"10 Steps to Eating Clean" - My thoughts

I have been hearing Cassey Ho talk about "eating clean" on Blogilates and I am wondering if using this technique alone is enough for me to lose weight without going all out extreme on Atkins.

I did some digging online and found  this article on eatingwell.com; I think it's a really good explanation of the main principles:

1. Limit processed foods
2. Bump up your veggies
3. Cut down on saturated fat
4. Reduce alcohol intake
5. Un-sweeten your diet
6. Watch the salt
7. Choose whole grains
8. Eat less meat
9. Up your fruit intake
10. Nix refined grains

To me this all sounds like good stuff that's not difficult to do. Bearing in mind that I want to stay low carb and acheive weight loss through ketosis I would probable make a few changes to how I implement the last few tips:

• "Choose whole grains" and "Nix refined grains" [7 & 10] - I will definitely take on board the advice to "Nix" refined grains but generally grain based food are high in carbohydrates so I plan to avoid these, but when I do indulge I will limit their intake to earlier on in the day when I'm more likely to use up the energy (e.g. a slice of toast at breakfast).
• "Eat less meat" [8] - because I will be cutting back on carbs I will be making sure I get a good percentage of my calories from protein so that when I lose weight it's fat I lose and not muscle (this is also why it's important to exercise on a weight loss programme). However - I take on board that the portion sizes I usually eat are way out of synch with what they should be, so for me "less" will mean portion control.
• "Up your fruit intake" [9] - Fruits are high in sugar, although these are the "good" natural sugars, and sugar is a form of carbohydrates. Because I want to stay low carb I think I will eat fruit in moderation - even eating half an apple or banana will be an increase in fruit for me (current fruit intake per day is zero - I know, I know, shame on me!). Again, fruit will probably be a breakfast or mid-morning snack item so I use the carbohydrate based energy during the course of my day.

So... that's my take on eating clean. Now lets see how I get on!!

Starting Over - 2014 WILL be my year!

Starting in August 2012 I've set my self a goal of losing a total of 4 stone (56lbs) by summer 2013 - I fell off the wagon and didn't make it :-(

Early 2014 I re-committed to getting to 150 lbs/10 and 1/2 stone/UK size 12 THIS YEAR!

So far I lost 28lbs (2 stone) on Atkins, got derailed and put back on 15lbs, now from 1st July I plan to get back on track.

I've been "dieting" on and off for years but I'm determined that this is my last time...in fact it's not a diet, it's about developing a healthier way of life!

My eating plan is going to be a variation on Atkins. I did really well with Atkins induction earlier in the year but then a few events and a holiday came up and I "took a break"...I've found it hard to get into it since then. I now plan to try and stick to eating low carb and eating "clean" (avoiding refined carbs and processed foods).

Tools I'm using to support my weight loss:

• A commitment to weigh in with a friend who is holding me accountable - weigh in on 1st and 15th each month, plus progress pics with the weigh in on the 1st (I'll be doing blog posts on these weigh ins)
• Blogilates workout videos - I love this site, Cassey Ho is really upbeat and inspirational in her videos; check them out at www.blogilates.com and on the YouTube channel
• Myfitnesspal.com to track food and exercise (it's easy to look items up from a wide range of brands and activities)
• Fitbit for overall tracking, including
• web and Android app
• Fitbit One tracker to track daily steps, activity level and sleep (see their website to find out more about the Fitbit trackers - they have a few options available and I'm hoping to get the FItbit Flex soon)
•  Aria scale (measures weight and body fat % - wirelessly uploads to the Fitbit website)