What does everyone mean by eat "Clean"?.....

J

joditoad1974

Cathlete
I know that means no junk food.....but does it mean no bread or red meat? No fat? On Weight Watchers (flex) we can eat basically anything if it is within our point range. Maybe this is why I am not seeing much improvment. Let me give you a sample of a day of meals for me:

Breakfast: 1 cup corn flakes w/ splenda (no milk) or plain biscuit
Snack: weight watcher chocolate cake (1 point)
lunch: Hamburger patty 3 oz, with baked lays chips
supper: baked chicken breast w/o skin, 10 fries baked, 1 slice light white bread.

All of this is within my points range for the day, so I am not going over points, I dont really like any veggies or fruits, but drink lite fruit juice sometimes.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Joanna
 
RE: What does everyone mean by eat

forgot to add some stats......158 lbs need to lose 25-30 lbs. Newbie to Cathe.......working upper x2 week, lower x2 week, basic step, bootcamp, kick punch crunch x1 week, 45 min cardio at YMCA x3 week.
 
RE: What does everyone mean by eat

Joanna,
I'm not an expert, but I'd say you definitely aren't "eating clean" although you may be eating within your calorie or "point" limit (I've never tried WW so I'll stick with calores, as that's about all the math I can do:D ).
Eating clean means eating foods as unprocessed as you can get them, whole grains, lean proteins, and absolutey fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruit juice is okay, if it's 100% juice, but it loses a lot of the benefits of whole fruit (fiber, vitamins, etc.)
I would suggest that you switch to a higher fiber cereal than cornflakes for breakfast, or maybe oatmeal if you like it, just pick one low in sugar, and have it with skim milk, lean dairy/calcium actually helps you to lose weight.
Snack: Fruit and yogurt, vegetables and salsa or cottage cheese, light cheese and whole grain crackers (with 3 grams of fiber, or more, per serving)
Lunch: If the hamburger patty is lean beef or ground turkey than you can stick with it, but you'll want to add some vegetables around it, Maybe a cup of vegetable soup, or salad. Ditch half of the baked lays and go for some nuts in the salad for crunch and maybe a few croutons.
Then an afternoon snack, same idea as the first
and dinner looks good, but needs some more fiber/vegetables. again, try adding a salad, steamed veggies, and change to 100% whole wheat bread (one with at least 3 grams of fiber per slice)
I know you say you don't like fruits and veggies, but make sure you add flavor and fat to them and I'm sure you can fit them in somewhere. Roast them (this sweetens them and intensifies the flavors) marinate in light salad dressing and spices, Balsalmic vinegar and herbs, melt lite butter on top, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. For fruit, try it with yogurt, cinnamon and a little sugar, dip into natural peanut butter.
Sorry this is so long, and I hope this helps. Work on the fruits and veggies and stay within your calorie/point limits and the pounds will start to come off fast with all the hard work outs you're doing. Also, I bet your workouts will improve as you build muscle and have more energy.
Good luck and happy sweating
:+
Mattea
 
RE: What does everyone mean by eat

Hi Joanna!

I hope you get alot of responses to this...it is discussed very frequently. If not, do a search in the open discussion for clean eating...you will see alot of threads on the subject. Everyone has a little bit of a differernt definition, but from what I've read from the educated crowd here, "Clean Eating" means eating food in a form as close to its natural state as possible, ie. not processed. Some refer to it as eating "whole foods". For example, eat an apple, not applesauce. Bake a potato instead of having fries or chips. Whole oats instead of cereal from a box, etc.

I'm doing Weight Watchers too! And I'm certainly no expert when it comes to clean eating, but on quickly glancing at your sample menu, I noticed a few things. Your carbs for the day seem to be alot of processed bread and or potatoes: baked chips, baked fries, WW cake, white bread, processed cereal or biscuit (really another type of white bread). This just doesn't look very nutritious, not to mention it could be high in sodium with the chips and fries.

I know you said you don't like fruits and veggies, but they are packed with nutrition your body needs, especially if you're working out with Cathe. WW guidelines do call for 5 fruits & veggies a day (not juice). I would substitute those in for alot the carbs in your current menu. That's not to say you can't have those things you mentioned, but maybe just not all on the same day. Does that make sense?

Another thing I do is at each meal I make sure to have a qualilty source of protein and carb. For breakfast I might make an omelette with one egg and two egg whites, add some onion and bell pepper and roll it up in a whole wheat tortilla. Lunch might be a mixed green salad with grilled chicken breast, lite italian dressing, and some fruit. I just try to mix it up a little, but I always try to have a fruit or veggie at every meal and snack and some good quality protein.

Sorry this is so long! I guess I got to rambling. I'm sure you'll get some great suggestions from others!

:D Nicole
 
RE: What does everyone mean by eat

Oh! I forgot to ask you Joanna...how do you feel during the day and after a workout when you eat like this? Are you energized? Also you didn't mention it, but are you drinking your water? All that sodium could be taking a toll also. Mattea had some great suggestions for you. Good Luck!

:) Nicole
 
RE: What does everyone mean by eat

Here's a thread about what clean eating is:

http://69.0.137.118/dc/dcboard.php?..._id=123404&mesg_id=123404&listing_type=search

From your list of food, I wouldn't consider white bread, chips, chocolate cake, corn flakes (highly processed) or biscuit (which I assume is made with white flour and not home-made) as "clean" (though I personally hate the term and prefer "whole foods" to it). "Lite fruit juice" is not really fruit juice, is it?
 
RE: What does everyone mean by eat

i drink about 6-8 glasses of plain water a day, and I also drink caffine free diet dr pepper. I usually feel pretty good during the day, I take one a day weight smart for my vitamins. I am sometimes really hungry after I do a really difficult workout (like boot camp). I have lost about 18 lbs since November, but I am wanting to lose about 20-30 more lbs, and get some muscle definition. I know I do not eat healthy, but I dont like salads, or vegtables. Whole wheat bread is pretty good, and I love baked chicken. I dont eat eggs, cheese or drink milk, but I usually chew a couple tums everyday. My eating habits have been strange ever since childhood, it is very hard to change now. I have tried to eat vegatables, and they almost make me sick. So do things like salads. I feel like one of these people on fear factor when I am trying something new. I would just as soon eat a worm than to eat a tomato. I know I am very strange. It is a mental hang up for some reason. My husband picks with me and says he is going to call Dr. Phil......LOL

Thanks for your help

Joanna
 
RE: What does everyone mean by eat

Joanna,

Have you checked into the Weight Watcher's CORE program? It will help you eat much cleaner, as you are choosing from a certain list of foods: whole grains, good fats, lean meats and eggs, etc. You don't have to weigh or measure or track points (though you get 35 flex points a week that are used for things outside the list). You will really start learning about wise choices, plus it helps with sugar cravings you may have.
 
RE: What does everyone mean by eat

Joanna,
It sounds like you're doing a lot of things right and congratulations on your 18lb. weightloss already, that is a huge accomplishment!:+
If you're hungry after a workout, then that's the time to eat (and probably try some fruit or veggies, b/c if you're REALLY hungry that's when stuff you'd usually turn your nose up at starts to sound good:D)
If you want more muscle definition you have to try and eat at least a little healthier and add some more lean protein into the diet and some variety. I second the suggestion of the WW Core plan, from what I've heard it sounds like a good "clean" eating plan.
If you hate veggies (and really all veggies? even sweet potatoes, corn, sweet peas, zucchini and eggplant, which barely taste like anything, same with cauliflower?) then try "hiding" them in foods that you would normally eat, like pureeing them into your spaghetti sauce, putting them on top of whole wheat pizza, making a bean dip or guacomole and pureeing vegetables into that as well. Start with vegetables you can sometimes stand, or ones that don't taste like anything so you won't notice. Or a soup with vegetables and beans in it.
You don't say why you don't do dairy, but if it's not a dietary or lifestyle restriction (i.e. lactose intolerance or vegan) then you could do yogurt, or soymilk, or cultured soy (like yogurt, but made from soy). There are also a lot of great soy protein products on the market for lean protein.
And in the meantime put in some fruit, you've got to love fruit, fresh pineapple is sweeter than cake! And soooo, goooood:9
Hope this helps,
Mattea
 
RE: What does everyone mean by eat

I may have to look into the Core program, I am just afraid there will be nothing I like, and then I won't get enought calories. I don't eat often, but the foods I eat are high in points, So I can still have my bread, hamburger, stuff like that, but I usally don't eat but 2-3 meals a day (small amounts) and rarley a snack (1 point if I do). Thanks for everyones advice!
 
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