Ya know, a lot of progress can be made in just 7 days. That’s why I’ve decided to embark on a 7 day weight loss cleanse. I’m still stickin’ to my New Year’s goals, but I wanted to kick it up a notch!
I’m a pretty healthy person. I exercise regularly and eat well most of the time. I’ve definitely made healthy living a lifestyle. However, the bummer thing, uh er, I mean the good thing about healthy living is that you are never done! You can’t just say, “Yay, I’ve reached my goal weight/fitness level/healthy goals so now I am through with exercising and eating well, woo hoo!”
I wish it worked that way, but it doesn’t.
Healthy living is a lifetime commitment.
But, as you all know I still like to enjoy my favorite “non healthy” foods from time to time and indulge a little here and there. I know my little indulgences can negate a lot of my healthy efforts…but I think it’s worth it occasionally! So, because I like to “loosen it up” sometimes, I know I need to “tighten it up” sometimes too!
My sister attempted a little 7 day cleanse last week, but had a hard time with it. I looked into it and it really intrigued me. However, the cleanse she did was a vegan one. I’m not quite down with vegan stuff (although I respect those of you who are!), so I decided to create my own little version of a healthy cleanse. Yay!
It’s still kind of a work in progress and I am literally my very own guinea pig, so we’ll see if it works! I have faith it will. I’ve done a lot of research and read countless books about health and fitness over the years, so I’m basing this cleanse on all of that knowledge. Also, you can’t go wrong when you feed your body full of healthy, clean, real, nutrient dense foods. 🙂
Here are the basics (When I’m done, I will put this together in a more organized format for those of you who would like to do it too!):
7 Day Weight Loss Cleanse
- Eat 4 meals a day, evenly spaced out throughout the day (~1200 calories per day. Men can add more calories)
- May snack on veggies, eggs, lean meats, nuts, etc. if still hungry
- Drink at least 3 liters (~101 oz.) of water per day.
- Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.
- Exercise 6 days (1 day of rest).
Here’s a little more info about the meals;
Allowed:
- All vegetables, except potatoes and corn (sweet potatoes okay)
- All fruit
- lean meats/proteins; eggs, chicken, fish, lean beef
- Protein Powder (preferably naturally sweetened)
- Beans
- Quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal
- Nuts, nut butters and seeds (in moderation)
- Spices, vinegar, mustard, low sugar ketchup, healthy salad dressings
Not Allowed:
- Corn
- Potatoes (except sweet)
- Grains, other than specified
- processed foods
- sugar and artificial sweeteners
- Dairy products
I think that’s it! I’m sure I’m forgetting a few things.
I know this is a relatively low calorie diet, but it is designed that way by nature. 1200 calories is a safe number of calories (won’t mess up your metabolism or put you into starvation mode), but it’s also low enough to give you quick results!
This is how I envision my meals going;
Breakfast: Oatmeal or eggs (with fruits and veggies)
Lunch: Big salad
Snack: protein shake or green smoothie (huge!)
Dinner: lean protein or soup with veggies, fruit and “legal” whole grain.
Extra Snacks: veggies dipped in hummus, small green smoothie, nuts, fruit, etc. (I’m going to try not to snack unless I really need to!)
AND here is what I ate yesterday;
Breakfast!
I made a yummy veggie, quinoa, egg scramble (1 whole egg, 4 egg whites, Mrs. Dash, onions, peppers, spinach and quinoa) and topped it with a little low sugar ketchup. I also had 1/2 banana on the side. So yummy! The quinoa almost reminded me of hash browns, especially topped with ketchup!
Lunch!
I call this the “Kitchen Sink” salad. Spinach, romaine, peppers, apples, cucumbers, sugar snap peas, black beans, and chicken. I topped it all with a little homemade Greek salad dressing.
I went to the gym at 5:00 and wanted to make a green smoothie before I left, but ran out of time! I ended up grabbing the other half of my banana and some almonds as I ran out the door. Sorry no pic, but I’m sure you all know what a banana and almonds look like, lol!
Dinner!
I made some yummy lentil soup in the crock pot. Kev said it was a “keeper.” 🙂 Do you know there are 18 grams of protein in 1 cup of cooked lentils!?? Holy Moly!
I also made a green smoothie, but only ate half because I shared it with Kev;
I put 1 C. unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 frozen banana, 5-6 big frozen strawberries, 1/2 cucumber and spinach in the blender and pressed “go”. It was super yummy and refreshing!
That was it. I’m eating a bazillion fruits and veggies and I LOVE IT! I felt a little hungry throughout the day, but not too terrible. I think hunger is a good thing sometimes. Our crazy society has taught us to eat the minute we feel the slightest bit of hunger. It’s good to buck the trend occasionally. 😉
Well, I will continue to keep you posted. I will be experimenting with recipes all week and will include all the good ones in my “official plan!”
I hope you all have a great day! xoxo
Love this. Thanks for sharing. And I agree about hunger. Folks seem to be afraid to experience a little hunger, but I think it is okay. Sometimes, telling ourselves no is a good thing. =). Can’t wait to read how this cleanse goes for you!
Thanks Tiffany! I will definitely fill you in on all the details. So far, I feel great. I also love that it’s only 7 days! I can do anything for 7 days! 😉
Will you please post your reciepe for the lentil soup ? It looks so good !!
It was so good! I will post it as soon as I can. I hope you like it! 😉
I’ve never tried a cleanse before but have seen some that are all liquid and love that yours involves real food!
Thanks Danielle! I’m not a huge fan of all-liquid cleanses either. So far, I’ve loved the results I’m seeing on this cleanse and it’s only been two days!
I’m so glad that you found me and in turn I found your blog! If you read my about section you’ll see where I am coming from, but it’s so nice to meet someone with a plan and the drive to stick to it like yourself; it’s very inspiring! I also can’t tell you how much I enjoy the recipes that you have posted. I understand what I need to eat to be healthy, but to be honest, eating the same things can get boring and I’m not really an “outside the box” chef when it comes to healthy, so your recipes are greatly appreciated! Keep up the great work!
Thanks so much for your kind words Michael! It means so much to me. I used to think that healthy eating was very bland and boring, but I don’t think that anymore! I’ve found and created so many fun, yummy recipes and it makes it SO MUCH easier to eat well. I still have junk food from time to time, but I keep coming back to healthy, clean eating because it makes me feel and look so much better! Good luck with your journey!!
This is very interesting to me and I can’t wait until you share your results. I do need to mention that 1200 calories would put some people into starvation mode – such as myself. I’m 5’11” and when I recently got my resting metabolic rate measured they said I would burn 1950 a day just by sitting all day! Taking into account normal daily living, plus my daily workouts and I’m burning between 2600-3000 calories a day. So, since it is unhealthy to have more than a 1000 calorie deficit, I would have to change it up a bit. I don’t know your stats so I’m not saying your cleanse is unhealthy for everyone. I just wanted to point out that some of us need a little extra 🙂
P.S. I’m following you now! 😉
Thanks so much Amy. You’re right, it is a little bit different for everyone. I’m 5’9″ and I usually eat 1800-2000 calories a day. When I try to lose weight, I cut it down to 1500 or so. I’ve found that, for me, if I don’t cut it down to at least 1500, I don’t lose any weight. I’m already at a healthy weight, but I just seem to gain and lose the same 10 pounds. 😉 I’m doing 1200 for this cleanse in an effort to shed a few holiday pounds I gained, and so far I feel fine. I’ve been a little hungry, but I still have adequate energy and feel great. I’ll of course, keep you posted on my results!
Im liking the ideas you present. Seeing meal concepts through someone else’s eyes is a big help.
Thanks so much Tim! Eating well can be tough, so I’m always looking for new ideas to keep it interesting! 😉
Good luck with your cleanse!
Thanks so much Amy! So far, so good! 😉
My goodness your food looks amazing! Good luck with your cleanse :), you’re braver than me.
Thanks so much! So far, the cleanse is going well. It hasn’t been too hard and I’m encouraged by my results so far. 😉
That breakfast looks really good! I really do not like eggs…at all! The only way I can tolerate them is if I make an omelette or scramble them up with veggies and a bit of cheddar cheese. From the look of your quinoa egg scramble, I think I could very easily make that a frequent breakfast! Excited to read about how the cleanse goes.
I really do love the quinoa egg scramble. If you try it, I hope you like it! I will keep you posted on the cleanse. I’m lovin’ it, but looking forward to it being over, lol! 😉
Good luck! Looks like a balanced cleanse and I’m sure you’ll feel awesome at the end of the week.
Thanks so much for your encouragement! Yes, so far I’ve loved this cleanse. It’s lower calorie, but still full of lots of nutrition and healthy food.
Wow! Your blog is so inspiring! How often do ou cleanse?
Thanks so much! This is the first time I’ve done this cleanse and so far, I love it! I’ve done other “challenges”, but not a cleanse like this one. I really try to eat well and exercise most of the time, but I definitely leave room for some of my favorite treats on occasion!
This cleanse is very similar to the 21day sugar detox I am doing. Dont you find that your mind feels so much clearer? Good luck.
I’d be interested to hear about how your 21 day detox is going! I like doing little “challenges” and “cleanses” occasionally to help me remember how much better I feel! 😉
I love that you did this cleanse and I have recently started preparation for my own 7 day cleanse for this coming week. I cannot wait to get started and your food looked sooo delicious!
Good luck on your cleanse! I think cleanses are tough, but I always feel SO good! I need to do another 7 day cleanse soon. 😉