It is NOT a DIET

As I celebrate 20lbs down in less than 6 weeks, I get a lot of 'what diet are you doing?' and 'are you starving yourself?' The answer is, this is not a diet and no I am not starving at all... For me, this is a lifestyle change.... In order to look better and feel better I 110% believe you have to fuel yourself with wholesome foods...

I will admit that I haven't always had the best track record with healthy dieting, which is why my mom rightfully so asks "are you hungry?" (love her ;))... but I am not... Let me introduce you to clean eating... Clean eating is not a new concept, and for the most part it is common sense... It is committing to eliminate all processed foods and additives from your diet..

The basics of eating clean include - eating lots of fruits and vegetables.  These are straight from nature - the idea is to stay away from anything that may have been altered in any way.

Include meats, however; "whole" meats that you have chosen straight from the butcher or prepared yourself.  You would be very surprised to find out what is actually in ground turkey.

Enjoy whole grains - these are grains that are still complete and haven't been broken down in any form.  Examples include: brown rice, whole wheat and other whole grains. 

Eat fewer ingredients - try not to purchase items with more than 4-6 ingredients in the ingredient list.  Also, be sure you recognize every ingredient.  If you can't pronounce it, you probably shouldn't put it in your body.

Simple Guidelines for Success:

1. Eating small frequent meals 5-6 times per day to level blood sugar and prevent hunger
2. Include lean protein, complex carbohydrates and heart healthy fats in each meal choice
3. Avoid ALL processed and/or refined foods (sugar, baked goods, candies, white flour, white rice, etc) - this is especially hard for me, I used to have a cupcake business for goodness sakes!
4. Avoid saturated and trans fats
5. Avoid sodas, high calorie juices and other drinks that give your body no nutritional value and lots of unnecessary (unwanted) calories
6. Avoid high calorie, non nutritious foods (i.e. junk food)
7. Drink at least 8 cups of water per day

Clean eating takes a lot more time in the kitchen as opposed to the way I used to eat, but I have a meal prep day every week to help me be more successful... On the day before meal prep day I will write a list and think of meals (I basically have the palate of a 2 year old so I pretty much eat the same things, but I am trying to expand my diet as you will see my recipes are all very simple because I don't like to cook and I don't like a lot of foods). On meal prep day, I will grill a bunch of chicken, cut veggies, portion out snacks (hummus, peanut butter, rice cakes), and I will make a big pot of brown rice and measure and portion it out into servings... This prep eliminates my "I don't have time excuse" I frequently eat just chicken, brown rice and veggies when I don't have time to do anything else or I will stir fry and get more creative with what I have when I do have the time... Either way I have no excuse to not stay on track.. Also I keep emergency snacks in my car, work bag and diaper bag because it is very hard to be hungry when there are a million fast food restuartants every where you look...

I hope this helps, I know it wasn't a 'fun' post but I hope you can apply it to your life because the health benefits of clean eating aren't just linked to weight loss; it will also improve your energy level, help you obtain clearer skin and shinier hair, and also helps promote healthier sleep patterns and increased mental well-being... Please remember NOT ALL CALORIES ARE CREATED EQUALLY!! 1200 calories of junk looks and feels a lot differently than 1200 calories of clean foods to your body... Eat well my friends :)