On May 12, I started a 7-day challenge to eliminate processed foods from my daily caloric intake.

Read the challenge info here

On the letter grade scale   – I would give myself a C.

If you recall…my challenge rules were as follows:

1.  No refined grains, only 100% whole grain
2.  No refined sugar
3.  Ingredient list must be real foods, no chemicals, no words I cannot pronounce
4.  No deep-fried foods
5.  Beverages limited to water, milk, all natural juices, my ONE cup of coffee daily.
6.  Heavy on fruits and vegetables

I definitely did not have any deep fried foods at all in the 7-days.

I limited my beverages to water and one cup of coffee each day.

I did have 2 teaspoons of white sugar for each coffee; however, I did not consume any additional refined sugars beyond my several teaspoons.

Since I have always liked vegetables; consuming them each day was rather easy.

However, for my fruit requirements – I only managed two apples for the entire week!

Dietary Recap

Here is a brief summary of my 7-day challenge.

Friday, May 12 – coffee, hard-boiled egg sandwich on white-wheat bread (yes it contains enriched bleached flour), Gluten free chicken breast, baked – macaroni & cheese, broccoli

Saturday, May 13 – coffee, BLT on white-wheat bread with just 1/2 teaspoon mayo, Chilean Sea Bass, organic brown rice, lettuce, home-made pesto sauce

Sunday, May 14 – coffee, 1 egg, buttermilk (frozen) biscuit, one sausage patty (processed), 1 apple, several slices of REAL cheese, bowl of popcorn

Monday, May 15 – coffee, 2 hard-boiled egg salad with 1 Tablespoon ranch dressing, Gluten free chicken breast, macaroni & cheese (processed), baked potato slices

Tuesday, May 16 – coffee, turkey & ham sandwich (meat from the deli, but has no processed ingredients), pasta, Italian pork sausage, field greens, bread.

Wednesday, May 17 – coffee, turkey & ham sandwich, small bag of Lay’s chips (processed), then dinner fell apart

Went to our house property and was unable to prepare a dinner, so we ate Captain D’s fish for dinner.

Thursday, May 18 – coffee, boiled egg sandwich, way too tired to eat a dinner.

Where I did an excellent job was my new regiment of walking at least 6,000 steps every morning.

I did this four of the seven day challenge.

My goal is to walk 10,000 steps each day; however, with both arthritic knees, a baker’s cyst and plantar fascitis – I am surprised I could accomplish 6,000 steps.

I did ache each night, but it was not unbearable.

Tracking My Progress

I will continue to use My Fitness Pal to track my progress.

This app easily allows you to add food, water and statistics with just a few clicks.

I can slide my phone into my pocket, as I go out to do my morning power walk and the phone will track my step count.

Its accuracy could be questionable but it is very close.

The app tells you how many calories you have left after each item has been entered.

One of my favorite app settings is the “add frequently paired foods” section.

When I enter my coffee each day, the app will allow me to add the sugar and cream I have with the coffee, without having to add each line item manually.

How did you do in the 7-day challenge?   Do you want to eliminate processed foods from your daily diet?

Take it one day at a time.

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