Clean Eating- The Good the Cravings and the Progress

HUMP DAY!

Clean eating- its the fad of the fitness/health world. It's no wonder it is either, it does great for a person. Everyone has their own definition of what "clean eating" is, everyone adjust the parameters to fit their lifestyle and their goals.

This is what it means to me.

And here is another definition.

There are also different forms- paleo, mediterranean, etc.

Now you know the basics. Clean eating doesn't have to be perfect, with every ingredient fresh from the organic happy farm. I use frozen broccoli, broccoli is the only ingredient, but for me thats just an easy convenience. I also go back and forth between fresh green beans and canned green beans, yeah they aren't perfect but neither am I. 

I've been eating clean for over three weeks, this is my fourth week. I eat clean about 95% of the time. I have a weekly cheat meal, now it is a cheat but I don't go hog wild and cruise through Taco Bell for a 12 pack. I get something I WANT but that isn't ridiculous. Last time I had a chicken fajita wrap and sweet potato fries. Clean? No. Delicious? Yes. I don't eat like that all the time, it was a treat, it was portioned and it took care of all my cravings. Never deny yourself a cheat meal, telling yourself you won't allow yourself this at all for the next X amount of weeks etc. doesn't help you, it makes you want it worse, and if you like food like I do ( A LOT) you have to take it day by day. Focus on getting through one day, before you focus on the next. I also like to plan out my cheat meal, I make it like a goal. So when I want to cheat and snack I think NO wait to the cheat meal. It also motivates me to get through my workouts, the hub and I will talk about what we want to eat on Friday during cardio. Yeah we're lame.

I get cravings like crazy and its hard to keep on track sometimes. My hub has fruit gushers in the cabinet, oh laaaawd. I can't tell you how many times I've opened the cabinet and looked at them, or got the package out arguing with myself as to why I should have them. Or the one time I got them out, opened them and then just took them to the hub. He thought I was being sweet, I was just trying to keep up my will power. I like to chew gum to get my mind off of cravings. I'm never hungry- just bored. That was a big part of my problem when I was overweight. I wasn't hungry, I saw it, it looked good and then I ended up eating it, being stuffed and having a stomach ache.

When I ate the crappy foods, I felt happy- mentally because I was eating Reese's, Mozzarella sticks and all the crunchwraps I could handle. But my body felt like crap, I lacked energy, I was moody and well flat out I'd turn super bitch in the snap of a finger. The last three weeks I've been dedicated to my meal plan, to working out 5 days a week and I feel so good. My energy level is up, I tend to sleep better (easier to fall asleep and less waking up) and I'm just in an all around happier mood.  I pee a billion times a day due to my water consumption BUT I don't get beer bellies, caffeine crashes or any of that non fun stuff.

This is 3 weeks progress. Even my trainer commented on how awesome my stomach is toning up! Thats my trouble area and the part that I'm the most insecure about so seeing progress there makes me happy!

What kind of guidelines do you follow for healthy eating?

Whats your favorite cheat meal?

-J