Been thinking a lot about this whole "clean" eating thing and Paleo thing...I have been following this way of life for over a year now and know what? I got fatter. Yep...visibly fatter on my belly. Photographic evidence has been taken. No, I'm NOT sharing it here. See my recent post on the Joy Thief and you'll have your proof.
I am officially a clean eating/Paleo flunky. I admit it and I think I'm good with saying goodbye to both. I know where I went wrong with Paleo...more on that if you really need to hear it. I want to incorporate all foods back into my diet with treats etc in moderation. I like the "if it fits your macros" aka IIFYM approach to living. As long as you make good choices and fill your day with healthy fuel, it's ok to have a treat if you are REALLY craving one. SO many people stress out about clean eating vs not clean eating. It's just not worth it to me anymore. Does this mean I'm going to eat fast food? Hell no, that's funky shit (unless it's In N Out, then we'll talk). It means I'm still going to make good choices based on my particular goals. It also means I can actually relax and enjoy all the tasty foods at parties instead of sadly staring at the dishes on the table while eating the three "safe" foods I scoped out. It means I can relax again and plan things that I enjoy into my diet. I love the idea!
I also have realized that I TOTALLY made myself intolerant to gluten by cutting it out of my diet when I went Paleo. As you know, I've been adding it back in. I had REAL pizza yesterday with no ill effect. No foods make me sick (except corn..still dealing with that whole mouth rash thing..I'm working on it to see if that's a self made intolerance too) so why should I cut them out! Doesn't mean I'm going to eat gluten filled things daily, just means I can go enjoy a meal out with my family with no worry of pain afterwards! I also had two Hershey's minis. I'm sad to say they were not very tasty to me anymore. I'm spoiled on eating GOOD chocolate. That's cool though. Further proof that all treats are not created equal! ;)
I've gone back to tracking on MFP and with help from some awesome peeps (L I'm talking to you especially for getting my TDEE), I've set my caloric range at a hopefully suitable level for my personal goals. I am feeling good about seeing some changes. Not thrilled at adding cardio back in at least twice a week (one HIIT and one run) BUT I know it's necessary to do what I want to do. I also know I'll learn to love it again once I get into it.
I know IIFYM isn't for everyone. If you struggle with moderation and can't keep from eating a whole pizza instead of one or two slices then , no, it's not for you. If you are far along enough in your journey to have willpower or to not even want treat food often, then it's an awesome fit. I lost all my weight by eating whatever I wanted as long as it fit into my daily calorie/macro goals. So, back to the grind. I had my body fat testing done a couple of months ago...I'll see what happens in another couple of months with this way of doing things. :)
I am not by any means bashing clean eating or Paleo, by the way. Both have taught me tons about healthy eating and both have helped me become an outstanding chef (patting self on back). I just also have learned that it's too easy to sway too far in either direction. Just because that cookie butter is "clean" does NOT mean you should eat a whole jar in two days! Calories ARE calories no matter how you go about it. I know lots of people who these "diets" work for. I'm just not one of them anymore.
In health and happiness!
Me
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