^ From the wise words of The Spartan Warrior ^
When I first began to change my habits about clean eating on April 1st, to follow Jamie Eason’s LiveFit eating program, I was finding myself stuck. It was so clean that there was NOTHING in there that allowed for pizza, cake, ice cream, chocolate, or anything that I loved. I followed it pretty nicely the first four days, and realized that it was not a way of eating I wanted to continue for the rest of my life. Additionally, I didn’t want to weigh out every little dollop of food, or making sure that I only ate twelve almonds in one serving. It wasn’t me. Food wasn’t meant to be this difficult, and it was causing me so much stress.
Obviously, my version of clean eating is so different compared to Jamie’s (and to a gazillion other people’s):
My version of clean means “free of guilt, self-loathing, and consistent struggling between loving and hating food”. Clean eating for me meant that I was cleansed of any negativity I had towards my food, which led towards negativity for myself. Which is why, I am a huge advocate of If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM).
IFFYM cannot describe my philosophy on dieting (okay, I actually loathe this word!) and eating any better. Basically, the philosophy is that as long as the “unhealthy” or “un-clean” fits into your allotted calories and macronutrients for the day, GO FOR IT! Really, is eating one more slice of pizza going to ruin your eating plans for the day? IT BETTER NOT. Are you feeling extremely guilty for having that chocolate bar? Don’t be. It’s life! We were not put on this Earth as perfect human beings, and most certainly, enjoying what we love shouldn’t mean we become imperfect. It prevents binging; it prevents feeling guilty; it prevents “cheating”.
My advice would be to plan out your meals for the day. Every night before bed, I plan out all my foods for the next day. That way, I know HOW MUCH extra food that might not be considered “clean” I can have.
I’m not saying that I eat junk food all the time. Nor, am I saying it’s okay for a person to eat nothing but junk so long as it fits the macros.
Even with IIFYM, I still eat wholesome, lean proteins, and natural foods at least 85% of the time. I enjoy eating foods that come from as close to nature as possible, but I also love the other processed foods. I admit, I love McDonald’s like no other, and I’m not about to stop simply because I’m trying to be healthy. I just have to be smart, and I’m sticking to my guns here with this.
IIFYM is the prime example of moderation. I keep my sanity in tact while becoming healthier, fitter, and happier, because I’m not extremely restricting myself to only a certain type of foods.
Permanent link: http://fitsploration.tumblr.com/iifym
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