Eating clean works

USMCBride90

I don't know if any of you remember my post a couple months ago about always feeling bloated and just "yucky" even after changing my diet. Well....I've been sticking with the clean eating and I have to say, I feel 100% better. I guess it just needed some time to kick in. Anyone who is looking to change their eating habits and just live a healthier lifestyle, please consider clean eating as opposed to "dieting". It's so much healthier than any fad diet or those of you looking for a "quick fix", and you feel healthy from the inside out.

I used to think I ate pretty healthy before I started eating clean, but I learned that just because I was drinking diet mountain dew and crystal light did not = healthy. Neither did the lean cuisine dinners or any of my other "healthy foods".

I kicked the diet pop habit and stopped drinking the crystal light. The aspartame and fake sugars were what was causing all the bloating and uncomfortable stomach problems I was having. I stopped eating processed and packaged food like lean cuisines and other pre-packaged dinners/snacks. Those don't do your body any good, even though they claim to fame is a "quick healthy meal". I stopped eating bread and traded it for other complex carbs like oatmeal. I increased my water intake immensely, and gradually added in more natural whole foods like fruits and veggies. Instead of looking for a quick fix for dinner, I made more chicken and fish and paired it with a complex carb like brown rice or steel cut oatmeal.

It seriously did wonders for my body. Now I choose whole foods and use it to fuel my body. WIth the workouts that I do on a daily basis, I realized what I was eating before wasn't giving my body the fuel it needed. If I can't grow it, pick it or kill it, I usually don't eat it. I always look at the ingredients on the back of the package. If the list is too long or I don't know what's in it, I normally won't buy it. The key is to focus on whole, natural foods that you can prepare yourself.

If anyone is looking for a healty lifestyle and way to get fit, I would whole-heartedly recommend eating clean as a lifestyle change. It will make a huge difference. Just thought I'd share my experience with anyone out there who is looking at making some changes

MrsKathyC

So what do you eat now to replace the Lean Cuisines?  I'm always looking for quick, easy lunch ideas.

USMCBride90

Instead of lean cuisines I usually prepare chicken breast for dinner, and then take the leftovers with me to work the next couple of days. I also got a big bag of individually wrapped Tilapia fillets from the grocery store and will have those for dinner. I love fish, so the individual tilapia is a really good option.

Chicken is so versatile. You can make so many things with it and really spice it up. I eat alot of whole oats also. Steel cut oats are a great complex carb to pair with meals, and also sweet potatoes. Even a little bag of baby carrots or another veggie is good to take with you. 

I'm a huge fan of quick easy meals also since my schedule is so busy with work and everything else going on. The key is to plan your meals out and prepare them ahead of time if you can. That's why I always make extra chicken and take leftovers for work

turtleslove

I am so glad you were able to make these changes! Clean eating can change your life in so many ways, congrats!!

firsttimersluck

awesome! Yeah.. my freezer is practically empty.. No processed foods in this house. 

If nothing else, it just makes you FEEL better. 

So glad to hear that you fixed the bloating problem ! 

jCoakley

I have to agree with you! I've been eating clean (or as clean as possible) for a few months now and I love it so much. I can't imagine going back to eating all that junk!

WildMagelet

What do you drink now? I get so bored with the bland taste of water and almond milk wouldn't work very well for me at work.

AndreaCata

Congrats!!

And amen!! Clean eating is great!!

firsttimersluck

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_eating-clean-works?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:d9fd1f0a-dbe6-4276-aa80-fdaf25560558Post:430b54f1-2deb-4468-a8db-fc870526e7e9">Re: Eating clean works</a>:
[QUOTE]What do you drink now? I get so bored with the bland taste of water and almond milk wouldn't work very well for me at work.
Posted by flutterbride2b[/QUOTE]

<div>If you are wanting other options, just start adding fruit to your water.. I do that a lot just to keep my Vitamin C up. </div><div>Even things like fizzy water with splashes of a fruit juice can be a great option.. Just make sure to get the sugar-free juices. </div>

USMCBride90

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_eating-clean-works?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:238Discussion:d9fd1f0a-dbe6-4276-aa80-fdaf25560558Post:430b54f1-2deb-4468-a8db-fc870526e7e9">Re: Eating clean works</a>:
[QUOTE]What do you drink now? I get so bored with the bland taste of water and almond milk wouldn't work very well for me at work.
Posted by flutterbride2b[/QUOTE]

Like firsttimer suggested - I add fruit to my water sometimes. Most of the time I just drink plain water though. I think for me it's harder to drink enough water when I'm just drinking out of a cup. So what I did was get one of those fancy-schmancy cups with a lid and straw at wal mart, and I use that at work. I drink so much more water that way, I'm not sure why lol

If you get sick of that, or adding fruit just isn't enough flavor, you could try making some homemade unsweetened iced tea :)

[Deleted User]

Do you have any favorite cookbooks or sites to get ideas/started? I know I need to cut out the artificial sugars. You can use honey or agave for coffee? Or am I off with this one?

USMCBride90

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_eating-clean-works?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:d9fd1f0a-dbe6-4276-aa80-fdaf25560558Post:6c3207f8-b73c-4996-bd9f-850ea28a62e9">Re: Eating clean works</a>:
[QUOTE]Do you have any favorite cookbooks or sites to get ideas/started? I know I need to cut out the artificial sugars. You can use honey or agave for coffee? Or am I off with this one?
Posted by mtyler24[/QUOTE]

Honestly I kind of just started on my own, I didn't go by any cookbooks or anything like that. I think I actually first saw it on Pinterest, believe it or not lol They've got some great links to sites that talk about eating clean. I don't drink a whole lot of coffee, just because I don't really like the taste (I know, I'm weird!), but I know a lot of people who use honey to sweeten their coffee instead of sugar and cream. As long as it's natural, pure honey I think using a small amount for coffee would be much better for you :)

To start off, cutting out all the artificial crap is going to help get you going. Like you said, get rid of the artificial sugars/sweeteners and any processed food. So if you eat lean cuisines (which I admit I used to stock up because I thought they were healthy) get rid of them. I think the biggest, and maybe the toughest step is to stop eating processed food and artficial sugars. After a few weeks though, you'll start noticing a difference. So I think that would be a good starting point for you.

After that, start incorporating more whole foods into your diet. Swap out "quick fix" snacks like granola bars (if you eat any) for fruits or veggies. Some of those granola bars and other snacks are loaded with sugar, even if they claim to be healthy. There are so many options out there that are so much better for you.

Don't cut all your favorites things out though. I'm a chocolate freak, so I let myself have a little bit of dark chocolate almost every day. Don't deprive yourself! I also love a glass of red wine with dinner some nights.

Think of food as fuel for your body. You need to nourish your body in order to feel good and function at your best - and processed/fake crap isn't going to help give it the fuel it needs :) I could go on and on about this, so feel free to message or email me!