cherapple Member

I feel a little funny with my pasty white abs showing in my profile picture (I felt a little naked racing that way, too), but it was 90 degrees that day! And it keeps me focused on where I want to be -- running, and comfortable enough with my body to let it show!

Jan. 7 Meals #1 Banana, 1 sliced Grape Nuts, 1/2 c (meant to have only 1/4 c -- oops, there's an extra 100 calories I didn't need!) Skim milk, 1/2 c Cashews, 1/8 c Calories: 425 #2 Oatmeal, 1 c cooked Apple, 1 sliced Skim milk, 1/4 c Egg whites, 1/4 c Flax seed, 1/2 T Calories: 290 #3 Coffee, 1 c Half and half, 2 T Maple…

I've been thinking more about this. So you started eating clean before Tosca's book even came out! That's really impressive, and the fact that you've stuck with it for over two years. :heart:

Excellent!!!! :flowerforyou: It's great that your husband is so supportive. My husband would think I was "shallow" if I wanted him to take pictures of my progress. :grumble: God forbid anyone should ever focus on how they look -- be it clothes, haircuts, or body fat. Of course, he enjoys looking at my muscles. :huh:

Tomorrow -- Jan. 8. I turn 40!!! :noway: (It's the last day my profile is going to say "39" :sad: ) I got the fitness bug over two years ago, and I'm proud to say that I'm happy with the way I look and feel for my age! I'd like to lose a little more fat, but overall, things are good! :bigsmile:

Slow is the best way to lose, they say! It took me six months to lose 10 pounds. I've since gained five pounds back, lost it again, and then gained it back again, but that was before I started eating clean. I'm hoping to achieve more consistency now that I'm eating better foods. Closer to spring I'll start really making an…

January 6 meals: #1 Oatmeal 1 c cooked Apple 1 sliced Egg whites 1/4 c Skim milk 1/4 c Trail mix 2 T Calories: 390 #2 Coffee with cream and maple syrup Caloires:71 #3 Coffee with cream and syrup Lowfat plain yogurt 1/2 c Lowfat cottage cheese 1/4 c Cashews 1/8 c Calories: 256 #4 Whole grain bread 1 slice Peanut butter 1/2…

Welcome, Teridene! I just subscribed to Clean Eating Magazine, too. It's such a great magazine. I can't wait to hear more about your weight loss experience with clean eating! How did you hear about it, and how long have you been doing it? Congrats on losing 60lbs! I've been eating clean since just before Thanksgiving. I…

We are mommies, not garbage disposals, LOL! It is not our responsibility to clean our children's plates. :laugh:

Mmmm, I love ketchup! :flowerforyou: Homemade Ketchup 12 oz tomato past 1/2 c cider vinegar 1/2 c water 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp oregano 1/8 tsp cumin 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp mustard powder squeeze of garlic from press Source: The New Laurel's Kitchen (a great whole-foods cookbook, although it's vegetarian) I half…

Meals for Jan. 5 #1 Oatmeal, apple, skim milk, egg whites = 276 cals #2 Green leaf lettuce, turkey taco meat, 12 small tortilla chips, salsa Yogurt, cottage cheese, cashews = 350 cals #3 Whole grain bread, 1/2 T peanut butter, banana, 14 almonds Tea with half and half = 390 cals #4 Flatbread and tuna Clif Nectar cocao bar…

Sometime soon I'm going to have to try the no counting for a week or two and see how it goes. The experience of raising my calorie level and seeing that I haven't gained is making me less afraid of calories. I pretty much eat the same things all the time anyway, and I have the clean-eating cookbooks for when I want…

I've never seen raw chick peas. I'll have to look. That sounds like a very interesting snack!

Oh, don't say that! I turn 40 in ... 3 days!!! :noway: :laugh: They say that the body is 80 percent diet, 10 percent exercise, and 10 percent genetics, so I do think you will see a big improvement once you start eating clean. I actually feel like I'm in my 20s, and there are plenty of fit people over 40 -- look at Tosca…

My main focus is eliminating sugar and processed flours. The fat doesn't bother me so much. I've never liked artificially low fat food, and have always refused to eat "diet" foods. I think that has helped me keep my weight down more than other people over the years, ironically. Real foods are better for your body.

Jess, do you not normally count your calories?

I'm sure there is such a thing as too much protein, but you'd have to eat an awful lot of it. I actually increased my protein goals from what MFP suggests. I try to eat 1 gram for every pound of my body weight every day, but I don't always get that much. I am happy to have about 15 grams per meal, and I eat about five…

Jan. 4 meals continued: #3 Coffee 2 T half and half 1/2 T maple syrup Calories: 66 (I've been in the mood for sweeteners in my coffee lately. On a good note, I have NOT been sweetening my oatmeal or my yogurt with Stevia. I'm trying to get used to unsweetened flavors.) #4 More coffee 2T half and half 1 tsp honey Whole…

Just start tracking and see how it goes. Count both points and calories for a day or two and see how things compare. I think you'll find you like this better. You don't have to do any of the counting -- MFP does it all for you -- just logging, and it's more precise. I did WW for free for almost two years. I just bought the…

Yes, this is the point I wanted to make :smile: -- you CAN lose weight without exercising, but you CAN'T do it without losing muscle as well as fat. This will lower your metabolism, which makes it harder and harder to lose weight with each new attempt, and easier to gain the fat back afterward. I prefer to say "lose fat"…

I would say processed carbs are probably the biggest diet downfall, in my opinion. Get rid of sugars, white flours, crackers, cookies, cakes, most cereals, most breads, and other processed foods and you will be a long way toward a healthier diet. Of course, you don't have to go cold turkey, but these foods are usually full…

Hi, Keiko, It's up to you which clean eating principles you choose to adopt. Few people do every single one. White meat is emphasized over red, so I eat lean ground turkey (did tonight!) instead of beef. Lean cuts of anything are always preferred, of course. But I like full fat sour cream and half and half (also had both…

LOL, when I saw the title of this thread, I thought it was a lecture to others to eat more. This is definitely a message that some people need to see. You are right -- there are probably very few people for whom 1200 calories are really enough, and if anyone is eating so few calories, those calories should be packed with…

Hey, I totally missed this thread! I'm glad to see that more people are eating clean! I love Tosca's books. The Abs Diet was too liquid for me. I like protein shakes, but I'd much rather chew my meals than drink them. :happy:

You can buy liquid egg whites by the carton, and they can be added to just about anything. To me they have no taste. The idea takes some getting used to, but clean eaters (usually athletes, body builders, and others who want a high protein intake) add them to oatmeal, hot chocolate (made with unsweetened cocoa powder),…

I agree that 1200 seems very low. It's a base mark designed for someone who does not work out, and I do, so I must need more because I assume that exercise (including strength training) would give me a higher metabolism. I am only 5'2" though, so I always worry that my shortness is a big calorie liability. I'll just keep…

Over two weeks ago, I increased my base calories from 1200 to 1320, and the scale hasn't moved one way or the other. It's good news that I can eat more without gaining! The scale wasn't budging at 1200 either, so now I'm wondering whether I should increase my calories even more and go to 1400 or 1500. I really want the…

Noooooooo, always eat the real thing! It's much better for you. Just don't use a lot. Never eat anything artificial. It's poison to the body. That's just my take on things. :laugh: But really, the nutrition label of any food only tells part of the story, so you can't depend on that alone. Maple syrup, for example, is a…

I've been eating at the higher calorie level for at least a couple weeks (I chickened out and put it back to 1200 at first, but then increased it again), and the scale hasn't budged one way or the other. That's good news that I can eat more! But I'm wondering whether I should increase again? Eating 1200 calories a day…

Twelve miles! :noway: That seems like a LOOONG way to me, about twice as far as I've ever gone! I thought of running today. It was 29 degrees, but the sun was so bright and warm that it wasn't icy. Still, I was afraid of slipping. :grumble: Way to go on keeping your hands out of the snacks. :happy: My kids' 4H group had…