My start date was November 7th. I started out with Slim Fast for breakfast, a protein bar for a snack and Lean Cuisines for lunch. I've been doing 1200 calories a day and at first this was an easy way for me to count calories. But I have been exhausted with no end in sight. I thought the fatigue was due to the low calories but I don't think so anymore.

I've slowly moved away from my "safe foods". I eat real foods now. I've taken some principles away from my days on SBD and those principles naturally fall in the whole foods categories, for the most part. I'm a cook and I love cooking crazy things from scratch. I love making my own peanut butter, almond butter, bread, and I used to make own pasta. My newest thing I want to try is to make my own yogurt but I'm scared. So processed foods really isn't something I think should be part of our diet, but it's not something I'm completely opposed to either.

Long story short, it's been a week since completely banning the Slim Fast, protein bars and Lean Cuisines. It's been three weeks of eliminate one at a time. And I dare say I have more energy. I did start exercising this week, but I really don't think that's it. I think it's getting rid of the crap that my body doesn't recognize. It's amazing.

There is a lot to be said about processed foods. IMO...I think that is why we are all living longer because of the preservatives... And heaven only knows what chemicals we are really putting into our bodies. My hope is to be more Whole Foods. I am going to have to find a book and read up on it...but really what is there to know...eat food that isn't processed, right?

WTG Elaina...I think you are on to something!

eliana - i always have a noticable energy change when i give my body real food/real fuel as opposed to crap. i've really noticed it over the past two months without eating nearly anything processed. hurray! i think, for me, feeling better is encouraging me to not eat processed pseudo foods and too much of it.

oh, and you should make yogurt.. so so easy. they even have yogurt incubators (think mine has 8 wells) where once you've heated the milk and added the starter (which is just plain yogurt) you put the 8 ounce cups with lids in this heating machine which gently cooks it over 8-15 hours. give it a whirl!