February Challenge – Eat Clean/Food Diary

For the month of February the Black Women Losing Weight sisterhood will focus on and commit to 3 main GOALS:

• We will commit to “Eating Clean”.
• We will keep a food diary of EVERYTHING we eat for 3 WEEKS – Feb 4 – 24, 2013
• We will commit to exercising 5 days per week for a minimum of 45 minutes per day.

This month is all about really looking at the food we are putting in our mouths and being able to make food choices that work in favor of our weight loss and health goals, not against them.  People tell me all the time about how they are working out consistently and not losing weight.  They tell me about how they have added green smoothies and more fresh fruits/veggies to their diet but they have not dropped pounds.  Most of the time, the issue is that they have not stopped eating highly processed foods, sugary foods and food that is full of trans-fats.  This month we will work to clean up our eating habits and make sure that our exercise efforts are not hindered by our diet.

How do you join the challenge? – You are committing to actually DO what is outlined in the challenge goals above and to check-in on our online community (as a blog post or status message on your profile) or on our Facbook page EVERY WEEKEND.

• WE do this to keep one another accountable to our collective commitment.  
• We also do this to get support from others and give encouragement to those who are on this journey to health and wellness with us.

What is Eating Clean?

When you eat clean you will be eating unprocessed, whole foods that are prepared or cooked in ways that don’t add extra chemicals and toxins.  We are talking  about fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, lean meats, meat substitutes like tofu, soy, whole grains, lots of water, healthy dairy and fresh juice.  We will avoid fried food, fast food, junk food, bleached white flour, artificial ingredients, soda, commercial juice and sugary drinks, processed sugar (white sugar, corn syrup), and foods with preservatives, toxins, dyes, saturated fat, and trans fat.

Here are some resources to guide you on the challenge:

• Here is the list of approved Clean Eating foods that we will use for the challenge.  The only change that I’m making to this list is that for our challenge you can eat ANY fresh fruits or veggies you like.  Don’t worry about carbs from these whole and healthy foods.
  • printer friendly version – livelifeactive.com – eating-clean-approved-foods-list/

• Great Recipes:  I suggest that you visit eatcleandiet.com and cleaneatingmag.com for hundreds of free recipes and information on the clean eating lifestyle.
• Clean Eating Shopping List for for Beginners and Food Substitution Chart from Gracious Pantry

Food Diary – Feb 4-24, 2013

For 3 weeks you will record everything you eat.  You can keep a journal for the whole month if you like.

Why?  Food is 70-80% of the weight loss equation.  You have to eat a healthy diet and commit to doing so as a lifestyle change to lose the weight for good.  Starving yourself or using quick fix solutions will work in the short term, but they can cause health issues in the long run and/or will lead to the pounds coming right back.

How do you keep a food diary?:  You can buy a 3-8 inch notebook and keep it in your bag to record your eating.  You could also create an online food diary instead.  How you want to record your food is your choice.  The key is to be consistent.

FREE TOOL TO USE FOR THIS CHALLENGE: I suggest that you use myfitnesspal.com (or as a mobile app) to easily track your eating DAILY.  We have a large group on MFP for Black Women Losing Weight members where you can connect with other Ladies who use the program.

• You will keep track of what you eat and the amount of calories, fat, carbs, and sugar in what you are eating so that you understand what is really going into your diet.
• You can find calorie counts on free sites like myfitnesspal.com and calorieking.com.

Exercise – 5 Days per week for 45 min per day

Be consistent with your exercise 5 days per week for a minimum of 45 min each day.  If you want to push yourself and do more, that is great, but let this goal be your baseline amount of exercise during February.  What you decide to do for exercise is your choice.  Walk, run, take a zumba class, dance around the house…you should do what you feel comfortable doing.   I will post videos and workout suggestions here on the blog during the month.

We can do this!  Please post your questions below.