I have been wanting to do one for awhile. I hit two years of maintenance last month- which is a huge achievement for me. Losing the weight was tough, but keeping it off has also been tough. I felt like I was in a rut- tired of counting points. tired of the same old recipes, tired of the same old same old. Even though it was working, it was boring and tedious.
I have been looking at the Whole 30 diet for awhile. I find it intriguing. I read Fit2Fat2Fit. I like the idea of eliminating foods and then gradually re-introducing them to see how they make you feel.
A friend who sales Arbonne (gasp- I know, I don't like Arbonne either) posted that she was starting a FB group for a 28 day clean eating challenge. I looked at the program and liked it. I looked at my calendar and realized this is the only month for a long, long, long time that I don't have Birthday parties, vacations, or major holidays. If I didn't do it now, I knew I wouldn't have another chance for probably a year.
So I decided to give it a shot. It's only 28 days- I can do anything for 28 days. I bought the Arbonne protein shakes, detox tea, and other items. And, on Monday I started.
My first main course:
Salmon salad! YUM! I told Ben not to get too excited- not every meal is this gourmet, but this one was delicious.
The "promised" benefits of this diet are quite astonishing. I am pretty certain most of them will prove false, but I am still curious to see if my skin will be as clear as a baby's, or if I have tons more energy, and if I'll feel better than I ever have before.
So far, after four days, things are going well. I did cheat today and have a banana (which you are actually allowed if you aren't wanting to lose lots of weight. Which I'm not- really I just want to do something challenging. Apparently I need challenges). Most people at this point are feeling a lot of cravings, headaches, and withdrawal symptoms. I was already eating pretty healthy (outside of eating a lot of carbs and sugar), so I haven't experienced any of those. After about week two is when I should start feeling "better than I have ever felt before." I'll let you know if that happens. I doubt it, but if my skin does clear up I will be impressed.
I really like the protein shakes, and I love the detox tea. Don't worry, it isn't caffeinated. It's very calming to have that after having a long day of teaching the kids and being the mom- it's my nice break while the kids go outside playing and I just sit and relax. And even though there are a lot of things we can't eat, there are a lot of things that we can eat so it's OK.
Really, of course, in the end it isn't about dieting. For me it's about mixing things up, and trying to incorporate a healthier lifestyle long term. This diet is not intended to last forever- only 28 days. But I hope to learn things about how I react to certain foods that will help me make better food choices in the future. And if not, no big loss- after all, it's only 28 days.
6 comments:
HAHAHA! I'm not against actual clean eating, I'm against the over-advertisement of CLEAN EATING (i.e. Beach Body, etc.). I'm against it being constantly shoved in my face by people on facebook trying to sell me stuff. I typically avoid processed foods, and I cook everything from scratch. I have been doing this since before "CLEAN EATING" became a thing. And I hate dieting because it makes me grumpy and resentful. That doesn't mean it isn't a good thing for other people.
So there. >muah<
I have nothing against clean eating as a challenge, go for it! And you seem to have a very realistic understanding of what you want and what you can get from this. So best of luck and have fun trying something new.
I don't entirely know why, but it is really just the name that bugs me since I think it creates an automatic negative connotation when you are eating unclean... :) But healthy eating is great all around, I can get behind that. And moderation in all things is the best way for me to achieve that for now. I like the occasional challenge to eliminate sugar or other things, but that doesn't work in the longterm for me. I tend to binge too much if denied for too long.
I think for me moderation was just getting more and more. I can't get the two pounds I gained from Christmas off, and while I completely realize that two pounds is nothing in the grand scheme of things, and I am not obsessed with my weight, two pounds gained every few months add up quickly, so I wanted something to get rid of those stupid two pounds, get back on track, and recommit. I feel like this will do that, without having to commit long-term to never eating bread again. Do I think everybody should do it? Of course not, but for me it was worth trying.
Sounds like a great reason to do it Christina. And here is too good riddance of the two pounds. Which I totally get, really.
It is almost the end of the 28 days, hope you are holding up with all the snow days you have been having.
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