Toxic Eat Clean Skeptics - Handling Friends and Family

It's weird that you eat six meals a day, right? What???? NO SUGAR!! Huh? One can exist like that? How do you do it? Can you help me even though I will never really take your advice? You don't really want to look like that do you?

If you have started your journey to a Clean Eating lifestyle, I'm sure you have heard these questions and comments, among others. It's not easy, but you are not alone!

"Toxic" friends and family are a large problem when switching over to eating clean. A problem that you are going to have to overcome if you want to be successful. I have put together a quick list of things that are helpful to remember as you become healthy and look forward to the future.

Toxic Eat Clean Skeptics - Handling Friends and Family

1. This is your decision - NOT theirs. You are choosing right now to eat this way. Try not to complain about how long you are spending in the kitchen cooking or chopping veggies - it will only make your situation worse by giving them something negative to "battle" with you about and turn them off of eating clean if they were ever to consider it. Eliminate excuses!

2. Let them know how much this means to you. Ask for their support, but assure them you are not trying to convert them or in no way, shape or form are you going to judge them for what they are eating. In fact, shortly after Jim and I started blogging, we had a birthday celebration for him. I went out of my way to make  clean treats (you can find many of the recipes on the blog!) and treats that were not-so-clean for other members of our family. I didn't want them to feel ostracized because they had come to our house. It's their decision what they eat - I made sure that Jim and I were taken care of with our healthy treats and that's all that matters! At the end of the night, I packed up what they wanted to take home and trashed the rest (I know, shame on me for wasting food, but sugary food isn't good for anybody anyway!)

3. Give them a little insight into how to eat clean so they know what to expect. Both mine and Jim's families are great when it comes to our lifestyle (although don't let me fool you - we took a LOT of flack in the beginning). They know we eat six meals a day and now think nothing of me bringing my own food to a family meal (now they even try to cook something we can eat!) or popping a pack of grapes and almonds out of my purse for a midday snack. The more they understand that food doesn't consume your life and that you are just as normal as them, the more they will become comfortable with it.

4. Give it time. You are a pioneer of sorts to them if they are not knowledgeable about eating clean. Let them observe you and how your lifestyle fits with theirs. Two things could happen - they could get it and realize you aren't much different OR they could flip out and never want to talk to you again (this sounds nuts, right? Let's hope that doesn't happen).

4. People are by nature, insecure about their appearance/weight. In my experience, this is the answer to why people will snub you or mock you for eating clean - RIGHT HERE! I wish we could change this, but when most people see someone succeeding, they begin to question their own success. If you are mocked, or snubbed by a friend or relative, it's 99% of their own insecurity. Why wouldn't someone want to feel better, look better and enhance their health?

I really hope this helps. Please know you are not alone, Jim, myself, Whitney and Scott have all experienced this. We would love to hear your stories about "toxic" friends and family - it would be great to prove we are not alone!

Dining Out 101

At times it can be very overwhelming and complicated to choose the cleanest, healthiest option when dining out at major restaurants chains or local establishments.  This article will provide you with important tips and thoughts to consider when ordering your meals.

1.  Do your homework!

This one is simple – before you arrive at the restaurant, check the menu and nutritional information on their website.  Most major chains will have very thorough nutritional information that you should review in order to determine the best meal option that meets your dietary requirements. Avoid the usual suspects - deep fried, creamy, et cetera.  At the restaurant, don’t be afraid to ask your server questions like how certain dishes are prepared, what toppings come on it, or if you can substitute certain unhealthy sides for steamed vegetables, a side salad with olive oil and vinegar or a plain sweet potato.  You should also be aware that restaurants always use way too much salt to enhance the flavor of their dishes, so ask your server to limit the salt or hold the salt…that way you control the amount of salt used.  I like to pour a small amount in my palm and sprinkle it over the dish (there are about 500mg of sodium in ¼ teaspoon of salt – you shouldn’t be consuming more than 2,000mg per day and most dishes already have that much out of the kitchen).  

Tip - There are plenty of apps for smart phones that have consolidated nutritional information for several chain restaurants.  One that I have and really like is simply called "Fast Food".

2.  Order water.

Another simple one – get rid of the empty calories found in sodas, beers, and sweetened beverages.  Free refills and sitting around a table chatting with friends for nearly an hour is an easy way to consume ridiculous levels of sugar (or even worse, chemically altered products that are turned into sugar).  If you need some flavor in your water, squeeze a lime or lemon into it.  As an added bonus, you will save $2.00 for every meal you dine out…you’d be surprised at how quickly that adds up!

3.  Don’t be afraid to be that guy (or girl)!

There will be times where you are with a new crowd, whether it be certain co-workers or acquaintances, and you may feel like it would just be easier to not look picky and order a standard dish without “cleaning it up”.  Sure, we’ve all been in this position before, but you just have to hold the perspective that what is truly important and gratifying to you, may not be to other individuals, but they aren’t going to think anything less of you just because you altered your order at dinner; most of the time, they probably don’t even notice.  And if you’re worried about what the server thinks of you then you haven’t fully committed yourself to the clean eating lifestyle.

4.  Skip the appetizers.

We all know most appetizers are not healthy, so don’t even order them.  If someone else at your table does order them, resist the temptation...there is absolutely no nutritional value in 99% of the appetizers found in restaurants.

5.  Ask for a box as soon as you get your meal.

For those needing to practice portion control and limiting calories, ask for a box when you get your food and immediately put half of your meal in the box, close it, and put it somewhere where you will not have the urge to go in for seconds.  Not only does this save on calories, but it spreads your meal cost over two meals (clearly, frugality is something we cherish at heandsheeatclean.com).

6.  Execute your order based on your homework.

Now that you’ve reviewed the menu and you know what to ask for (or what not to ask for), it is time to execute your order and make sure you always tell your server two things – no (or light) salt and no butter.  Many restaurants actually have a section that you can order from where no butter is used and salt is left out of the seasonings; Outback Steakhouse is one of them.

Remember rule number 3 when you’re ordering – nobody really cares what you ordered and you may actually get asked why you ordered that way.  If so, you can impart your wisdom on them and hopefully inspire them to do so the next time they dine out.

7.  Skip the dessert!

What did we say about sugar in number 2?

8.  Enjoy your meal and revel in your success!

It’s always important to remember that the satisfaction you get from eating tasty but unhealthy foods is fleeting, but the satisfaction that you will receive from building that body that you’ve always dreamed of is much more enduring.  Not only will you love the way you look, but you will have more energy and more self-confidence that will go a long way in your professional and personal life.  The journey you will take to get there will open new doors and give you a new-found perspective on life, which will make you happier.

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence” - Aristotle

Here is a small list of the restaurants we recommend for clean eating:

• Ted’s Montana Grill
• Outback Steakhouse
• Chipotle
• Barberito’s
• Jason’s Deli
• PF Changs
• Panera Bread
• Atlanta Bread Company

Here are some final thoughts to consider:

• Avoid butter and salt.
• Try to order veggies or salads as your side dish, if you have to order carbohydrates, make sure you order complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat bread, couscous, etc.
• Avoid sodas, alcohol, and sweetened beverages.
• Get dressings or sauces on the side.
• Ask your server if you can create your own order…most places have plain and simple grilled chicken and you can simply add steamed veggies and a sweet potato as your two sides.
• Tip well!  If your server fulfills your order as you requested, you should show your appreciation for their efforts.  This will reinforce their work ethic and motivate them the next time they have to serve a clean eater.

Your questions and comments are always welcome.

Keep it clean!

- Scott

Our Story: Scott & Whitney

We are very excited to finally be able to put all of our information and thoughts into one place and hopefully help others! We are often asked what we eat or what workouts we do, so what better way than a blog to help as many couples (and individuals) as possible discover the joys of eating clean?!

We decided for our first post we would basically just tell our story. So, here it goes….

We are Scott and Whitney and we are high school sweethearts. We got married in December of 2007. We were both at a healthy weight when we got married; however,

We gained a lot of weight in the first year we were married

(around 20 lbs each) by dining out frequently at places like On The Border, Chick-Fil-A, Zaxby’s, and McDonald’s, just to name a few.  In September of 2008, we took a trip to see the Cubs in Chicago and once we saw the pictures from that trip we knew that something had to change. Scott started going to the gym in the evenings and after making it part of his daily routine – he was then hooked. Typical of anything he becomes interested in...

He started reading EVERYTHING he could about nutrition and weightlifting.

A few years later, Whitney started paying attention to what she was eating but still was not eating clean enough or following a consistent workout routine. She would do workout videos at home because she was too shy to go to the gym. 

He finally convinced her to the gym and she has been hooked ever since!

What have we been able to accomplish with eating clean (combined with lifting weights)?

• He went from a waist size of 38” to a waist size of 32”
• She went from a size 10 to a size 4

The most important results are that we are both much happier, much stronger, and have much more energy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What do you eat?

The best (and easiest) way to describe it is that we eat clean, natural, whole foods that have not been modified or altered once they have been harvested or slaughtered. No fried foods, no GMO foods, no chemical preservatives, no refined or added sugars, and no highly processed foods (limited processing is sometimes necessary – e.g. Greek yogurt). Or, for those familiar with the concept,

We eat clean.

Both of us eat every 2-3 hours (6-8 meals a day). Our meals consist of protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and vegetables. You can view a sample of our meals here.

The second most common question we are asked is...

What workouts do you do?

We do weight training with a mix of cardio & HIIT. Excessive cardio is not the answer if you want a lean body...you MUST lift weights!  

UPDATE: We now have our very own 12-week transformation plan available!

Eating clean is definitely a team effort for us and the mission is to help other couples (and individuals) with tips and tricks to achieve this lifestyle. 

Both of us work full time and spend about an hour in the gym five days a week and several hours in the kitchen each week. We don’t watch much television but to us, it’s worth it! Whitney does most of the cooking and Scott does most of the cleaning. ;-)

Sundays are the days that we normally prepare all of our food for the week. Remember, this is a lifestyle and not a diet! Good luck with your journey!

- Scott & Whitney