Clean(ish) Eating-Am I doing this right?

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mrsbeck
mrsbeck Posts: 234 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been gone about a month. Fell completely off the wagon. No motivation to exercise or to eat healthy. And I REALLY had an aversion to counting calories. Gained three pounds, which is not bad, considering how far I fell.

I was annoyed with myself the entire time, and was trying to figure out what the hell my problem is...any of you who recognize my username know I've been in this spot before, and more than once. Why do I lose 20 pounds or so and then sabotage? I still don't know the answer to that question, (and probably never will without a high-priced therapist's help) but one of the issues that I DID recognize was the counting...I hate calorie counting, I hate feeling like I have to think about food ALL THE TIME. This realization happened to occur at the same time as some reading on nutritional QUALITY vs. QUANTITY.

So here's my plan for the next month, at which time I will re-assess: I am still going to track calories, but I am not going to obsess over staying under, so long as the calories consumed are quality calories. I am going to clean up my diet first, then worry about cutting things down, although the new exercise program I'm starting should take care of that.

I threw out the Splenda and Coffee-mate, and bought honey, agave, and half-and-half. For things like yogurt and cottage cheese, I stopped buying fat-free and sugar free varieties, and am studying labels..the one with the fewest ingredients, and the most ingredients I can pronounce, gets purchased. I am buying whole, unpackaged, unprocessed stuff as much as is humanly possible in a society where food comes from the grocery store. Out went the non-stick spray and I Can't Believe it's Not Butter, and in came olive oil and actual butter.

A couple of places where I am cheating: I haven't found a natural whole-foodish ice cream type treat that satisfies me, so the skinny cow is here to stay, for now. My husband and I usually split a diet coke with dinner-I'm going to drink water for the most part, but am still going to take a sip of the DC now and then. I am still buying egg whites in a little carton-I can't bring myself to throw out egg yolks, and I'm the only person in the house who really likes eggs, so the yolks just don't get used up. I like omelets made with one egg plus a couple of egg whites, and I would always have extra yolk. However, I read labels very carefully, and made certain that there were ONLY egg whites and nothing more in the carton.

Does this sound like a workable approach to cleaning up my diet?

Replies

  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
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    It's a wonderful start! :happy:
    As for the icecream...even though it's more cals/fats/sugars try Caio Bella gelato (in most grocery stores) or Whole Foods gelato. Both of them have natural ingredients that you'll recognize and be able to pronounce.
  • dclarsh1
    dclarsh1 Posts: 83
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    It's an excellent start. Remember that eating clean isn't all or nothing.

    Oh, and if you want a natural ice cream treat, try making your own. You can make it reduced fat by using whole milk instead of cream, and it tastes soooooooo good. Plus, since it takes some time to make, you're more likely to eat it sparingly rather than put down the whole batch in two nights :laugh:
  • balance9
    balance9 Posts: 160
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    Ya-ay!! You're off to a great start!! Losing weight should bring better health, but it's not the whole picture...so sad to see people sacrificing long-term health for short-term weight loss. Eat well and live well, my friend:drinker:
  • kiki28riki
    kiki28riki Posts: 17
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    I do the same thing... only I lose about 10 lbs, people start commenting that I am "looking thinner" or "looking good" and I freak out inside and sabotage my progress for some reason. My trainer said that some people go 3 steps forward, 1 step back, 3 steps forward, 1 step back and so on. So, I guess I am one of these people and I'm OK as long as I keep losing slow and steady. I've struggled with my weight for most of my life, so I'm guessing in my head that it's hard for me to get past the fact that I am actually getting smaller. I'm back "on" now so hopefully I can lose the next 10-15 lbs before stepping "back" for a few days. Good luck!
  • Bleux
    Bleux Posts: 186
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    I highly recommend Jillian Michaels' "Master Your Metabolism". She talks a lot about eating organic/clean and why. Very interesting read!
  • SammiAnne11
    SammiAnne11 Posts: 158 Member
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    Ya-ay!! You're off to a great start!! Losing weight should bring better health, but it's not the whole picture...so sad to see people sacrificing long-term health for short-term weight loss. Eat well and live well, my friend:drinker:

    I agree! You can do it!
  • MattySparky
    MattySparky Posts: 771
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    Looks pretty good to me too. Im just curious though, what do you have against egg yolks? Dont tell me, it's the cholesterol right?
  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
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    Haagen Daaz sells a kind of "whole foods" ice cream. It is called Five. http://www.haagen-dazs.com/products/five.aspx
  • princessnatalia
    princessnatalia Posts: 6
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    i just want to say a big well done. your "falling off the wagon" doesnt seem to be a complete "fall" at all.
    if u only gained 3lbs in a month.. this is amazing and u cant possibly have been as bad as you think.

    if i fall off the wagon for 3-5 days i gain all i have lost and more - in some cases up to 8/9lbs.
    and i cant shift them very quickly when i drag myself back on the wagon either.

    so i just want to say well done and it sounds like your positive approach will help you on your way to a sucessful wagon ride!! :)

    there are many, many, many of us who do so well for a while, then fail. completely - all the while knowing how much damage we are doing, but unable to make ourselves stop - it just seems to be one of those things... sigh.
    keep at it!! (i will try too!)
    th million dollar question is why!? and the hundred million dollar answer is how to stop this!!


    i have no good ice cream suggestions sorry! x
  • mrsbeck
    mrsbeck Posts: 234 Member
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    Looks pretty good to me too. Im just curious though, what do you have against egg yolks? Dont tell me, it's the cholesterol right?

    Partially, yes. My cholesterol is on the high side. But it's more about the fact that I loooooooove egg yolks! It's hard for me to stop at a reasonable portion. Before I started minding my platefuls, it wasn't difficult for me to cook 4 or 5 eggs over easy (non-stick pan, so not really "fried") make 3 or 4 pieces of toast with butter, and dip away! I love the richness of egg yolks on bread with butter and salt. It's one of my favorite eating experiences.

    I would tell myself, "Ok, I'm gonna have ONE egg and ONE slice of toast..." But as soon as I finished I'd be at the stove, cooking up some more, and this time I'd just go ahead and make several-why keep coming back? So, better to just make an omelet, and avoid the yolk temptation.

    Issues. I has them.
  • mrsbeck
    mrsbeck Posts: 234 Member
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    It's an excellent start. Remember that eating clean isn't all or nothing.

    Oh, and if you want a natural ice cream treat, try making your own. You can make it reduced fat by using whole milk instead of cream, and it tastes soooooooo good. Plus, since it takes some time to make, you're more likely to eat it sparingly rather than put down the whole batch in two nights :laugh:

    I'm such an idiot. I have an ice cream maker. I have rock salt. I have ice. I have milk, and I have berries.

    DUH.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    It's an excellent start. Remember that eating clean isn't all or nothing.

    Oh, and if you want a natural ice cream treat, try making your own. You can make it reduced fat by using whole milk instead of cream, and it tastes soooooooo good. Plus, since it takes some time to make, you're more likely to eat it sparingly rather than put down the whole batch in two nights :laugh:

    I'm such an idiot. I have an ice cream maker. I have rock salt. I have ice. I have milk, and I have berries.

    DUH.

    Or if you're looking for something faster (though not quite identical in creamy texture to ice cream) try sticking a bunch of berries and a banana in a blender with just enough milk to allow them to blend up into a really thick shake or sorbet-type desert. Whole milk can add some creamy taste without adding as much fat as cream.
  • raindancer
    raindancer Posts: 993 Member
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    I gave up diet drinks and been only eating clean for a week now. I also limited my salt. I lost 7 lbs of just water weight..feel much better.
    To my surprise the night time leg,and feet cramps that have kept me up nightly for a couple of years :happy: have totally stopped.
  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
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    Throw a banana in a freezer, maybe cut in half or thirds. Allow to freeze, throw into a food processor, and behold! You will have the most lovely silky smooth ice-cream-like treat as a result. (Feel free to add a dash of cinnamon or honey. But it is fine without any additional flavors!)

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