Clean Eating diet.. let's go!

Alright, my cruise is all booked for April 2019, destination: Hawaii! I am beyond excited, and the thought of lounging in the pools/hot tubs and swimming in the ocean for a couple of weeks has me super motivated to lose as much weight as possible before my trip.

I have quite the task ahead of me. And it will be physically impossible to achieve a 'beach body' in just under a year, so I'm not going to be discouraged by unrealistic expectations. I would say I have about 120 pounds to lose to get to my ideal weight. Yeah- quite a journey!

I don't know how much weight I'll realistically be able to lose in the next year, but I've already tackled it head on. I'm doing what I call a 'clean eating diet', which I have done in the past and it's fairly successful if you stick with it. I'm curious to know if anyone else on these forums is doing anything similar.

There are a lot of ways to define 'clean eating'. But for me, it means cutting out basically anything that's been processed or comes in a can or package. There are a few exceptions- I'm not giving up my coffee. (But I'm using sugar free creamers.) I drink fat free skim milk. And of course, trying to keep up with proteins by way of boneless/skinless chicken breast (baked with salt and pepper), and eggs. I'm not ditching the yolks because I feel that eggs are very healthy on their own. I'm also snacking very sparingly on rice cakes now and then. Aside from all of that- the bulk of my diet is fresh veggies and a very small amount of fruit. (Oddly, I've never cared for fruit very much.) And since fruit does contain a lot of (natural) sugar, I'm going light on that. I AM having certain cereals for breakfast currently, but want to phase that out pretty soon.

I realize this particular diet plan is pretty extreme and tends to go too far in the opposite end of the spectrum where I begin risking not getting enough important things in my diet that I might need, so I am open to suggestions and recommendations.

Here is my typical meal plan as it stands:

Breakfast: Bowl of plain cheerios or Kashi Organic Sweet Potato Sunshine cereal flakes with fat free skim milk

Lunch: Two eggs, 2 slices of turkey bacon (both cooked in skillet with only cooking spray, no butters or oils). Sliced avocado.

Snack:

Sliced avocado, OR celery and radishes, OR 1 banana

Dinner:

Green leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, small drizzle of Ranch (Less than 1 tablespoon, this will be phased out soon as well, need to find a natural dressing. Maybe squeezed lemon?)

1 boneless skinless chicken breast (baked)

Serving of fresh asparagus, or green beans, or sliced tomato or other fresh vegetable as a side

Evening snack/dessert: Handful of mini rice cakes (maybe 10 or so of the really small ones), or 1 banana or other piece of fresh fruit

I think I'd like to add in some beans, as I heard they are healthy, but I'm not sure which ones are best for dieting and weight loss. Black beans? I also might get some hummus- even though it's processed, I think it's also healthy. I may do some research.

As for exercise, I am blessed to have an elliptical in my house, so I'm on that every day, adding more time daily to start building up my stamina.

I will allow some cheat days now and then. I'm going on an overnight trip this weekend and plan on having dinner out, so I'll enjoy myself for that. But as long as I'm home, I'm following the plan above, for the most part.

Has anyone else done a similar diet? I try hard to be as strict as possible about staying away from processed/canned/packaged foods of any kind. But would love to hear some suggestions, as I know there are some things I could probably add in that might be healthy, like greek yogurt, canned black beans or hummus.

(Also I know the turkey bacon isn't great, I bought a bunch right before I started this so I'm using that to fill in some protein while I get the meal plans worked out.)

My husband and I are thinking about Hawaii in 2020 for our 25th anniversary:hearteyes::cool:. I'll give you some of my thoughts below. Please join us in the weekly weigh-in thread - it's friendly accountability and encouragement.

Alright, my cruise is all booked for April 2019, destination: Hawaii! I am beyond excited, and the thought of lounging in the pools/hot tubs and swimming in the ocean for a couple of weeks has me super motivated to lose as much weight as possible before my trip.

 

I have quite the task ahead of me. And it will be physically impossible to achieve a 'beach body' in just under a year, so I'm not going to be discouraged by unrealistic expectations. I would say I have about 120 pounds to lose to get to my ideal weight. Yeah- quite a journey! I usually see 1# per week as a safe, sustainable goal for healthy weight loss. In one year that's 50# (giving a little grace for Christmas and birthday;)) That's close to half your goal and I have to think you'll have lots more energy not carrying that extra weight on your frame. I lost nearly 50# a few years ago, but have regained about 40 of it and definitely feel the effects of the extra weight.

 

I don't know how much weight I'll realistically be able to lose in the next year, but I've already tackled it head on. I'm doing what I call a 'clean eating diet', which I have done in the past and it's fairly successful if you stick with it. I'm curious to know if anyone else on these forums is doing anything similar.

 

There are a lot of ways to define 'clean eating'. But for me, it means cutting out basically anything that's been processed or comes in a can or package. There are a few exceptions- I'm not giving up my coffee. (But I'm using sugar free creamers.) I drink fat free skim milk. And of course, trying to keep up with proteins by way of boneless/skinless chicken breast (baked with salt and pepper), and eggs. I'm not ditching the yolks because I feel that eggs are very healthy on their own. I'm also snacking very sparingly on rice cakes now and then. Aside from all of that- the bulk of my diet is fresh veggies and a very small amount of fruit. (Oddly, I've never cared for fruit very much.) And since fruit does contain a lot of (natural) sugar, I'm going light on that. I AM having certain cereals for breakfast currently, but want to phase that out pretty soon. I think eating whole foods in their most natural/least refined form is a good way of approaching things. Please check with a nutritionist or your family doctor to verify what will be best for your body.

Sugar free creamer is not particularly clean if it's an artificial sweetener - maybe try milk and stevia, or even a small amount of natural sugar. Honey is a natural sweetener, white is refined molasses (and brown sugar is less refined than white). There are probably other natural sweeteners too.

Fruits can really vary on their sugar content. Bananas are very high carb while berries are lower. Apples with skin on will fall between but gives some fiber and I find more filling (and economical) than berries.

I think whole eggs are fine, also good fats (olive and coconut oil, some animal fats like butter) but would avoid artificial sprays, margarine, and more processed corn oils.

I realize this particular diet plan is pretty extreme and tends to go too far in the opposite end of the spectrum where I begin risking not getting enough important things in my diet that I might need, so I am open to suggestions and recommendations.

 

Here is my typical meal plan as it stands:

 

Breakfast: Bowl of plain cheerios or Kashi Organic Sweet Potato Sunshine cereal flakes with fat free skim milk Another thought are oatmeal jars. Should be cleaner than the cereals (although yours sound like reasonable choices). Lots of recipes on-line and many are make-ahead. Can be eaten warm or cold and you can add chia seeds for extra protein/fiber. Should be more filling than the cereal too.

 

Lunch: Two eggs, 2 slices of turkey bacon (both cooked in skillet with only cooking spray, no butters or oils). Sliced avocado.

I'd add some leafy greens, possibly some berries. No turkey is going to be "clean" but I'd go with a good traditional bacon from a local butcher/meat store rather than turkey bacon (unless it's from a poultry farm and local turkey bacon).

 

Snack:

Sliced avocado, OR celery and radishes, OR 1 banana

Some other snack ideas: nuts, small amount of dried fruit, PB with the celery, cheese, hummus

 

Dinner:

Green leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, small drizzle of Ranch (Less than 1 tablespoon, this will be phased out soon as well, need to find a natural dressing. Maybe squeezed lemon?)

1 boneless skinless chicken breast (baked)

Serving of fresh asparagus, or green beans, or sliced tomato or other fresh vegetable as a side

Grilled or roasted can be good options for preparing your protein too. Fish tends to be low fat also.

 

Evening snack/dessert: Handful of mini rice cakes (maybe 10 or so of the really small ones), or 1 banana or other piece of fresh fruit

 

I think I'd like to add in some beans, as I heard they are healthy, but I'm not sure which ones are best for dieting and weight loss. Black beans? I also might get some hummus- even though it's processed, I think it's also healthy. I may do some research.

 

As for exercise, I am blessed to have an elliptical in my house, so I'm on that every day, adding more time daily to start building up my stamina.

 

I will allow some cheat days now and then. I'm going on an overnight trip this weekend and plan on having dinner out, so I'll enjoy myself for that. But as long as I'm home, I'm following the plan above, for the most part.

 

Has anyone else done a similar diet? I try hard to be as strict as possible about staying away from processed/canned/packaged foods of any kind. But would love to hear some suggestions, as I know there are some things I could probably add in that might be healthy, like greek yogurt, canned black beans or hummus.

 

(Also I know the turkey bacon isn't great, I bought a bunch right before I started this so I'm using that to fill in some protein while I get the meal plans worked out.)

Your plan seems a little to severe at a quick glance, and hard to sustain (for me). When I lost the weight portion control and exercise were key. It really made a difference when I tracked my food (MyFitness Pal) and measured portions. When we got lazy about tracking what we were eating (and cut back a lot on cardio) the weight came back.

Exercise is important too. I'd see if you can incorporate some strength training too to compliment the cardio.

Best wishes in getting healthier!

Hi PaCruise, thanks- all of that is really valuable information! I actually had been sticking with bananas because I figured they were lower in sugar than most berries, but hadn't considered carbs. I did have a little bit of no sugar added peanut butter last night with the banana, but felt guilty- hah. I love peanut butter a little too much ;) So I try to avoid it unless I really feel like I need an extra kick of energy.

I like your oatmeal suggestion. I know there are some like steel cut oats, I think? That are more 'healthy'. I'll look into that, maybe with a tiny bit of peanut butter, or honey, and a sprinkle of walnuts mixed it it would be a good option. I'm trying to make sure everything I eat has a good nutritional value and no 'filler' stuff. (Though, the rice cakes don't exactly fall into that category.) I do know this diet is pretty extreme, but it also needs quite a bit of tweaking. Your suggestions give me a great place to start.

I will check out the weigh in thread, thank you. :)

I would agree with PaCruise that trying to do a diet on your own without proper tracking is a recipe for failure. Doesn't mean you will fail, but tracking everything helps big time. MyFitnessPal is excellent. Have you also considered Keto? That works without the need to really track much and is very effective. If you are going to be aggressive with limit yourself, why not do Keto?

Have you looked at plans like Nutrisystem? It's not "clean" - though you do get a lot of veggies, but the program is simple to follow, easy to track, and can help keep you on track.

Have you tried the new Weight Watchers Plan.

I was trying to go total Vegan but my doctor told me she wanted me to have a little bit of chicken an fish and the good fats like avacado and nuts.

A lot of the 0 point foods are included in what you have listed. Eggs, fish, shell fish, beans, lentils and even corn.Non Fat free Greek yogurt, veggies and fruit. I limit my self to 2-3 fruits because of the natural sugar. Corn I need to be careful so limit that to corn and n the cob. Beans I limit to 1/2 cup a meal.

I started 3 weeks before I left on an Alaska Cruise lost 7lbs. I gained 3 on a two week cruise and have lost another 7 since I have been home.

I have found this really easy to follow.

I have lost quite a bit of weight on a limited processed food eating plan. I would not do artificial sugar, really bad for your body and I believe it makes you crave other things. Instead I use a little raw honey in my tea or coffee. I also use whole milk in my tea because it is less processed. I'll give you a typical day for me: breakfast 2 eggs poached or scrambled with an apple, lunch is whole milk plain Greek yogurt with berries, dinner is a protein usually chicken, lots of veggies, and a salad. If I do more exercise or am hungry I have an extra veggie or a piece of fruit. I do not put dressing on salad. A lot of the stuff you are eating is processed: artificial sweetener, rice cakes and cereal. I also use a fitbit and walk in total about 8 to 10 miles a day (this includes every step taken from AM to PM). I lost about 40 lbs. doing this and after the first 3 days didn't feel hungry. Think about being as close to nature as possible, I try to eat organic when I can and I buy a lot at local farmers markets. The reason for using whole fat dairy products is they fill you up more and are less processed than their low fat counterparts. Hope this helps and good luck with your weight loss journey. I learned the hard way it is easy to put back on when stress causes you to go off the plan so if you go off for a special occasion try to get right back to eating healthy.