Eating clean for two weeks requires more than willpower and discipline—at least, on my part. I’ve been following a “balanced diet” for the past 10 years, making sure that I get a good mix of meat, vegetables and fruit every day. However, I tend to pig out once or twice a week, which renders this diet of mine useless. I have no shame.

Thanks to this clean eating challenge, I was stuck with eating only fish, fruits and vegetables for two weeks (essentially, pescetarianism) and abstaining from sugary foods and drinks. That’s 14 days without pizza, burgers or even snacks like Knick Knacks and cookies. I expected a potato chip withdrawal.

Week one

The start of this challenge was terrible. I ate pineapples, mangoes, and melons for breakfast, vegetable salad for lunch, and (sour) grapes for dinner. In the wee hours of the morning, I paced around my room and scratched my head, because I didn’t have any chips to eat.

Knowing full well that I’d cave sometime during the first week, I told my parents about the assignment, hoping they could help me out. We made a pact: If they caught me eating meat, they won’t give me allowance for two weeks. To make sure that I didn’t cheat, they confiscated all my chips and my coffee.

Shit just got real.

On day five, my mom came home with a burger from Good Burger, telling me to heat it up in the microwave for myself. My brother reminded her: “Ma, ‘di ba bawal pa siya kumain ng mga burger (Isn’t he still banned from eating burgers)?” My mother said “Oo nga pala (Oh right)!” and gave it to my uncle instead. Fuck.

Week two

Family dinners at home were the worst. My mom prepared fish meals or fixed up a salad for me, while everyone else ate steak, fried chicken or Angus beef pizza from Shakey’s.

Early on, I took to drinking coconut water and it proved to be a godsend. Not only is it incredibly hydrating, but it also made abstaining from sugary juices and sodas that much easier. I shudder at the thought of our editor’s self-imposed water fast.

I also realized that joints like Brothers Burger and The Burger Project offer vegan patties—never in my life have I been more appreciative of tofu.

The verdict

After two weeks of craving for buffet meals and potato chips, I’m finally free of this challenge. Although I didn’t cave—mostly because I needed money to have readings photocopied for my literature classes—I am incredibly proud of myself.

This definitely isn’t a shift to permanent pescetarianism for me, but I did lose my addiction to potato chips and I have a newfound appreciation for coconut water. Now excuse me as I pig out at that Mongolian buffet at Sweet Inspirations.

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Pros:

I lost my addiction to potato chips. I used to eat two bags of Lays a day.

You’ll lose a little weight.

Drinking coconut water is refreshing.

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Cons:

The cravings are horrible.

You’ll be cranky for a while.

A little difficult to accomplish if you lack the willpower.

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