Eating Clean: Please Can I Have My Own Personal Chef?
Last night my better half and I visited a posh restaurant and over a bottle of wine *correction* over HIS glass of wine and my glass of tap water (which I now drink with lemon by the way), we discussed the progress of my healthy eating plan and how I was feeling, now that I am into my fifth week of some serious healthy grub.
The overall view I could muster, as I held my lovely glass of erm, water, was simply this: it’s bloody inconvenient. That is the right word – inconvenient.
So much effort is required when it comes to eating clean. Everything has to be prepared from scratch. After a long day at work, the last thing you want to do is start chopping up vegetables – it’s so much easier to grab a jar, add some meat and hey presto! Or win the lottery and hire a chef...
Eating clean is expensive. It’s probably another £20 a week on my shopping bill, which isn’t to be laughed at. The main cause is through the increase in fish and general salad/fruit items, namely, grapes, avocados and peppers. (Oh, and I tried papya the other night - what a let down!) Buying organic is out of the question, although tomatoes on the vine are now a staple and I won’t touch the salad tomatoes anymore!
As well as the food expense, there’s also the impending clothes expense. Sure, lots of women love the idea of buying a new wardrobe, but I’m not there yet – I’m in-between. None of my clothes fit me properly anymore – but I haven’t dropped a dress size yet. All of my work shirts and trousers are becoming slightly baggier, so not showing off my new figure yet, but I’m not there for a new size either. None of my belts fit either – I am smaller than the last loop on every belt I own! (I know - I tried them all this morning!) Another month or two perhaps might see a new dress size. Watch this space.
Then there’s putting it into perspective. I have been mega strict these last five weeks, to a point where I got a little depressed when last week I only lost 0.1kg. The previous 3 weeks I lost a total of 5 pounds. I got really cross with my obsession with that 0.1kg because it was irrational. So what? It’s 0.1kg. I have been exercising, not ridiculously so; last week I ran over 12 miles and swam 1.5 miles plus a couple of exercise classes. That for me, by the way, is not excessive. But realistically, I will have put on muscle.
Mentally, it has been challenging, yet uplifting. I don’t physically feel any different yet. My mind feels strong, knowing I am in control of what the new diet is doing to my body. I feel reenergised after all the exercise (particularly swimming). I feel focused as I have a goal in my mind – Christmas.
At the same time, I have also taught myself to disassociate myself with food. What I mean is that I used to get lots of enjoyment over the act of eating – sitting in front of the tv scoffing sweets, catching up with friends over dinner – it is a social activity. I try not to make that connection any more.
Last night in the posh restaurant, I had beetroot carpaccio with celeriac and I just looked at it and thought – damn. Sad, I know – but then I’ve been eating beetroot all week. Three weeks in fact. That starter was the only one on the menu I was ‘allowed’ taking into account the no bread/pasta/potato rule. For the main, I had fillet steak, with a greek salad. I usually have chips. No, it wasn’t the same. (But the steak was fabulous!)
So, last night I put things a little into perspective. I broke my no alcohol rule (drinking allowed only on Fridays and Saturdays) and had a shot of Frangelico (an almond liquor). I also broke my no sugar rule and ate a small piece of fruit cake I had baked that night. I hadn’t missed sugar as much as I thought I had, but knowing I was capable of saying yes to something a little unhealthy (it is after all, just fruit cake) made me just that little bit happier.
I wonder where I’ll be in another two months?
Follow me @JWilbyPalmer
The overall view I could muster, as I held my lovely glass of erm, water, was simply this: it’s bloody inconvenient. That is the right word – inconvenient.
So much effort is required when it comes to eating clean. Everything has to be prepared from scratch. After a long day at work, the last thing you want to do is start chopping up vegetables – it’s so much easier to grab a jar, add some meat and hey presto! Or win the lottery and hire a chef...
Eating clean is expensive. It’s probably another £20 a week on my shopping bill, which isn’t to be laughed at. The main cause is through the increase in fish and general salad/fruit items, namely, grapes, avocados and peppers. (Oh, and I tried papya the other night - what a let down!) Buying organic is out of the question, although tomatoes on the vine are now a staple and I won’t touch the salad tomatoes anymore!
As well as the food expense, there’s also the impending clothes expense. Sure, lots of women love the idea of buying a new wardrobe, but I’m not there yet – I’m in-between. None of my clothes fit me properly anymore – but I haven’t dropped a dress size yet. All of my work shirts and trousers are becoming slightly baggier, so not showing off my new figure yet, but I’m not there for a new size either. None of my belts fit either – I am smaller than the last loop on every belt I own! (I know - I tried them all this morning!) Another month or two perhaps might see a new dress size. Watch this space.
Then there’s putting it into perspective. I have been mega strict these last five weeks, to a point where I got a little depressed when last week I only lost 0.1kg. The previous 3 weeks I lost a total of 5 pounds. I got really cross with my obsession with that 0.1kg because it was irrational. So what? It’s 0.1kg. I have been exercising, not ridiculously so; last week I ran over 12 miles and swam 1.5 miles plus a couple of exercise classes. That for me, by the way, is not excessive. But realistically, I will have put on muscle.
Mentally, it has been challenging, yet uplifting. I don’t physically feel any different yet. My mind feels strong, knowing I am in control of what the new diet is doing to my body. I feel reenergised after all the exercise (particularly swimming). I feel focused as I have a goal in my mind – Christmas.
At the same time, I have also taught myself to disassociate myself with food. What I mean is that I used to get lots of enjoyment over the act of eating – sitting in front of the tv scoffing sweets, catching up with friends over dinner – it is a social activity. I try not to make that connection any more.
Last night in the posh restaurant, I had beetroot carpaccio with celeriac and I just looked at it and thought – damn. Sad, I know – but then I’ve been eating beetroot all week. Three weeks in fact. That starter was the only one on the menu I was ‘allowed’ taking into account the no bread/pasta/potato rule. For the main, I had fillet steak, with a greek salad. I usually have chips. No, it wasn’t the same. (But the steak was fabulous!)
So, last night I put things a little into perspective. I broke my no alcohol rule (drinking allowed only on Fridays and Saturdays) and had a shot of Frangelico (an almond liquor). I also broke my no sugar rule and ate a small piece of fruit cake I had baked that night. I hadn’t missed sugar as much as I thought I had, but knowing I was capable of saying yes to something a little unhealthy (it is after all, just fruit cake) made me just that little bit happier.
I wonder where I’ll be in another two months?
Follow me @JWilbyPalmer
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