello everyone! I'm in ! I feel horrible not even knowing what consisted of clean eating. After reading the posts i feel better bcoz i have been eating mostly healthy... so that part makes me happy! I am still trying to eat even healthier...thanks for this thread...any ideas or recipes for dinners?

jessmomof3

My friend is an athletic trainer and she and I were talking about protein intake, and she said that too much protein can be bad, I know there are so many different opinions on protein, and whether or not your athletic, weightlifting etc. but Jess, 125-150 g. of protein seems like way too much?? I remember doing some formula last year when I started lifing and it had me at like 70g or so, where as if I weren't it was around 40g. Where are you getting your information/ideas on protein amounts?

There is so much information out there. I know that for me, I just can't do higher carbs. I am doing more of a Precision Nutrition plan now which is basically only whole grain carbs post workout, otherwise your carbs come from fruit & veggies (now low carb, really, but the whole grain carbs are what seem to make me want to eat more!). 20-25g protein w/ each meal. (which really isn't a lot, once you add it to MFP, that's just 1 chicken breast, 1 c. of yogurt + 1 T. PB, etc) Find what works for you.

jessmomof3

Hello everyone! I'm in ! I feel horrible not even knowing what consisted of clean eating. After reading the posts i feel better bcoz i have been eating mostly healthy... so that part makes me happy! I am still trying to eat even healthier...thanks for this thread...any ideas or recipes for dinners?

Welcome! I just try to make healthier versions of what I'm making for my family. You can easily make a taco salad if you're making tacos, use whole wheat pasta instead of regular, brown rice for a stir fry instead of white, etc. I just take regular recipes and *tweak* them to our liking. HTH!

cherapple

Hello everyone! I'm in ! I feel horrible not even knowing what consisted of clean eating. After reading the posts i feel better bcoz i have been eating mostly healthy... so that part makes me happy! I am still trying to eat even healthier...thanks for this thread...any ideas or recipes for dinners?

Hey, Jawaria, glad you found us! Don't feel horrible -- most people haven't heard of clean eating, or think they have to be a body builder to eat this way. Not true -- it can help anyone feel better and lose weight. This is the diet that many body builders use to get lean and stay that way, so think how great it would work for anyone wanting to lose weight. I'm still learning about recipes myself, but Jess has good advice. Don't worry about being perfect. Work on replacing one or two items in your diet at a time. Begin by looking at what types of meals you already eat and think about how you can make them more healthy. Use lean ground turkey instead of ground beef, for example. The challenge is kind of fun, actually!

cherapple

Early afternoon snack:
Large banana
1 Tbs. PB
Barley coffee
2 Tbs. half n half

Late afternoon snack:
Multigrain rice cake
1 Tbs. PB
Herbal tea
1 Tbs. half n half
1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt
21 almonds

Dinner:
Green salad
Vinegar and lemon juice dressing
Sweet potato burritos
1/4 cup cottage cheese

I was a little bit more on the hungry side today. I had a difficult time in the afternoon and wanted to overeat. I think I did pretty well, though. I'm only going to be about 100 calories over for the day.

I'm actually excited about Thanksgiving. I will be staying with my father and stepmother, and they eat a lot of whole foods. One of my half brothers has been on a clean food diet in college, so everyone will have at least some understanding of my eating habits. This will be the first year I've eaten turkey in (I think) five years, and Thanksgiving dinner should be healthier overall than it usually is on my mother's side of the family (where we usually go). For dessert, we'll be contributing the fruit medley "ice cream" that my family and I have been really into lately. No sugar -- just frozen fruit and banana in a blender with some lowfat milk. I'm really going to work hard to remind myself how awful I'll feel if I eat any of the sugar-filled desserts. Five minutes of pleasure on the tongue is not worth a day or two of sluggishness and lethargy afterward! I must remember not to take my health for granted. Saying "no" will help me remain bright-eyed and springy-feeling, LOL. :laugh:

What are your plans for remaining clean on Thanksgiving?
Cheryl

jessmomof3

I'm actually excited about Thanksgiving. I will be staying with my father and stepmother, and they eat a lot of whole foods. One of my half brothers has been on a clean food diet in college, so everyone will have at least some understanding of my eating habits. This will be the first year I've eaten turkey in (I think) five years, and Thanksgiving dinner should be healthier overall than it usually is on my mother's side of the family (where we usually go). For dessert, we'll be contributing the fruit medley "ice cream" that my family and I have been really into lately. No sugar -- just frozen fruit and banana in a blender with some lowfat milk. I'm really going to work hard to remind myself how awful I'll feel if I eat any of the sugar-filled desserts. Five minutes of pleasure on the tongue is not worth a day or two of sluggishness and lethargy afterward! I must remember not to take my health for granted. Saying "no" will help me remain bright-eyed and springy-feeling, LOL. :laugh:

What are your plans for remaining clean on Thanksgiving?
Cheryl

Hey Cheryl! We are going to be traveling, but I'm already prepared. We are actually going on a cruise for T'giving!! It is my brother's 30th bday ON T'giving so we're going to do something totally different and FUN!! :bigsmile: We're headed out tomorrow, bags are pretty much packed and we are READY! My kiddos are sooo excited.

For me, when it comes to sweets and junk food, I've just learned that my body does NOT handle sugar and processed food well. I just look at it as poison, would you want to put poison in your body? :huh: It works for me.

Jess

jessmomof3

Let's see if I can update my day. My girls & I made homemade pumpkin pies, but I had NONE and didn't even lick my fingers.

Lunch:
Big salad w/ romaine, broccoli, Hickory tuna, red wine vinegar
Apple

Snack:
Meijer Nonfat yogurt + 1 T. NM PB
Banana

Just Arms workout (Tony Horton's One on One)

Dinner: (fridge is pretty empty, trying to clear it all out before vacation!)
1/2 c. old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 c. Fiber One, 1/2 c. whole cranberries
1/2 scoop choc. protein powder
1 T. NM PB, 1 T. flax, 1 T. wheat germ
1/4 c. cottage cheese

cherapple

Hey Cheryl! We are going to be traveling, but I'm already prepared. We are actually going on a cruise for T'giving!! It is my brother's 30th bday ON T'giving so we're going to do something totally different and FUN!! :bigsmile: We're headed out tomorrow, bags are pretty much packed and we are READY! My kiddos are sooo excited.

For me, when it comes to sweets and junk food, I've just learned that my body does NOT handle sugar and processed food well. I just look at it as poison, would you want to put poison in your body? :huh: It works for me.

Jess

Have a GREAT time on your Thanksgiving/Birthday cruise!!!! That sounds so exciting. Yeah, I'm beginning to think of sugar and processed food as poison, too. I hope I've gotten to a point where I'll remember that before I put some in my mouth! :grumble: If you won't have Internet while you're gone, we'll miss you around here!

Cheryl

jessmomof3

Have a GREAT time on your Thanksgiving/Birthday cruise!!!! That sounds so exciting. Yeah, I'm beginning to think of sugar and processed food as poison, too. I hope I've gotten to a point where I'll remember that before I put some in my mouth! :grumble: If you won't have Internet while you're gone, we'll miss you around here!

Cheryl

Thanks! I can't believe it's almost time to go!! Yeah, thinking of it as poison works for me. I find that when I have indulged, things don't taste as great as I remember them tasting anyway? I think things just taste *too* sweet and I'd rather just make a healthier version of something or have fruit instead of a cookie. :laugh:

I don't know if I'll be able to check in or not, I know my brother has a laptop so I might have a chance to use it! If not, have a wonderful T'giving and keep it clean while I'm away.

Jess