Thoughts on Clean Eating

I'm on a quest. A quest to fit in my bridesmaid dress! I must, I must, and I will, I will. Just in case you have forgotten, or you are just tuning in, my goal is to fit into a size 8 by September. I'm currently a 12, so this shouldn't be tooo difficult.

But so far it has been.

See, losing weight in the winter is the most difficult for me. I hate working out at gyms, and I hate working out inside. I'm an outdoorsy person. I want to skip, run, and hike on the trails of my favorite MetroParks. I want to take a stroll around my neighborhood with the sunshine beaming on my skin. Oh to feel that warmth again. You better believe the first day of spring my butt will be outside in the muddy slush that winter leaves behind. I'll be right back to my running goals and training for my first 5k. Until then, I'll be inside suffering my workout videos (ugh) and maintaining a good diet.

I have been doing 30 Day Shred (boring) and trying to keep my meals clean, keyword, trying. Clean eating can get boring if you don't find ways to spice up your meals and add a little variety in your diet. Unfortunately, I have been eating pretty much the same meals for all of January and I will be looking to change this in February.

Currently, my breakfasts include what ever flavor of oatmeal or overnight oatmeal I am feeling that day, or a bowl of cereal (Special K or Kashi), and a small fruit smoothie. My smoothies always consist of frozen bananas (instead of ice), skim milk, and whatever fresh or frozen berries I am feeling for the day. On occasion I will throw in some spinach or kale for a greener smoothie. YUM.

Lunches usually include some sort of salad, chicken, and brown rice, with the occasional fruit or veggie added in. My favorite salad includes spinach, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, pecans, and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. I mix the rice and chicken together with a low-calorie condiment. I recently bought and started using a honey mustard, bbq sauce from Walt's at the 2nd Street Market (pictured above). It is spicy, low-calorie, and sooo good. I highly recommend any sauces or salsas from Walt's.

Dinners are usually a wild card and the only variety I get. This is because I make whatever I feel like making. Sometimes  I cook tilapia, sometimes chicken and veggies, and sometimes just a bowl of cereal. Anything goes, as long as I'm not bashing on a double cheeseburger, I usually let myself eat what I want.

To battle the boringness of my healthy eating, I have been trying to mix it up a little! For example, today I made a yummy mix of steamed broccoli, steamed green beans, rotisserie chicken, and the Walt's honey mustard, bbq sauce I was talking about earlier.  It was spicy, satisfying, and filling.  Next time, I may add brown rice, but I also think it was perfectly fine without it.

Here are a few photos (also pictured in my title photo):

Now, I think another huge part to successfully eating healthier and cleaner is snacking throughout the day. I am big on eating the recommended calories per day that is specified to your body type and your fitness level (you can find this online, with your doctor, or any good fitness app). Currently, I should only consume a little over 1,200 calories to support weight loss. I am only 5'2", which explains the low amount. With the meals that I eat, my calorie counts comes up short and I end up hungry throughout the day. To ensure a healthy, consistent metabolic rate, I snack on foods such as pretzels, carrots, fruits, veggies, and whole grain cereals to keep me going and from cheating throughout the day. I'm never hungry and always energized.

Finally, If you plan on changing your eating and fitness habits, I suggest doing plenty of research and/or consulting a doctor first. Figure out what is healthy for you and your body and go for it! Don't worry about messing up, we are all human and slip sometimes. Just get right back up and running to reach your goals!

I'd love to hear your fitness goals and successes! Let's hold each other accountable!

Much love, Chelsea