Clif and Chips

"Hi, my name is Skip and I have a Clif and Chips problem." -with apologies to AA and NA

I've decided to purge things from my diet and am temporarily removing more than just Clif bars and chips as part of an experiment. I believe that I'm a fairly efficient "fat-adapted" athlete if my low calorie intake during my recent marathon is any indication. TEMPORARILY I'm off of all grains, legumes, sugars, sweeteners, breads, fruit, fruit juices, and any processed carbohydrate-type "foods". I'm doing this for 2 weeks.

My goals are:

1. Determine if or how much I'm sensitive to carbohydrates, and which ones I tolerate well and which ones might cause me problems. This will not be my permanent "diet". I will be adding things back gradually, one at a time, to see how my body responds. Quinoa, brown rice, black beans, chickpeas, blueberries, etc. will be added over time.
2. Get me OFF of the Clif bar and chips habits (see below). I do not intend to add those back but my intension is to have a solid plan in place on how I consume or don't consume them.
3. Regain control of my food choices which in turn will help me with my weight. I've been finding it difficult to get back to my race weight, though I haven't been obsessed with it. The marathon a week ago was done at 5-10 lbs over my ideal weight. The idea with this 2 weeks is NOT to use it as a weight loss plan but to help understand how different carbohydrates affect me as I add them back.

Clif bars, tortilla chips, and potato chips
I have to admit that things have gotten out of hand. Chips, tortilla or potato, have always been a big

problem for me. I love the taste, I love the crunch, and I love the salt. I especially love them in combination with guacamole or hummus. Tortilla chips are generally made from corn flour, oil/fat, salt, and water. Potato chips are similar to tortilla chips except that they're made out of either potato flour or actual sliced potatoes. In my view there are two main problems with chips. 1st, the chips are generally cooked in a low quality vegetable oil that is likely very high in Omega 6 fatty acids. We get PLENTY Omega 6's elsewhere in our diet (especially if you eat nuts) and this vegetable oil fat is generally not considered a "healthy fat". 2nd, corn and wheat flour are both grains (corn is not a vegetable). They are usually highly refined and are always high in carbohydrates. They are definitely not necessary and are certainly not part of a healthy diet. (Salt, the other potential concern, is not something I personally worry about. I do not have hypertension and believe sodium is a non-issue for me, with the exception that it entices me to eat more of something the same way that sugar does.)


Clif bars are a more recent problem for me. Before 2014 I mostly ate Clif bars at race expos and after an Ironman or 70.3 event. That turned out to be a slow but slippery slope. 2014 was a very stressful and over-committed year. Sometimes eating a "healthy" Clif bar was a matter of convenience. Other times it was a reward for surviving a very long, stressful day. Clif bars made be promoted as "healthy" snacks or quick energy boosts or even a meal substitute. I suppose they are but really they are candy bars, bottom line.

Here's the list of ingredients for Coconut Chocolate Chip (my favorite) Clif bar: Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Rolled Oats, Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Flour, Organic Cane Syrup, Organic Roasted Soybeans, Organic Oat Fiber, Organic Coconut, Organic Soy Flour, Dried Cane Syrup, Unsweetened Chocolate‡, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Date Paste, Natural Flavors, Cocoa Butter‡, Barley Malt Extract, Sea Salt, Vanilla Extract, Soy Lecithin, Mixed Tocopherols (Antioxidant).

It doesn't list sugar but that's essentially what brown rice syrup, cane syrup, and dried cane syrup are. Date paste also adds sweetness. There is also a number of soy ingredients, probably for the protein component. Much of the rest of the ingredients are processed grains. Sunflower oil, although organic and possibly well-sourced, is another not-so-great vegetable oil.

Like chips, for me, eating Clif bars has become a relatively out of control habit that interferes with healthy eating. Either Clif and chips replace healthier food choices and calories or more likely add to my overall calorie intake. I knew this was something I had to deal with to be the best I could be.

So Far
I decided to start this last Tuesday, 3 May 2016. It seemed to be good timing: I just finished my goal race, a marathon, I would need time to recover before getting back to full-on training for Ironman Arizona, and no major food-centric holidays during the 2 weeks. I weighed in on Tuesday morning at 162.5. I've done well with stubbornly sticking to my plan. I have not counted calories, have eaten whenever I've wanted to or anytime I've felt hungry, and I've drunk plenty of water.

Disclaimer: I am not a registered dietitian, nutritionist, doctor, or scientist. The information in this post is my own personal opinion based on what I'VE come to understand as true and accurate. Of course I could be TOTALLY WRONG. Just sayin'...