Charlie’s Diary 

6 Weeks of Clean Eating 

Meike is a qualified nutritionist and health coach.  She has helped me figure out my relationship with food and working with her has helped me transform my palate. She is also ATC’s contributor on Health and Fitness. 

Over the last 2 years, I have followed many of Meike’s (mmacht.health) Meal Plans with a great deal of success. At the moment, I’ve taken a break from exercise to recover after a series of recurring injuries and decided it was time to sign up again for a 6 Week Plan. Exercise was my go-to place for happy hormones, and in a way it also gave me a pass to eat whatever I want (within reason, of course).  Now that I’m not exercising, I want to be extra careful and eat right, and I see that as resetting my system.

I have amassed a large amount of knowledge!  I’ve learned that no oats are equal, I’ve learned to read food labels, I’ve learned about vegetables and what you can do with them, and I’ve learned to eliminate foods that don’t get along with my system. 

I am now 7 days into my new meal plan. The plan is made up of a specified daily amount of protein, complex carbohydrates, fat, fruit, some dairy products and lots and lots of veggies. You  log images of yourself every Monday via an app and send pictures of all your meals. 

Structure and direction gives me great joy. When I know someone is watching, or in this case me needing to send pics of my meals, it keeps me dedicated to the program. I look forward to my meals and I prepare them well, ensuring that I have a little cooler bag daily with my breakfast, lunch and snacks.  I also keep things simple and stick to meals that take a short amount of time to prepare. 

Meike gives you advice and you can talk to her anytime throughout the day, whether it’s for cooking inspiration, something you are not sure about or just a general query, and she guides you through it all. It is very helpful and keeps you accountable throughout the process.
(Please note the ideas below are based on my meal plan and are just examples. I will also add some images of my meals this week).

Breakfast – yoghurt and chia seeds with half portion of my daily allowable fruit portions. I also include a cup of tea and some cheese on the side if I feel like it. 

Lunch: Chicken breast with salad or steamed vegetables. I don’t eat red meat, so it’s either chicken or fish.

Dinner: Seafood curry with brown rice and steamed vegetables.

Snacks: I’m allowed 3 fruits a day and some nuts. 

I always ensure that I make enough food at dinner so that I am sorted for the next day’s lunch, too. That means I have to plan well. I make enough brown rice on a Sunday to last me a few meals throughout the week as you know brown rice takes a longer time to cook.  I usually just dish some from the ones already cooked when I want to eat rice on a specific day. 

I’m never hungry and pack my plate with enough vegetables to nourish my body. There was a time I ate no meat and chicken, only seafood. I remember never feeling stuffed. You know how meat makes you bloated, especially when you eat late at night, and I never experienced that! I feel full and nourished. Clean eating and learning as much as I can about food from Mmacht has helped me make good choices even when I don’t follow a specific meal plan. 

Check out Meike’s blog under the category Health and Fitness for more helpful information and feel free to get in touch with her for a personal eating plan.   

This week alone, I have lost 2kg, my stomach looks significantly smaller and my pants are fitting better. I feel so accomplished and satisfied with myself and I am once again reminded that hard work, dedication and commitment really does pay off. 

I couldn’t be happier. 

Love, Charlie