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September 2012 Moms
kristyand
member
Clean Eating & Weight Loss
kristyand
member
I am neither a nutritionist, nor a dietician. I am a personal trainer (Pilates instructor) and was a professional ballerina. I've spent a great deal of my life screwing this up and eventually learning about truly eating well, moving my body and living more healthfully.
I've seen a bunch of ladies mention that they are interested in eating clean, weight loss and returning to exercise. Everyone is going to choose to go about that differently. There are many ways to reach the goal of being both a healthy weight and active. But I wanted to share some general tips/thoughts/suggestions.
I also think whoever else has had success along this journey should please post their own tips/thoughts/suggestions/methods (Kate, Flam, Jaime, Lois, and I am sure there are others.).
So for me it had to be a life style change (everything about how I ate pretty much changed). I did all sorts of crazy/unheatlthy things in my ballet days that were not sustainable, or wise. Anything extreme just doesn't work for me. I feel deprived, and then I binge. Then I hate myself. Then I binge more. It's a shitty cycle.
The things that work for me:
-Move in a way you enjoy! If you don't like to run, don't run. If you like to dance, get your ass into zumba and hip hop and african dance class (you might feel like a crazy lady but it's a serious (fun!) work out). If you like to cycle, spin it. If you like to run, by all means. If you like to swim, find yourself a pool. Kickbox, Tai chi (a personal favorite!), etc.!
-Move 5 days a week at minimum, 3 of those days (or 3 hours total) should be cardiovascular. So two to three of those days could be anaerobic (yoga, Pilates, lifting weights in an anaerobic manner, etc.)
-Start making friends with active activities and active people. This is a hard one. But just starting to do things that require activity is a major help! So, ride your bikes whenever possible. Learn to surf (another personal favorite!). Start hiking regularly. Learn to rock climb.
-Eat clean. Now you can do this to varying extremes. Some people take this to mean eating everything raw. Some people eat whole foods and no sugars that don't naturally exist in food (?like in an apple. Jaime does this!). I eat just whole foods.
I will link my very favorite book on this below (I have to do it in HTML which isn't fun in a long post like this). I bought like 20 of these and gave them to all my best friends and some of my clients. This book is an excellent place to start. It includes kid and baby friendly recipes. It isn't vegetarian, though it is more than not. There are deserts, they are good. They include sugar, and butter.
The deal with eating whole is that you eat only what you can imagine out in the world. So if I read a label and there is an ingredient that I can't imagine existing out in the world, I don't eat it. Simple as that. It was a hard, overwhelming transition at first but I've learned how to do it and I could write more about this if others are interested.
If your current goal is significant weight loss. You will have to consider calories. The simple truth is that calories in must be less than the calories you burn for weight loss to occur.
If your weight loss goal is 10lbs or under, I think the best way to do so is to NOT consider calories. Rather, eat whole foods, until you are full but not over-full, and to exercise.
If you have more than 10 lbs to loose, you have to consider calories. But personally, I don't think low calorie snacks (that are processed) and depriving yourself are the way to go.
Lastly, be patient with yourself. Don?t get overwhelmed at the start of a change like this. Don?t try to do it all at once. Don?t try to go on a liquid diet when you start working out for the first time since before you were pregnant. You?ll feel like sh'it and it wont work. Remember, we just had babies. Our bodies just put on a ton of weight, bore another life, and for many of us is still sustaining said life. Also, I have found that I can exercise, and I can be mindful of what I eat, but weight loss even to my pre-pregnany weight just isn?t good for my milk supply.
So for me the current goals are: don?t eat sh'it, be active.
If you have any questions I?m happy to attempt to speak to it, per my own experience. Others should feel free to do so as well. I?m in the field, but I?m not the expert by any means.
Adiah Catherine ~ September 6, 2012
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Clean Eating & Weight Loss
This is the one that I think is a great place to start:
Feeding the Whole Family
And this one follows the same rules but everything is also gluten free:
Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook
They are both half informational, and half cookbook.
I say blame Lois for starting this! haha. Ever since her question last week, this has been popping up.
I was looking through the Amazon preview of the Family book last night when you posted it. It is super easy to understand. I want to follow on with 2 more. I got a lot of meal ideas from Clean Eating Magazine and Tosca Reno.
Kid #1 - 09/03/12
Hysteroscopy #10 - scar tissue grew back reblocking my right tube
#11 or IVF with scarring still inside?
1 lone embryo from September 2016 retreival, dx with Trisomy 16, starting fresh
just sayin'
Liam Dean | 09.11.12 | 6lbs 13oz
Thanks for the recommendations! My SIL has Celiac disease, so I'll probably get her the gluten free book as a birthday gift.
I really need to overhaul my diet, but TBH it does seem extremely overwhelming. I have a love affair with ice cream and other unhealthy treats!
DS: 9/18/12 - 40w5d // DD: 05/17/16 - 40w
I am slowly working my way to eating clean first step was giving up coca cola and working out at least 5 days a week I have been good so far. I have about 80n lbs to lose. I am 5'3'' currently weight 213 and want to at least get to 130 but I have a goal of at least a year so I dont disappoint myself.
I am currently doing the Les Mills Combat Challange
Gah, she is my freakin' hero. Seriously...she is the eat clean queen.
Great post, Kristy. Definitely it's been something that's been popping up a lot lately. I am more than happy to share my experiences with anyone who asks. I don't like to force my lifestyle on people, but if you ask, you might get an earful.
I am by no means an expert but primarily self-taught and do feel like I have a lot of knowledge in this area. I am going to be pursuing further education in nutrition once I go back to work. It's become quite the passion of mine.
A little backstory: I used to weigh 200lbs about 5 years ago. I lost 50lbs through clean eating and exercise and maintained it until I got pregnant. I am in the process of getting back to my normal weight now and I do EBF.
Like Kristy said, I have given up sugar since January 1. It's been hard but definitely doable. I am no hero, I love my desserts and I have a MAJOR sweet tooth. Instead of denying myself, I've just found ways to have sugar-free desserts and not be deprived. If you want to look, I will post my favourites in the recipes thread. Most of these include a protein powder, natural nut butter and stevia. A lot of the time when I tell people that I use a lot of protein powder they say "but won't that build muscle?" Yes, but as women, we can't gain muscle and get bulky the way a man can. We just don't have the testosterone. So if you are curious about a healthier lifestyle, but don't want to give up treats, check it out.
Along those same lines, I also want to say (and I cannot stress this enough) don't be afraid of lifting weights. Weight lifting in women builds a toned and healthy-looking physique. The huge body-building women you may have seen take drugs and YEARS of building their muscles to look like that. I am in the gym twice a week lifting heavy weights next to the boys.
I have seen some people say that they can't diet because they're breastfeeding. I just want to reiterate what Kristy said - this isn't a diet It is completely sustainable eating habits for the rest of my life. I eat 1500-1800 calories a day through 5-6 meals eaten every 2-3 hours. I have been consistently losing weight (about 1-2 lbs per week) every week and maintaining my milk supply. However, I don't expect to lose those last 10 lbs while breastfeeding. Those will be reserved for once DS is weaned.
I eat all my favourite foods, just cleaned up versions. There are clean and healthy versions of pretty much everything (for superbowl snacks I made philly cheesesteak dip, potato skins, chicken wings and peanut butter cups.) By making simple swaps, you can save a lot of calories and gain more nutrients. For example, if you love sour cream, you can sub it for greek yogurt. Less fat, calories and a lot of protein.
Here is a sample of my meal plan, but I change this up every day.
Breakfast - 1/2 cup oats mixed with 2tbsp ground flax seed, 1/2 cup berries - 4 poached egg whites OR chocolate banana protein pancakes
Snack - Apple or Pear with Hardboiled Egg
Lunch - Spinach salad with 1 Tomato, flaked salmon, chopped avocado, olive oil vinaigrette OR Clean Eating sloppy Joe on Ezekiel English Muffin
Snack - Chocolate and Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie
Dinner - I switch this up almost every day. I find recipes from all my eat clean recipe books and magazines and meal plan from there.
Snack - Usually my "dessert" - see them all in the recipes thread.
All my meals are a combination of lean protein/complex carbs. This ensures it will take a longer time to digest, therefore keeping me fuller longer.
If you read all that, you deserve a medal. I could seriously talk forever about this. I'd be happy to respond to anyone's PMs or questions about anything, even if all you're looking for is some motivation.
My recommended books and mags:
Clean Eating Magazine
Oxygen Magazine
The Eat Clean Diet Recharged (Tosca Reno - the perfect book for those just starting out)
The Eat Clean Diet Stripped (Tosca Reno - this book is for those who are looking to lose the last 10 and are not BF)
Veggies and Vegans - The Eat Clean Diet Vegetarian Cook Book (Tosca Reno)
The Eat Clean Diet Recipe book for Familes and Kids (Tosca Reno)
Thank you for posting all this information. I am going to have to check out this book.
Awesome! Thanks for posting. I think I'll definitely get that book. we are already pretty healthy eaters but I feel like lately I've been in a rut when it comes to what to make and need new I ideas. We also want to make sure we are showing DD what healthy eating is right from the start so she doesn't acquire bad eating habits.
Thanks so much!
Oh, I also wanted to ask about alcohol. Is it totally off limits? I like a glass of wine or a beer here and there.
I think there are two types of people. Those who jump in feet first and those who need to make smaller changes progressively. Both ways are totally fine. If you need to make small changes, just set a new small goal every week. Your goal the first week could be as simple as drinking more water. Other weekly goals could include meal planning, making healthy food swaps [ie: whole grains instead of white carbs], turning a daily indulgence into a weekly one and incorporating more veggies into your diet. The books and magazines mentioned are also a great place to start. Just remember it's a marathon not a sprint and you are completely capable of making positive changes!!
Eta: I will have an occasional beer or red wine. If I do have a beer, it is a dark beer. DH goes to a make your own beer place so we know it's clean ingredients.
I can't speak for the professional health and fitness gurus, but in my world, I don't consider anything off limits. I try to eat as healthy as possible, but If I want Oreos (just had 4, lol) or a glass (bottle) of wine, I'm going to have it. If you deprive yourself of things that you want, you'll eventually end up caving to the craving and binge on it. If you allow yourself to enjoy treats in moderation...as a TREAT not as a part of your typical diet...you're fine. But, that's my unprofessional opinion.
Also, I'd like to add a workout that I do that I LOVE and that's hula hooping. Get a larger, heavier hoop and once you learn how to do basic hooping, you can incorporate off-body tricks that will work your arms and legs as well.
Re: it being overwhelming. Yep. It totally can be. After I read the first book I linked I was super overwhelmed. I tossed everything in my pantry that didn't fit into the whole foods way of eating, and stocked up on the right things.
If I were to do it again I would: use through what you have and as you run out of something, replace it with a whole foods option. If there is something you use often, and it's cheap, like say... flour, maybe give something like that away to a friend to use and buy whole wheat flour so you can get things kick started. But otherwise, I wouldn't do a total kitchen overhaul like I did.
Re: not loving to cook. I can't help you there. This sort of thing is probably made easier by the simple fact that I love being in the kitchen.
Re: alcohol and what's off limits. I too do not put anything off limits at all times. If I'm out and there is a snazzy dessert I want, I have it. (When we went out to eat) I would try to be smart about how often we went (once a week max. and that included B, L and D... but that was also partially a budge thing) and what I ordered. But I was not a salad girl. If I'm going out, I'm getting what I want... and that's almost never a salad. Going to more ethnic restaurants also provide opportunities to eat healthier meals. It's really at home that I'm strictly whole foods.
If I had drank soda or ate candy, I probably would have put those pretty much completely off limits. But otherwise, I just try to stick to how I eat out in the world as best I can and when I can't, I don't and that's fine because I know the majority of the time I'm eating really well. If you do drink a lot of alcohol (nightly, or multiple drinks a night or two, weekly), then yeah, that's not gonna help in the weight loss department. But if you're just trying to maintain, or you are near your weight goal, then I say have a dark beer or some wine with moderation. I mean, it's truly up to what you can pull off at that point. I, personally, would rather eat one less roll to have a glass of wine or two.
With that said, when I've been trying to actively loose weight, I don't really go out to eat at all. It's just not helpful. And if I've been eating well and working out and my body doesn't seem to want to loose, I do a cleanse (which is no alcohol, caffeine, sugar, gluten, meat, etc.). But that's a whole different ball game. But sometimes my body just needs to rid the *** that is in it before it can continue on I've found.
Oh yeah, the ONE thing I made off limits to myself when I worked at a hospital was the nurses station. That place ALWAYS is full of things that I should not have been eating. It was an evil joke because when you feel trapped at work and yummy/crappy food is right there for the taking... it's near impossible to say no. Off limits it went!
I think what Jaime said is great advice, set little goals and continue to make new ones. Don't let this overwhelm you. If you want to do it, it's worth it to go about it in whatever manner is going to be most conducive to your success!
Chiming in...
I think you can look for non traditional ways to motivate yourself. Things that will make it enticing beyond just the knowing it's good for you. So if you love decor, for example, treat yourself to a new storage solution for the healthier things you're sticking up on. If you love shopping, do a search to find a local farmers market or a store that has healthier food options. If you love to read, subscribe to a new clean eating magazine or get a new cookbook. Just some ideas.
Thanks all for talking about such great things.
I have the Whole Life Cookbook! It is great.
I will check out the other one. We are soo not vegetarians (We want to be Paleo again but can't afford it right now...the way we *have* to eat is expensive enough!), and I eat healthy quite often, but sugar is my weakness. I'm still having a hard time adjusting to life with two kids (and other issues) and exhaustion...sometimes a cookies gives me an artificial sense of happiness and I need that. I'm trying to be patient with myself at this point and just do the best I can each day.
I have been trying to be more active. I do Wii Fit whenever the kids will let me and I have a Wii Zumba game as well, but I don't manage that one often because of the toddler. I would love to take zumba classes. I just don't have a good kid/me balance at this point. I've ordered a FitBit and I'm hoping that will help encourage me some. I super duper can't wait for spring when it is easier to be active with the kids.
Now I'm off to eat something sinful.
I think what Beans said is great advice. I love to cook so relearning how to cook clean has been a great experience and I love testing out new recipes on DH and finding something that will make him say "this is so good!!" Plus the satisfaction of knowing it's healthy.
Once you've achieved that motivation, then maintaining it can be done with once a week treat meals, specific and realistic goal setting, mantras, journaling or blogging, changing up your workout routine and surrounding yourself with people who know about your goals and support them.
Aw, thanks. It'd like to think it would be fun. I know I have fun!
I don't think I'm strict about what I eat. I've never considered myself on a diet. But I eat well... real food, not processed. I cook every meal and focus more on the idea of filling myself with things my body needs rather than avoiding "bad" things. And whatever, my weakness is Nutella by the spoonful.
I'm by no means an expert, but I've found this blog to be helpful and the recipes are good. I don't exclusively clean eat, but I try hard to use mostly fresh and healthy ingredients.
https://www.thegraciouspantry.com/
I know in the past the only way for me to lose weight was eating whole, clean foods in actual right sized portions.
I'm stoked to check out the first book you linked!
Mom to boy H - born September, 2012 and girl Z - born 2005. Wife to Gorgeous George. Slave to the man.