Eating Clean to Put a Little More (or Less) Wiggle into the Wiggle Dress

Hello Kittens!

I know I'm not the only one who struggles with weight, so I'm going to be open about the fact that I find myself standing in my closet eyeing all the beautiful clothes that are hanging there that I no longer fit into.  My problem is consistency...I know what should be done in order to wear them all again, I just have a problem actually doing them.  The holidays were especially brutal for me this year, so after my trip to the Bay Area in January, I decided to get serious.

My first change - my eating habits.  And sticking with them.  Being a pescaterian, I have already avoided many of the pitfalls of our society - mainly fast food.  My options are so limited that I rarely find myself at a drive thru anyhow. That crisis averted, I can focus on eating as clean and whole as possible without having to struggle with giving up fast food or dealing with most people's love affair with bacon.

My first week (Monday - Friday) went something like this:

Early morning - Hot water with the juice of a lemon or a half a lemon, depending on size - my mother has a Meyer lemon tree, so I have an unlimited supply and we're dealing with fruit the size of softballs and an obscene amount of juice.

Breakfast - 1/2 cup old fashioned oats with a tablespoon of flaxseed, cinnamon, a tablespoon of natural peanut butter, a banana, and berries.  This is where I FINALLY have my coffee (the nectar of the gods) and since everyone has a vice, I have mine with Coffeemate!

Lunch - A LARGE bowl of romaine, baby spinach, and arugula.  Either a can of tuna or 1/2 a can of garbanzo beans.  Tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and light balsamic dressing.

Afternoon - 2 cups green tea with splenda

Pre-Dinner - An apple

Dinner - Protein (either salmon, tofu, beans, or an egg) with quinoa or brown rice and a vegetable - this week was asparagus, broccoli, and green beans.

Aprés Dinner - Dark Chocolate.  I even passed on the wine this first week - though we all know a life without wine is not worth living, so needless this was just to get me into the swing of things.

I was proud of myself for being consistent with this (that is, until Sunday when I had lunch with the family at a German restaurant - they are NOT known for their healthy cuisine).  That little misstep aside, I realized how much I missed how good I feel while eating this way.  Though I have to say, I'm consuming so much produce it's not even funny...behold this week's tally:
-2 bags romaine lettuce
-2 bags baby spinach
-2 bags arugula
-2 containers of grape tomatoes
-2 cucumbers
-3 bell peppers
-1 large container blueberries
-4 apples
-1 bushel of bananas
-2 bushels of asparagus
-1 large head of broccoli
-1 bag of green beans
-1 container mushrooms
-1 can corn
-2 cans diced tomatoes
-4 lemons

Please keep in mind I live alone, so this is really just for me. Insane, I know.

Do you have any clean recipes you've incorporated into your repertoire? I have a good number tucked away, but it's always fun to see what others create!

Here's to a healthy week of clean eating!