Free Eating Plan :)

Good morning! First, can I start out by saying how stoked I am to have gotten such a 

Ok, so… The eating plan! I consider it “clean eating” but the more I responded to peoples posts and claimed that I am “eating clean” the more I asked myself, “Summer, do you know anything about clean eating? Is that REALLY what you are actually doing?” Hmmm… Ugh, not quite sure to be honest. So, I googled it 🙂 Turns out that CleanEatingMag says clean eating is: “consuming food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life – one meal at a time.” Ok… So I am pretty sure I am doing that, but with some additional guidelines that have also helped my weight loss (and inches lost!). 

Simple guidelines:

So, I am a VERY competitive person and I like simple point systems. I could never do something like Weight Watchers or really any “calorie counting” type diet, because A.) thats too much counting and B.) Ain’t nobody got time for that… So with this eating plan, all I do is try to get 15 points EVERY day in the right categories (6-8 points for each good protein, 2-4 points for each good carb, 4 points for each good veggie, and 1 point for reaching my water intake goal). 

Examples of good proteins: turkey breast, lean ground turkey, chicken breast, tuna, salmon, shrimp, lobster, crab, tofu, lean ground beef, top round steak, top sirloin steak, perch, lean ham, eggs, skim milk, low-fat cottage cheese, sea bass, tilapia, no-fat cheese, venison, duck, halibut, flounder, peanut butter/almond butter (but this is high in fat), hummus, greek yogurt.

Examples of good carbohydrates: whole wheat bread (pita, regular, etc.—sometimes I choose sourdough, but that is a splurge item too), whole grain pasta, steamed brown rice, steamed wild rice, sweet potato, yams, oatmeal, steel cut oats, yogurt, barley, whole grain cereal, wheat tortilla, squash, pumpkin, beans, berries, grapefruit, apricots, peaches, figs, strawberries, cherries, apple, pear, orange, cuties/clementines, kiwi, melba toast, salsa. 

Examples of good Vegetables: tomato, broccoli, carrots, lettuce (all kinds), asparagus, cauliflower, green beans, spinach, green peppers, mushrooms, peas, lima beans, brussel sprouts, sprouts (all kinds), artichoke, cabbage, celery, zucchini, cucumber, onion, okra, sauerkraut. 

This also makes it EXTREMELY easy for packing my lunch—because I can prowl through my fridge, count the items for each category, throw them in my lunch pail and BAM, I am DONE 🙂 As a busy mom (and I am only a mommy of one—for those of you moms who have more than one, I salute you!), I have found that I just have to shove food in my mouth when I have a free second and I cannot remember the last time I used an actual “recipe” for anything. That being said, simple foods throughout the day WORK for me. 

For example, here is what I packed in my lunch pail for today and my plan for a full day: 

Wake-up, 6:00am: Complete 2 circuits Alexa Jean’s Butt & Legs, 3 circuits of Arms, 3 circuits of #soretothecore Abs (about 45 minutes)

Get ready for work, 6:45am: Drink protein shake and eat one hard boiled egg (2 points good protein). Also, I buy Vega Protein & Greens from Costco—it has 20 grams of protein, only 2 grams of sugar, AND 2 servings of greens—plus, it tastes good! I combine 2 scoops with 3 ice cubes and about a cup of water, put it all in my NutriBullet—BAM, done 🙂

At work snack #1, 9:00am: Apple with peanut butter (1 point good carb, 1 point good protein/healthy fat)—since I am still breastfeeding I try to get at least 2 healthy fats per day, if not MORE 🙂

At work snack #2, 11:00am: Hot chocolate protein shake (1 point good protein) (I use this Attain nutrition shake from Melaleuca—it has 9 grams of sugar and has 10 grams of protein—and I mix it with hot water so it tastes just like hot chocolate).

Working Lunch 1:00pm: Four slices of turkey breast with a half of an avocado (sliced in between the turkey) plus two cuties/clementines (1 good protein/healthy fat, 1 good carbohydrate). 

At work snack #3, 2:30pm: Dannon Oikos Triple Zero Greek Yogurt (1 point good protein) (LOVE this stuff!!! Zero artificial sweeteners, ZERO added sugar, and ZERO fat—praise, Jesus—it’s GOOD!). 

At work snack #4, 4:00pm: 1.5 cups of carrots + a serving of hummus (2 good veggies, 1 good protein). 

Dinner, 5:30pm: Pork loin with steamed broccoli and a side salad with tomatoes/celery/bean sprouts/avocado (1 protein, 3 veggies).