Clean Eating Club ~ February 2009

cherapple

What is clean eating?

In a nutshell, eating clean is the practice of eating whole, natural foods. These include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. It also means staying away from the junk that typically makes up the Standard American Diet (SAD). These types of foods include man-made sugar, bad fats (hydrogenated and trans-fat), preservatives, white bread, artificial sweeteners, and any other ingredients that are unnecessary. An easy way to remember whether a food is clean is by asking: Is this food recognizable as something that came off a tree or out of the ground? If not, most likely it's not natural! The goal is to always read ingredients and buy foods with as few as possible.

Anyone who wants to eat cleaner can develop some or all of the following habits:

* Eating 5 to 6 small meals per day
* Eating every 2 to 3 hours
* Combining lean proteins with complex carbohydrates at every meal
* Never skipping a meal, especially breakfast
* Eating whole foods
* Eating healthy fats
* Drinking lots of water
* Eliminating refined sugar and processed foods
* Eliminating alcoholic beverages (another kind of sugar)
* Carrying a supply of healthy foods, or having an eating plan when away from home
* Making healthy choices when dining out
* Sticking to reasonable portion sizes at all times
* And exercising for both fat loss and muscle gain (cardio and strength training)

Join the club! Ask questions. Tell us what you're eating. Our goal is to support each other in becoming both leaner and healthier!

cherapple

What is clean eating?

In a nutshell, eating clean is the practice of eating whole, natural foods. These include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. It also means staying away from the junk that typically makes up the Standard American Diet (SAD). These types of foods include man-made sugar, bad fats (hydrogenated and trans-fat), preservatives, white bread, artificial sweeteners, and any other ingredients that are unnecessary. An easy way to remember whether a food is clean is by asking: Is this food recognizable as something that came off a tree or out of the ground? If not, most likely it's not natural! The goal is to always read ingredients and buy foods with as few as possible.

Anyone who wants to eat cleaner can develop some or all of the following habits:

* Eating 5 to 6 small meals per day
* Eating every 2 to 3 hours
* Combining lean proteins with complex carbohydrates at every meal
* Never skipping a meal, especially breakfast
* Eating whole foods
* Eating healthy fats
* Drinking lots of water
* Eliminating refined sugar and processed foods
* Eliminating alcoholic beverages (another kind of sugar)
* Carrying a supply of healthy foods, or having an eating plan when away from home
* Making healthy choices when dining out
* Sticking to reasonable portion sizes at all times
* And exercising for both fat loss and muscle gain (cardio and strength training)

Join the club! Ask questions. Tell us what you're eating. Our goal is to support each other in becoming both leaner and healthier!

cherapple

I'm starting off this month coming off a little bit of a diet and exercise funk, but I can feel a hint of my enthusiasm beginning to return! :laugh: (That TOM is coming, and I'm usually the least enthusiastic -- about *anything* -- before it gets here, and the MOST enthusiastic as soon as it arrives. So when I'm in the funk :frown: , at least I know much better times are right around the corner! :laugh: )

Today I plan to go to the gym (I haven't exercised in three days) and get some weight lifting and a run in. The run should make me feel *much* better. It's almost always the cure for any down mood, if I can just get myself there! :flowerforyou:

I finally got some protein powder yesterday, so today I want to try making some homemade protein bars.

Pre-workout meal this morning: Oatmeal, apple, flax, protein powder, milk

naner

should i get protein powder?? I am a vegetarian and eveyone keeps telling me i wont lose weight kuz i dont get enough protein!!!

cherapple

Hi, naner.

You're either asking the right person, or the wrong person, LOL! :laugh: I just came off of five years of vegetarianism, and let me tell you, I feel much better now that I'm eating more protein -- and real protein, not the processed soy stuff. I still eat tofu (in small amounts) and tempeh, but I am less hungry now that I eat meat again. It wasn't an easy decision, but I wanted to eat clean, and to me real meat is cleaner (albeit less humane) than processed soy products. What it all came down to for me is that I didn't want to eat processed foods anymore (frozen veggie burgers, soy cheese, soy in everything). This to me is another moral issue -- why are we as a society giving up natural foods for processed ones, and why are we being led to believe this is healthy?

I've never read anything about clean eating that said you had to eat meat, though. There are plenty of vegetarians who do it! I wouldn't say that you "won't lose weight" without protein -- you may lose more! But the real question is whether that lost weight would be fat or muscle, because if you lose muscle you decrease your metabolism. You may also experience greater hunger. I was hungry all the time, but I don't blame it all on the vegetarianism. I was just eating a processed diet all around -- lots of crackers, sugary packaged cereals, etc.

It's totally a personal decision. Are you a vegan? What about liquid egg whites? You can add them to oatmeal or even hot chocolate for added protein. (I know, sounds gross, but you can't even taste them.) Do you eat a lot of whole grains? Of course, they have a lot of protein. You can always get soy protein powder.

To me, protein with every meal is a must, just because it makes me feel better and physically stronger!

jessmomof3

Yeah, we're on to a new month! :bigsmile: February is here, hopefully spring is around the corner!

I seem to have a house full of sickies here. :sick: My hubby wasn't feeling the best on Friday, but by last night he had the fever and it looks like a bad cold! My 10yo seems to be catching it also. I've had a drippy nose all last week but never a fever or anything. Anyway....

Workout:
ChaLean Extreme Burn It Up! (got up early because I was planning to go to church like usual but once everyone else was up I realized it wasn't a good idea! :noway: )

Breakfast:
Usual oatmeal (460) + medium banana (105) = 565

Snack:
Hard boiled egg (70) + boiled egg white (17) = 87

naner

I dont eat veggie burgers!! they are nasty LOL i eat alot of fresh veggies, beans,fruit and cheese for protein. . I want to lose fat not muscle. oh i eat whole grains and nuts!

cherapple

I dont eat veggie burgers!! they are nasty LOL i eat alot of fresh veggies, beans,fruit and cheese for protein. . I want to lose fat not muscle. oh i eat whole grains and nuts!

How much protein are you getting per day? I shoot for one gram per pound of body weight, or 30% of my calories. (I don't always reach that.) Some people recommend half that, or somewhere in between the two. When people tell you that you need more protein, tell them exactly how much you're eating per day. Especially when they're people who do not watch what they eat (that always irked me as a vegetarian!), then ask them how much *they're* eating. Usually, they don't know, but they make assumptions that you're not getting enough simply because you don't eat meat. Throw some numbers at them and it should keep them quiet.

beahurey

Yeah, we're on to a new month! :bigsmile: February is here, hopefully spring is around the corner!

I seem to have a house full of sickies here. :sick: My hubby wasn't feeling the best on Friday, but by last night he had the fever and it looks like a bad cold! My 10yo seems to be catching it also. I've had a drippy nose all last week but never a fever or anything. Anyway....

Workout:
ChaLean Extreme Burn It Up! (got up early because I was planning to go to church like usual but once everyone else was up I realized it wasn't a good idea! :noway: )

Breakfast:
Usual oatmeal (460) + medium banana (105) = 565

Snack:
Hard boiled egg (70) + boiled egg white (17) = 87

Hello! What is a boiled egg white? Also, do you eat the entire boiled egg, including the middle? Thanks! B

cherapple

Breakfast:
Usual oatmeal (460) + medium banana (105) = 565

Jess, I'm curious what you put in your oatmeal to make it 460 calories, and then you eat a banana on top of it. That's a big breakfast! As it should be -- "Eat breakfast like a king and dinner like a pauper." (I'm still working on that one. I want to eat dinner like a king, too. :happy: )

I got my weight lifting in today, but not my run. The protein powder I had this morning didn't agree with me. I feel so bloated! It could also be all the salt I ate on my popcorn last night, or my TOM, but I think I felt fine before I ate the powder in both my morning meals (half scoops each time). I think it's a bad idea for me because I crave the sweetness in it! I can see myself abusing it already. I'm better off eating things unsweetened.

Meal 2) Cottage cheese, protein powder (bad combination :sick: , but I ran out of yogurt!), banana, almonds
3) Homemade turkey chili, an orange

jessmomof3

Hello! What is a boiled egg white? Also, do you eat the entire boiled egg, including the middle? Thanks! B

I made a big batch of hard boiled eggs. I ate one full boiled egg and then just ate the white of the other one (tossed the yolk). HTH!

jessmomof3

Jess, I'm curious what you put in your oatmeal to make it 460 calories, and then you eat a banana on top of it. That's a big breakfast! As it should be -- "Eat breakfast like a king and dinner like a pauper." (I'm still working on that one. I want to eat dinner like a king, too. :happy: )

I used to list it every day but I figured since I eat pretty much the same thing I wouldn't list it all out. I don't usually eat a morning snack because it fills me up, it just depends on when I eat breakfast.

My favorite oatmeal:
1/2 c. old fashioned oatmeal (150)
1/4 c. Fiber One cereal (30) <cook the oatmeal & cereal w/ 1 1/4 c. water in micro for 2 min, make sure it doesn't boil over>
Add: 1 T. NM PB (85), 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder (60), 1 T. flax (30), 1 T. wheat germ (25),
1/2 c. cottage cheese (80)

460 cals/ 62g carb/ 18g fiber/ 16g fat/ 32g protein

So yes, a bigger breakfast but it's usually after a workout and it keeps me going all day long! When I don't eat it, I can tell a big difference. I just can't start my day off w/ 200 cals or I'll *bonk*. I tried doing only egg whites and no carbs for breakfast and I passed out! Literally, passed out in my kitchen. :sick: Anyway, it works for me! :bigsmile:

jessmomof3

Lunch:
4oz chicken breast w/ spinach, broccoli, red, yellow, & green pepper, 1/2 c. black beans,
Pace picante sauce = 415

Snack:
1/2 c. NF yogurt + 1 T. NM PB + 1/2 c. Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax granola
Fuji Apple = 375

jessmomof3

Dinner:
Joseph's Flax & Oatbran pita (60)
Laughing cow light cheese (35)
2oz chicken breast (60) = 155

Snack (while watching the Superbowl!):
Air-popped popcorn (183)
1 T. grated parmesan (25)
White cheddar seasoning (8)
Olivia spray (0) = 216 for an awesome snack! :bigsmile:

Total: 1,813

cherapple

Meals
4) Flatbread, peanut butter, skim milk, cocoa powder, egg whites
5) Sweet potato and bean stew with chicken, corn muffin

Homemade protein bars are in the oven! They are going to be huge and delicious (if the batter is any indication)! :bigsmile:

Ate well, exercised, and tracked my meals today. That's an accomplishment for me lately. Great day! I needed one of those. :happy:

cherapple

I used to list it every day but I figured since I eat pretty much the same thing I wouldn't list it all out. I don't usually eat a morning snack because it fills me up, it just depends on when I eat breakfast.

My favorite oatmeal:
1/2 c. old fashioned oatmeal (150)
1/4 c. Fiber One cereal (30) <cook the oatmeal & cereal w/ 1 1/4 c. water in micro for 2 min, make sure it doesn't boil over>
Add: 1 T. NM PB (85), 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder (60), 1 T. flax (30), 1 T. wheat germ (25),
1/2 c. cottage cheese (80)

460 cals/ 62g carb/ 18g fiber/ 16g fat/ 32g protein

So yes, a bigger breakfast but it's usually after a workout and it keeps me going all day long! When I don't eat it, I can tell a big difference. I just can't start my day off w/ 200 cals or I'll *bonk*. I tried doing only egg whites and no carbs for breakfast and I passed out! Literally, passed out in my kitchen. :sick: Anyway, it works for me! :bigsmile:

Yes, you've listed it several times. I just never noticed the calorie total before! Wow, never heard of anyone literally passing out from not eating enough, unless they were anorexic. No wonder you make sure to feed yourself well. I think the low carb idea is bad news, especially in the morning. Peanut butter and chocolate - yum. Wow, that's one packed bowl of oatmeal. It gives me some ideas, but I'm always afraid that if I eat too big a breakfast, I won't have enough calories left later in the day, when I'm usually the most hungry. So I try to spread my meals out pretty evenly.

I think I'm going to stop trying to be a perfect clean eater -- or a perfect anything, for the matter (perfectly lean, perfectly strong, etc.) -- and just eat when I'm hungry, as long as it's good food in reasonable amounts!

jessmomof3

Yes, you've listed it several times. I just never noticed the calorie total before! Wow, never heard of anyone literally passing out from not eating enough, unless they were anorexic. No wonder you make sure to feed yourself well. I think the low carb idea is bad news, especially in the morning. Peanut butter and chocolate - yum. Wow, that's one packed bowl of oatmeal. It gives me some ideas, but I'm always afraid that if I eat too big a breakfast, I won't have enough calories left later in the day, when I'm usually the most hungry. So I try to spread my meals out pretty evenly.

I think I'm going to stop trying to be a perfect clean eater -- or a perfect anything, for the matter (perfectly lean, perfectly strong, etc.) -- and just eat when I'm hungry, as long as it's good food in reasonable amounts!

Well, I know I'm not anorexic! :noway: I have low blood pressure which is a good thing, but my Dr. told me to make sure I'm getting enough sodium and even add salt. So I don't pay too much attention to sodium. It does make me woozy at times if I sit down for a while and stand up quickly or do a lot of bending over and standing up. So... passing out has happened to me before. I find that if I *front load* my cals earlier in the day then I'm less prone to overeating later. I don't know the logic, but it works for me! Sounds like you're looking for what works for you too. There is no such thing as perfection (said from a perfectionist myself :laugh: ). Just do your best!

cherapple

Well, I know I'm not anorexic! :noway:

I hope you didn't think I was worried that you were. :laugh: I know you eat plenty!

jessmomof3

I hope you didn't think I was worried that you were. :laugh: I know you eat plenty!

No worries!

jessmomof3

It's Monday and my hubby is home but feeling better. He said his head doesn't feel like it'll explode today. :sick: He'd better not share his germs!

Pre-workout:
Fuji Apple (80)

ChaLean Extreme Push Circuit #1

Breakfast:
1/2 c. old fashioned oatmeal (150)
1/4 c. Fiber one (30)
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder (60)
1 T. NM PB (85), 1 T. Flax (30)
1/4 c. cottage cheese (40) = 365

cherapple

It's good to feel back on track. I didn't even do very much damage. The scale was up less than two pounds this morning, and my bodyfat percentage actually went down! I guess my body was busy using all those extra calories to put on more muscle while I was "resting" last week. :laugh:

Exercise today: 20+ minutes on the elliptical and 2.3 miles on the treadmill.

Meals:
1) Oatmeal, apple, egg whites, milk, flax, cashews
2) Yogurt, cottage cheese, banana, almonds, coffee with all the fixins :bigsmile:

Work today, so I'll be taking one of my homemade protein bars with me, along with my other foods. They came out OK. A little short on flavor, but edible. I think I put in too much egg white. I'll play around with it, and I also have at least two other recipes to try, including protein brownies. The protein bars were so easy to make that I'm sure they'll become a regular addition to my diet. I ate almost a whole one last night (just before bedtime :blushing: ), which brought me over in calories. They are filling, too!