The month has finally come to an end. I am proud to say that I think I did very well and made very little mistakes with learning the process of clean eating. I tried to stick with eating as healthy as I could, even when I went out to dinner or lunch with my family. As I look back through the weeks, the only thing I am going to change is to replace my whole grain bread with either Ezekiel bread or completely cutting it out all together. I'd like to focus on lowering the amount of carbs I eat each day and lower my fat intake as well. I believe I eat more than enough protein and my calorie intake is pretty standard. I might be able to raise the calories a tad bit as well. I enjoyed this "challenge" that I created for myself because it taught me so much. It taught me that I don't need to eat the way I used to to enjoy food. My food doesn't have to have a ton of butter, salt, or oil for me to look forward to eating it. Vegetables are delicious steamed without adding a bunch of fatty ingredients to it. And chicken is delicious without being battered and fried. I also taught myself to WANT to eat clean and healthy. The desire to eat greasy fast food is no longer there. I very VERY rarely have any cravings for anything. I can honestly say when I make brownies for the kids, I don't even have a desire to lick the bowl anymore. (GASP!) I know! Shocking, isn't it? I can drive past the drive thrus without even looking that way. It has completely changed the way I think about food. The appreciation for healthy fresh food hasn't always been there, but it is now.
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Monday August 4
Day 23:
Breakfast:
-Cookies & Cream Quest Bar
-1/2 Cup fruit salad
Lunch:
-2 Scrambled eggs
-2 Sliced turkey bacon
-1/2 Cup watermelon
Dinner:
-Avocado Egg Salad sandwich ( Recipe HERE )
-1/2 Cup spinach
Snacks:
-1 oz. Cubed mozzarella cheese
-1/4 Cup whole almonds
-Celery & carrots with skinny blue cheese dressing
Macros for the day: 1,925 Calories / 51g Fat / 124 Carbs / 86g Protein
Exercise: Strength Training (NROLFW) & HIIT 20
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Tuesday, August 5
Day 24
Breakfast:
-3 Egg omelet with 2 Tbsp. salsa
-1 piece whole grain toast
Lunch:
-Lentils
-1/2 Cup diced chicken with 1/4 cup brown rice
Dinner:
-Baked chicken fajitas
-1 Cup brussel sprouts (roasted)
Snacks:
-PB2 with 1 apple
-1 brown rice cake with 1 tsp. honey
-Chocolate protein shake
Macros for the day: 1,815 Calories / 48g Fat / 201 Carbs / 160g Protein
Exercise: Strength Training
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Wednesday August 6
Day 25
Breakfast:
-Greek yogurt with strawberries/bananas/shredded coconut & almonds
Lunch:
-Egg, tomato, turkey bacon sandwich
-1/2 Cup Watermelon
-1/2 Cup Grapes
Dinner:
-Southwest Turkey Nachos
How to make: Brown 4oz ground turkey. Sprinkle with a little taco seasoning. Add on top of organic blue corn tortilla chips. Add on 1/4 avocado (diced), diced tomato, black beans, corn, lettuce, and a little shredded cheese. Top with sour cream and salsa.
-Mushroom Quinoa
Snacks:
-1 Cup lentils
-Brown rice cake with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
-2 Hard boiled egg whites
-1/4 Cup grapes
Macros for the day: 1798 Calories / 56g Fat / 184 Carbs / 98g Protein
Exercise: Turbofire 30
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Thursday, August 7
Day 26
Breakfast:
-2 Egg whites
Lunch:
-Twice "Baked" Southwest Sweet Potato
How to make: Cook sweet potato until soft. Scoop out filling and add in black beans, corn, red onion, and diced tomato. Mix until well combined. Place filling mixture back into sweet potato "shell" Top with sour cream and diced avocado.
-Cauliflower and chopped turkey bacon
Dinner:
-Lentils
-Feta stuffed chicken breast (baked with Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning )
-1 Cup sauteed spinach
Snacks:
-Chocolate protein shake
-Homemade greek yogurt banana muffin (Recipe Coming Soon!)
-Brown rice cake with PB2 & honey
-1/2 Cup watermelon
Macros for the day: 1,718 Calories / 49g Fat / 199 Carbs / 113g Protein
Exercise: HIIT25 & Strength Training
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Friday, August 8
Day 27
Breakfast:
-Oatmeal
-2 Eggs
-1 Wholegrain toast
-1/4 Cup watermelon
Lunch:
-Lentils
-1/4 Cup cashews
Dinner:
-Buffalo Chicken Tacos
-Black beans & corn mixed with organic blue corn tortilla chips
-1 Cup cauliflower with 1 Tsp. Sriracha
Snacks:
-Greek yogurt with coconut and almonds
-2 Hard boiled egg whites
-1/2 Cup cottage cheese with fresh pineapple
Macros for the day: 1,957 Calories / 66g Fat / 203 Carbs / 123 Protein
Exercise: Turbofire Fire60
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Saturday, August 9
Day 28
Breakfast:
-Turkey bacon, egg, and cheese on whole grain toast
Lunch:
-6" turkey and veggie sub on whole wheat bread (Subway)
Dinner:
-Baked chicken breast topped with corn and avocado
-1 Cup broccoli
-1 Cup green peppers, sauteed
Snacks:
-1/4 cup cashews
-Chocolate Brownie Quest Bar
-4 Egg white omelet
Macros for the day: 1,868 Calories / 68g Fat / 211 Carbs / 98g Protein
Exercise: Strength Training & 2 Hours Swimming
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Sunday, August 10
Day 29
Breakfast:
-Fruit salad & yogurt
Lunch:
-Veggie Wrap
-Homemade sweet potato fries
Dinner:
-Denny's Fit Fare Skillet (out to eat)
Snacks:
-Organic pita chips with roasted garlic hummus
-Orange bell pepper, raw
-Carrots
Macros for the day: 1,497 Calories / 47g Fat / 148 Carbs / 66g Protein
Exercise: *Rest Day*
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Monday, August 11
Day 30
Breakfast:
-Brown rice cake with homemade almond butter
-1 Cup grapes
Lunch:
-Pita Chips with salsa verde & lite sour cream
Dinner:
-1 Cup boiled cauliflower with 1 tsp. sriracha
-Carrots with garlic hummus
Snacks:
-Chocolate protein shake
-Whole grain toast with honey
-Yogurt topped with coconut and almonds
-1 Pickled egg
-4 Beets
-Quest Brownie Bites
Macros for the day: 2,074 Calories / 68g Fat / 143 Carbs / 146g Protein
Exercise: Strength Training + Turbofire Fire45
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End of the week results:
Weight lost: 1.5 lbs.
Inches lost: 1.75
My weight loss is slowing down, but my inches are going up. It goes to show that you can't be a slave to numbers. Just because your scale says one thing, your tape measure says another. While my weight might eventually come to a stand still or even increase, my measurements will keep going down. And that's what I like to focus on. I also take lots of pictures of my progress every few weeks to see a change in myself. It keeps me motivated and helps me to keep pushing forward. Also, I'd like this "challenge" to be a lesson to everyone. That it's okay to eat. If you exercise, don't be afraid to eat more calories. Your body needs it.
I used to believe when I was "dieting" that when I felt hungry, that was normal. I was supposed to feel that way. But you don't have to be hungry to lose weight. You're supposed to eat 5-6 small meals a day. So when my hunger strikes, that's when I eat. I find myself not obsessing over food anymore. It's not on my mind 24/7. Sometimes, I actually have to force myself to eat because too much time has gone by and I'm actually NOT hungry. As you can see from the results, even with increasing my calorie intake, inches are still coming off. You don't have to starve yourself to be fit.
This challenge has brought new light to my eating habits and this challenge also helped me to see that diet and exercise is like peanut butter and jelly. They're great when separate, but when you put them together, they're amazing!
This is a lifestyle. This isn't a fad. It's not a diet. It's a way of life for me. While I may be up and down with it at times, I always manage to go back. I like the way it makes me feel, the way it makes me look, and I like being able to try on clothes without feeling ashamed, embarrassed, or even sad. Anyone can start this process. It's the dedicated that stick with it. Be dedicated. And don't do it for anyone else, but you!
