#clean eatig

[triumphaftertragedy]

Dinner: Tomato Basil Soup & a Turkey Spinach Salad with Quinoa, Half a Boiled Egg, and Pickles. DELICIOUS!

[wontquitthistime-blog]

So I think when someone wants to lose weight and get fit the first place to start is the kitchen.  Eating a healthy diet is probably the most difficult part of becoming what you want to be.  We are constantly surrounded by foods that we don't need.....fast food, packaged foods, low fat this and low fat that, protein bars, energy drinks.  It's a neverending battle.  For some it's easier than it is for others.  People say we should be happy with our bodies and accept them no matter what size they are and that's great but some people are just truly unhappy when they gain weight, not just a few pounds, but I know when I was at my heaviest which was 158, I was so depressed and I hated looking in the mirror.  I know some people might say that 158 is not fat and maybe it's not fat but I was so uncomfortable with myself at that weight, I just finally said NO MORE!  I tried to clean up my diet which I thought meant eating "low fat".  I would go to the grocery store and pick up the same things i was used to eating except I would get the low fat or low calorie version.  I would eat things like greek yogurt but I would cut down the portion size because I thought food was my enemy.  I thought, Well I'll just eat less.  and less.  and less.  I was eating about 800 calories a day and working out and burning around 300 calories at the gym.  I was literally starving myself to death.  But I wasn't hungry.  My body was storing fat and cannibalizing my muscles.  I never saw muscle tone.  I still had fat pockets on my stomach and thighs and butt even though I was "skinny".  I was tired all the time and irritable.  Finally, last year I ran across a blog called 100 Days of Real Food.  It changed my life.  I finally understood the term "empty calories".  I never got it before.  I was eating 800 empty calories a day.  Not only was I starving for calories, I was starving for important nutrients.  See, its not just about the fat and protein and carb count.  Those things are important too but what's most important is that we NOURISH these bodies of ours.  They thrive on vitamins, minerals, antioxidants.  We get those things from FOOD.  Real food.  Real food is anything that grows in the ground, on trees, had a mother, occurs naturally.  Not something that is made in a factory.  Not something that says pasteurized processed cheese food.  Its rediculous what our food industry has made us believe about food.  I prepare all of my meals at home.  I eat plenty of fruits and veggies.  I could definitely stand to eat more veggies but I always include something fresh with my meals.  I try to bulk up meals with veggies.  I do buy packaged foods but when I do I try to make sure the ingredients are whole foods like veggies and spices, things like that.  some of the packaged foods I buy are spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, tortillas (i do make my own too), sometimes back to nature crackers, tuna, canned beans and tomatoes, and things like pasta ofcourse, and bread.  I try to find the bread with the shortest ingredient  list.  I buy plain yogurt and flavor it myself with homemade berry sauce (i'll post a recipe).  I think I should make a page just dedicated to clean eating because that seems to be the area people need the most help with.  It really is a lifestyle change.  YOu can't just eat clean for a couple of meals or for a couple of days.  You have to decide that its time to change and start nourishing your body with healthy foods.  Eating clean doesnt have to be tasteless and boring.  I have all the foods I always loved, I just try to prepare them in a more healthy way.  I do avoid deep fried food like the plague, oh and fast food lol.  I hope some of this info helped some of you who may be struggling.  I'll start keeping a food diary on here so you guys can see what my diet looks like :) Much love to all of you.