The 7 P's

Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance

Courtesy of www.21to21.com

As most of you know, the importance of planning was the first lesson I learned as I embarked on this path to cut crap out of my diet.  Planning the meals for the week, packing them each day and entering them into my log holds me accoutable; it gives me a road map for the day.  Without the map, I'm lost and will definitely take wrong turns.  A wrong turn into Chipotle or the dead end at the bakery....yum, cupcakes.

Today for lunch, a large group of co-workers went to a great Mexican restaurant, but I knew how limited my options are at restaurants and I had prepared a great Chickpea Salad last night so I was able to say no and truthfully after my 2 day food hangover earlier in the week I did it with ease.  So I sat at my desk and had a modified version of a recipe I found on Pinterest.  I used garbanzo beans that I soaked and cooked Tuesday day and added chopped red onion, roma tomato, radishes, reduced fat feta, and parsley - I dressed it with a combo of lemon, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar.  It truly was delicious and I am so full.  High five to the 7 P's.

Thursday is the only day of the week I usually go to the gym in the evening.  I love my early morning workouts, the friends I have there and the energy it gives me throughout the day.  But I also have a love affair with Spinning and there is a 30 minute Spin class on Thursday at 5:15 that I adore.  If you have never tried Spinning, find a good instructor and hop on.  For me it is a competition against myself.  Can I increase the resistance?  Can I go faster?  Am I at my limit - because I should be!  Is there sweat dripping off my nose?  Did I leave a puddle? We have three different really great Spin instuctors at our gym and they all push me in different ways.  Before class I usually either lift or run. But, instead of doing a C25K run tonight, I think I am going to do some HIIT on the treadmill - the articles I have been reading about high intensity interval training are intriguing so I am going to give it a shot one to two days a week.  We already do HIIT on the Spin bike but it will be interesting to try on the treadmill.  If you don't mind, take a moment to send up a prayer to the God of your understanding that I don't sling myself off the back of the treadmill and cause serious harm during one of the "all out" sprints.

I REALLY am what I eat!

I still feel like crap from my "cheat meal" on Saturday night.  I am amazed but also comforted in knowing my body does like the new clean fuel I am putting in it.  On Saturday we left the house late afternoon for a date; Justin purchased a new gun, we killed time watching some basketball and then went to the movies.  I got in a killer workout on Saturday morning at the gym; 30 minute Spin class, 30 minute Advanced Step and then 60 minute strength training that completely left me with T-Rex arms.

Courtesy of Pinterest

We had a few hours to kill before our movie so we went to Old Chicago for a few beers and an appetizer.  We also got to watch the Florida State and Duke basketball game and you would have thought the entire bar area was full of FSU alums the way we were cheering.  Duke makes us puke in the Bluegrass State.  Anyway, I had one piece of garlic bread, one pepperoni roll and a few nacho chips from the sampler platter (those of you who have been to Old Chicago know this is not a large portion) - we were planning on Movie Tavern so I was saving room.  At the Movie Tavern I choose the mini burgers and fries -- you know, go big or go home, right?  S.E. got a pizza.  I had a small piece of his pizza, two of the mini burgers and some fries.  Initially I was happy I had indulged but not over indulged.  Well.....I felt horrible on Sunday and still don't feel one hundred percent today. 

My stomach just feels bloated and painful at times.  I was tired and lacked motivation.  My mood and my physical well being was the result of the CRAP I put in my body on Saturday night.  YUCK! I don't want to feel like this again so I am rethinking my definition of a cheat meal.  Cheat meals don't have to be fried balls of dough or carb laden meals, they can be really good meals that I don't usually allow myself to have.  A meal at a local winery with cheese and an excellent main course or a great filet with mashed potatoes seems to be a better choice for me.  I'm not saying I will never have fries or a greasy burger ever again, but it won't be for awhile.  I enjoy how damn good I feel lately and a two day food hangover from processed crap is not fun!

Freakin Friday

Happy Friday! First off, update on the scale - I am now at 157.8 so I did drop a little over a pound this week - on track.  I have also made a pact with myself to only weigh one day a week - it will either be Friday or Saturday each week, depending on my gym schedule.

A few new recipes I tried this week were Banana "Icecream" and Berrylicious Microwave Minute Muffin.  The banana icecream (pic below) was great! It produced the equivalent of about a snack size pudding cup; the perfect size to satisfy my "I must have something sweet right now or I'm gonna have a f'in episode" craving.  I added about a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa and a teaspoon of all natural ground peanut butter.  Also I used my mini food processor because my cheap blender doesn't "do frozen." Yummy!  The minute muffin did not turn out the way I wanted it to - it was "tough".  However I think maybe my coffee cup was too big and the muffin had too much room to expand.  I'm not sure, but I'll try it again and let you all know.

Courtesy of Pinterest

I kicked the treadmill's ass last night and this morning too! I find it much easier to run outside due to I have scenery to look at and I adjust my speed to be able to run a longer period of time.  Thererfore I have had a really hard time mentally completing the C25K Week 6 Run 3; it is a 5 minute walk + 25 minute run + 5 minute cool down.  I run about 5.5-6.0 mph on the treadmill and I would hit a huge mental wall at around the 18-20 minute mark of the run portion.  But yesterday I made the decision when I walked into the gym, I was going to run for 25 minutes. Period.

I did a 5 minute walk, set the treadmill at 5.5mph and got to work.  I kept repeating "You are strong, fit, capable and quitting is not an option today."  Guess what?  It worked! I completed 3.1 miles in 34:55.  Then this morning ran for a full 30 minutes and did 2.71 miles.  Technically the run was completed before I ever got on the treadmill......the decision to not quit is more than half the battle. 

Courtesy of Pinterest

Tomorrow night we are using our Christmas gift from our awesome neighbors and going to the Movie Tavern.  This will be one of my two cheat meals for the month of January so I am going to get in a great workout tomorrow morning.  Have a great weekend Peeps!

Nada, Zilch, Zero

Courtesy of http://graemethomasonline.com

Weighed in for Week 2 - nothing, nada, zilch, zero.........

That being said, I realize I lifted heavy for the few days prior and am quite sore - I'm sure my muscles are holding some water, but DAMMIT!

Anyway, I will keep eating clean, keep training hard and I will eventually see results.  Right? Right.

Still pissed though :)

Perfect Monday.....now that's an oxymoron!

I am one of the lucky ones whose company gives us the day off for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.  This morning I was Googling quotes by MLK and came across one that I had not read before and that hit home for me today. 

"If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." ~MLK,Jr.

When in doubt, put one foot in front of the other and keep moving - do the next right thing. 


Unfortunately S.E. did not have the day off but being an only child I don't mind days of solitude.  I slept in until 7:30, got up had a leisurely breakfast of steel cut oats and headed to the gym.  On the subject of steel cut oats - I have made an overnight batch in the crock pot that were pretty good, but the ones I made on the stovetop this morning weren't creamy enough for me. I guess I'll go back to the overnight method and make a big batch for the week, but I just hate being that committed to the same breakfast all week. 

Anyway I headed to the gym and got in a nice leg workout and about 45 minutes on the Arc Trainer.  I was going to run, but I worked my back yesterday with S.E and I am soooooo sore!  Anyway, I ran a few errands, came home, did some school work and cooked a little.  I made Cinnamon Swirl Protein Bread for snacks this week and have a huge pot of homemade marinara simmering on the stove.  We are going to have that tonight with spaghetti squash instead of pasta.  Even though whole wheat pasta is acceptable when eating clean, I have decided to forgo all pastas for the first few months.

Today is two weeks since I started eating clean and I really do feel well. I decided at the beginning I would allow myself 2 cheat meals per month and would only consume alcohol twice per month also.  Saturday night we went out to dinner and I didn't use a cheat meal, but I did have three Michelob Ultras while watching the S.F vs. Saints game - What.A.Game.  Anyway I had two experiences last week with eating out and with proper research of the menu before hand and asking for what I needed (no oil, butter, etc) I was able to keep my restaurant meals clean.  I am excited to weigh in tomorrow - I weighed 164 pounds on January 3rd and 159 on January 8th so I am definitely making progress; however that first week was a lot of water and detox.  I will be happy with an average 2 pound per week weight loss. 

I plan on enjoying the rest of my day off.  I'm not doing anymore homework or chores.  I am going to enjoy dinner with S.E., pack for tomorrow and relax this evening.

Stir Fried Silly

We love stir fry at our house.  My Mom bought me this great new wok for Christmas and I LOVE it!!! Clean up is a breeze, food tastes great, it is calphalon so there is not a need for a lot of oil. Simply wonderful.  Tonight I made a shrimp stir fry with broccoli, celery, red pepper, and  mushrooms. Store bought stir fry sauces do not meet the definition of clean; therefore I read lots of different recipes and created one that suited our tastes.  I didn't measure all of the ingredients, but I definitely will next time so I can post the recipe.  Essentially all that was in it was low sodium tamari, natural peanut butter, ginger, chili garlic sauce, and a small amount of canola oil.  I think next time I may even try to leave the oil out completely and see how that turns out. I did a quick nutritional content and it came in at 100 calories per serving but even with 1/2 cup of brown rice and the sauce my dinner was only about 350 calories.

All in all I am feeling pretty good.  I have a cold, but really who doesn't?!?

On another note, I am having a hard time staying motivated with my classes.  I feel like I have been in school forever and just want to be done. Almost. Almost. Almost.  My daily mantra.

Courtesy of Pinterest

Shewwww! Busy!

Today has been a jam packed day and its still not over.  I got in a leg session and 5K at the gym then headed to Kroger to do our weekly shopping.  I have a rule to not go to the grocery after 12 on a Sunday and I broke that rule today. IDIOT.  It was insanely busy and even with a list I managed to forget a few items, but that's ok my work is very close to Kroger so I'll just make another trip.

After the groceries were put away, I focused on my homework for the week and then meal planning.  I made Egg Muffins for Justin with eggs, egg whites, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, and turkey sausage and I have Pumpkin Spice Protein Bars in the oven right now for me.  I also have black beans soaking as a a side for tomorrow's dinner, Crock Pot Mexican Chicken.  Purchasing dried bean versus canned allows me to control what is in them and I can flavor them however I want, also it is so much cheaper! 

Also I posted the first set of pictures over on the Progress Pictures tab.  I have to be honest, I had a real struggle with agreeing to post them; like most people, I am self conscious and only see the flaws.  However I felt like if I posted the pictures, I would have another reason to continue with this journey and more motivation.  Seeing yourself in a picture is so much different than looking in the mirror. 

Anyway, week one of eating clean was an absolute success.  No cheats.  It has required quite a bit of planning and preparing, but me and S.E are worth it.  Onto Week 2........

I Feel Good!

I didn't make it to the gym this morning. The bed felt too good and I had already planned to go for a Spin class this evening so I just decided I would lift after work too.  I did a 2+ hour session; upper body weight training, 30 minute Spin class, and then a 5K treadmill run.  I am not a runner, but am determined to mold myself into one with the help of C25K; maybe one day I'll even like it.  I had more stamina today at the gym and I'm sure it is a result of proper nutrition.  I just feel good today; the withdrawal headache seems to have subsided and my energy level is returning! Hallelujah!

Tonight is leftover night.  We have lots to chose from: roasted turkey breast, Moroccan Quinoa Stew, or Chicken and Broccoli with Soba Noodles - clean eating tastes pretty good!

Well, I stink (literally) so off to the shower for me.




Courtesy of Pinterest



Running on Empty

This one is going to be short friends.  I am still dealing with a dull headache and some fatigue; however from what I have read this is normal and I will start to feel markedly better from this point on.  Like many other drugs, processed foods (mainly sugar) are absolutely addicting to the body and I am simply going through withdrawal.  This is the end of day 3 so I am hoping I am over the hump. 

Classes also started back for me today so I no longer have free time. Ever.  There is always an assignment due sometime.  Organization is key for  me. Meal planning, packing adequate meals, cooking, classes, and more all require some portion of my time; not to mention my job and my family and friends! However I am determined organization and practice will make the juggling act easier within the next few weeks.  And to be honest, I love being busy; makes me feel like I have a purpose.

This post is a little ADD, but I want to post my menu from yesterday.  The Eat Clean Diet states you don't have to count calories, simply eat 5-6 meals a day with the appropriate macros of lean protein, complex carbs, healthy fat and maybe a fruit, but a clean eating lifestyle doesn't dictate if I count calories or not.  Clean eating just outlines the food I am allowed to fuel my body with.  Therefore, I am still logging my food due to I can justify anything......I mean technically aren't Skittles a fruit? Twizzlers?  Just kidding.  Eating 6 meals a day requires planning but I am definitely NOT hungry!

Here is the link to my menu from yesterday.  I use Myfitnesspal to track calories and exercise. My Fuel .

Good night friends! 4:15am comes early - Friday is a rest day for me and I need it!

Courtesy of Pinterest

3,2,1........GO

courtesy of Pinterest

Welcome to Clean Eating Chronicles! This blog is MY experience ONLY; I am simply sharing part of my journey in physically becoming the woman I know I can be.  Please don't think I am offering advice, medical opinions, nor am I a chef. However I am a woman who has struggled with her weight most of her life and I will be sharing what hasn't worked for me, what has worked for me, recipes, sources of inspiration, and even failures.  I'll even post the dreaded "before" pics........eventually.  Seriously, once I learn how to truly navigate my page and have tabs, etc I will post pics and measurements. 

My long-term boyfriend / spousal equivalent (aka S.E.) and I quit smoking on 1/12/2011 and joined a wonderful gym the next month.  We are still smoke-free and average at least 5 days a week at the gym.  I lift weights (heavy weight / low reps), participate in various cardio classes, and meet with a trainer for a new workout once amonth.  In the course of the last 10 months, I simply haven't seen the physical transformation I thought I would - I'm working out, eating right (most of the time)......why don't I look like Jamie Eason ??? If anything I feel and look a little bulkier! At first I thought I should lift lighter weight, do more reps, but after doing some research I realized I looked bulky because I was building muscle but NOT losing FAT! If I eliminate the fat, I am convinced I have some nice looking muscles under there.  OK, so lots of cardio and fat burning will eliminate the fat, right? Right.  I was a cardio machine for a few months and still no results.  That little voice in my head, some call it a conscience, we'll call mine Common Sense kept saying, "It's your diet, really, you can't eat good for 3 days, bad for 2 days, good for one day and expect to see results!" I kept telling Common Sense to ,"STFU! I workout hard, if I want to drink beer and have chicken wings every weekend, then I'm going to!"

Common Sense is right. I give! It's my nutrition, I know it is! I don't have a naturally high metabolism, I gain weight when I consume alcohol and eat crappy food, plain and simple.  I did manage to dodge the 20 pounds most put on after quitting smoking but that is it - I haven't lost any weight! So I started doing some research about clean eating and how it isn't a diet but a lifestyle change.  A VERY basic definition of clean eating is the elimination of processed sugar, white flour, man-made processed foods with upteen ingredients; essentially it is lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and complex carboyhydrates 5-6 times a day. I discovered there are varying degrees of cleanliness and I had to decide what was right for me and S.E.  Here are some sites I have found helpful:  The Gracious Pantry and The Eat Clean Diet. 

So this blog will essentially be about me changing my lifestyle and the way I view food.  I am going to try to post something daily; however I work full-time and go to school full-time (non-traditional, trust me I'm not young) so sometimes I may miss a day.  As my knowledge grows, I will pass it along and am always open for comments from readers too.