Clean Eating for a Healthier You

Clean Eating for a Healthier You

Rough Start

Since becoming a Beachbody coach, I've had the opportunity to first work on myself, and then to begin to work in the lives of others. It wasn't an easy beginning! In fact, it was definitely a rough start. I was a little salesy at first, because I honestly didn't know what I was doing! On my Facebook page, I had friends dropping like flies, saying things like "I'm on here for my family and friends, not to be advertised to!" I got it....eventually. I started taking the word 'Beachbody' and 'challenge' out of my posts, and started posting about 'support groups.' These support/challenge groups give members a way to interact with others, including their coach, and have fun as they're motivated and encouraged to continue working out and eating well. Once I started talking about supporting others, and taking the selling to others out of my posts, things started going better! After all, that's what I really wanted to do-help and support others! About a month ago, I realized that if I wanted people to trust me, and know that I will support them I would have to show them without them having to invest much. I decided to venture into the world of cleaner eating.

Clean Eating

Clean eating is defined, at least when it's defined by me, is cutting out the junk; getting rid of the processed food, refined sugar (including high fructose corn syrup), white flour, and getting more of whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and more water! When I started posted on my Facebook page about a clean eating group that gives members 30 days' worth of clean eating recipes, shopping lists to go with them, plus nutrition tips every day for 30 days, I was astonished at the response I got! Especially when these groups that I form are free! I simply ask for my members to get a free Team Beachbody account with me as their coach, so that I can learn to be a better coach through helping more people. I can only do that if I have people I'm helping, right. People who I can stay in contact with after the month is over. Then I had another idea; why not put together another set of recipes, so that those in my first group could move on to another the next month, if they wanted to. That way, if they aren't ready to commit to a fitness challenge or Shakeology, they could still get support and continue to actively improve their lives.

I have been amazed by the participation and the results that I've seen in under 3 weeks! These members are working hard at eating well, and are losing weight! I calculated today, with the numbers that about 8 members have given me, together our results have been a loss of over 15 pounds in about 2 1/2 weeks! I'm excited for those who are ready to move on to my next group! It's awesome to see individuals finding success through a simple meal plan. So many of the members have told me that they, and their families, love these recipes. Many members love the idea that they don't have to plan their meals for the week, nor do they have to figure out what they need to go shopping for (because the shopping lists are designed for each week's worth of recipes). The recipes come with not only the 3 squares, but include snacks and desserts (all clean eats, of course). Yes, it's alright to have what many people call "cheat meals," but if you don't know how to control yourself, and the cheat meal turns into a cheat day, which turns in to a cheat 2 days, and then, before you realize it, it's become a cheat week, month, and maybe year. You give up on yourself!

During the group, members not only get nutrition tips, but other tips, as well, including this one, that my coach posted in one of her groups:

Today I want to talk to you about emotional eating. We often eat (junk) because of an emotion we are feeling....boredom, sadness, anger, frustration even happiness. This oftentimes gets us in trouble because it is not helping the situation but actually in the long term making it worse. We just consumed a lot of junk (calories) and it didn't solve the situation or make you feel any better about it long term. It was a temporary satisfaction that leads to long term demise.

I want to share something with you all and some of you may have seen this before. How many times have I heard someone say I just had a stressful/bad day so I deserve chocolate/wine/ice cream or for guys a couple beers. How many times have I said that to someone or thought it myself. Our number on the scale is so much more than bad eating and lack of exercise. You need to focus on the other aspects of yourself as well during this challenge so that after the challenge is over you do not return to old answers and habits for stress and emotions.

Soon after starting your weight loss program, you begin to realize that your eating is not the only part of your life that is out of control. We soon discover that we are people who lack balance and harmony in many other areas of our life, too.

We are a four-sided person emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical. Consider each area with regard to your current situation. Begin by asking yourself the most important question, where is my life most out of balance?
Next, turn your attention to the four bars that represent your heart, soul, mind and strength. How much balance do you currently have in each of those aspects of your life? What area of your life needs attention today? Do you see a pattern emerging between the balance and harmony you are experiencing and the struggles you are having with your weight? Remember, no matter how strong you may be in one area, you are only as strong as your weakest point!!!!!!

Remember the battle begins in your mind. I have recently discovered the power of positive thinking myself and this has changed my life. Try to focus on the positive. Not only the good things you have in life, but also the good things you want in life. Completely redirect your thinking. Spend no time thinking on the negative. NONE! Do not focus your attention on it all. If you are not focusing on it then you do not need to find ways to comfort yourself because of them. Especially with food. Remember you are special, unique and worth it. Believe in yourself!!!

Today I challenge you to examine the emotions you are feeling when you want that tub of ice cream or that bag of chocolate bars or that bag of potato chips. Think about whether you are wanting comfort or if you really need to eat whatever you are about to stuff in your face. Then find another way to deal with the situation. For some that may be prayer, or meditation, or yoga, or a self help book, or a convo with your best friend, or a good sweat fest. I personally have used all those methods. The reason this is so important to me is because that is me. I am an emotional eater and I have had to find another way to deal with it.

Eat Well, Feel Good

Eat Well, Feel Good is actually the name of my first clean eating group. It is so true, don't you think? Many of us grew up eating processed, artificially flavored, and dyed food, and don't realize how horrible these foods are for us. I get that these types of foods are often cheaper and more "appealing" than good, wholesome food. It takes time to get used to a clean eating diet. Sure, I crave pop, pizza, candy, and donuts sometimes, but lately my mind has been quicker (and Shakeology helps me with cravings as well, especially with how delicious and dessert-like I can make it) about remembering how that junk food makes me feel. I ate take out pizza a few weeks ago, and felt sick shortly after. I hadn't felt that way before, and we'd been having it every Friday to try to start a family tradition, but we missed a week. In reality, I'd missed a week of poisoning myself with refined sugar and bleached white flour, nitrites from pepperoni, and who knows what else. My body had flushed out the junk, and was in shock when I hit it after it's week of detox.

Like I said, I crave junk, and am not above having it every now and then, but it can suck me in! Junk food is addictive! I believe the clean eating group is a way to help with that. We admit to our struggles, and we rejoice in the triumphs! Does a clean eating support group sound appealing and promising to you? I'm not gonna lie to you and say that it's easy, because it's not, but at lease we can work together to make it a little more fun and a little more bearable! If you are interested in joining a group, I'm starting another one February 3.