Clean Eating 101

Some of you are probably still wondering what "eating clean" really means. It means eating as close to natural as possible. People go to different extremes with this however. A lot often mistake this with a "raw" diet as well. Many don't realize just how important the diet aspect of this lifestyle is. I would go as far as saying that its 80% diet, 20% gym! What you work so hard for in the gym is pointless if your diet is poor. You need to nourish your body in order to grow lean muscles and shred fat! DO NOT FEAR THE FOOD! I used to be the little cardio bunny that would eat maybe 1200 calories a day if not less, thinking this would keep me skinny. Yeah, it kept me skinny fat. No muscle tone or definition. You must eat enough for your body to make changes. Plain and simple. There are so many online calorie calculators that can help you reach your goals. I swear by the MyFitnessPal app on the iphone. You can even make an online account. It can help track your calories and keep a food diary. SO IMPORTANT!! Here are a few tips on how to start eating clean:

• Start preparing your own foods. That way you control EXACTLY what goes in your body!
• Cut out all the sodas, ice cream, candy, chips, white pastas and breads, cereal, granola bars, salad dressings, and anything that has a list 2319381983 ingredients that you can't pronounce. I don't care if it says "low fat" or "low calorie" or "healthy and all natural". Companies often use these words to trick people into buying there products, when in reality theyre packed full of sugars and overly processed junk! For example, Lara bars may only be about 200 calories, but most of them pack over 18 grams of sugar. WAY too much! Almost a days worth! Quest bars are WAY better trust me :)
• Slowly make the changes needed and don't get discouraged in the beginning. It all takes time to get used to the new lifestyle!