Clean Eating Club ~ February 2009

cherapple

Hello, Cheryl! Sorry I've been scarce, just haven't had a free minute it seems!! I'm feeling really good w/ my eating and saw a friend that I haven't seen in about a month. The first thing out of her mouth was... have you lost weight?? Your face looks thinner and you look even slimmer! Woohoo, yeah she's a good friend! :bigsmile:

That's great, Jess! I love it when people acknowledge physical improvements! :happy: A friend of mine recently said she notices the difference in my features, too, since I started clean eating, so she's been asking me about it and working on incorporating more clean eating habits into her life. She's not as dedicated as I am, but she's enjoying a few dietary changes and appreciating healthier foods.

cherapple

I didn't have a great day yesterday. I never got in my workout, I lost track of my calories, and then I went overboard at dinner. :grumble: Grrr. I give myself an inch, and I take a mile. :laugh:

The rest of my meals:
3) Salad with tuna and vinegar and oil dressing, homemade protein bar. Cals: 343. Protein: 30

And then I lost track:

4) 1/2 peanut butter sandwich, banana, black coffee
5) Flatbread with peanut butter, my protein hot cocoa
6) 1/2 baked potato with turkey taco meat, veggie bacon, salsa, cheese, sour cream, and way too many tortilla chips :noway: :blushing:

7) Popcorn with butter spray and white cheddar powder :noway: :blushing:

Not a good eating or exercise day, but there it is! :laugh: Today we're going to a winterfest, where I will get some exercise of some kind -- sledding and/or snowshoeing -- and hopefully *make it to the gym* before the day is out (because I didn't make it this morning -- I stayed up too late last night)!

cherapple

Pre-morning workout: Yoplait - Yoplus Strawberry, 4 oz


AFter workout: Darigold - Fat Free Cottage Cheese, 1/2 cup
Strawberries - Raw, 0.25 cup, halves
Generic - Hard Boiled Egg White, 0.5 egg
Kraft - Spicy Brown Mustard, 0.5 tsp
Starkist - Chunk Light Tuna In Water, 2 oz drained
Spices - Pepper, black, 0.25 tbsp

Pre-afternoon workout: Pink Lady Apple, 1 apple

Dinner is going to be grilled chicken breast and salad. I know the mustard is not too clean. How is everything else? I had bought that Eat-Clean Diet by Tosco Reno way back in September. I went shopping the other day after reading it again. I want to make sure I am doing it right! I did get off to a late start this morning so I haven't had as much time to eat. I am headed to do the ellipitical now though. Already 1 hour of cardio and 1/2 hour of strength training down today. Have a great Friday!

I think mustard is fine! And Pink Lady apples are my favorite -- so sweet and crunchy! Don't worry about doing everything right all at once. It can be overwhelming to change your diet overnight. Also, you may decide that there are certain clean eating principles that you want to deviate from, just because you like a certain food and don't want to give it up! :bigsmile: (One thing for me is sometimes having cream and maple syrup in my coffee. I also prefer lowfat foods to no fat foods.) As long as you are eating within your calorie range most of the time and eating clean 80-90% of the time, you will notice a difference and feel great. Unless you are very motivated to do so (some people are!), you don't have to do it perfectly.

benw

Clean eating is the way

cherapple

Clean eating is the way

Hi, Ben! Of course, I agree completely! :bigsmile:

jessmomof3

That's great, Jess! I love it when people acknowledge physical improvements! :happy: A friend of mine recently said she notices the difference in my features, too, since I started clean eating, so she's been asking me about it and working on incorporating more clean eating habits into her life. She's not as dedicated as I am, but she's enjoying a few dietary changes and appreciating healthier foods.

I know, it really did make my day y'day! Yeah for you too, spread the clean eating word! :bigsmile:

Oh, and I love butter spray & white cheddar on my popcorn too! Yummy! :bigsmile:

jessmomof3

I just haven't had time to log everything lately but still feel on track so I'm sticking with it! Busy busy!

Workout:
ChaLean Extreme Burn Intervals and P90X Ab Ripper X

Breakfast:
1/2 c. multi grain hot cereal (130)
1/4 c. Fiber one (30)
1/2 scoop choc. protein powder (60)
1 T. NM PB (85), 1 T. flax (30)
1/4 c. cottage cheese (40)

Lunch:
2% Fage Total yogurt (130) - half off at Kroger today! Woohoo, I stocked up and got the last 6 of them! :bigsmile:
1 T. NM PB (85)
1/2 c. Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Granola (150)
Fuji Apple (80), Clementine (40)

Tonight we were invited to a friend's house for dinner and I know she is making a lasagna. So I am taking a veggie tray and will hopefully find something else healthy to eat!

jessmomof3

OK, I'm so glad that I took a veggie tray to dinner last night!! I did eat a small piece of lasagna (you should have seen the pieces served out! :noway: ) and a piece of Whole wheat garlic bread that I took also.

I have been paying for that lasagna today, my IBS is in over-drive which is NOT fun. Good reminder of why I don't usually go for the full fat cheeses and meat! (I'm sure that's what was in there! :huh: ) It was fun though, nice to be w/ friends.

So.... today....

Breakfast:
1/2 c. Multi grain hot cereal (130)
1/4 c. Fiber one (30)
1/2 scoop choc. protein powder (60)
1 T. NM PB (85), 1 T. flax (30)
1/4 c. cottage cheese (40)
8 strawberries (40)

Lunch:
2% Fage Total Yogurt (130)
1 T. NM PB (85)
1/2 c. Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Granola (150)
8 strawberries (40)
Fuji Apple (80)
1/2 orange (40)

Went and did my 6 mile run on the TM (running buddies ditched out on me!)

Post-run:
Same as breakfast minus the strawberries

And still have 900 cals to eat up!!!!!!! Not gonna happen but I'll eat something else soon! :noway:

lmr9

I've been on MFP for a while now, but am just coming across this post. I think it's WONDERFUL that you all are talking about and living clean. I didn't know there was an official term for "clean eating" (where have I been...huh? :laugh: ), but it's something I've been trying to do for a while now. Not necessarily everything organic, just natural food. That's what it's all about. That's what our bodies were designed to run on.

Right on ladies! :drinker:

Looking forward to continue reading your posts and get more motivation! :flowerforyou:

lmr9

Cheese is okay...right?

jessmomof3

Cheese is okay...right?

Cheese is definitely ok! :bigsmile: I try to stick to the lower fat cheese and LOVE the Fat free feta cheese! :bigsmile:

jessmomof3

I've been on MFP for a while now, but am just coming across this post. I think it's WONDERFUL that you all are talking about and living clean. I didn't know there was an official term for "clean eating" (where have I been...huh? :laugh: ), but it's something I've been trying to do for a while now. Not necessarily everything organic, just natural food. That's what it's all about. That's what our bodies were designed to run on.

Right on ladies! :drinker:

Looking forward to continue reading your posts and get more motivation! :flowerforyou:

Welcome and look forward to reading more posts fromo you! I don't do everything organic either, but try to go for the less processed options and really watch for High fructose corn syrup, MSG, and other additives.

jessmomof3

Pre-workout:
Banana (105)

Workout:
ChaLean Extreme Lean Circuit #1

Breakfast:
1/2 c. multi grain hot cereal (130)
1/4 c. Fiber one (30)
1/2 scoop choc. protein powder (60)
1 T. NM PB (85), 1 T. Flax (30)
1/4 c. cottage cheese (40) = 375

Have a sick dd home today from school, I'm thinking strep throat. (fever, streaky red throat, etc) :sick: Off to the Dr.'s office soon!

cherapple

Have a sick dd home today from school, I'm thinking strep throat. (fever, streaky red throat, etc) :sick: Off to the Dr.'s office soon!

Aww, that's no fun! I hope she feels better soon!

cherapple

I was very happy this morning when the scale told me that both my weight and my bodyfat percentage went down for the second week in a row. Then I did the calculations, and I lost lean body mass! :noway: You would think with all the heavy weights, I'd be putting on some muscle. Maybe I'm not eating enough? A one- or two-week change really doesn't tell you much (and BF scales aren't entirely accurate), but I'm wondering whether I need to eat even more? BFFM has some good suggestions for what to do when you lose LBM, so I'll have to see what the books says, and double check my calorie calculations. This is a problem I'm not used to dealing with! :happy:

cherapple

I've been on MFP for a while now, but am just coming across this post. I think it's WONDERFUL that you all are talking about and living clean. I didn't know there was an official term for "clean eating" (where have I been...huh? :laugh: ), but it's something I've been trying to do for a while now. Not necessarily everything organic, just natural food. That's what it's all about. That's what our bodies were designed to run on.

Right on ladies! :drinker:

Looking forward to continue reading your posts and get more motivation! :flowerforyou:

Welcome, lmr! :flowerforyou: Come back and tell us how things are going for you with clean eating! I'd love to here your success story.

jawaria

Hi everyone! How is everyone doing? I have been super sickl and i have been eating junk for the most part since i was too tired to cook! But it's a new start! I have a doctor's appt in about 3 weeks and i'll find out exactly what's wrong with me! so wish me luck and pls continue to inspire me!

jessmomof3

I was very happy this morning when the scale told me that both my weight and my bodyfat percentage went down for the second week in a row. Then I did the calculations, and I lost lean body mass! :noway: You would think with all the heavy weights, I'd be putting on some muscle. Maybe I'm not eating enough? A one- or two-week change really doesn't tell you much (and BF scales aren't entirely accurate), but I'm wondering whether I need to eat even more? BFFM has some good suggestions for what to do when you lose LBM, so I'll have to see what the books says, and double check my calorie calculations. This is a problem I'm not used to dealing with! :happy:

It could be that you're not eating enough. But I'm confused that your bf went down too? How can you lose bodyfat AND lean mass? Definitely check your cals and see if you need to up them a bit!

jessmomof3

Hi everyone! How is everyone doing? I have been super sickl and i have been eating junk for the most part since i was too tired to cook! But it's a new start! I have a doctor's appt in about 3 weeks and i'll find out exactly what's wrong with me! so wish me luck and pls continue to inspire me!

Welcome back and good luck getting back on track! You can do it! Hope you get some good news from the Dr. on what could be wrong.

neeterskeeter

Hi everyone. I am new to clean eating (didn't even know there was a name for it :laugh:) and was recently referred here by jessmomof3, thanks!

I just want to introduce myself. I am 28 and an associate attorney at a law firm. I work a lot and am really busy, so I have the bad habit of scarfing down whatever free food they offer me at work (often pizza, cake, donuts, etc.) or grabbing something on the go. Lately I have realized that I need to eat healthier. I am a runner and I work out consistently -- usually at least 45 minutes a day, 6 days a week. That helps me feel good physically and I would like to apply that same kind of dedication into my diet and make healthy food choices. It's been a struggle to lose the last 7 or so pounds I have to lose, and I aloso know I will feel better if I eat better.

So I just made the decision to eat as healthy as possible and to avoid processed, fatty, fast foods. This will be hard because of my busy lifestyle but I am committed. I'm glad to find a community like this that will inspire and support me! And I hope to contribute too.

jessmomof3

Hi everyone. I am new to clean eating (didn't even know there was a name for it :laugh:) and was recently referred here by jessmomof3, thanks!

I just want to introduce myself. I am 28 and an associate attorney at a law firm. I work a lot and am really busy, so I have the bad habit of scarfing down whatever free food they offer me at work (often pizza, cake, donuts, etc.) or grabbing something on the go. Lately I have realized that I need to eat healthier. I am a runner and I work out consistently -- usually at least 45 minutes a day, 6 days a week. That helps me feel good physically and I would like to apply that same kind of dedication into my diet and make healthy food choices. It's been a struggle to lose the last 7 or so pounds I have to lose, and I aloso know I will feel better if I eat better.

So I just made the decision to eat as healthy as possible and to avoid processed, fatty, fast foods. This will be hard because of my busy lifestyle but I am committed. I'm glad to find a community like this that will inspire and support me! And I hope to contribute too.

Glad that you joined us! Planning ahead works well for not being *stuck* with the donuts, pizza, and other *free* foods around you! I am a runner also. I am sure that Cheryl will chime in and give some advice. She has some backpack coolers that she uses to carry her food.

Hope you enjoy sharing your foods and getting ideas!

Jess

neeterskeeter

Thanks jess. I am really excited to be here. I do find that when I have pre-prepared food to eat, I'm not nearly as interested in the free "temptations." In fact, I feel strong, like, go me!, I have healthy food to eat, and am not interested in that junk no matter how "free" it is.

This morning I was so busy that I ate a Powerbar Harvestbar on my way to work instead of the normal bowl of cereal I usually have before leaving the house. Breakfast is the one meal I *usually* do right, I think... I have a cup of Kashi Go Lean with a chopped banana and half a scoop of whey protein powder. Totally healthy, right? Or could I do better?

Stuff kept coming up at lunch so I ended up eating *another* bar... a Powerbar Triple Threat bar, which I usually only eat before I run or work out. That's what got me thinking about all of this, because even after eating those two bars, with 500 calories, I was absolutely starving and I felt like I hadn't eaten anything.

I ate an organic whole grain bagel for lunch/snack when things finally calmed down. I buy them at a local co-op and keep them in my desk, so, that's one way I've tried to be prepared. I put chunk light tuna on it although I usually put reduced fat peanut butter and regular jelly on it. I sometimes have tune with crackers for snacks. I'm pretty good at keeping snacks in my desk but I need to work on the lunches.

I'm about to go work out with my friend, we do the Making the Cut workout together, and after that I hope to have the time/ energy to grill some chicken and make some veggies to go with it. I'll make enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Thanks for the inspiration!

lmr9

I'm new to this, so be gentle, but I'd love to hear all of your comments on any way I can be "cleaner".

Started off the morning with 3.5 miles on the treadmill...burned about 450 calories...yea me!

Breakfast:
coffee, half and half, turbinado sugar
2 eggs
1 slice of whole grain toast

AM Snack:
apple

Lunch:
Campbell's Healthy Request - Chicken Tortilla Soup
Light String Cheese
Strawberry/Banana Yogurt

PM Snack:
Iced Oatmeal Raisin Luna bar

Dinner:
chicken sauteed with 1 slice of bacon, asparagus, squash, green onions
Nature's Path chocolate granola bar

Total: 1587 cals, 54 fat, 180 carbs, 105 protein, 23 fiber

So I know the soup probably wasn't totally clean, but I knew what everything was on the ingredient list. This isn't bad for a day's worth of meals...is it?? :huh:

cherapple

Hi everyone! How is everyone doing? I have been super sickl and i have been eating junk for the most part since i was too tired to cook! But it's a new start! I have a doctor's appt in about 3 weeks and i'll find out exactly what's wrong with me! so wish me luck and pls continue to inspire me!

Hi, Jawaria! Sorry to hear that you haven't been feeling well, and I hope you feel better soon.

cherapple

It could be that you're not eating enough. But I'm confused that your bf went down too? How can you lose bodyfat AND lean mass? Definitely check your cals and see if you need to up them a bit!

It is possible to lose both fat and muscle at the same time, if you're not eating enough. This is what happens to people who eat 1200 calories (or less) a day all the time (and then their metabolism plunges because they've lost muscle). But of course that's no longer me, and hasn't been for a while! The BFFM book suggests adding an additional 100-200 calories a day and see what happens. So I'm increasing AGAIN! Up to 1650 base level. Gotta love it. :bigsmile: To think that I used to eat 1200! :huh: And I'm now eating hundreds more calories per day and not gaining body fat. :noway: :happy:

havingitall

My husband and I are trying to eat a lot cleaner. What a difference in the way I feel. My skin is softer too!

We have been doing this for about 6 weeks now and love the difference!

jessmomof3

Hello everyone! And glad new people are joining in, I love getting new ideas!

I'm off to the Y for my speedwork run so I will check back in later!

Pre-run:
Mela Access bar (110)

cherapple

Hi everyone. I am new to clean eating (didn't even know there was a name for it :laugh:) and was recently referred here by jessmomof3, thanks!

I just want to introduce myself. I am 28 and an associate attorney at a law firm. I work a lot and am really busy, so I have the bad habit of scarfing down whatever free food they offer me at work (often pizza, cake, donuts, etc.) or grabbing something on the go. Lately I have realized that I need to eat healthier. I am a runner and I work out consistently -- usually at least 45 minutes a day, 6 days a week. That helps me feel good physically and I would like to apply that same kind of dedication into my diet and make healthy food choices. It's been a struggle to lose the last 7 or so pounds I have to lose, and I aloso know I will feel better if I eat better.

So I just made the decision to eat as healthy as possible and to avoid processed, fatty, fast foods. This will be hard because of my busy lifestyle but I am committed. I'm glad to find a community like this that will inspire and support me! And I hope to contribute too.

Hi, "fast girl" neeterskeeter! :bigsmile:

It is definitely possible to eat well when you're busy. You just need to find a few foods that are easy to carry with you, get a good cooler, and pack it any time you leave the house. Foods that I pack:

* Protein bars (I prefer homemade)
* Peanut butter sandwiches
* Tuna wraps
* Fruits like apples, bananas, grapes
* Salads and cut vegetables
* Nuts
* And water, of course!

As far as having pizza, cookies, and donuts available, I don't even consider those types of things to be food anymore, so I am barely tempted! If it doesn't nourish me, it isn't edible, as far as I'm concerned. Besides the fact that those "foods" just make me feel gross (or even terrible), and the better I feel, the better I want to feel. If you are eating those types of foods on a regular basis, and you quit cold turkey, you will see some water weight drop off almost immediately. I generally lose three pounds right away if I go on a junk-food binge (still happens about once a month :blushing: ) and then stop. (Conversely, I gain them when I binge.) That's half the weight your are looking to lose right there!

My recommendation is to commit to not eating any sugars or processed foods for just three days and see what happens. That's all it takes for me to feel the difference in my body, and to feel leaner almost immediately. And that's enough success to motivate me not to give up clean eating for anything. :bigsmile:

cherapple

I'm new to this, so be gentle, but I'd love to hear all of your comments on any way I can be "cleaner".

Started off the morning with 3.5 miles on the treadmill...burned about 450 calories...yea me!

Breakfast:
coffee, half and half, turbinado sugar
2 eggs
1 slice of whole grain toast

AM Snack:
apple

Lunch:
Campbell's Healthy Request - Chicken Tortilla Soup
Light String Cheese
Strawberry/Banana Yogurt

PM Snack:
Iced Oatmeal Raisin Luna bar

Dinner:
chicken sauteed with 1 slice of bacon, asparagus, squash, green onions
Nature's Path chocolate granola bar

Total: 1587 cals, 54 fat, 180 carbs, 105 protein, 23 fiber

So I know the soup probably wasn't totally clean, but I knew what everything was on the ingredient list. This isn't bad for a day's worth of meals...is it?? :huh:

Looks great! You got lots of protein for the day! Personally, I don't like to call anything I eat a "snack." Every time I put something in my mouth, I try to make it a meal and include some form of protein with it. An apple would have peanut butter or nuts with it, for example. That way I make sure everything always contains as much nutrition, and satisfies me, as much as possible.:happy:

neeterskeeter

Thanks for the tips. Cherapple, it's only been a couple of meals and I already feel great. I've done this before (although I didn't know it was called "clean eating") and like you say, I experienced a weight drop right away, as well as feeling a lot better. So that's a good idea about the 3 days and hopefully I will keep sticking with it this time and make it a way of life. I did that with running/ exercise so I *know* I can do it with eating if I'm just discliplined enough!

Last evening after I worked out at the gym with my friend, I grilled chicken and made spinach and carrots. I have some left over for lunch today. This morning I ate oatmeal with organic skim milk and a chopped apple and some whey protein powder. I'm trying to drink a lot of water.