Cleaning up my act

I've been cleaning out my cupboards and cleaning up my diet in preparation for Fit Camp. My catalyst has been a cool, easy-to-understand book on nutrition: "The Eating Clean Diet," by Tosca Reno.

Reno didn't start watching her diet until age 40, when she was 70 pounds overweight. Today, at age 47, she's a fitness magazine cover model, a fitness competition champion and she writes a monthly column for Oxygen, a fitness magazine.

The clean-eating philosophy is simple:

Eat six meals a day.

Drink lots of water.

Steer clear of sugar and high-fat foods.

Eat the food that God gave us, not the "food" that humans created in laboratories.

Additionally, Reno recommends that you combine complex carbohydrates — fruits, vegetables, whole grains — with protein at every meal to give you energy and make you feel full. And, that you start every day with a hearty breakfast that's high in protein and fiber.

The concept isn't new. Bodybuilders and athletes have been following it for decades.

After following the diet for the past week, I've lost one pound. The best part is that I'm not hungry and I don't miss the cookies and other sugary sweets that use to comprise most of my caloric intake.