So, speaking of routines...this definitely goes for my eating. I have to know ahead of time what I'll be eating the next day or so. Might sound weird, but it not only keeps me calm, it keeps me on track with what I put in my mouth. So with the holiday goodies behind me, I decided to research the Eat Clean Diet. A lot of you have mentioned it with nothing but great things to say. I read the book over the holiday break and truthfully, it's not that far off from how I eat during the week now except that eating clean will incorporate more protein and veggies into my diet. For those of you not familiar with the program, here are a few of the principles:
- Eat 5-6 small meals a day, eating every 2-3 hours
- Combine lean protein and complex carbs at every meal
- Consume adequate healthy fats every day
- Avoid processed, refined foods (especially white flour and sugar)
- Avoid chemicals, preservatives and artificial sugar
- Avoid saturated and trans fats
You basically eat very healthy, making proper food choices, all while being mindful of portion sizes. Like I said, it's not that different than how I eat now during the week. But there's the one little, itsy, bitsy issue that I need to work on...the dreaded weekend. This is where I need help. I have to stop throwing away all my hard work when the weekend comes. I think the best way to tackle this is to plan my weekend eats. Treat Saturday and Sunday just like a work day and make my food for the day the night before. That way, when I need to eat, everything will be ready and I won't be tempted to reach for something I shouldn't be eating. Sadly, I guess this means no more crunch-n-munch.
I was also so motivated by some of the success stories I read from people who have switched to this way of eating that I had Andy take a before picture of me in my birthday...oh I mean, bathing suit this morning. Hopefully by the time Jamaica comes (4 months and counting) I'll be proud enough to post the after shots.
I was also so motivated by some of the success stories I read from people who have switched to this way of eating that I had Andy take a before picture of me in my birthday...oh I mean, bathing suit this morning. Hopefully by the time Jamaica comes (4 months and counting) I'll be proud enough to post the after shots.
Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon - 2 mi
Tues - 5 mi
Wed - off
Thurs - 16 mi
Fri - 2 mi
Sat - 5 mi
Sun - off
And if I haven't lost you yet, I posted 2 new reviews (Tierra Farm and French Meadow Bakery) on my review page yesterday. Be sure to check them out!
20 comments:
Good luck! You should post a menu of a normal day on this "diet".
Yup, the weekends are tough. I get carried away, plus my husband is a snacker so when he starts snacking, I do too.
Good luck with the eat clean diet. It looks smart.
I'm a huge fan of the Eat Clean Diet...there's plenty of info on the website for anyone wanting to see sample menus. Also, Tosca's Oxygen magazine is the best women's fitness magazine out there. There is a Clean Eating magazine as well.
I'm a big fan of Eat-Clean...it has gotten me back to my pre pregnancy weight and then some! Good luck...Jamaica is a great goal!
I like this eat-clean but I felt like I was doing it already so I kind of stopped following the recipes!
I'm curious to see what a day of this structured eating plan looks like!
I've been wondering about this book. I can't wait to read how you like it. I'm sure you'll look great when you go to Jamaica!
I think a lot of people do the same thing, eat a more healthful diet through the week and allow extras on the weekend. I must say, I think little indulgences do help to keep things in moderation.
But if the weekend means eating a bag of potato chips or box of cookies then the weekend might be a problem!
It would be interesting to see what a normal day on this plan looks like?!!
I know exactly how you feel! It seems so much easier to regulate yourself during the work week because there is structure. Then weekend hits and for some reason everything changes. I am excited to hear how this eat clean challenge works out for you. I may need to jump on board - especially after the offtrack week I had last week. Good luck!
I bought that book a few months ago and I really need to pull it out.
I think the whole "Eat Clean" diet is great. However, I would not spend the $$ on the book full price, but it 2nd hand & use it as a resource. The recipes are "complicated" i.e. too much work for each meal. Learn the concept of eating clean & then creat your own recipes/menu based on your likes/dislikes & lifestyle. With so many stores offering non-processed food, it just does not need to be so complicated as Tosca presents. Again, it's a great diet & I highly recommend it....
Avoid processed, refined foods (especially white flour and sugar). Avoid chemicals, preservatives and artificial sugar. Avoid saturated and trans fats.
That would eliminate about 90% of my food consumption - yikes!
No, my hips haven't bothered me since my chiro adjusted them a long time ago. The PT is convinced my ankle injury stems from the weak hips though, which is why they'd been focusing on that.
Good luck on getting your hip pain figured out. Do you have a chiro?
Good luck! You can do this! I am excited to hear how you do it - I have a lot of the same "issues" as you with the throwing it all out on the weekend. Have a Happy New Year!
Something that I LOVE is juicing. I'll buy a boatload of veggies at the store and stock my crisper. Whatever I don't get around to eating in a day or two goes into the juicer, that way I consume about 200 calories of pure vegetable juice. I stay full longer, instead of reaching for chocolate, and I get a huge dose of nutrients.
I have heard good things about this too..I am just awful at following a plan persay. I can't wait to hear what you think
Thanks for commenting on my blog :) Looks like you are pretty speedy yourself. How did you first 50 miler go? I really want to try and do one in 2010 but am a little scared. How far was your longest long run?
No matter how hard we try to ignore it food will make or break all of the running or fitness we do. Junk in = junk out. Repeat....
You are on the right track. You can tackle the weekend beast as well. Planning ahead it your ticket and I am the same way. not weird at all.
Good for you! This sounds like a great plan. I wish I had the discipline to eat clean.... maybe I do and I just don't know it yet. :) Good luck! Can't wait to see those after shots.
I hear you on the holidays. A few times this week I almost wished I was working so I'd be back in my routine. How sad is it that I actually found a silver lining in having the stomach flu today - no more binging!
Would you recommend this book overall? Or would it be better for me to learn all I can online?
i am the SAME with the weekends... weekdays are so good, then weekends it all goes away :) i am going to try to be better about this too and making my diet cleaner.
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