We did it! We actually made it through 1 full month of clean eating! I have to admit that when we started out with this little experiment, I was a bit skeptical of how I would feel and if I’d even be able to go through with it. The act of breaking routine can sometimes be a hard one, especially with food. Food is pretty habitual for my wife and I. We like what we like when we like it. Completely stepping out of our comfort zone was at times stressful, but ultimately enlightening when all said and done. So, what are my thoughts on this diet?
Let’s start off with what I liked about clean eating. First off, I’ve gotta say that I feel awesome. Before doing this diet I would oftentimes experience bouts of uncomfortable like gas and the feeling of being too full. This would make me lethargic and crush my motivation for getting anything done. Since I’ve started eating clean, I haven’t experienced that at all. The “food coma” was a thing of the past, although I am sure I will feel that in the near future with going back to my original diet for the next month. Truth be told, I’m kind of scared to do it…
Another thing that has been nice has been the extra money I’ve been saving. In the beginning, I figured that I would actually be spending more money to foot the grocery bill. While that is true, we haven’t been eating out at all. As all of you know, that little bit here and there can add up. By eating at home the whole time, I’ve actually been saving money by not eating out and who doesn’t like doing that?
By going through this whole experiment, we were forced to try out new foods and recipes. The normal staples in our day to day eating were not going to cut it. In light of that, we grew a whole new appreciation for different foods out there. I’ve been eating way more fruit than I normally do, as well as things like quinoa and lots more vegetables. With eating these new foods though, it also made me appreciate the foods more that we couldn’t have. Really it was me missing things like popcorn at the movies or going out for Mexican food with wifey.
So, now for the things I didn’t like about clean eating. First has got to be the amount of preparation that goes into it. In order to not feel like we had to cook every single meal of the day, we resorted to meal prepping. Now, this was AMAZING after it was all done. Having the ability to just come home from work and grab an already prepped meal from the fridge was awesome. At the same time though the act of getting all of that food cooked was definitely a chore. It would usually take up an entire evening of our time. In the end though, it was worth it.
This was a big one for us. It was a pain in the butt not being able to just swing through somewhere to grab something to eat on a day where we were pressed for time and out on the road. Of course planning is essential here. We’d have to pre-game before heading to family gatherings and do things like make our own popcorn before going to the movies. We did it, but I wouldn’t say it was the ultimate in terms of convenience. Another thing about this was it’s just nice to bring my wife out for dinner at our favorite restaurant or take her out for ice cream on a date night. I know that may sound silly, but we are big on that stuff. It’s the little things.
The next thing that was a slight inconvenience was when it came time to plan food for my hunts. Most of the stuff I could get from a local grocery store. However, other stuff I actually would have to order ahead of time. Again, preparation is key here. Now, I very well could have dehydrated my own meals for this, but time was a factor. I opted to order my dinners and a few snacks from Heather’s Choice. The meals and snacks were GREAT as always, but it was a slight inconvenience not being able to just go and grab a dinner when I’m on the go. In the end it was better for me, I know this, but the fact remains.
Through this process I definitely gained some new favorites in terms of meals and snacks. I am generally not a picky person in the first place, so take that for what it’s worth. The Morning would start off with 2 pieces of Ezekiel bread with butter or avocado, 2 fried eggs, and an apple with peanut butter. Man, that was good to get the day rolling. Of course I’d have coffee as well. Usually just coffee with milk. Sometimes I’d toss in cinnamon and honey or maple syrup. One of my favorite dishes was making homemade burrito bowls essentially. Black beans, fajitas, brown rice, seasoning, and thin sliced venison. That was an awesome treat at work for lunch. When I’d get home, I was all about the smoothies! Loved a smoothie after a long day at work. It was just refreshing to come home to. My blend would be strawberries, banana, spinach or kale, peanut butter, rolled oats, yogurt, and coconut water. DELICIOUS!
At the time of writing this I can say that I am down 10 pounds from when I started. My wife is down 6 pounds. This whole time, we have not once counted calories, kept track of macros, or measured our food. It was pretty eye opening to see results like this with what felt like little effort as far as the motions of losing weight are concerned. Losing weight was never the goal of this, but it’s definitely welcomed, especially after the holidays. It also doesn’t hurt with hunting season being upon us. The better shape I can be in, the better right?
I am so stoked to see where all of this goes! Like I said earlier, I am admittedly scared to go back to my original diet, but I’m gonna do it to see what happens. Will I put the weight back on? Will I feel the same? Only time will tell. For the next month I will be eating what I ate before this whole thing started. In that month, I will lay out my food choices both at home and during my hunts. I’ll probably make this a bi weekly thing and then kick things back up to weekly when I jump into Keto for the month of June. Thank you so much for following along and I hope you have gained at least a little bit of insight into the world of clean eating. Look for a future post in the near future that will specifically outline what I have been eating in the backcountry. In the meantime, any tips on Keto? Let’s hear them!
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