Tips and advice about clean eating (no processed foods)

I also posted this in general diet and exercise so sorry if your seeing it for the second time:

I have been on my weight loss journey for 3 1/2 weeks now I have lost 14lbs. 213.6 from 227.4. Which I am very proud but I cant help but find myself getting very discouraged on the food end of things! I can workout that's not a problem while it can be hard I can do it. But the food is something I have a very hard time with I am 21 and my whole life has been very very very unhealthy eating habits! and lets face it 21 years of a bad habit is hard to change. But I have been reading online and I think im going to try clean eating. Here's the thing though I have NEVER really eaten veggies my whole life so I have to force myself to eat them and I usually gag the whole time im doing it. So I am really looking for ways to healthfully cook veggies that taste good. Sorry It was long im just feeling a little down about letting myself get to this point when I should've just taking control of the situation and stopped it before I got 100lbs over weight!! So any eating tips on how to fight cravings and boredom would be appreciated as well as ALL clean eating tips :) thanks so much ahead of time!

Replies

  • This is right down my alley. But it wasn't at all about 2 months ago.. trust me it does NOT happen over night

    **SO THIS IS MY OWN PERSONAL ADVICE FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES

    Start out with fruits and vegs that you really already like. Things will seem prob boring at first (and super hard) so I'd give myself a cheat day (to keep things sane!) but then you start eating more and more fruits and vegs than your used too, and your taste buds start to appreciate the simple flavors and they start getting turned off by the taste of the artificial stuff in processed foods.

    Do more research in what is in processed foods and what are in fresh whole foods and see how you feel afterwards! Learn the true rewards of clean food... Mood is boosted and energy is boosted with these fresh foods (at least for me), healthy body inward and out

    It helped in the beginning when I got a lot of intake from fruits and vegs from making "green smoothies" and still have one every day to every other day.

    Find "clean recipes" or "raw food recipes" every where. Definitely start cooking for yourself. And preparing your own food. There's a clean version of almost all our favorite foods
    -pancakes
    -milkshakes
    -pizza
    -macaroni & chz
    -donuts
    -ice cream
    -brownies
    -tacos
    -burgers etc ---soo it seems as tho eating clean isn't all that boring at all!

    Plus, there are so many herbs and flavors out there. Not only delicious but so good for you.
    -garlic
    -cayenne
    -onion
    -basil
    -sage
    -turmeric
    -honey
    -cinnamon
    -nutmeg
    -oregano
    -cacao
    -lemon etc

    Get yourself a really cute "bento box", or a muti-part container and start putting 100% clean foods in it and you be proud of how colorful and beautiful your meal/snack is :)

    Just think.. The simpler the ingredients the better it probably is

    I never thought I'd beep eating the way I eat now... But I feel just happy, clean and proud I could do it! Take it slow! You'll have some downs but don't stop or get discouraged, and continue to educate yourself on the foods your eating! Good luck
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,512 Member
    Here's a thought on the veggies - don't cook them. I love raw, crunchy, sometimes sweet veggies, but cooked and mushy ones make me gag, too. I could eat a fresh salad full of raw broccoli with every meal, but cooked broccoli turns my stomach (yes, even with cheese, the world's most perfect food).

    Maybe you are the same...?
  • fitlancastermommy4
    fitlancastermommy4 Posts: 13 Member
    Thank you so much!! :) I think starting out slow will work great!
  • fitlancastermommy4
    fitlancastermommy4 Posts: 13 Member
    Here's a thought on the veggies - don't cook them. I love raw, crunchy, sometimes sweet veggies, but cooked and mushy ones make me gag, too. I could eat a fresh salad full of raw broccoli with every meal, but cooked broccoli turns my stomach (yes, even with cheese, the world's most perfect food).

    Maybe you are the same...?

    Thanks as stupid as it sounds i dont really think about raw lol! It is normally the texture that kills me so i will try this. Thanks!!!
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,512 Member
    Here's a thought on the veggies - don't cook them. I love raw, crunchy, sometimes sweet veggies, but cooked and mushy ones make me gag, too. I could eat a fresh salad full of raw broccoli with every meal, but cooked broccoli turns my stomach (yes, even with cheese, the world's most perfect food).

    Maybe you are the same...?

    Thanks as stupid as it sounds i dont really think about raw lol! It is normally the texture that kills me so i will try this. Thanks!!!

    It doesn't sound stupid at all. I live in deep southeast Texas so just about everything is cooked to the point where it's pretty much unrecognizable. I learned at an early age that I liked salad, but that was about it. Now that I'm almost 40 I figure I've earned the right to only eat vegetables the way I like them. :wink: They are usually healthiest in that form anyway. I love a decent portion of protein (steak, if possible), a carbohydrate (sweet potato, perhaps? I'll eat those cooked) and a big green salad! Yum!
  • dta4ever
    dta4ever Posts: 27 Member
    I've been wanting to try eating clean too but I am clueless about where to start. I think I will just start out slowly and work my way into it.