This is the article in question: Clean Eating Challenge. The author took part in a 2 week Clean Eating Challenge (info here) which she found hard going and posed the question of whether it was worth it. As clean eating is an aspect of my plan, it seems pertinent that I address this opinion. So is it worth it and what do I make of her reasons for finding it difficult?
- "I may be used to eating healthy food, but I'm used to eating a little more of it".
The Challenge itself gives a calorie count of 1300-1600 calories a day so yes, it is quite possible that she feels she needs to eat more. I took part in a Body Transformation last year and was on no less than 1750 calories a day throughout it (and successfully lost 9lbs of pure lard in 9 weeks). Yes every body is different and needs a different calorie amount but if you are nearer the 1300 end, then you're a few steps away from a starvation diet which = holding on to fat. But in the article she says that "eating clean doesn't mean you're on a diet. It's not about counting calories or cutting carbs..." Er, but this challenge is calorie controlled and low-carb?!
There is no calorie counting on our plans and you can eat plenty :-)
- It costs more.
A better idea is to just know which foods (or types/sorts) of foods are on the menu and choose the best value ones you can. There are ways of getting cheaper fruit and veg (Aldi and local markets to name 2), and you don't need lots of fancy ingredients to start with. Our plans give some recipe ideas to help with inspiration but generally let you choose what to eat within guidelines so you can make it work for you. Our Weekly Words of Wisdom newsletter has a section on food offers each week as well as tips on how to keep it realistic and affordable.
You will probably go out to eat a bit less too initially; this can save £20/30+ each time and isn't necessarily a bad thing either. There's nothing wrong with going out to eat for a celebration or special occasion and you shouldn't expect to have to give this up. But there is also nothing wrong with finding a non food-related way of celebrating or not associating food with reward quite so often either.
And anyway, is spending a bit more on improving your health a bad thing? I know before I changed my eating and lifestyle I would have to spend loads on plasters, painkillers etc to control my health problem including time off work (see here for details) and I still paid for the gym, takeaways etc too so we're probably not really spending a great deal more balanced out over a year. No doubt if you were honest with yourself then you probably spend quite a bit on handbags/shoes/posh coffees/other vice which you could easily reduce a bit to cover any extra in the short term.
- "My social life suffered."
Not every clean eating plan involves hours of cooking; this part did seem a bit misleading. Again it can depend on your starting point as cooking from scratch does take more time than the 'stab stab ping' of microwave delicacies but it doesn't have to take the hours that she detailed. This may be another negative side effect of following a strict meal plan as there's less room for manoeuvre, so if you have a wider range of food/meals to choose from, then this is likely to be less of an issue. There are ways of working around the extra time too. Spending an hour at the weekend cooking a big pot of something like chilli, or a load of chicken breasts to use during the week can certainly cut cooking time down.
- "I had to use a lot of willpower."
This topic is often tricky for me as I generally just want to say 'quit whinging and get on with it' but I know that it is a lot harder for some people than it is for me to refuse foods that they are used to enjoying. Once I realised that cutting out (or severely reducing) things like cakes or takeaways stopped me being ill and feeling like crap then it was a lot easier as it simply wasn't worth eating them. But not everyone has such a big motivator which makes it harder to pass those foods buy. It does get easier every time you do it and after a while you don't even want them in the first place (honestly!). Once you get into a new habit of not eating that kind of food then it becomes less of an issue to avoid it. Fish and chips was my favourite takeaway, and oven chips with chilli was my ultimate comfort food but now a potato product has not passed my lips for nearly 2 years and it's no longer an issue; I just don't eat them.
I include some extra information on willpower and motivation during Week 2 of my plan; it includes some info/points from here amongst other sources.
- It's a 2 week plan with an end date
Even things like Slimming World / Weight Watchers have some version of end date with them; it's called a target weight. You spend weeks/months/years even following the plan, going to meetings, getting your certificates and then you reach that sometimes elusive target weight; hallelujah I'm done, where the cake? Anything you start needs to be something that you intend to stick with for the long term and preferably forever.
Our plan is 6 weeks long but the focus is always on taking your newly learned habits forward for the long term.
- Is it worth it?
For all the flaws mentioned above you may decide that eating better is too much hassle/too expensive/too restrictive so you go back to where you were after the challenge period is over. The general idea is certainly good, but I would suggest that choosing meals from a wide selection of foods is better than a limited meal plan (although some people will certainly appreciate not having to think as much about what to eat).
If you want a plan that takes the principles of clean eating but gives you a wide choice of meals/snacks/foods, focuses on embedding habits to take forward, is flexible enough to not have to take all you money or social time and is full of support throughout, then our Online Plan is probably for you. Have a look around the rest of our website to see what we offer and get in touch if you think it's for you.
