Clean Eating Challenge!

Ok, so for many of us the hardest part about getting into shape is eating healthy!  This challenge is a personal challenge.  The goal is to hold yourself accounable for what you eat, and hopefully by reporting back to the group we will be able to take charge in our diets a little more forcefully!  Lets support eachother and work together to meet our personal goals! 

There is no deadline for sign-ups, anyone can join at any time!!

All you have to do is check in once a week (at least) & let us know how you're doing. If/when you "cheat", simply let us know & I will restart your start date. 

A cheat is defined as whatever a cheat would mean to you personally, whether it be going over your calories, bingeing, not eating enough, too many treats, etc. We all know when we've cheated, so just be honest with yourself

Let's be honest with each other & keep each other eating clean k? The PRIZE to the winner? Well that's easy - weight loss!!!!!!!!! (or maintenance for those at that stage!) Let's do this! 

Austie

********************************************* ***

Here's the list of all signed up & the new rules:
(let me know if I missed you) 

If you lose your mind & cheat, just let me know. Then you can re-start from the next day. I'll simply unbold your name, along with updating your new start date. 

After being clean for a week after a re-start, I'll re-bold your name. So you always have a chance to feel like you are succeeding. 

Also, if you just don't feel like you want to partake in the challenge anymore, can you let me know so I can remove your name from the list? Thanks!! 

Anyone not checking in for one week (Monday through Sunday) will be removed from the challenge.

Good luck all! People's names in bold have been going the longest or have not restarted for at least a week - way to go!!!!!!!!

*sinkpea                              9/27

*losingfocus                         9/26

*lauralackner                      9/27

*Crackster                           10/13

*mischiefdm                          10/01

*ranchobernardo                  10/14

*Franklinmeister                  9/21

*sbverly                                10/06

*Austiemg                             10/23

*Aritzia                                  10/05

*incrediblyshrinkingmel           10/5

*Patsykb                                  10/06

*Tree0421                                10/23

Jennc2                                       10/6

Thinnathwen01                         10/10

It's true about alcohol affecting your good sense........but I still can fit it in with eating healthy for most occasions......the Baby Shower was a fluke......I'm sure it slows the weight loss down but on the other hand, I'm not planning on giving it up forever......and I will be eating healthy FOREVER so I'm doing it all now.

And, I weighed 166.75 today, down 2.25 pounds from 9/8 so that is every encouraging. 

We all have to take the approach that works for us.  Eating healthy, working out faithfully and living normally will HAVE to work for me. 

Bob's Challenge didn't happen.....forgive me, I love challenges too and thought I could fit it in but I'm doing a PACE program, it's high intensity but shorter duration workouts versus long cardio sessions.....supposed to promote fat burning versus fat storage......and Sunday was my day off so I took it.  Did you make it?

This time of year is tough for calorie counting, the apples are ripe so you want to bake......I found that fat free yogurt mixed with chopped apples with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and stevia tastes almost like apple pie ala mode.  I love to bake but can't manage to not eat it when I make it, too bad for my skinny husband!  I've got split pea soup on the stove right now.....mmmmmm, good and healthy for you too. 

Well, good weekend to all, keep working out no matter how you eat!

Quick update, then my responses.

First, I did not hit my Friday cycling class today.  That alone almost moves me to start over. ...Almost.  lol.  Not to make excuses, but I do have a somewhat fair reason for doing so.  I work nights (which is why most of my posts are done in the middle of the night).  I work 9pm to 6:30am for my first job, then go directly to my second job from 6:30am til 11:30am.  They are basically right next door to each other, so it makes it possible.  By the time I get off work, get to the gym, and get changed, I am right on time for my noon class.  Unfortunately, today I forgot I was driving the wrong car, and my workout bag was in the other vehicle.  My house is about 20 minutes away from the military base where I work, and making the trip home and back would have left me coming in to class late, even if there was no delay for getting changed.  On top of that, my body is basically trained to begin shutting down on the drive home, regardless of the time.  Usually by the time I pull up to the house, I am already getting blurred double-vision from lack of sleep, and driving back out to the base would have been hazardous, if not completely impossible.  So, while I have a bit of an alibi, it was still majorly disappointing to miss the class. 

Alright, enough excuses.  Next week will be better.  On to replying to other posts.

Crackster - It is, indeed, enjoyable to be able to hit the gym with the little Mrs., but bear in mind that doing so has taken nearly 20 years of being together before it happened.  Better late than never, I suppose, but I am not even sure it would have worked for us before now - and I am talking even within the last couple of years.  It is just amazing the paths that life takes that constantly opens up new and exciting ventures at every turn.  We are completely different people than we were when we first started dating (when I was 15, and she 14), obviously.  But we have become different people in a good way, actually getting to "grow up" together, as it were.  And now we are getting to enjoy this aspect of life together as well.  I do wish you and your hubby the best.  The only thing I would really reiterate is that even after all this time together, don't forget my wife has been working out faithfully for nearly two years and lost more than 40 pounds before convincing me to join her.  Just press it through, and be encouraging to him to join you, and never give up.  Who knows, maybe he - like me - will get it through his thick, male skull that there may be a whole venue of life he is missing by not going.  But as most of you know, us guys (regardless of being American or Australian, I am sure) have a pretty slow in-take, so the thought may take a while to sink in.  Best of luck.

As far as your birthday cake, you go girl!  I have to agree that Calories cannot be held against you on your birthday - as long as you don't hold it against us that we still consider you as having started over.  lol.  The hike sounds like a blast (besides the fact that I am not sure I follow what "SES" means).

Rancho - Good job on day 4!

Austiemg - Glad to see you back among the living!  lol.  No reason to hide from THIS group.  I think most, if not all, of us would agree that it is just a forum for a bunch of similarly undisciplined people to come together to help hold each other to what we cannot hold ourselves to alone.  The money challenge sounds like a great idea.  Keep us posted on Isaac's growing college fund, and hopefully you will have to resort to some other method of adding the increase (since, if you stop slipping up, the college fund will quit growing).

mischiefdm - Pizza buffet sounds delightful.   Oh well.  Lol.  Welcome back on track.  You will do fine.  Just jump back in there, and don't look back!

Aritzia - If you didn't go over your Calories, I don't think you should hold the food you eat against yourself.  Lately I have been cutting back what I eat, so as to free up some Calories for food that otherwise wouldn't fit into the Calorie budget (if that even makes sense).  I think part of a "balanced" diet is that sometimes one must throw something in just to mix it up a bit.  I like to look at it in terms of a tapestry.  If you stop and look at each individual strand of fabric, you might see a color, shade, or texture that does not appeal to you, or seem to fit appropriately. But in light of the over all picture, that small strand might add a highlight the picture genuinely needs.  And as for the weight of those few splashes of color or texture, it simply does not compare in light of the grandness of the rest of the image.

Eating, as I see it, is the same way.  Just like there is not a "bad" color thread, as long as the overall tapestry is "good", so too there is no "evil" food as long as it is few and far between, and acts only to suppliment the diet as compared to defining it.  If the "tapestry" of your eating is healthy, then why not spruce it up every now and again with a "strand" of pizza, or birthday cake, or whatever?

As for your request for suggested classes.  I only take cycling and weights.  The cycling I would definitely recommend.  Also, since my wife now teaches step aerobics, I cannot help but see the effectiveness of those classes as well, though I can definitely see the difference in styles from one instructor to the next.  I think a step class would do well for you, but you might have to hunt around for an instructor that makes it truly enjoyable.  My wife really tries to add a facet of entertainment to her classes, so that it feels more like something you might do for fun, rather than something you are doing just to be healthy.  She said there has been many classes that she could not help but focus on the pain,  and the fact that it is just exercise, because the instructor didn't make it "fun".  She is TOTALLY kick-butt, don't get me wrong, but she does little things that make the class more enjoyable for her students.  I would say look for an instructor that does that for you, and don't judge how well you like that type of exercise based on only one or two different classes you try out.  But, again, that is a biased recommendation from someone who does not actually do step aerobics (just a little too feminine for my masculine pride to allow me to participate in at this time). 

losingfocus - Great job on the weight loss.  Keep us posted on how that PACE program works out for you, and that recipe for apples and yogurt sounds wonderful.  Might have to try that one out.  LOVE SPLIT PEA SOUP! Mmmmm....!

I just love getting up in the mornings and reading thru this forum.  FM, I love the "tapestry" view of eating!  I am so with you on that.  Great explanation.

As for exercise.....don't know if anyone else gets into this, but believe me it is exercise!  About 4 years ago my husband and I got into Ballroom/Nightclub Dancing.  We've taken lessons in everything from waltz to tango to salsa to hustle!  Friday night is date night....we go to a dance where we can actually do what we've learned and dance for about 3 hours straight.  If you want a workout......go for this!  I fought my husband for years ... yes, it was his idea believe it or not ... and would not go.  After we started I could have kicked myself for not listening to him 25 years ago when he first started trying to get me to go.  We are lucky enough to have this opportunity in our town....there are people in our classes that travel 1-1 1/2 hours to attend.  Not only is it great exercise, but we have so much fun!  It would almost take an act of congress (but it's usually work) to get us not to go dancing on Friday nights.  It's become so much a part of our life that we even look for places to dance if we happen to take a weekend trip and when we plan a vacation.  Just another  form of exercise to think about if anyone is looking for something a little different that doesn't feel like exercise.

Now, just to clarify....this isn't the only thing I do.  I do spend my time in the gym during the week as well.  

Losingfocus....congrats on the weight loss!  Love you attitude about each of us having our own approach.  We can't trust that because something works for one's eating habits it will work for us.  Keep up the good work!

Time to get ready for work.........everyone, enjoy your days of clean eating!

Good morning all, thanks for any kudos!  Today so far is pretty gray but if/when it clears up I think we'll go for a ride and do our run in the woods.....maybe see some color (we're in Wisconsin) and love that Fall smell.  Then, maybe the Show, which will mean Popcorn for lunch......one of my favorites......

So, I'll have to have healthy breakfast and fish/vegetables for dinner but that will still keep me in my limits.  And, popcorn has great fiber!

Have a Blessed Day!

sinkpea - thanks.  That is very kind of you to say.  As for dance being a good workout, I believe you.  My wife has a Zumba class she does once or twice a week, and she says (depending on the instructor) it can be REALLY challenging.  As for me (from the male perspective) doing anything of the sort.  I am just not there yet.  lol.  Not sure I will ever be there. 

losingfocus - How cool that you get to go running in the woods.  I live in New Mexico, which is a lot like what most people think of when they think of a desert.  The reason for this is because it is in the middle of the southwestern desert of the US, and the only color we have here is brown.  During the short winter we have (for all of three months) it is brown, and during the summer (pretty much the other nine months - we don't really experience what most people think of when thinking of spring or fall) it is brown.  Not that I am complaining.  I love desert living, and have actually gotten quite fond of "brown".  Never the less, I think it is cool that you go running in the woods. 

Ballroom dancing.....I certainly believe that would be a good, fun workout.....we will get the opportunity to do that this winter and I think we will......I'll let you know how it goes.

I've only been in the desert once......Desert Hot Springs CA......just remember it was hot, hot, hot, didn't really notice much about the terrain.....will have to go back and look at it with a new perception, I was 20 and more into visiting my friend than checking out the outdoors.  That was my CALIFORNIA trip.....back in the early 70's everyone in the Midwest wanted to go to California!  I hitchiked and everything.  Hard to believe, isn't it?

Yesterday stayed wet and gray so didn't make that wonderful woods walk, this morning looks same weatherwise but is supposed to clear up so we'll try again.  Did get a nice run on the hilly road here.......felt real good!  Then since confined to the house, continued doing kitchen things and amazingly, didn't overeat either!  Very proud of myself.

Thanks for listening, have a great, Blessed day everyone and remember to love yourselves first so you can be loveable to others!

bad bad bad me this weekend, fell way far off the band wagon... but tomorrow is another day so I start over again. Thanks for all the great work out ideas, I am thinking I am going to try out some water aerobics, wish me luck. 

Hooray!

I made 1 week!  Today is day 8.  Now I have the extra motivation of protecting that 1 week trophy!

Ate clean this weekend, maybe a little too much salt though, scale up 1.25#.  I'll drink lots off water the next couple days to clear it out and keep eating clean of course!

Hi All!

Ok...I went MIA & you all moved! Reminds me of the kid who left home for the day & came home only to find out mom moved without him! LOL.

Anyway, I have wallowed in my own self pity long enough & need to get back to clean eating. I have not checked in for about a month & I can tell. I have gained 10 lbs, all the new clothes I bought after losing 49 lbs are now snug. ugh!

Oh well, enough looking back. Time to move forward. Austie, sign me up again. Today is my first day, October 5.

I am really glad to be back. I have missed this forum. I see that some of the group are not on the list. I guess it's pretty common for people to disappear into cyberspace.

It is my goal not to do any more disappearing acts. As it turns out, I may avoid this forum or even CC, but I can't avoid myself.

Glad to be back,

Mel

ok i suck, been gone too long. I have been a bad leader and have not been updating things.  Sorry.  Things have been nutty around here- but I have been eating healthy!

I am going to update things now- then i will hopefully post more later, like tomorrow!

Hey guys- popping in. Will do a proper post later- buried in work. Annual report due on Friday.

Austie please restart me from today, and you do not suck. I would not have you even think of saying that!!!

Sharon

Feel like I haven't been "here" in awhile, but I haven't dropped off the edge of the world. Just went out of state for a family event weekend. Had a WONDERFUL trip, excellent family time. 

But of course, somewhat more sodium & non-healthy food was consumed. Breakfast was great - oatmeal at the hotel; grabbed fresh fruit for the room or for snacks later on. We did, however, eat out more than is normal for us, hence the added sodium, probably fat, likely some larger portions. We all ate out or ordered in just about every dinner - Thai one night, Chinese another (sodium alert); but one dinner at a wonderful seafood house which would have been healthy except for the fabulous sauce on the halibut and, um, the birthday cake. Fortunately, one major event was a brunch - home made with lots of salad & fruit (love my uncle - he loves to cook); but there was birthday cake at  TWO of the events (it was a BIG birthday - an 80th).

Still, I never ate what I didn't want to eat; I did watch portions as much as possible; began and finished each day with green tea and some carrot juice (not together); worked out twice; walked A LOT; and had a simply wonderful time. It was a birthday - I had cake, but just one piece. 

There were chips and things like that and I DID NOT EAT ANY! Yay.

Home again, the scale this morning reflects the added sodium (temporary water weight), and the fact that I get so constipated on trips (that will, um, pass). So all in all, I'm content & feel like I'm still on track.

Hi Everyone!

I hope you don't mind that I joined. I've always been pretty health conscious, but I let myself slip in college and gained quite a bit of weight. I was just looking for a good support group that would help me be more accountable about my weight loss.

To fill you in... I've been living at home for the past few months finishing the last prerequisites that I need for Chiropractic college. I was already accepted to the college, and I start in January. My goal is to lose 25 lbs, but I think that might be a little to much weight to lose in less than 3 months. I do want to lose as much as I possibly can to get close to my normal size before I move... new city new me kinda deal.

My biggest fault is with carbs and sugar. I tend to eat really healthy, but usually once I start eating the processed I foods or carbs or whatever I just keep eating more because I can. That's actually my biggest problem, I eat too much. My goal is to shrink my stomach, but I have to eat less in order to do that!  Hopefully this group can help!

Original Post by incrediblyshrinkingmel:

Hi All!

Ok...I went MIA & you all moved! Reminds me of the kid who left home for the day & came home only to find out mom moved without him! LOL.

Anyway, I have wallowed in my own self pity long enough & need to get back to clean eating. I have not checked in for about a month & I can tell. I have gained 10 lbs, all the new clothes I bought after losing 49 lbs are now snug. ugh!

Oh well, enough looking back. Time to move forward. Austie, sign me up again. Today is my first day, October 5.

I am really glad to be back. I have missed this forum. I see that some of the group are not on the list. I guess it's pretty common for people to disappear into cyberspace.

It is my goal not to do any more disappearing acts. As it turns out, I may avoid this forum or even CC, but I can't avoid myself.

Glad to be back,

Mel

I read a post of yours in August that was really thrilling.  Perhaps you should re-read some of yours for inspiration.

"The greatest gift of this experience? I became CONSCIOUS of what I was participating in & I HALTED my behavior! I recognize that I am not a VICTIM of obesity. I AM a volunteer! Each time I pick indulgence over healthy eating, I have volunteered to continue living life in my self imposed prison. This is not my idea of a good time. So, I stepped out of the denial & chose to stop. LOL Nike says JUST DO IT & I DID!!"

Good luck.

I haven't been eating unhealthily but not eating enough fresh veggies and fruits so not sure if I need to start over or not. I've been surviving on oatmeal, yogurt, ricotta cheese, Pb, protein whey and homemade protein bars; just haven't felt like eating a good meal. [fresh spinach and lettuce are wilting! ]

Hey mischief- time to get those veggies out and stop them from dying!!! However, as to whether to start over, it depends on what you defined as a cheat. If it was based on calories alone and you are within allowance no need to start over. If it was based on quality/type of food, it may be the way to go.

welcome jennc2- always room for new members!!! Lots of support, wisdom and on occasion butt-kicking in this group, according to the need. Congrats on getting into the college. It depends on how much you have to lose. If you're 140, 25 lbs in 3 months might be a bit of a tall order because the body sees it as vanity pounds and holds onto it. If however, you have 50 or more pounds to lose, 25 pounds is quite doable. Just have to make sure you get enough of a calorie deficit between calorie counting and exercise. You can do it- just have to find the balance that will work for you!!!

Patsy -great job. In the middle of all of this weight loss we still have to enjoy life, and it sounds like if you did, with checks and balances to make sure that it didn't get out of control.  Your discipline gives me something to aspire to.

Austie- keep up the healthy eating.

mel- welcome to the new location. Love the outlook (It is my goal not to do any more disappearing acts. As it turns out, I may avoid this forum or even CC, but I can't avoid myself.) Have to keep on reminding myself of this.

losingfocus; rancho- great job!! Losingfocus- I suspect that Jill is talking about moderate to heavy drinking, as opposed to the occasional glass of wine or a beer. Definitely see both perspectives, but in the end its what works for you. Great job on th wieght loss.  I did do the challenge, albeit not in the way I wanted. Made about a 5k jogging, then did the 7 miles on bike, then went back and did 3k walking/jogging. I felt pretty good being able to complete it. I actually a) hate cardio, especially running b) don't lose much from walking/jogging/running- more likely to lose from cardio DVDs. However, its something I'd never choose to do, nor would I think I have the stamina for it. Like disproving myself these days and have to do one day cardio as part of Jill's programme, so think I'll continue to get my butt kicked by Bob on that day.

aritzia- welcome. Its ok to fall off as long as you don't stay off and get caught underneath the wheels. Water aerobics sounds good- good luck. No suggestions for classes- haven't done that for a couple of decades as gym is not my favourite place to be. Don't like exercising in front of people. However, if you're more like a homebody like me, try some interval weight training/cardio DVDs. The ones that I recommend based on doing them is Jillian's Winning by Losing Boxset, 30 day Shred or even her "Hot Bod in a Box" which gives you workouts with descriptions of how to do it (not a DVD, more like a card that guides you, but its really very good); Bob's Biggest Loser Workout- I have one but I've heard great things about the other; Budukon Weight Loss Series. I would like to try out the P90X system- Austie has. She can probably give you feedback on it.

crackster- how did you like the melongene (eggplant?)- may be an acquired taste but I acquired mine so long I can't remember. No apologies necessary- we all fall into our native talk. I love being part of a forum where I'm speaking with people all over the world. Its like a fast pen-pal system. Hope search and rescue went well.

So work is crazy right now and I absolutely have to get back to it in 4 minutes. In a nutshell, yesterday was day 1 of a 7 day challenge to give up a food that you eat all year around and that intensifies over the holiday. Mine is refined sugar, so yesterday I had no refined sugar, not even in tea. As a result suffering from caffeine withdrawal today. Good eating day yesterday. Rest day for exercise. Eating going well today and definitely have to exercise this afternoon. May not be able to come on for the rest of the week, but keep it clean and keep it real.

Sharon

franklin- 9p.m.-11:30a.m. OMG. How do you get time to do anything else but sleep??? We'll excuse you one exercise class, as long as you don't make it a habit . No seriously, life happens. As long as you're more or less on the path, everything is going to work out. I love the tapestry analogy- I intuit that there will be some stealing of intellectual property on this site, but thief shall remain anonymous...

Thanks sbeverly, that's what I needed to hear.  Everyone's definition of Clean Eating may be different I guess.

As posted in the other thread "Goals are to  eat clean 1300-1400 cal per day with no lower than B+  rating; exercise at gym twice a week for 2 hrs and 1 hr at home on off gym days. One day a week, I eat maintenance or up to 1800 but no more overboard to 3000!" and I'm back down to 130 lbs from traveling splurge so guess I'm OK but do need to get the veggies into the system.

Good luck to ya'll and stay healthy.

Hi SBeverly:  Well, you did great on Bob's challenge, especially since you say you hate cardio.

Since you hate cardio, you should look into the PACE program.....you can do as little as 12 minutes jumping rope, 18 minutes jogging, 37 minutes biking.......all depends....your goal is to get the heart rate up to 80-100% of your maximum, however long/little that takes, then allow yourself to drop back down, however long THAT takes, then repeat up to 4-6 intervals.  Great for building heart/lung capacity. 

No probs mischief. As Franklin said (cannot quote him because really his description of the tapestry was beautiful), nothing is wrong with occasionally taking a walk off your road. When you look at the big picture it may be actually enhancing your performance, or at least giving you satisfaction on this journey. Just as long as you don't spend too much time on the side paths.

Losingfocus- It sounds like if there may be some similarity with Jillian's programme, which I am doing. That one does interval strength training. So she gives 5 circuits, with 4 or 5 exercises per circuit. About two of those would be weight training, 2 would be cardio intervals for 1 minute each, and 1 would be a core exercise. The goal is to keep heart rate at 85% of MR during the workout, and by the time you're finished with the workout you would have done about 20 minutes of cardio intervals, except that its spread out. That might involve jump rope, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, burpys, harpies and stuff like that. I can barely manage to finish her 1 minute interval depending on the exercise , so I don't think I'll be doing 12 minute bursts of jumping ropen anytime to too soon. I can do the jogging (but not running or sprinting) and the biking, but I'll definitely keep it in mind as a goal to work toward.

Sharon

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