From sugar addict to clean/healthy eater - anyone else?

jessmomof3

Ya that would be wonderful thank you.

No problem. I haven't been following her *diet* exactly, but have definitely been eating mainly protein and veggies for dinner. Fruit if I need something sweet, and no eating for me after 7:30PM. (I go to bed by 10 usually)

neeterskeeter

I had typed this out for my sister in law so here are some of the highlights from Jillian Michael's Master Your Metabolism.


First of all, NO Frankenfood!!! Carb-free, fat-free, sugar-free, anything highly processed is NOT food. It's chemicals.

Remove, Restore, and Rebalance

1. Remove the Antinutrients
A. Hydrogenated Fats
B. Refined Grains
C. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
D. Artificial sweeteners (she recommends Xylitol if you need a sweetener)
E. Artificial Preservatives and Colors
F. Glutamates

2. Restore the Hormone Power Foods
A. Legumes
B. The Allium Family (garlic, onions, leeks, chives, shallots, scallions)
C. Berries
D. Meat and Eggs (Organic only)
E. Colorful Fruits and Vegetables (orange, yellow, purple, red- 5 a day)
F. Cruciferous Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage)
G. Dark-Green Leafy Vegetables (spinach, romaine, arugula)
H. Nuts and Seeds (almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, ground flaxseed, pumpkin seeds)
I. Organic Dairy (low-fat, no sweeteners, Greek style or higher protein yogurt)
J. Whole Grain (oatmeal, barley, 100% whole wheat, wheat germ)

3. Rebalance
A. NEVER skip breakfast
B. Eat every 4 hours (4 meals a day, she thinks 6 meals a day is too much)
C. Eat until you are full, NOT stuffed
D. Combine foods correctly (good balance of carb, protein, and fat, she recommends the 40/30/30 ratio to start and then tweak to what works for you)
E. No eating after 9PM, and limited carbs at dinner (getting your body to burn more fat even while you are sleeping)

4. Remove the toxins

5. Restore the Nutrients

6. Rebalance Your Stress Levels
A. Sleep at least 7 hours a night
B. Move your body every day
C. Be good to yourself

Master your food math:

Breakfast:
Start with one of these:
2 eggs
4 egg whites
1 cup skim milk
3 slices nitrate free turkey bacon
1 cup organic Greek yogurt
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 slices nitrate free ham
3 oz all natural lox
1 nitrate free chicken sausage
3 oz grilled chicken

Add one of these:
1 slice Ezekiel 4:9 bread
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup Nature's Path 8 grain cereal
1/2 fresh grapefruit
1 cup fresh mixed berries
1 apple
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 multigrain bagel
1 cup buckwheat cereal
1 corn tortilla and unlimited fresh salsa

Lunch:
Start with one of these:
5 oz chicken breast
5 oz grilled lamb
5 oz baked halibut
5 oz seared tuna
5 oz flank steak
5 oz baked tilapia
5 oz grilled sea bass
5 oz black cod
5 oz sirloin

Add:
1 serving baked chips and 1/8 avocado
1/2 cup brown rice
1 small sweet potato
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup black beans
1 large artichoke
1/2 cup brown rice pasta
Unlimited tomato salad
1/2 cup white beans

Afternoon Snack:
Start with one of these:
1/2 cup hummus
20 raw walnuts
1 low-fat mozzarella stick
2 Tablespoons organic almond butter
3 slices organic turkey
1/2 cup black bean dip
1 cup canned tuna in water
1 cup organic yogurt
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

Add:
Unlimited carrots sticks
1 apple
10 Kashi 7-grain crackers
Unlimited celery sticks
1 Ezekiel multigrain tortilla
20 baked corn chips
1/4 avocado
Unlimited blueberries
2 slices watermelon

Dinner:
Start with one of these:
4 oz grilled salmon
4 oz marinated chicken breast
5 large shrimp
5 oz broiled pork chops
4 oz grilled lamp chops
4 oz turkey breast
5 oz scallops
4 oz Cornish hen
5 oz mahimahi

Add:
Unlimited steamed broccoli
Unlimited leafy salad w/ broccoli & cucumber
1 1/2 cups cooked carrots
Unlimited roasted cauliflower
Unlimited steamed green beans
Unlimited baked Brussels sprouts
Unlimited steamed spinach
1 cup spaghetti squash
Unlimited grilled mixed veggies

More protein, less carb for dinner.

Thanks for this, Jess. I kept meaning to come back and read it and I finally did! It is very helpful information. Unfortunately I don't know what some of the foods on her list even ARE, so I guess it's time for an education!

hmo4

Thanks for the education. I think Jillian is a bit over the edge on some things, and we all don't have the cash or staff to make and locate all this organic stuff for us. (I still can't find Greek Yogurt in the grocery store!) I'm trying gradually to switch better and better, but it's one step at a time! You're very inspirational!:flowerforyou:

jessmomof3

Thanks for the education. I think Jillian is a bit over the edge on some things, and we all don't have the cash or staff to make and locate all this organic stuff for us. (I still can't find Greek Yogurt in the grocery store!) I'm trying gradually to switch better and better, but it's one step at a time! You're very inspirational!:flowerforyou:

Yeah, I agree. I haven't gone into *everything* that she says, but I like her approach and am doing my best to make good choices for me and my family. I have been cutting off the tops of the fruit before eating it (I keep thinking of the pesticides pooling in there!!).

Funny, my sister in law lives in Canada and she is always telling me how much easier it is to eat organic there?

Do you have just plain yogurt?? I haven't been doing the Greek yogurt just because it is so pricey. I just eat the plain, fat- free yogurt (Meijer brand all natural is my new favorite, but even Dannon plain is good).

One step at a time... that's the way to do it! :bigsmile:

neeterskeeter

I love Dannon plain!

I feel lucky to live in a city (a smallish city, but still a city) where we have co-ops and Whole Foods etc. Still I often buy conventional because organic is so expensive!

sibetsimo

Oops, my question was answered... didn't see the second page!

hmo4

Thanks for the education. I think Jillian is a bit over the edge on some things, and we all don't have the cash or staff to make and locate all this organic stuff for us. (I still can't find Greek Yogurt in the grocery store!) I'm trying gradually to switch better and better, but it's one step at a time! You're very inspirational!:flowerforyou:

Yeah, I agree. I haven't gone into *everything* that she says, but I like her approach and am doing my best to make good choices for me and my family. I have been cutting off the tops of the fruit before eating it (I keep thinking of the pesticides pooling in there!!).

Funny, my sister in law lives in Canada and she is always telling me how much easier it is to eat organic there?

Do you have just plain yogurt?? I haven't been doing the Greek yogurt just because it is so pricey. I just eat the plain, fat- free yogurt (Meijer brand all natural is my new favorite, but even Dannon plain is good).

One step at a time... that's the way to do it! :bigsmile:

It's dfinetly more than your reg foods. And when you're feeding 4 teens who don't care or want to follow...why spend on it. Maybe it depends where you live too.:drinker: Staying focused so far girls.

jessmomof3

It's dfinetly more than your reg foods. And when you're feeding 4 teens who don't care or want to follow...why spend on it. Maybe it depends where you live too.:drinker: Staying focused so far girls.

That's true. 4 teens... wow! My girls are 10, 8, and 6 so I will be headed there before too long!

So... should I start a new clean eaters thread? Anyone interested?? Last time I got to the point where I felt like I was talking to myself. :laugh:

neeterskeeter

Jess I'm interested in a clean eater's thread!

jessmomof3

Jess I'm interested in a clean eater's thread!

OK, will post it and see if we can get more interest!!!

hmo4

I'm interested, but to a point. I like different cereals for breaky, for example, but I'll work on it. Don't you miss stuff?

jessmomof3

I'm interested, but to a point. I like different cereals for breaky, for example, but I'll work on it. Don't you miss stuff?

I started a thread here. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/63836--clean-eaters-thread

No, I don't miss the junk anymore. I think I've just trained myself to think of it as poison. Diet Coke gives me migraines, so that is a good deterrent! I did try a couple sips a few months ago and thought it tasted horrible!! I think your taste buds change after a while.

I love the foods that I eat now otherwise I wouldn't eat them! :bigsmile:

neeterskeeter

I agree- I *thought* I would miss sugar and processed food but it didn't turn out that way. After just a couple days of consciously eating clean I felt so *good* and healthy. I was much more productive and energetic and confident. The benefits just continued from there. My skin was soft (I also aim to drink a lot of water -- I don't "drink" any calories or anything really besides waater and occasionally decaf hot or iced green tea), my nails were stronger, my face looked radiant, I looked trimmer, and, the biggest difference was just how I *feel*... for the first time ever I eat more than I usually do on a "diet" (because I make sure to eat my exercise calories and have 1225 net calories a day) and I felt full and satisfied, not deprived at all, and I also didn't feel cravings for sugar and junk. It's like my body just instinctively knew this was good for me and it no longer wanted the bad stuff.

*Now* I will never give up my love for New Mexican green chili burritos with little potatoes, or hot fudge sundaes. So I still eat those but very occasionally as compared to waaay too often like before. And if someone has a birthday or bring dessert to dinner etc. I have two bites and give the rest to my boyfriend. That satisfies my curiosity as to how it tastes and it doesn't even taste very good compared to in the past when it was pretty much all I ate.

So I really don't miss stuff, and believe me, I was the queen of sugar- I grew up on it and my favorite breakfast cereal was Cinnamon Toast Crunch. :laugh: And now I honestly don't miss that at all, I don't even have the desire to eat it because I know it is just plain sugar and empty or fattening calories, whereas at least with a sundae there is some dairy and with a burrito there is chicken or beef, and beans, etc.

If you are curious I would encourage you to try it for just a few days and see how you feel. Processed food isn't going anywhere so you can still go back to that at any time. But to start seeing the benefits of eating clean just tell yourself you don't need anything unhealthy for, say, 3 days, and see what happens.