Eating Clean!!! Support group!

mxburke

Hi there, I recently bought tosca reno's eat-clean diet book, and i think it is very inspirational. Although i have lost 20 lbs in the last year an a half, i have been on a crazy plateau and havent budged in so long. I have realized that this is probably due to my poor diet. I exercise like crazy, so nutrition is the next thing i need to work on. Just thought I would start a support group for those who are also eating clean, and so we can share about our struggles and maybe support eachother through our journey! Let me know how eating clean has helped youu , and what kind of tips have helped you in your transformation. I was also thinking, if we get enough ppl, then maybe we can weigh in together every week or two and make challenges for eachother through the next weeks! anyhow good luck with your weight loss everyone!

futureonfire

Hi!

I LOVE Clean Eating and Tosca Reno is such an inspiration!

If you're on Facebook I have started a group for people to share their recipes and success stories. I personally lost 13 pounds last year "eating clean" and continue to eat clean about 90% of the time.

Once you make the changes it's pretty easy to maintain. It's just a matter f switching things out and finding brands and alternatives that work within your diet.

I ave to admint that lately I haven't been eating as clean as I would like, but was just thinking that I need to get back on the wagon!! lol I just feel so much better when I'm eating clean.

Here's the link to join my Facebook Group! http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=218928818511

HealthyKt78

This may be a stupid question but what does "eating clean" include? What food groups do you eat? I've been looking at slowly becoming a vegan and I'm wondering if this is anything similar. Is it more strict or less?

rocknrolla2009

This may be a stupid question but what does "eating clean" include? What food groups do you eat? I've been looking at slowly becoming a vegan and I'm wondering if this is anything similar. Is it more strict or less?

The way I understand it, is that you more or less cut out pre packaged foods which are full of preservatives. You eat mostly lean meats, veg, fruit, seeds, nuts..

mxburke

I am not changing my diet to become a vegan, however, in the book it does include a meal plan for vegan's if you are looking into doing so. Basically the "eating clean" includes eating alot of fresh foods and staying away from preservatives and chemically injected foods. I am no expert, seeing as i just started reading the book, but it looks to me like basically sticking with the healthy stuff, and reading labels so that way you don't end up eating stuff that has tones of sugar and aspartame, and other chemicals, and eating more stuff that actually has good nutritional values. U should check out the facebook group as well, i havent looked at it yet, but i imagine ppl have more information on there....Hoep this helps, and i look forward to chatting with yous through our journey.

kelly_a

eating clean is consuming foods that are NOT processed.....foods that are in their most natural state, and have less than 4-5 ingredients. it can/should also include organic foods....preservatives and pesticides are bad for us...

DO EAT~
fresh/frozen fruits and vegetables
100 % whole grains
lean protein
healthy fats

what i noticed first, within a couple days was the energy that consumed me. i felt amazing and the sluggish feeling was gone. my skin became clearer, face less puffy, i slept more deeper, and did not really have hunger issues.

become label savvy. watch sodium, sugar contents. sugar is NOT your friend. yes, eating CLEAN is more costly, but well worth the expense. try it for a few days, or a week....your body will love you for it! once you commit, you won't wanna go back to *crap*!

good luck!

taylorgirl

"Eating Clean" has been my most helpful tool in losing the last of my weight. A year ago come May,like yourself I was stuck at 50 pds and could not get my weight bulge! After buying, reading and implementing Tosca Reno's method into my nutition, before I knew by October I had reach my goal of "65" pds. One of the best decisions you can make is to put to practice what she teaches!

mxburke

Wow! that is definitely inspiring! i hope that i can finally move this plateau of mine, atleast a little bit anyways! haha! and kelly_a, your are so right about the energy and just overall feeling better, i mean i have not followed this eating clean to a "T" yet, still working on cutting out all the processed stuff, slowly, so i dont go back to the old ways, but overall, just trying to eat better and focus on an eating clean and not necessarily "dieting" has made me want to eat better just to fuel my body more and feel better.! thanks for the inspiration ladies!!!

mxburke

ok, so being new at this, i have kindove a stupid question, what are preservatives, like i know there chemicals and stuff added to food to make them last longer but like what are they called, what should i be looking for on all the labelled foods/? this would really help in getting me started in the right direction!

crmldlyte

I searched MFP for "clean eating " and found several very helpful posts:

What is clean eating?
The 80 Percent Principle

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 food 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: If man made it, don’t eat it. (Try buying as many foods as possible that contain only one ingredient.)

According to physique experts (fitness models and body builders), the body is a product of 10 percent genetics, 10 percent exercise, and 80 percent nutrition. That means that in order to improve the way we look and feel, the most important thing that we can do is focus on nutrition!

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 when away from home
* Making healthy choices when dining out
* Sticking to reasonable portion sizes at all times
* And exercising for both fat loss (cardio) and muscle gain (strength training).

(Adapted from http://www.eatingcleanworks.com and the Eat-Clean Diet books by Tosca Reno)

crmldlyte

Here's another post found on MFP on clean eating:

Tom Venuto's top clean foods and top non-clean foods.

Top Foods That Burn Fat
1. Oatmeal
2. Yams and sweet potatoes
3. Potatoes, white or red
4. Brown rice
5. 100% whole wheat and whole grain products
6. Green fibrous vegetables
7. Fresh fruit
8. Skim milk and nonfat dairy products
9. Chicken and turkey breast
10. Egg whites
11. Fish and shellfish
12. Lean red meat

Top Foods That Turn to Fat
1. Ice cream
2. Fried foods
3. Donuts and pastries
4. White sugar, candy, chocolate, and sweets
5. Soda
6. Fruit drinks and other sugar sweetened beverages
7. Bacon, sausage
8. White bread
9. Potato chips, nachos, corn chips
10. Hot dogs, fast food burgers
11. Cookies, cakes, pies
12. Sugary breakfast cereals

Does it mean that you can never eat the foods on the second list? No, it's up to each individual person. None of us are claiming to eat perfectly clean all the time. Few people manage that, and only the most dedicated want to. There will likely always be disagreement and controversy about whether certain foods are clean, as well -- such as white potatoes, red meat, artificial and natural sweeteners, chocolate, coffee, black tea, and brand foods in general. You don't have to eat perfectly, though, in order to experience the benefits! You just need to eat clean 80-90 percent of the time.

mdseevers

Hello,

I am having a very hard time with the just eating right, I work out hard and then stop at Wendy's so I don't have to cook when I get home.

A lot of eating clean or eating right for me is setting my mind to do it. I work hard and after three weeks, I'm still trying to reach my goal of 225, the scale will lose the 2 pounds I need to reach my (short term ) goal.

Channing

I'm so glad I found this thread! I was about to post a question about clean eating when I stumbled upon you guys. :flowerforyou:

I've really been focusing on eating clean for the past couple of months and can absolutely tell a difference. It just makes me feel better. However, I'm realistic about it. For example there is no way I can grow my own food, etc. :huh: I shop primarily at places like Trader Joe's where I know they are concerned with healthy and whole foods, and I still check lables.

My question is about products that claim to be natural. I mean that's not something a company can just put on their product without it being true, right? I'm mainly worried about things like eggs and meat. Also, I've been buying some Kashi products and Cliff/Luna bars and things like that. any opinion on those?

Like I said, I'm taking little steps so that I can keep up this lifestyle for, well, my whole life! Any input would be much appreciated!

lwest008

ok, so being new at this, i have kindove a stupid question, what are preservatives, like i know there chemicals and stuff added to food to make them last longer but like what are they called, what should i be looking for on all the labelled foods/? this would really help in getting me started in the right direction!

Not a stupid question! I don't know the names of preservatives, but the way I read labels and determine if its something I'm willing to consume is by reading the ingredients to see if there is anything in the list that I don't know. If its a complicated name its often a preservative or flavour additive etc. Stick to ingredients you can pronounce only. If it makes you scratch your head and wonder what an ingredient might be, leave it on the shelf and find a 'cleaner' alternative. Or better yet, avoid entering the middle aisles of the grocery store except when you are in need of spices or whole grains (oatmeal, brown rice etc)....most of the rest of the stuff is junk anyways. Make your own tomato sauce, your own soup, if you make it, you know you didn't put preservatives in it.

I have been eating clean since last September and since the beginning of 2010, I have have tightened my diet even more. My biggest tip for clean eating is to begin gradually. I didn't throw out all my 'unclean' food when I started, but I didn't buy them again, and I replaced them with foods that are clean.

I swapped my Quaker instant oatmeal for Steal Cut Oats, Quinoa, and rolled oats. I swapped my high sodium soup, for homemade - cheaper and healthier.

Eventually I cut out all soda, even though I was only drinking the occasional diet pepsi or gingerale. I don't eat desserts except on very special occasions, and when I have a sweet tooth, I'll either enjoy a bit of fruit, or a small piece of expensive chocolate and that does the trick.

I eat clean 95% of the time, and I allow myself little treats or the occasional meal where I don't worry about how clean it is. It helps keep me sane and I've lost 12 lbs since the beginning of September. It helps to give yourself a bit of wiggle room so you don't feel totally deprived. Eventually you stop craving crappy un-nutritious food. And your body signals you when its time to eat again.

I am on a 3 hour scheduel like clockwork 6:30 breakfast, 9:30 snack, 12:30 Lunch, 3:30 snack and 6:30 dinner. When I go to long, my body screams at me to fuel it.

The biggest changes are that my daily headaches have completely gone away. When I slack on my eating, they come back. I have a ton of energy, clear skin and better focus.

Clean eating is a bit of a learning curve as you get to know what is, and what is not, something you should be consuming. As you begin to incorporate new foods, flavours and textures, you will discover that this way of eating is really not a diet, but a way of life (as cliche as it sounds)! Try making small modifications to your diet and you'll be a clean eater in no time!

kelly_a

I agree, if you're going to change your eating style, do so gradually. maybe work on fresh fruits and veggies for a few wks....whole grains another week....once you eat cleaner, you will desire to eat clean only. and the biggest thing that has helped me thru this is plan, plan, plan. clean, cut prepare veggies ahead of time....same with meats....grill, bake, etc and freeze enuf for a week. I kinda look at this way too, if it comes in a box, more than likely it has preservatives, canned food as well. try to keep ingredients to under 5. many of them are for prolonging shelf life....artificial and FAKE food ~ ICK! another thing I heard was, and this is kinda gross, but TRUE, eat foods that will eventually rot! that is one guarantee that it is a natural, fresh food. stick to the outer edges of the supermarket. I remember the days of going up and down ALL of the isles....now, getting groceries is such a breeze! I actually enjoy it and if feels great when your cart is filled with whole, natural food! a cart full of health! :bigsmile:

Nelski

Clean Eating magazine has a lot of information and recipes. I think you can get a free issue by going to their website. That is what I did but ended up getting a subscription later because I really liked it. I don't eat as clean right now as I'd like to but really want to work on it.

futureonfire

When I started my clean eating journey I first started by getting rid the the VERY BAD THINGS first!

Like ANYTHING with MSG, SUGAR as the first 5 ingredients, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, NITRATES, and Basically processed canned or boxed foods.

I replaced with things like Annies Mac and Chese for the kids (organic and WAY better than Kraft), I do nitrate free hot dogs (kids), NATURAL unsweetened peanut butter, ORGANIC cereals (no more sugar laden "healthy" cereals, ALL organic sweetners (agave nector, RAW sugars, etc), and I moved to WHOLE WHEAT (and it must say whole wheat flour as an ingredient NOT enriched wheat flour) pastas and breads.

I eat a lot of brown rice, whole wheat pastas, use whole wheat tortillas (sams club has a decent one), whole wheat pita breads, and crackers. Snacks we do rice cakes, raw almonds and nuts, raisins, cranberries (dried) no added sugar.

I still have sweets, I jsut plan and MAKE them from scratch with REAL ingredients! I would rather have a little of the REAL thing than a lot of the FAKE stuff and usually it is very satisfying.

There are reall SOO Many options once you get the hang of it! It's fun to try new and different things and realize how GOOD it really is! The other day we made the deep dish pizza recipe out of the eat clean magazine. It was SOOO good!

ALSO, Check you library, I just borrow a different cookbook by Tosca Reno every now and then and try recipes out of it when I get in a rut.

kelly_a

Alicia ~ ** exactly** love everything you shared!!

Nlongenecker

I am really glad I found this thread. I hope it sticks around cuz I could use the support. I am starting the clean eating lifestyle today. Like many, it will be gradual, so probably not 100% right away. I really struggle with low energy levels (have been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue). I wanted to try this because so many people say it improves their energy levels and right now I am willing to do just about anything! Everybody wants to feel the best they can, it's only reasonable to do what it takes.

Looking forward to getting to know all of you here!