After lots of talking about it, my wife and I have finally embarked on a 30 day Clean Eating Challenge. It's definitely time, I'm at or near the heaviest I've probably ever been and definitely feeling the aging process more - just can't take the self-abuse like I used to :). I have to say it's fascinating what you learn about your own body and how dependent you do get on certain things in your diet. The good news going into it is that I like just about anything I can put in my mouth, so no matter what they have me eat, it's game on! The first week is a cleanse/sugar detox - I expected it to be miserable and I expected to be hungry all the time. NOT true, in fact it's the opposite. This particular diet cuts out dairy, sugar and carbs almost completely the first week; the little sugar/carbs I get are all natural. But the good news is I'm in protein heaven. 5 meals a day rotating several recipes (Spinach salads being a constant) but an example of a day would be:
Breakfast: 2 whole eggs + 4 egg whites scrambled with peppers, spinach and fresh salsa and a banana afterwards
Lunch #1 (about 10:30 am): Cajun chicken breast, baked brussel sprouts and brown rice
Lunch #2: (about noon or 1:00) Spinach salad with tomatoes, peppers and a homemade vinaigrette dressing
Supper #1: (about 5:00) Baked Salmon (big portion) with asparagus and brown rice
Supper #2: (About 7:00) another Spinach salad - same as above but add 4 hardboiled egg whites
I'm never hungry, even when it's time to eat. In fact I've had to throw out the last few bites a couple of times because I'm so stuffed . And the provided recipes are fantastic - very tasty. Obviously have to drink a lot of water and I can still have my morning coffee. I'm only on Day 4 but can already feel the changes happening:
Positives - More energy, never hungry, sleeping better, more "regular", already down 3 quick pounds, but feel like i'm eating more than ever.
Negatives - Carb/Sugar withdrawl is a thing. Noticeable (but not debilitating) headaches - especially at the end of the day. No alcohol :(, LOT of prep work to maintain the meals, takes some dedication.
What I've learned - while I've always loved eggs, I thought they didn't "agree" with me. So when I saw that I had to essentially eat 6 eggs for breakfast, I told my wife "the Cleanse" will be in full-effect within an hour after our first breakfast. But this hasn't happened. In fact I'm surprised how little I have to go, given the amount of food I'm eating. After all these years, I think it was the dairy and carbs, NOT the eggs. I'm usually putting cheese on my eggs, eating toast with them, etc. I'm not a milk drinker and never have been, so I get most of my dairy through cheese. We will find out next week when we start to bring a little of that stuff back in.
I am excited for the cleanse to be over as there's not much variety and I truly feel like I'm overeating - next week it's back to three meals/day with healthy snacks in-between, and the recipes look awesome. We both agree that were' not going to complicate our lives even more for this, we're just too busy. Gotta go to Duluth for three days for my son's hockey tournament tomorrow morning and still technically have 3 cleanse days left. Going to pack the salads and just try to make healthier restaurant choices for the rest. Toughest is the no drinking, best part of youth hockey is the adult socializing! Might trade the Busch Light for Vodka, Club Soda and Lime. :)
Anyway, I'll share good recipes we discover on this journey. Always good to have more healthy options.
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Topic: 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge (Read 34503 times)
