Today is the first day of a 14-day clean eating challenge for me.
14 days!!!!!!!
My current record is roughly 4 hours, but 14 days seems doable, right? I’m afraid not, but I’ll try my best.
Guess why I need to be in shape?
That’s true, someone is leaving on a vacation and is having a panic attack. But it’s just a small one. Not that I wake up in the middle of the night, sweating profusely and panting violently, because I had a dream about a whale in a swimsuit with my face on it.
No. I’ve never had anything like this happen to me.
And, as much as this seems like fun, I’m beginning to feel the strain. But, beginning today, I’m going to eat clean all the way. I’m going to wash all of my veggies and fruits from now on.
I’m joking. Nothing ever gets washed by me.
I eat relatively clean most of the time, but it’s been strange recently. And then I began eating half of it. Half. As in, half the time is spent cleaning and half the time is spent eating pizza. Despite the fact that I do not believe pizza to be filthy. It’s lovely in my opinion. Nothing beats a good pizza.
Aside from eating cleaner than a nice hotel toilet, I’ll be performing some workouts. I do them most of the time anyhow, but I haven’t been particularly consistent in recent weeks — so this is my opportunity to really pick it up before I put my body on show at the gorgeous beaches of Spain.
2-weeks-clean-eating-challenge
If you’d like, you’re invited to join me in this challenge, where we’ll share recipes and ideas. Here’s what I’m thinking.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FOODS TO INCLUDE
My ideal diet includes entire foods high in fiber, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and healthy fats.
This mostly includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish.
All of these foods are, of course, beneficial to the skin since they give nutrients as well as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant components for smoother, healthier skin.
AVOIDING FOODS
Avoiding meals is not my style, but I’d like to give it a go for the next 14 days. After all, I want to get the most out of my clean eating.
Aside from that, clean eating implies getting rid of the garbage in your diet, right?
Crap, in my opinion, equals:
coffee
alcohol
any sugar other than honey
any refined grains
meats
fast food
I can’t live without cheese, so a bit here and it is OK.
I’LL AVOID ANYTHING THAT DRIES OUT MY SKIN, CAUSES IT TO BREAK OUT, OR CREATES A FAT RING AROUND MY BELLY.
HOW MANY TIMES
I don’t like this question, but I’ll answer it anyhow, okay?
Let’s just say I’ll eat only when I’m truly hungry. There is no hard and fast rule for this. Some individuals recommend eating 4–6 times every day, although this depends on the size of the meal.
The guideline that works best for me is: if I am not hungry, I do not eat. Even if it’s time for breakfast.
That’s all.
UNTIL THIS MOMENT
I’ll aim to have my final meal of the day at least three to four hours before retiring to bed.
I’m not sure how it occurs, but as the day progresses, some terrible voice in my brain encourages me to consume bad foods. And consume more of them. Even if I had perfected my diet for the whole day and ate ONLY nutritious foods. I’m not sure who’s the voice that is, but I despise it; it’s quite irritating.
Eating late also interferes with sleep, which causes us to gain weight, get irritable, and become ill.
So, I’m choosing right now that I’m not going to eat after 7 p.m. (I go to bed at 10 p.m., grandma-style!) I simply will not do it, and this will fix my main issue with consuming trash.
The key to quitting anything you truly want to quit is to make a decision ahead of time.
MENU EXAMPLE
I’m not a huge planner, and I seldom stick to plans, particularly meal plans — there’s always something unexpected.
But for this challenge, I believe I’ll add a healthy drink — maybe a smoothie, a breakfast bowl, or healthy pancakes, a healthy snack like this one, a salad, and another substantial meal that I’ll determine on the spur of the moment.
EXERCISE
Exercise will be done on a regular basis and will consist of a daily run, a brief yoga flow, and strength exercises, all in no more than an hour, but I’ll try to squeeze them in less since time is of the essence for everyone, right?
Because I want to get everything done first thing in the morning, I’m worried about how I’ll spend my nights without being able to overeat or drink alcohol.
I’ll have to find another pastime.