Clean Eating: Slimming World SP - Week 1

Since my last blog post, like a million years ago - I've made the switch to clean eating. Now you may have read a lot or perhaps nothing whatsoever about this - 'hipster lifestyle' as my son so kindly puts it - but to me the concept, the philosophy of this way of life makes sense. I like to think I'm eating the way our ancestors did -before the packaged meals, before snacks in pretty wrappers; long before the microwave oven - a nod to the past, so to speak!

So, for those of you that have been hiding under a bushel all this time......let me explain the concept: In short, you eat as naturally, as unprocessed and as fresh as you can. The less tampered with, the better!

Eating clean for me has been a really gradual thing - in fact, I never intended to "Clean Eat", it just sorta happened. I've naturally been making the gradual switch from white processed foods, such as pasta, breads and rices to the wholemeal / wholegrain versions of those foods. I cut out milk months back in a bid to shed a few pounds - occasionally I'll have some with homemade granola, but generally speaking I don't have it at all any longer. I don't tend to eat much bread anymore either - I've been experimenting with the occasional wholemeal tortilla wrap though - Go Wild Me! 

A could of weeks ago I gave up artificial sweetener - I literally had that in everything, from fruit tea to porridge. I would panic if I ran out of it!

Last week I tried to give up coffee, I managed 5 days before I began suffering from excruciating withdrawal symptoms - the pain in my lower back, hips and legs was horrendous; I could hardly walk - I stuck it out for 2 painful days before deciding to have a small espresso - voila, I was pain free within an hour - frightening huh? The effects that caffeine can have is mind boggling.......

So I still need to ditch the caffeine - I have just a small amount everyday to keep the pain at bay, while I wean myself off of it gradually. 

ANDDD, to complicate matters more, I've also been doing slimming world for the past 6 months - and in that 6 months I've lost a total of 5lbs!! Yes, you read that right, FIVE very unimpressive pounds!

As you can imagine, I'm pretty fed up with my lack of fat shifting......but it's not all about my weight of course, it's about adopting a new, healthy, organic way of eating; teaching my children that they can cook and eat healthy meals. 

Well, that's all good and dandy, but what's the point of writing this all here today?  The truth be told - I'm at my wits end, fed up and needing perhaps the support of others.........on one hand, I'm in love with eating clean, enjoying all the natural healthy foods available. On the other hand I'm fed up that after 6 months of slimming world, 6 months of bootcamp twice a week......I'm still not able to fit into my lovely summer dresses from last year! 

So, back to the clean eating.......

Last week I made the complete shift (aside from my continued caffeine addiction of course) to clean eating........I was enjoying a couple of nakd bars throughout the week, masses of fresh fruits and veggies - avocado slices on my salads, honey in my fruit tea; bottles upon bottles of ice cold mineral water - I've truly enjoyed eating clean; I found a new energy I never had before........surely after all this amazing REAL food, I'd have the most excellent weight loss this week..............?

........however, I went to my slimming world weigh in last night to discover a lovely 0.5lb gain for my cleanliness efforts. A bloody gain? How? I mean, what the actual !!!!!! 

So I've decided to write everything here on my blog; my exercise, my weight, the gains and (hopefully) the losses and I'll figure out along the way the correct balance between clean eating whilst doing the slimming world plan - Obvs! Phew.......!

This week I'm clean eating whilst following the Slimming World SP Plan, this allows me S & P foods, plus 1 Healthy Extra A choice and 2 Healthy Extra B Choices. 

Tomorrow I'll post the food that I ate today.......I'll also write about my weight and weight loss goals over the weekend too!

My lunch today :) Nom 

Bootcamp!