Did You Lose When You Stopped Eating Processed Foods???

Go you! Great call! We made the switch about 2 1/2 years ago, after DH's dr threatened to put him on meds for high cholesterol. Instead, we totally changed how we eat--mostly vegetarian, no processed foods, lots and lots of fruits and veggies--it's actually a lot easier than you think, and you'll feel GREAT. I lost 10+ lbs (DD was 8 mos old at that stage, and I hadn't lost all the baby weight--I ended up weighing 10 lbs less than I did BEFORE I became pregnant the first time!). DH lost 15 lbs. DH's cholesterol dropped 80 pts. Perhaps most dramatically, I had gestational diabetes with my first pregnancy, and NOT with my second--my dr says this is almost unheard of, and calls me a "rock star" every time I go in (I'm due in 4 weeks!). I've only gained 25 lbs (from my 10 lb down starting point) with this pregnancy, so I'm sure getting back to pre-prego weight will be much easier.

To make the switch, we stopped buying pre-prepared foods (basically anything in a box or freezer case)--shop the perimeter of the grocery store (produce, dairy, meat/fish). It really doesn't have to be fancy--broil some fish, boil some rice, steam some broccoli, you're good to go. Lunch today was scrambled eggs, (natural, real) cheese and crackers (Triscuits good, Wheat Thins bad), and carrot sticks. My general rule is that if I can't fully explain how God put it here on earth, I don't eat it (that means that, when you read the ingredient list, you should be able to pronounce and explain everything on it. No chemical names!). When we buy things like salsa, for instance, I get the one that reads "tomatoes, onions, peppers, vinegar, spices." Organic brands are more likely to do that for you, but we're not strict about organic, just about knowing what we're eating. It's also turned out to be a lot cheaper for us. Drastically cutting down meat consumption helped with that--there's a reason poor countries subsist on rice and beans, but there are lots of tasty ways to make them.

As for family support, we were lucky in that DH was motivated by health concerns--he really didn't want to go on more meds--and we made the switch just as DD was starting to eat table food, so she's never known any different. But it's all what you're used to. DD, at almost 3, LOVES eating "little trees" (broccoli), and DO NOT get in her way on black bean taco night!

If you want recipe ideas, feel free to PM me with your email address, and I can send you a bunch of recipes in a Word file that I put together for my sister last Christmas. Lots of kid-friendly vegetarian recipes. Good luck, and congrats on getting your fam healthy!

YES!... yes, yes and yes.

Not only did I lose weight but I had more energy.

I dropped processed foods, started taking a multivitamin and Omega 3 (fish oil) and felt like a new person.

At our house we cook every meal (And by we I mean I)... and we use fresh produce all the time.

There are a million recipes and websites out there dedicated to whole eating and healthy lifestyles - Google it!

My advice to you is to start off slow, plan to the extreme - write a meal plan, put a budget on it (it can be expensive if you're not careful)... and research what will work for you and your family.

Planning is your best tool. IF you don't plan, you over spend, get in over your head and wind up ruining a few meals - and before you know it you've thrown in the towel and gone to McDonalds.

Good luck and DONT GIVE UP!!

Go to this website www.cleaneatingmag.com This magazine has GREAT recipes.

GOOD FOR YOU! That is what I teach all the time as a wellness educator is that it's not necessarily the carbs or the calories but the chemicals especially in the processed foods playing havoc with our health.

Depending on your area look into joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) group for the growing season and experiment with the different fresh produce you will get. As far as the kids and hubby. . . first of all I am very lucky that my husband will eat what is served. He realized when the kids were little he was a role model. I also have never had a "clean plate" rule but had a "you have to try it" rule. My family now, including husband, 19 year old son and 15 year old daughter will eat broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, peppers, etc.

Here are a few of my favorite cookbooks for using REAL foods.
The Whole Foods Market Cookbook
Moosewood Restaurant's Simple Supper's cookbook (mostly vegetarian recipes)
Local Flavors by Deborah Madison
Eating Well in Season
Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert.

Good Luck and keep up the good work!

Clean eating has contributed to my 30 pound weight loss and my better health and well being. I would recommend reading Oxygen magazine and Clean Eating magazing in particular. There are a lot of healthy recipes in Clean Eating that are very good and easy to make.

I don't necessarily go organic all the time, but when I can I do. I do not obsess, and added fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and lots of water before I started removing the processed food. It's easier to do it gradually, doesn't feel like a drastic change that way. Eventually I lost the cravings for sugar, as well.

Best of luck!

Absolutely! The chemicals in the processed foods really mess with the chemistry of our body...it doesn't know what to do. Besides getting rid of the processed foods, we eat (mostly) organically and use the Glycemic index to control our overall health. The entire family is taking an absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex and now going to the YMCA...it's been fun to do it as a family!

M.

Stop eating food with high fructose corn syrup, choose the brands that do not add this to their food. This stuff adds calories to the food resulting in weight gain. It is not easy because you have to read labels, but once you have been doing it for a while you will know what to stay away from. High fructose corn syrup is bad news and contributes to the obesity and diabetic epidemic in America. I lost 16 lb in 5-6 months just staying away from high fructose corn syrup, I did nothing else to loose weight. High fructose corn syrup is in everything from bread to ketchup to bread crumbs, cereal, salad dressings, chocolate milk, yogurt and many many more foods. (, I don't generally eat alot of processed food to begin with) Good Luck

I want to encourage you to drink at least 64oz of water each day. I lost 10 lbs in 6 weeks by increasing my water intake daily. I labeled water bottles 1-5 in the fridge to make sure I got it in. 2 months later, I drink more than enough naturally and I have kept the 10lbs off with no thought about it!

Definitely! And doing a juicing fast (probably can "google" recipes for this) prior to attempting to lose the weight can make it go even faster. I look for simple recipes that I can replace items that I don't want to use with a healthier alternative. If there is an ingredient on the back of an item that I can't pronounce, I don't purchase the item.

I stopped drinking sodas about 4 weeks ago and have dropped two pant sizes!!