My Unprocessed February

[landog]

I plan to eat zero processed foods in the month of February.
To help me stay on plan, I will post daily what I have eaten for the day, and what exercise I have done. (keeps me honest )

If you are interested in joining me, please do!

I started today.

Lunch:
bag of frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
some raw spinach leaves
brown rice and black beans

Snack:
an orange

Dinner:
Three potatoes (boiled, then smashed flat and baked).
steamed bok choy.

I had a 45 minute spin class first thing this morning.

Be well,
-dog

[amandamechele]

Best wishes for the month Landog.
I look forward to seeing how you fare.

Amy

[landog]

Today went like this:

Banana for breakfast

Lunch was a salad of romaine lettuce and baby spinach, bag of mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn) and rice and beans (brown rice and black beans -- a lunch staple of mine)

Dinner: 2 1/2 potatoes (boiled, then smashed flat and baked -- a new dish for us)
broccoli, cauliflower and carrots

Exercise: 30 minutes of an "Interval Step" class

Feb. 1 is in the bag!

[amandamechele]

Woot Woot! Feb 1 down.

[landog]

Groundhog Day!

I started the day at 7am with a 45 minute spin class.
(Then, I was worn out for the rest of the day )

Lunch:
salad of romaine lettuce and baby spinach
bag of broccoli and cauliflower (first time I have typed those two veggies without the aid of spell check!)
4 small potatoes microwaved

Snack:
an apple

Dinner:
brown rice, veggies from two leftover bags of frozen veggies (corn & broccoli, carrots, cauliflower)

I was hungry for dinner and had three helpings of rice

[landog]

Groundhog Day!

I started the day at 7am with a 45 minute spin class.
(Then, I was worn out for the rest of the day )

Lunch:
salad of romaine lettuce and baby spinach
bag of broccoli and cauliflower (first time I have typed those two veggies without the aid of spell check!)
4 small potatoes microwaved

Snack:
an apple

Dinner:
brown rice, veggies from two leftover bags of frozen veggies (corn & broccoli, carrots, cauliflower)

I was hungry for dinner and had three helpings of rice

Bedtime snack: Banana

[kirstykay]

Landog,
I like your simple approach. Your meals sound filling and delicious and straightforward. A good reminder that this WOE isn't about cleaver recipes, more about simple, whole foods. I like your challenge. Looking forward to seeing your thoughts on the process as well as the results of taking this no-nonsense approach.

[landog]

Feb. 3rd

Started the day with the Friday weigh-in. 170 lbs, down 3 from last week!
I really enjoyed my meals today! Worked from home.

Lunch:
mashed potatoes (potatoes, water and pepper)
when I was ready to smash the potatoes, I realized that I hadn't prepared the veggies, so I emptied some of the potato water into a smaller pot, then found leftover bag of frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrots in the freezer, which I emptied into the potato water - by the time I smashed the potatoes, the veggies were ready!

Dinner:
brown rice, topped with salsa
steamed kale
roasted carrot sticks!

Nighttime snack
banana

Exercise: Just before dinner I went for a brisk walk for 35 minutes!
Brisk as in pace, but also brisk as in 10 degree wind chill!

[landog]

hello, 160's - it's good to see you again!



I've been in the mid to upper 170's for a while

(I know, it's Saturday - weigh in is Friday, but I was happy to start the day this way)

[salreus]

Isn't brown rice processed? I know brown rice is processed into white rice, but the rice still has to be outer layer of the rice is still removed to turn it into brown rice. And if you remove the brown rice layer, you get white rice. Technically I know that cutting up plant foods is also processing but I wasn't counting that. But removing part of the plant would qualify as processing. I guess the question i how do you define processed foods.

[landog]

Isn't brown rice processed? I know brown rice is processed into white rice, but the rice still has to be outer layer of the rice is still removed to turn it into brown rice. And if you remove the brown rice layer, you get white rice. Technically I know that cutting up plant foods is also processing but I wasn't counting that. But removing part of the plant would qualify as processing. I guess the question i how do you define processed foods.

"My Unprocessed February" has it's origins in the "October Unprocessed Food Challenge" of 2011!

This board once was graced with the participation of one 'SactoBob.' Bob was a great help to me when I started here, days after my Esselstyn epiphany. Bob is a Star!

Way back then, Bob challenged anyone who was so inclined to an "October Unprocessed Food Challenge." Here's one way that Bob described the challenge: "One goal of the challenge will again be to minimize or eliminate processed or refined foods. I'm not talking about dicing tomatoes or peeling or baking foods. The other thing is awareness - to write down all amounts of such foods, since some people can, intentionally or unintentionally, be unaware of just how many calories are consumed from processed foods."

"My Unprocessed February" is just a repeat of that earlier 'unprocessed' challenge.

Here is my lunch today, steamed spinach and mashed potatoes:



You could say that once a spinach leaf is picked, that it was processed. The potatoes were boiled and mashed. I guess none of my foods this month are truly "unprocessed!"

My intention is to eat whole foods, unprocessed, or (okay) minimally processed, all month. I consider the whole grain brown rice to be "unprocessed" as far as "My Unprocessed February" is concerned.

That said, your message to me made me realize I would define the salsa I put on my rice yesterday as processed. Strike One, this month! It was an overall low calorie density meal, but I'm going to nix the salsa the rest of the month, unless I can get my wife to make some homemade.

Be well,
-dog

[landog]

Feb 4 - road trip! Overnight trip. Later this month I will be on the road for one week.

At least I'm driving (packed my cooler) and my hotel room has a microwave.

Lunch (at home): mashed potatoes and steamed spinach.

Road snack: banana

Dinner (at hotel):
bag of frozen mixed veggies (corn, carrots, peas, green beans)
brown rice
an apple

Exercise: 30 minutes on the hotel treadmill.

[landog]

Super Bowl Sunday

Not my typical day, I'm visiting my son at college.

Breakfast:
Pineapple from the hotel breakfast area.
Microwaved a bag of broccoli and cauliflower.
Heated up some boiled potatoes.

Lunch:
Took my son out to brunch, and I had a small fruit bowl

On the road home:
Banana (over the limit on fruit)

Dinner:
Boiled potatoes, smashed flat and baked.
Steamed spinach

Super Bowl snack:
Couscous and kale salad
(recipe from Forks Over Knives magazine)
brown rice and black beans

Exercise:
20 minutes on the stationary bike

[landog]

Happy Monday! Feb. 6

lunch:
baby kale and couscous salad
broccoli and cauliflower
rices and beans

dinner
mashed potatoes
brussel sprouts

Lazy day - no formal exercise

[landog]

Feb. 7 -- 25% through the month!

Started the day with a 45 minute spinning class.

Lunch:
broccoli and cauliflower
rice and beans

Dinner
broccoli and cauliflower
mashed potatoes

My wife made her pasta fagioli today. "Can you have the pasta fagioli?" Uhm, no I'm trying to stay 'unprocessed.' "I'll make you some potatoes."
(Wishing I had done a 'Low End of the Calorie Density February' )

Time to go to the grocery store!