Eating Clean Mental Challenge

[fitme40]

I just got done throwing away a box of Fiber One Caramel Cereal, Frosted Mini Shredded Wheat Cereal and a bag of Pita Chips. I was going to throw away my Naturally More Peanut Butter too but then I came to my senses ! These are my go to "snacks" that I feel aren't too bad to eat when I need a treat. Unfortunately, lately when I eat these I go a little overboard. I say to myself that what I'm eating could be a lot worse.The funny part is that I have a bag of Mini Heath Bars and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups that are my DHs that I don't ever feel tempted to eat because I know they are off limits. Weird??

 

[LaughingWater]

I don't think there's anything wrong with having a semi-clean snack in the house. Like you said, you could be eating Peanut Butter Cups (which rock, by the way!). Frosted mini-wheats are definitely a better choice.

Changing one's eating habits, I suspect, needs to be gradual. Over the past year, I've weaned myself off of things like sugary granola bars, chips, and Cheez-its ~ boxed stuff with little nutritional value. I'm eating 10 times better, but I'm not 100% clean. I still love chocolate-covered almonds, so I allow myself those on Saturdays, but I make sure it's dark chocolate and as natural as possible.

We're gettin' there.

 

[nancy324]

Peanut butter really is clean! Still, I know what you mean, the stuff just plain makes me fat. No two ways about it.

 

[Havingfun]

snack

Hi,

I never eat out of the bag or container. I find if I loosely measure out what I intend to eat before I start, I have much better control. Luckily I've finally got my enitire family eating pretty healthy and they don't want any junk in the house. That really helps!

Tracy

 

[syzygy314]

Okay, since we're talking about clean eating here. I could use a little support! I have been slowly changing my eating habits. This weekend, I went out and did more clean shopping than ever. I had already been having a Yoplait for a morning snack and added an apple in the afternoon, just to start getting the 5 meals per day thing going. This week, I went to "making" my own yogurt with non-fat plain yogurt, fresh raspberries with a little wheat germ, flaxseed and bee pollen for my mid-morning snack and made a wheat wrap with avocado slices, apple, a little hummus for my mid-afternoon snack.

Okay, my dilemma - I had been dropping a pound a week until this week! I haven't gained, but I stayed steady at 135.4! Is this just my body adjusting to the new eating habits or do I need to change something? I just don't want to get frustrated and go back to eating 1000 calories a day, which was working, btw! I have my ususal breakfast of cereal or oatmeal and an egg (with the yolk only once or twice a week)

To cut this shorter, I do eat pretty balanced meals. My calorie intake has been closer to the 1200 per week recently than to the 1000 range, not netting out for calories burned during workouts.

Should I keep going and see what happens or go back to what I was doing before? I still have 10 pounds to go!

 

[nancy324]

syz, your diet sounds healthy, but clean eating doesn't necessarily mean weight loss. Your breakfast sounds perfect. My nutritionist told me that both lunch and dinner should be mostly veggies, with about 3-4 oz. of lean protein at each meal, and a total of 1-3 teaspoons of healthy oil total for the two meals. If you have avocado or hummus, you can probably forgo the oil. There's really no reason to eat bread or wraps at all, even if they're whole grain. They are probably processed, and in any event don't add much nutrition. I don't know if that helps at all.

 

[LaughingWater]

I would hang in there and not let the stall freak you out. Easy to say, hard to do...I know. Our bodies don't always behave like clockwork though, so try to be patient. If 2 weeks go by without any change, then I'd consider looking into what you're eating and see if anything can be eliminated and/or replaced with a better alternative.

That's what I do anyway. I try to avoid dipping my calories too low and instead look for something to change in my diet.

 

[FourAM]

Fitme
I know exactly what you mean about over indulging in your 'healthy snacks'! I can not tell you how many times I have thrown out food and said "no more", just to end up replacing it with something also healthy but that I end up abusing at some point or another! Like you (it sounds like) my vice is cereals too. I like to call myself a cereal killer. I even have cereal sundays. For me that just means that on Sundays I get to have a big bowl of cereal for breakfast. Normally I try to eat steel cut oats with berries or if it is a weight day I have a protein shake after my workout.
But I am so with you on going overboard. So I am sending you beams of support.

Rachel

 

[syzygy314]

Nancy and Lori:

Thanks for the info! I am a carbaholic, so eliminating the bread or wraps is tough for me! I'm hoping it's just my body adjusting to not being hungry in the middle of the afternoon and morning anymore! I will see what happens. I did notice that although the scale didn't move weight-wise, my body fat was down by about 2%! So, maybe, it's working in other ways!

Tricia