Mexico!

I recently found out that Kevin and I will most likely be going to Mexico in April for his friend's wedding.  Yay! I've never been anywhere tropical, so I'm really excited, but this also will give me more motivation to live a clean lifestyle and work out. Going to Mexico itself though will be a challenge,  at least in trying to eat clean when I'm not preparing my meals.

I want to have a bikini body for Mexico!  So this means I have less than four months. I don't think my body will be exactly the way I want it by April.  These things take time, and those of you who think your body is going to change over night,  you are foolish. If you are losing over 3 lbs a week you're losing muscle mass, not fat. Not to mention that your skin doesn't have time to keep up with the transformation,  which is why you'll see people with really saggy skin.

For me this journey is not a means to an end, it's a lifestyle change.  Mexico is just going to be a little extra motivation to stick to it ;)

No pickles?!

So the big thing with clean eating is that you are eating foods that are as close to nature as possible.  That means preservatives, and added sugar are a no go in a clean eating life style.

Knowing this,  I've started reading the labels on everything. Turns out I can't even have my favorite Vlassic pickles! They are made with preservatives :( this really bummed me out. The good news is I can still have pickles,  I just have to learn how to make my own :)

Pigging out for the holidays

So since I've decided that I'm going to start clean eating,  I'm giving myself permission to go no holds barred for the holidays.  So I'm going to drink as much as I want,  and eat all the crappy foods I love because after the holidays I'm not going to be able to have them anymore.  According to what I've read I'm also not going to enjoy any of these things anymore once my body gets used to clean whole foods.

In retrospect, I wish I hadn't given myself free reign. I've gained weight,  and feel even crappier about myself.  Now more than ever I can't wait to get to a cleaner, healthier lifestyle. 

I start a new full time job in January that has a gym right on site, and having a normal schedule will make it easier to eat healthier.

Here's to a New Year,  and a new healthy lifestyle!

Caffeine Addiction

So the first thing I decided to give up on this journey was coffee. I've been drinking it since I was probably 13 years old, and I drink about a pot a day. I used to load it with sugar and milk. Over the years I've reduced it to about a tbl of sugar and a couple ounces of milk, but still not the healthiest habit.

I must say, giving up coffee was one of the hardest things I've had to do for a while. I didn't realize how dependent I was on it, until I decided to give it up. The first couple weeks were awful. I would get up in the morning and feel fine for a few hours, and then the headaches would set in. The caffeine withdrawals. It was awful. And then when the afternoon hit, I would crash. The first few days I probably slept about 12 hours a night. I was SO exhausted. I was used to getting my energy from coffee, and not from nutrient rich foods, like I should be.

It has been about three weeks now since I've given up coffee, and I feel MUCH better. I'm sleeping better, I'm not getting the headaches, and I actually seem to have more energy. I do occasionally have tea, or a 5 hour energy which both contain caffeine. I have gotten a couple of iced coffees from Dunkin Donuts (which I used to LOVE), but as of late they just taste nasty.

A little about me

Hi guys! My name is Julie. I've recently made the decision to integrate clean eating into my lifestyle. I've always struggled with my weight and body image. I've tried diet pills, and various workouts but never seem to be able to stick with it. After taking a nutrition class I learned that crazy diets, diet pills, juice diets, atkins: none of them are healthy, and none of them are a permanent solution. What's really needed is a lifestyle change.

With the plethora of info I got from my nutrition class I began to make small changes in my life: I switched to skim milk, started eating a salad for lunch every day, started buying more fresh fruit. I stopped snacking late night, and switched out ice cream for fresh strawberries. This all helped. Within a few weeks I was able to lose about ten pounds, and I felt great. But with a crazy schedule trying to juggle a full time job, full time school, and still having a social life, this started to slip.

Recently I started at a job where they have a gym on site, and they offer lots of great classes. It's really gotten me pumped up about working out again. I can do yoga, pilates, zumba, crossfit, and it's so convenient. Not only am I burning calories, but it really helps my mental state. I went through a period where I really started to get down on myself, and started acting like "that crazy girl", flipping out at my poor bf when really the issue was my insecurity. Going back to the gym really helped me clear my head. But even with working out, I wasn't getting the results I wanted. I realize it takes time, but part of the problem was I wasn't fueling my body properly. I was still eating processed junked. So I started saying up on clean eating, and the benefits are amazing. You feel happier, more energetic, as well as melting away the fat.

Thus begins my journey to a clean eating lifestyle. I've given myself til new years to make the transition. First I want to get through the holidays without worrying about what I eat, but I also want to make the transition slowly because I'm more likely to stick with it. One of the biggest problems with "diets" it's that they are so extreme they are hard to stick to. So I'm going to do it little by little. Here goes nothing!
-Julie