Question for Clean Eaters!!!!

Morning Yall. I have started eating clean just this week. My little sister is a bikini competitor and has set me up on a meal plan that is a variation of what she uses. Right now here is what I'm doing.

Meal 1: 4 egg whites - 2 whole eggs - 1/2 cup of oatmeal

Meal 2: Medium banana, apple, or grapefruit - one piece of low fat string cheese

Meal 3: 4oz Chicken Breast - 6oz sweet potato - 1 cup of veggies

Meal 4: 4 oz Chicken Breast or Talapia - 4 oz sweet potato, red potato, or brown rice - 1 cup of veggies

Meal 5: 4 oz Chicken Breast - 1 cup veggies

All spaced 3 hours apart and nothing but water.

My question....I'm not sure how long I can maintain eating the same thing all of the time so can I substitue anything in?

Also....For instance today I have a lunch meeting, can I not eat the sweet potato and just throw my chicken on top of fresh spinach leaves with some other fresh veggies and do a salad? Are their any dressings that are safe to eat? EVOO for instance?

Thanks so much! Also, feel free to add me if you'd like.

No. It will only work if you eat it exactly as prescribed. If you change it up you will lose all benefits.

Unless you have a preexisting metabolic condition, log all your food and eat what you like that fits your macros. Try to eat 80% "clean" unprocessed foods and fill in the rest with things you really like. Some good baseline macro numbers to hit are 1g protein / 1lb LBM; .33g fat / lb...These are minimums fill the rest with extra fats/proteins or carbs. Meal timing doesn't matter. You do not need to "reset" your metabolism.

Hi MrsMarkt2B!

Congrats on deciding to eat clean it's a lifestyle change but it's worth it.
So for the substituting, I think it would be fine to do that, you really want starches after you workout so the sweet potato isn't absolutely necessary. It's a very good meal plan though, I'd like to go by it some day for myself.

Good luck!!

Morning Yall. I have started eating clean just this week. My little sister is a bikini competitor and has set me up on a meal plan that is a variation of what she uses. Right now here is what I'm doing.

Meal 1: 4 egg whites - 2 whole eggs - 1/2 cup of oatmeal

Meal 2: Medium banana, apple, or grapefruit - one piece of low fat string cheese

Meal 3: 4oz Chicken Breast - 6oz sweet potato - 1 cup of veggies

Meal 4: 4 oz Chicken Breast or Talapia - 4 oz sweet potato, red potato, or brown rice - 1 cup of veggies

Meal 5: 4 oz Chicken Breast - 1 cup veggies

All spaced 3 hours apart and nothing but water.

My question....I'm not sure how long I can maintain eating the same thing all of the time so can I substitue anything in?

Also....For instance today I have a lunch meeting, can I not eat the sweet potato and just throw my chicken on top of fresh spinach leaves with some other fresh veggies and do a salad? Are their any dressings that are safe to eat? EVOO for instance?

Thanks so much! Also, feel free to add me if you'd like.

No. It will only work if you eat it exactly as prescribed. If you change it up you will lose all benefits.

What difference would it make if the chicken is on the veggies/salad or on the plate?

My question....I'm not sure how long I can maintain eating the same thing all of the time so can I substitue anything in?

You already know this diet isn't going to work for you because eating chicken breast 3 times a day just isn't sustainable. I think a lot of the foods on the list are great. I love chicken breast, rice, and sweet potatoes, but you have to add more variety in there if you want to stay healthy for your whole life. You need to find a diet that you can sustainably do for the rest of your life; otherwise, the weight will come back on when you stop eating that way.

Eat whatever you want. Just make sure it is at a deficit and you'll lose weight.

I'm just trying to get in as much as I can and avoid the unnecessar sugars and empty calories from other drinks.

Diet Dr. Pepper is 0 calories :drinker:

And it tastes great!

MrsMark-

I am what would be considered a clean eater. You are correct in your concerns about sustaining that menu. The menu appears to be more inline with someone already at the competitive level or reasonably in shape stage, which makes sense given the person who set you up with that menu. Following a diet plan from a fitness competitor when you're not in the same shape is almost a sure road to failure.

I've been eating clean for a while, Iost an initial 35lbs and am now on a secondary goal of losing another 30. But honestly, as a clean eater, your sample menu would drive me to the nearest Pizza Hut after a week. It's boring and has no creativity. Just my opinion and no intentions of being rude to your sister.

I've never considered clean eating as reducing calories but rather the type of food I choose to eat. Tracking my caloric intake is a byproduct of eating clean. And thus the slippery slope of what defines clean eating.

From a quick peek at your profile, you have some pounds to lose. I would suggest a more realistic eating plan that encompasses the right amount of calories vs. exercise vs. types of food to intake.

In other words, figure out what your daily caloric needs are for your weekly weight loss goal, then tailor a clean menu according to that. Keep in mind that eating clean does not mean you're stuck with 5 foods. There are a variety of foods that fall under what would be considered clean eating. Your menu is not very creative and will cause burnout or cracking very quickly.

Hi Jacwhite22,

Well to be more specific, it's recommended to eat starchy foods (i.e. potatoes, brown rice) after you do resistance training, not so much as cardio or low physical activity days. The starches help you build muscle following a workout, and since resistance training is geared toward sculpting your physique/building muscle, that's where the starches come in to play. This is according to my trainer though, he's the expert not I lol

I would recommend you working out your macros that you want.
Then adding all this, and reducing some of it to allow for a small treat at the end of the day.
Clean eating can be done, however this is restricting.

Clean eating is possible, but you need to find healthy eyes to bake and treat yourself.