Clean Eating Challenge- March

beejelblor
beejelblor Posts: 123 Member
edited November 13 in Food and Nutrition
I am SUPER excited for March to begin and to start putting all my prep and research into action! Some friends and I are going clean, we are gong to have a VERY strict month of March to get our bodies and minds ready for a new Clean Eating lifestyle that we hope to be able to maintain after March. I would LOVE to have company in this month for support, accountability, and shared knowledge.

I started a group called "March 2015 Clean Eating Challenge". Feel free to join if you are interested.

March 1-31st I plan to eat 100% clean. General summary is:
No processed foods
No refined sugars
Only whole grain
Only whole foods
5 meals a day rather then 3

Sooo pretty much:
Nothing with a label, listing ingredients
No alcohol
No white processed carbs
No unnatural sugar added

This will take a lot planning, discipline and willpower but is nice because you do not need to be hungry or neglect yourself, if you want something sweet, eat something sweet as long as it is clean. If anyone would like to join me the support and encouragement would be wonderful. We can share recipe ideas as well as how we are feeling.
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Replies

  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    edited February 2015
    In for <3
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,226 Member
    edited February 2015
    Unfortunately I can't join, I like my wood oven whole grain bread too much and considering it's not actually all whole grain but processed I have to get to my goals another way. I also use canned San Marzano tomatoes and wouldn't give them up over the whole ones at the market that taste like cardboard......double trouble for me in your world.
  • Phoenix_Down
    Phoenix_Down Posts: 530 Member
    edited February 2015
    I would but I'd probably burn down villages in fits of fiery rage from Talenti and cheez it deprivation.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    Phoenix_Down wrote: »
    I would but I'd probably burn down villages in fits of fiery rage from Talenti and cheez it deprivation.
    Don't forget the wine screams. :s
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    I love beer, so I'm out :'(
  • racheljonel
    racheljonel Posts: 400 Member
    what whole grains do you eat that aren't processed? Serious question.
  • beejelblor
    beejelblor Posts: 123 Member
    racheljonel wrote: »
    what whole grains do you eat that aren't processed? Serious question.

    The whole grain part is what I am researching now, still learning. I personally will probably stick to quinoa, oatmeal, sweet potato, and am looking into how "clean" brown and black rice are. I am seeing that buckwheat, barley, and wild rice are ok also but am not sure on any of these details yet.
  • beejelblor
    beejelblor Posts: 123 Member
    That answer is for carbs in general, not just grain.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,226 Member
    beejelblor wrote: »
    racheljonel wrote: »
    what whole grains do you eat that aren't processed? Serious question.

    The whole grain part is what I am researching now, still learning. I personally will probably stick to quinoa, oatmeal, sweet potato, and am looking into how "clean" brown and black rice are. I am seeing that buckwheat, barley, and wild rice are ok also but am not sure on any of these details yet.
    If you research properly you should find there are no bad foods, just opinions based on minimal information and mostly misinformation, just trying to give up a heads up so you don't crash and burn.

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    Post clean eating challenge with a bunch of arbitrary rules.

    But still needs to research what clean eating really is

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT4bLgf3WNWTcrIcI7xLhyINZjP__fSkom3w-Mv9JuqhWfFOoTx
  • beejelblor
    beejelblor Posts: 123 Member
    It is amazing that we are on a website designed to get healthy, and there are forums to help one another with this but all that the forum discussion ever seem to lead to are jabs at one another. Every person approaches their nutrition and fitness in their own way, simply move along if this is not the way for you rather then trying to discourage me or others. If anyone is actually interested feel free to join my group, I am not setting rules or pushing judgement on anyone.
  • Lifts4IceCream
    Lifts4IceCream Posts: 77 Member
    beejelblor wrote: »
    Sooo pretty much:
    Nothing with a label, listing ingredients
    beejelblor wrote: »
    I personally will probably stick to quinoa, oatmeal, sweet potato, and am looking into how "clean" brown and black rice are. I am seeing that buckwheat, barley, and wild rice are ok also but am not sure on any of these details yet.

    So does that mean that you are only going to buy these grains from a "wholesale bin" so it doesn't come in a package with a label? Unless you grow your own grains, the stuff you buy at the store will have a label listing the ingredients, won't it?....
  • beejelblor
    beejelblor Posts: 123 Member
    Lifts4IceCream wrote: »
    beejelblor wrote: »
    Sooo pretty much:
    Nothing with a label, listing ingredients
    beejelblor wrote: »
    I personally will probably stick to quinoa, oatmeal, sweet potato, and am looking into how "clean" brown and black rice are. I am seeing that buckwheat, barley, and wild rice are ok also but am not sure on any of these details yet.

    So does that mean that you are only going to buy these grains from a "wholesale bin" so it doesn't come in a package with a label? Unless you grow your own grains, the stuff you buy at the store will have a label listing the ingredients, won't it?....

    That is the plan, I don't have a farm so I will do the best I can.
  • kgt6075
    kgt6075 Posts: 1
    I can't wait to do this challenge, I will definitely need some motivation and recipe ideas!

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    nuh uh
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Can I still partake in Full Tub Friday?

    It's Ben & Jerry’s Utter Peanut Butter Clutter Cookie Core next Friday, I really don't want to miss that.
  • Anewabigail
    Anewabigail Posts: 13 Member
    I definitely want to try! How can we keep each other accountable? Wish there was a link to a generalized outline to make it easier.
  • Yogi_warrior
    Yogi_warrior Posts: 5,464 Member
    5 meals a day? i eat one meal a day.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    edited March 2015
    I would love to join, as I'd like to challenge myself to eat more local veggies and animal products, and this seems like a good way to stay motivated...however, I would be using a lot of soy sauce, vinegars and oils, dressings, and if I stick with homemade pastas and breads, then I'd still be using packaged flours. Also, I prefer almond milk to cow's and making it myself is waaaaay too much trouble considering how delicious and cheap Trader Joe's is. Also, I'll be including cheese. And yogurt.

    But if you don't mind all those inclusions, I'm in.


    ETA: I don't know how much difference it makes, but most of my packaged foods are organic and from places like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    racheljonel wrote: »
    what whole grains do you eat that aren't processed? Serious question.

    This was going to be my question. All grains are processed.

    Also, sweet potatoes obviously are not grains, and if the point is supposed to be that they are unprocessed, how are potatoes any more processed than any other veggie?

    Also, why is it better for me to give up canned tomatoes, non local veggies (in March!), smoked salmon, other non local fish, yogurt, etc.?
  • michbelle8
    michbelle8 Posts: 3 Member
    I am so in!!!!
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Anewabigail wrote: »
    Wish there was a link to a generalized outline to make it easier.

    That's sort of the essence of why this discussion arises every time clean eating/whole foods get mentioned - there is no generalized outline, just people's opinions about how and what to eat, because the whole idea is, well, BS. Food is food and more or less processed and nutritionally dense. Some people have to cut out certain foods because of medical issues. Not everybody likes or has access to the same foods. That's almost all there is to it.
  • guerrillatiger
    guerrillatiger Posts: 16 Member
    Sounds like the Whole30 challenge, I started on the 23rd Feb.

    Happy to join you guys until the end.

    If you are interested their guidelines are here:
    http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    how-about-no.gif
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Anewabigail wrote: »
    I definitely want to try! How can we keep each other accountable? Wish there was a link to a generalized outline to make it easier.

    Do you think that the arbitrary rules of this challenge would somehow be healthier than your own rules? Why?

    I choose to include certain foods that seem to me to be "processed" in my diet (non local veggies, since it's almost March and I live in the northern midwest where I won't get many good local veggies until early summer, although I have a CSA that kicks in in spring, canned tomatoes (non-fresh "fresh" tomatoes have no taste), frozen fish, yogurt, smoked salmon, grains, dried beans, are all examples of these). I also like other foods that "clean" eating challenges are often against, although they seem to me unprocessed, like potatoes. I also like some dried herbs and spices. And I sometimes choose to eat protein powder, protein bars, and non local fruit. I actually think a lot more about the merits of these foods than others that don't get criticized in "clean" eating challenges, like meat (although I buy all my meat and eggs from local farms for ethical reasons, with the exception of some game meats that I get from a local meat market). I am genuinely curious about why I would supposedly be healthier adopting some rules that seem to me to be arbitrary.
  • lotekgirl
    lotekgirl Posts: 84 Member
    I think the issue with canned tomatoes is the fact that they are very acidic and cause the lining in the can to leach BPA into your tomatoes. Get them in a glass jar and check the ingrediant label as they often have added preservatives. I don't see a problem with non-fresh products if they consist of actual food and aren't tainted with chemicals.
  • lotekgirl
    lotekgirl Posts: 84 Member
    I do agree that the concept of a "clean eating" challenge is pretty arbitrary and will have different rules depending on who is moderating the challenge. For anyone interested, I would suggest trying the Whole30 and then slowly reintroduce foods after the 30 days if you like to see if you have any type of reaction to a certain food. I had amazing results in January and just started another round today to get back on track after having a rough time last month. Here's the group for anyone who would like to commit to the 30 days and have some support:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/101329-whole-30-challenge-round-2-starting-february-2-2015
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    Post clean eating challenge with a bunch of arbitrary rules.

    But still needs to research what clean eating really is

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT4bLgf3WNWTcrIcI7xLhyINZjP__fSkom3w-Mv9JuqhWfFOoTx

    ^This. This is so awesome and right.
  • scottacular
    scottacular Posts: 597 Member
    cityruss wrote: »
    Can I still partake in Full Tub Friday?

    It's Ben & Jerry’s Utter Peanut Butter Clutter Cookie Core next Friday, I really don't want to miss that.

    I only read threads like these for posts like that. I declare you the winner of everything.
  • StephannieL
    StephannieL Posts: 198 Member
    beejelblor wrote: »
    It is amazing that we are on a website designed to get healthy, and there are forums to help one another with this but all that the forum discussion ever seem to lead to are jabs at one another. Every person approaches their nutrition and fitness in their own way, simply move along if this is not the way for you rather then trying to discourage me or others. If anyone is actually interested feel free to join my group, I am not setting rules or pushing judgement on anyone.

    I totally agree with you BEEJELBLOR! If you aren't into clean eating don't knock the people who do and just move on.

    Guerrillatiger- I've done Whole30 and it's pretty awesome! Once I was done with Whole30 I moved on to clean eating. I feel so much better doing clean eating and when I eat something that I "shouldn't" my body let's me know it. :)

    SnuggleSmacks- Have you ever tried Coconut Aminos? Tastes like soy sauce but made from coconuts and it's less salty as well. :)

    Anewabigail- Whole30 is a good place to start with the clean eating. That's how I started. It can be kinda rough the first few weeks but then it gets easier. They have a book coming out, in April I believe, that tells you exactly how to do Whole30.

    I hope that we can all support each other through this journey!!!! :)
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