Cheat Meals...Cheat Weeks

The past few weeks a very common topic on pretty much all of the blogs & Facebook clean-eating sites I follow has been about cheating on clean eating...what you do in xyz situation (i.e. parties, dinner out, travel, etc...).  I think this is a natural topic given the upcoming holidays and sugar-festivals (i.e. Halloween). 

When I began learning about Clean Eating I understood that this was a lifestyle change.  I was choosing to eat a certain way for health purposes, with the final goal being optimal health.  It was a hard transition but I finally made it to being mostly clean/raw and that lasted a few months - I was doing great, working out, losing weight, etc...  Then I started reading these articles about cheating.  I've long said if there's a way to cheat (on just about anything), I will find it.  So these discussions about cheating on Clean Eating planted seeds in my brain that "cheating is ok" and "as long as I'm doing well most of the week, a cheat meal is fine" and "cheating once doesn't ruin the whole day, it just ruins that meal... get back on-track with the next meal".  All of that is 100% true BUT those seeds planted in my head added to my sister's leaving the country for a week (she supplies me with a lot of my raw eating!) I started a really bad downward spiral.  A cheat meal turned into a cheat day which turned into a cheat week...   You get the picture.  Hence no blog posts for the past 2+ weeks.

That doesn't mean I've totally stopped eating properly.  It means I've eaten pizza, more pizza, Panda Express, hamburgers, and sugared coffee drinks occasionally through the last two weeks.  In comparison to how I used to eat, this is really nothing BUT I feel gross.  And I've gained 3 lbs (figures...right after posting my progress report).  And I know it's not right for my body.  So in essence, eating these things is sinning for me.  I know that God has made my body (A+ blood type) to eat a certain way and when I go against that, for me it's a sin.  Wow - that punches me below the belt (so to speak).

So today I sat down and re-evaluated what I've been doing wrong, what I was doing right that I've stopped doing, and what I need to change.  Then I got busy in the kitchen.  Step 1 for me to get back on the right track was to stock-up on the right foods so that I won't be as tempted to cheat.  Step 2 was to add back in 2 shakes a day.  I'd unthinkingly cut it back to 1 a day.  Here's what I prepared that will carry me through the next week:

Starting with the strawberries, going clock-wise, I made:

• fruit dip (Greek yogurt, cream cheese, peanut butter, maple syrup and cinnamon)
• walnut pate (walnuts, green onions, red bell peppers, celery, salt)
• hummus (chick peas, garlic powder, tahini, salt, olive oil, lemon juice)
• crunchies (i.e. granola...oats, chia, flax seeds, chocolate chips, honey, peanut butter)
• peanut butter bars (granola, oats, honey, peanut butter)
• Gingersnap Raw Cookie Dough Balls, middle item (almond butter, molasses, honey, ginger, coconut flour)

Color-wise, it's all monotonous.  But once I add other fruit, Kefir, chopped veggies and whole-grain tortilla chips to it, each item becomes a colorfest!  And they taste so different and are full of nutrition.  Now I'm stocked with my favorite foods and excited about the Clean Eating week to come!

On a side note, I've been having problems with my legs giving out on me as I walk.  I'm working out regularly and my muscles are getting strong so I was starting to worry a lot about this problem.  I finally went to the dr this week and she said it's compressed nerves.  So I followed up at the Chiropractor and he agreed - compressed nerves in my back.  He says after such a huge change in eating, exercise and weight loss, this is a very common side-effect.  So if someone is experiencing the same thing, don't worry - just get to the chiropractor!  He said, as you lose a lot of weight, your frame has to adjust to the different shape of your body and frequently nerves get caught in the process.  I'm going to add his office info into my Resources page, if you're in the West Valley of Arizona...great doctor!  Check him out (and if you go - please mention my name!  Amy Sun...so I can participate in the referral program)!  (Avondale Health Center)

But the reason I mention this...both the doctor and the chiropractor said the way I've been eating is 100% correct and the way everyone should eat!  They said this nation eats WAY too much protein, processed foods, sugars and fast food.  And they both encouraged me to keep it up.  So...cheat meals will happen.  It's a fact of life.  But I'm not going to let a cheat meal turn into a cheat week again.

Progress Report

I get asked a lot "So, is eating like this working for you?"  I think it's kind of a funny question because anyone who has known me longer than 10 months has seen the change in me physically.  So in a way it's a redundant question, mostly from sceptical people who don't want to have to do what I'm doing.  However, I am kind of excited to report today about some more milestones I've finally met. 

When working hard to be healthier and to lose weight, it's easy to get "stuck" and become discouraged.  You work and work and work and see no apparent transformation...in those moments it's so hard to keep going.  It would be easier to give up and revert back to old (and bad) habits, and for years that's exactly what I would do.  But let me tell you...when you keep going and keep striving to attain those goals, it's so worth it in the end!  I'm not at the end YET but...It's still worth it! 

So the weather has turned cold(er)...if you can count 78 degrees as cold!  And yesterday I was beginning to wonder what on earth I'm going to wear when winter hits since ALL of my winter clothes are for a 40+ lb heavier me.  A few hours later a friend who is moving gave me a bag of pants and Capri's, most with tags still on (if you read this - THANK YOU!!).  They were size 10's (a BIG 10, she told me) but still...the number was 10.  The last 10 I fit into was my wedding dress 11 years ago!  And I bought it 6 months before my wedding and could hardly fit into it for my wedding.  I really didn't think I'd fit into these size 10 pants but thought they'd be a great motivation for me.  Last night I decided to see how much farther I had to go AND THEY FIT!!  Some were still a little tight but still THEY FIT!  I wore a pair to church today and could hardly believe my legs got into those things with room to spare!  THAT is a miracle!

Well, one of my big goals in this whole journey was to be able to wear my wedding ring again.  I "outgrew" it (if you know what I mean) during my first pregnancy 6 years ago and haven't been able to wear it since.  I tried it on 2 weeks ago and couldn't get it past my 2nd knuckle.  But yesterday I figured, what the heck...I got into size 10 pants, let's try on the ring.  AND IT FIT!!!!  I wore size 10 pants AND my wedding ring today!  Can you tell I'm excited?  And you want to know the craziest part?  I fell this week and sprained my foot and haven't been able to work out in 6 days.  It's funny how you work and work and see no results and then suddenly BAM they sneak up on you.

So if you've grown frustrated or discouraged, keep at it!  You can do this!  Keep your goals in sight.  Weight loss hasn't been my only goal attained.  I was digging through my bag today and found my inhaler.  10 months ago I was using it 2 times a day and, really, it wasn't helping at all.  I couldn't catch a breath for days on end, was seeing 3 specialists to figure out what was wrong, etc...  Now I can't remember the last time I used it.  Several months ago at least.  Clean/Raw eating has helped me overcome the asthma issues I struggled with for awhile.

So it's a pretty good progress report for this month! Share with me your progress for this month.