It’s felt pretty great to get to day 8.
I’m not allowed to weigh myself (and neither are you!), so all I can say is that I see noticeable differences in my body. I’m starting to see my tummy muscles, my waist is feeling smaller, and my body is feeling stronger. (A side note with the “stronger” comment. After Saturday’s competition, I was pretty wasted and therefore decided to take 48 hours off of training. Please believe that your rest periods as as equally-if not more— important as your workouts. Not that you need a 48 hour rest every time. usually 12-24 will do the trick, and active recovery is always good)
Another thing that I’m not going to get too crazy about just yet (because it’s just too darn hard to believe), is that my face has cleared up exponentially. I don’t know what happened, but a few years ago I started breaking out and it just wouldn’t stop. It’s been a trip to watch my face… IN A 7 DAY TIME PERIOD… clear up about 80%.
When you look at the cost of chemical peels, micro-derm abrasion, expensive products that easily add up to hundreds of dollars a month…. it’s amazing that just cutting out the crap seems to be the magic bullet.
Time will tell… I’ll keep you posted. : )
Today’s topic: All the other stuff you’re taking in addition to clean food.
Highest Quality food-based multi-viatimin
Longevity: Anti-oxidant powerhouse
Coconut water after workouts
Tomorrow we’ll talk about adding Kombucha, Kevita, or other fermented beverages to your diet, as well as adding a little sauerkraut!
Meal 1: 1 hard boiled egg (woke up hungry and had to go teach bootcamp this morning!)
Meal 2: 2 eggs with avocado and chicken sausage, black coffee
Meal 3: 1/2 apple (my first fruit in 8 days!) and 1 tbl spoon of almond butter (this was before my painful workout)
Meal 4: Post exercise recovery drink (1 cup coconut water mixed with green powder and 6-8 grams L-glutamine)
Meal 5: beef, turkey and veggie marinara over spaghetti squash (so yummy!)
Meal 6: A little more of meal 5 about an hour before bed (didn’t want to go bed feeling hungry)
I added broccoli, mushrooms, and green beans to this yummy meat marinara. I used TJ's organic marinara in a jar (no sugar added and only a few ingredients)
I LOVE to use spaghetti squash as a "pasta" under a nice meat and veggie marinara. Plus it's ridiculously easy to make: stick the whole darn thing in the over at 375 for an hour.
I’m glad you feel proud!
Because that’s really the trick… it’s NEVER about being perfect. it’s ALWAYS about how fast you get back on the wagon!
Sunday 16 oct is my day 8 on the plan.
Breakfast - 2 eggs made into am omelette and stuffed with baby kale (earthbound farms from whole foods - much easier way to eat it raw than the full sized stuff) and salsa
Lunch - tuna, broccoli, green beans, red and white cabbage shredded, sunflower seeds and homemade mustard and balsamic dressing
Dinner - homemade beef chilli con Carne on a bed of sautéed kale and homemade tomato salsa on the side
Feel proud I’m back on the wagon after last nights slip up. In the past id have thought I’d blown it and continued to eat rubbish but I was actually looking forward to making myself feel healthier by eating well again
SaWeeet!!
Breakfast: broccoli, chicken sausage, 2 eggs
Lunch: 1 grilled chicken, 1 turkey spinach patty with bacon, avocado, lots of steamed veggies
Snack: couple bites of crushed berries and spinach
Dinner: 1 grilled chicken, steamed broccolli
Caffeine: Green Tea
Exercise: Bootcamp
Food journal for 10/4 day 8
B-scrambled eggs with sautéed spinach and mushrooms
L-Salad-lettuce, carrotts, radishes, peppers, cucumbers, olives (10), 4 ounces chicken, EVOO and red wine vinegar-which tastes like pure heaven at this point. I cup of decaf coffee with So Coconut Milk Vanilla flavor
Snack-4pm 10 carrots and 1.5 ounces of salami (salami had no sugar or carbs. It is from Whole Foods and a pretty satisfying snack)
Dinner-8pm Steak (not sure how much), asparagus and salad from above without chicken.
L Glutamine 2 today and 2 vitamins.
Woke up this morning and lost another pound! Definitely stoked!
Saweet Gina!
Just a note on fruit. I love it too. It’s a great thing to eat and have in your diet. The problems only arise if you have major sugar influxes and cravings. That’s why spending a little time without is usually beneficial
Hi Audra and Kristin,
I am sooo attached to my fruit!
Yes, it is the sweet thing I am sure.
The scale has moved another 1/2 lb in the right direction.
I ate some BEEF and I kind of enjoyed it for the first time (of course it was from Filletti’s Market and was an Organic Grass Fed very expensive Steak)
Last night for dinner I made Fish TAcos that were delicious and used lettuce leaves as the replacement for the tortillas.
I have a very very busy week but this is week 3 now and I am on a roll!
Gina
Gina!!!
Welcome aboard! So glad you are sharing… One thing I’m guessing based on your comments above is that you do like your sweets, and the 4pm pick-me-up (that I am all too familiar with) very well could have more to do with the stress in your life. Stress = increased Cortisol (stess hormone) = decreased Serotonin (that feel-good neurotransmitter) = 4pm caffeine and sugar cravings. We’ll be digging DEEP into the stress and cortisol connection this week during our coaching session… so get ready!
I would highly recommend adding the L-glutamine regime. Use it to heal your gut (with the applesauce/L-glut/ground flax combo), use it if you have a craving (pill form), and use it around your workout for recovery. “Greens with Bananna Coconut Milk and Coconut water shake” sounds delicious, but a little too sweet and not enough protein.
Okay… that’s all I have for you right now. Keep posting and lets nip this weight loss in the bud!
Yay Kristen!
It’s funny you mentioned the Andale chicken salad…I’ve been addicted to that salad for like a year now! Andale’s is one of my favorite out-to-eat places specifically for that salad.
Glad you are doing well and I’m excited to hear how it goes for you this week with the addition of exercise!
Hi Audra and Kristin-
SInce I have not posted yet this may be a bit long…
Inspired by Elayna and having the same challenge moving the needle on the scale I am going to try to post my food journal.
I have almost completed my first 2 weeks of the Challenge (Day 13 today)
I have refrained from wheat, legumes, dairy sugar, diet pepsi (yes, I know) and wine - even on my birthday! The Birthday chocolate bars still tempt me daily from the fridge! I have been good! The results are that the scale has gone down and up and did not budge for a few days until a pinch down yesterday resulting in a total weight loss of 4.5 lbs so far. Ideally I would love to achieve a 10 lb change this month but I am not too hung up on this number.
Some details about my food habits:
I am drinking a LOT more water than usual, but not enough.
I have always been a generally healthy eater - On the Challenge the biggest difference for me has been breakfast. I am BIG on b-fast and I miss my Raisin Bran (Fiber) and Fruit and Yogurt!! I do not eat red meat.
Also, I work a lot and have a crazy work schedule. There are days when I travel and can not bring my own food to work (I may be in an hospital operating room for 8+ hours)
In fact I think much of my weight gain over the past few years is the result of JOB STRESS, and Pizza which has been a staple of my diet since birth. I am not much of a snacker - but I do like sweets sometimes ( 4pm coffee and cookie anyone?) I am a daily black coffee drinker. I have limited this to 1/2-1 cup a day in the AM for the challenge.
Yesterdays meals:
AM - Greens with Bananna Coconut Milk and Coconut water shake.
Lunch - Big salad with Spinach, Arugula, zucchini, carrots, beets, pumpkin seeds and a few pecans, oil and vinegar with Roast Chicken -
Dinner - Chicken with Summer squash, Steamed Cauliflower mashed with olive oil
Snack 1/2 bannana with few walnuts (and boy was this tasty!)
Today SAT.
AM
2 eggs poached over Butternut Squash diced like potatoes and 1/4 small avocado.
Thanks for your insight - SInce I am writing this down now it will be interesting to see if I limit my coconut water and nuts - since I know you will recommend these changes.
WIsh me luck!
Stay tuned!!
Gina
-
Lost about 4 lbs in a week. Feel fabulous!
Breakfast - leftover swordfish and grilled veggies from night before
Almonds
Lunch - baked chicken and salad, vinigrette dressing
Almonds
Dinner - Andale mesquite chicken salad - lettuce, chicken, avocado, tomatoes, a bit of cheese, oil/vinegar/garlic dressing
Snack - 1/2 c coconut juice and green powder - my new treat - yummy
need to get the exercise thing going - boot camp orientation on Saturday!
need to get into habit of bringing food for hunger between meals - between lunch and dinner can be 8 hours
Awesome Elayna.
So far So good… I did recall you saying you were willing to add a little fish to your diet? Let me know how that goes.
Day 8
After the disappointment of reporting no weight loss last week and feeling that I had followed the guidelines fairly strictly, I’m committed to blogging my food this week and am open to suggestions for maximum results. Reminder, I’m a veggie, so you’ll see I’m doing some protein powder since I’d like to stay clear of legumes and tofu for a while.
Morning: Apple Cider Vinegar Shot, L-Glut
Breakfast: 8 oz carrot juice mixed with 1 scoop (this is 1/2 a serving) plant based protein powder (Vega brand), 1 cup raw green beans
Post workout / Lunch: Mixed greens, 2 HB eggs, 1/4 Avocado, 1/2 small sweet potato, olive oil & balsamic
Snack: 4oz Kombucha, 1 tspn almond butter, celery
Dinner: 1/2 cup summer squash soup (onion, garlic, squash, seasonings), grilled asparagus, kale, 2 scrambled eggs
Lots o water and herbal tea throughout the day.
Thanks for the call tonight. Going to introduce flax seed as soon as I can get to the store!
I’ve been weighing myself everyday and up until yesterday it’s been smooth sailing with the weigh-ins. Yesterday I gained one pound.. Usually that would give me all the reason I need to go on a “binge” but somehow my focus immediately went to other cues such as fitting into a pair of jean that were too tight just two weeks ago and being fully aware of how much better I feel.
This morning i weighed in and lost the pound plus another half lb for a grand total of nine.
Breakfast
coffee w almond milk
1 slice nitrate free bacaon
one egg scrambled with summer squash and onion
Lunch
Mixed greens
tomatoes
cucumber
onion
radishes
roasted carrots
roasted portabellas
sauteed scallps
1/4 avacado
Dressing 1tsp olive oil
1 tbls coconut vinegar
1 tbls balsamic v
Snack 1/2 glass Kombucha -
Dinner
4oz roasted chicken w lemon herbs
homemade salsa
roasted carrots
sauteed garlic and kale
Day 12 and so far, not really missing the fruit. Though sleep is still a bit of a challenge.
Whew….
This one’s a doozy. I think that perspective is in order here.
1. My first comment is that you are on 30-day eat clean challenge specifically focused eating foods as close to their natural state. And speaking from this perspective, you are trying to figure out a man-made way to snack on veggies. vacume fried or not… you’re eating “potato chips”. let it go.
2. From a ‘nutritional value’ persective, is it a crispy creme donut or nitrate filled crap-ola? No. Is Caonola Oil/Palm oil one that you should be consuming on a normal basis? No.
3. From a live my life perspective: We are going to get into this during the last call, but lets dig in a little here. You are calling foods “good” and “bad”…which most people do. For now, lets start to realize that no food is inherently “good” or “bad”. We attach these labels based on a ginormous food/diet industry filled with experts and marketing propaganda. Spinach does not walk around with a halo above it, while a twinkie is not a hell-sent product to ruin your life. Some foods may move you towards greater health and others may not be as nutrient/life giving in a food label comparison. But… there are times and situations where a “bad food” can actually bring huge benefits to your life, and actually nourish your body in a way that a “good food” might. Greater health and nutrition go far beyond “just picking the healthiest foods”. Your quality of life, relationships, emotions, stress, sleep, and soooo much more go into this.
But for now… stick to your promise of “30-days clean and lean”, and we’ll dig into the other juicy stuff soon. : )
pre-workout: nothing today
boot camp! 330 cals
post-workout: 2 scoops amazing grass w/ 1 c coconut juice & water
breakfast: 2 eggs w/ sunflower seeds & hot sauce; 1/2 yam
midmorning snack: kombucha
lunch:
big salad w/ lettuce, tomato, hard boiled egg, 1/4 avocado, black olives, olive oil, hot sauce, bay shrimp
16 oz coconut water
pm snack: 2oz nuts (am i doing too many nuts?)
dinner:
2 oz roast chicken
2 oz steak
sauteed green beans (is this a veggie or a bean for our purposes??)
1oz ceviche
1/2 sweet potato (i know, not after a workout…but it was my only indulgence!)
piece of yucca
mustard sauce (maybe this has sugar…not sure)
Hi Audra,
I am a snacker as you know and have been in search of healthy snacking items. I have come across Veggie Chips and I actually think these are quite tasty. I have found them at farmer’s markets in a few cases as well as in some random grocery stores. They are basically low temperature vacuum fried veggies. Veggies, salt and of course the oil.
Therefore, I am wondering how bad these are as a snack option: I could find the ones I actually have purchased but in order for you to check it out I have found this link to show what I am talking about:
http://www.daniellechips.com/
Nutritional info – different site same type of product:
http://www.fatsecret.com/Diary.aspx?pa=fjrd&rid=1042337
Here are my thoughts around trying to figure out if these are good/bad:
1. Oil used – if canola or palm oil – not so good. Possibly the lone reason to say they are not good “period”. Possibly okay if olive oil, almond, grapeseed oil used but not canola or palm oil.
2. Low temperature Vaccum fried – “fried” is also not so good but the concept of low temp vacuum fried is that less oil is absorbed by the veggies and fried at lower temperatures to retain nutritional value.
But – in scale of “Oustanding For You” – “Horrible For You”, I would think this finds it’s way into the “Good For You” snack option or on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being fresh veggies this would fall at an 7 or 6.
Your nutritional expertise please.
Audra, thank you so much for the call on Monday. It really reinvigorated me. I think I was struggling a bit. And I’m glad you reminded us to journal our meals. Here’s my food log for Tuesday 5/3!
Breakfast: Hard-boiled egg (I prep these in advance so they’re quick in the morning)
Snack: 3/4 cup mixed nuts- pecans, cashews, pistachios
Lunch: Canned tuna with dijon, carrots, and green beans. Top with mixed greens (kale, chard, dandelion greens) and Bragg’s.
Snack: Celery with almond butter
Dinner: Went out to eat at Barbacco-AMAZING FOOD! Had a celery-root and apple salad (no dressing) and flank steak with asparagus and a poached egg.
After dinner, though, I felt super hungry! I am not sure why. Maybe I didn’t have enough for breakfast with the one egg, given that I worked out on Monday. Anyway, I had dinner around 6:30, and by 10, when I was coming back from the comedy show I attended, I was still really hungry. I had my second serving of fruit (banana), almond butter, and another hard-boiled egg.
my modified veggie meals
green shake for breakfast (1 avocado, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, spinach, lime, green powder, almond milk)
snack: carrot sticks and tsp almond butter
1 cup black coffee with coconut milk (unsweetened)
lunch: 1/2 cup sauteed tofu (olive oil)
1/2 cup sprouted beans
salad greens
raw broccoli
grated turnip
1 tbsp tahini
1 apple
preworkout: 1/2 serving( l -glutamine, coconut water, amazing grass)
post workout: 1/2 serving (l-glutamine, coconut water, amazing grass)
dinner: sauteed onion, garlic, spinach, veggie broth, organic tomato puree, sauteed soy meatballs