From sugar addict to clean/healthy eater - anyone else?

neeterskeeter

I have been eating clean and making sure to stay consistent at 1200 - 1300 *net* calories. In the past I either tried to eat clean/ diet but didn't eat my exercise calories, or I would go the other way and not eat clean and take in way too many calories per day. I was pretty extreme and was either super good ("too" good, because I wasn't getting enough calories) or super bad.

But now that I have aimed to be consistent I am feeling so inspired because I really think I could eat this way for good instead of just having it be a diet. I find myself thinking "how can I eat this many calories a day and *lose* weight?" It seems to go against everything I have ever thought of about how to lose weight. But I guess it is a matter of the kinds of food I am eating and also the fact that I am working out (I run and/or do strength/toning almost every day) and somehow it just feels like it's working out. I don't even have cravings for sugar or sweats or alcohol anymore, and I was majorly addicted to these things. If I were being "bad"/ off the wagon I would eat a bunch of crap all the time and when I was being "too" good I would be so hungry and splurge on empty calories. Now I really don't even want them because I feel full of good stuff. I have noticed a marked difference in my mood when I eat clean versus when I don't.

This just seems unreal. I know there is a clean eating group on here so I know that people do this consistently. I have never paired clean eating with consistent net calorie eating and I finally think I've found a way to stay patient and "diet" without dieting and have long-term consistent results. Has anyone else done this? Gone from sugar addict to clean eater without looking back? What is it that "clicked" for you?

neeterskeeter

No one else? I feel like being inspired by hearing from other people who have experienced this transformation! I really believe I can stick with it permanently and want to know if you have.

mrd232

I was a massive sugar addict until my 20s. Everyone is going to fall into some pitfalls here and there, but you've gotta just dust off and get back up on the wagon.

My trick has been to avoid sugar in drink form and avoid keeping it in the house. The times I'm really tempted with the stuff is at parties (stupid birthday cake!) but a lot of parties I've been to lately with the fam involved have also had fruit available for a couple diabetic family members. So I skip the cake and eat a bit of fruit. Not that fruit is free of sugar, but it's a much lower sugar option.

I don't use any sweeteners in tea or coffee. That's rough at first. It's like purging your tastebuds...but strange enough, when you reduce sugar consumption, the natural sweetness of many foods becomes VERY apparent. Also, when you try super-sugary treats such as gelati or Coldstone creations they may be so terribly sweet they become unappealing in any quantity. A couple of bites and that's it - no more. Too sweet.

smilegirl

I can relate! I have never been overweight, but have always struggled to stay where I want to be. I've probably lost and gained 10 pounds over and over and over again. I've always been active, but have really been challenged to keep the love handles in control since I've been in my 30's. I too love to run - one marathon under my belt and hoping to do another this coming year.
My sister introduced me to this site back in May. What an eye-opener for me! I have ALWAYS craved sweets (my husband calls it my cupcake gene!) I quickly realized why I've had such difficulty maintaining a steady weight - I was literally starving myself during the week. Although I ate three healthy meals, my calories were barely over 1000. Then I would have all kinds of cravings and binge on bad stuff over the weekend canceling out any weight loss during the week. MFP has taught me to EAT and I have slowly and steadily finally gotten myself to a happier body. Of course, there is always more work to do and I have shaking up my workouts to tone and define, but I am probably in the best shape of my life these days. I no longer have uncontrollable cravings, it's fabulous and amazing! I agree with you in that it goes against all we think we need to do to lose weight.
I have to admit, I am not as good as you've been. I do still have a treat every day whether a cookie, brownie, ice cream or whatnot, but I consistently stay within my calorie limits and it makes me happy. So I may not be a truly clean eater, but am no longer a complete sugar addict. I see this as a complete lifestyle change and don't feel like I am on a diet at all!

thinsky

So clean i sno sugar or processed foods? I guess that sounds maybe like a stupid question but I am wondering and trying to find where I fit into all this what and when to eat world so that I am happy and healthy. And with being happy and healthy I will have switched the switch in my brain to drop this weight.

neeterskeeter

smilegirl and mrd, it's so nice to find people who relate. Smilegirl I think you and I are twins separated at birth ha ha. Mrd as far as sugar goes - I do eat natural sugars like fruit and honey but other than that I basically avoid it. If it's birthday cake or something I really want to try, I have a two-bite rule and the strange this is that after eating clean for awhile, it's not even hard to only have two bites. For my that initial taste is what I was craving and then I feel satisfied after having tried it... and now the taste just seems so different to me that I wouldn't even want to eat a whole piece, unelss maybe it was a hot fudge sundae which was always my favorite and which I will still eat on major occasions guilt-free because the rest of the time I am sugar-free.

Hi thinsky, it is not a stupid question, I myself feel I have been very nutritionally-challenged about what is even healthy and what is not. But yes clean (to me anyway) means eating as naturally as possible, natural food that is in its close to natural state as possible, like fresh fruits and vegetables mainly, also lean meats with a lot of protein like chicken, turkey, and fish, seafood. I also eat whole grains like oatmeal and cereal and low carb whole grain tortillas but I eat these in moderation... once or twice a day compared to as many fruits and vegetables and chicken etc. as I can eat, the rest of the day. I also eat some diary like fat free milk in the morning and fat free natural yogurt with nuts and fruit. I eat small meals spaced out every 2 to 3 hours and drinks lots of water and keep my calories around 1200-1300 net consistently (I work out almost every day and burn 300-500 calories so this means I usually eat about 1600-1700 calories to keep it at 1200 or so net calories). And I avoid sugar, processed foods, fast foods. I try to avoid alcohol but that is my hurdle at the moment. When I do drink it's like vodka with soda water, or red wine, or the occasional light beer, but I know those are empty calories and I aim for nutrition so I am trying to cut it out!

So, that is what clean/healthy eating means to me and it has worked wonders. It definitely feels like a lifestyle and a new, healthier and happier me (both mentally and physically) than it does like a "diet." It is a little inconvenient and more time-consuming (as is the working out of course) and expensive but I figure I need to make my health and nutrition my top priority and treat myself well. Other than that it is not restrictive at all and while at first it was hard for me not to have sweets and stuff like flavored creamer in my coffee, now it feels normal and my cravings for that stuff have just gone!! My cravings for alcoholic beverages after work has also gone - I would rather work out or relax at home after work now - it's just that my job and social life seems to be very centered around alcohol and it is hard for me to cut out drinks. I guess that's something else I've learned from doing this -- that I drink too much and that too much of my life revolves around those kind of events!

Good luck thinsky on making positive and nutritious changes.

thinsky

Thank you Neeterskeeter, that was what I was thinking but I was not entirely sure. I know what you mean about the alchool that is an area that I too have addressed and now that I am off the drinking I feel so much better. I mean it wasn't as though I was getting smashed everynight but I would have a glass of wine or two and now that I am not, The feeling I get in the moring is wonderful and all day really. I know though that on occasions and such I will still drink and be social but everyday is not an occasion.,. I started thinking and knowing that I didn't want to be a person who's life was revolving around drinks. I tried to cut it out before and I must not have been ready because I could only last a week or so and then I would give in, but this time my FH and I did it together and he even feels so mcuh better. The other night he said he felt like having a drink but he would much perfer to feel better the next day instead.
It is wonderful when you change something you truly want to and it works.

I am now trying to learn about clean eating. I gave up eating sugar and sugar substitues(well almost all sugar substitutes) but I still relapse on this and this is one of my struggles that I am currently involved with figuring out so it was really helpful to read your post. Thank you.

neeterskeeter

Well you are well on your way! I am the same way you described - I rarely get "drunk" but it seems like almost every day is an "occasion" to have happy hour drinks after work with my co-workers or friends or in catching up with friends or in going to a work event or networking event... now that I try to limit my alcohol I see how it is everywhere. I would usually just have one or two drinks but even not having that makes a difference. And sometimes I would "accidentally" have a couple more and that was no fun the next day at all. I feel so much healthier without alcohol and I swear my stomach stays flatter!!

Good for you for making these positive changes, it feels great, doesn't it?

jlefton1212

Thank you so much for this post...it is very inspiring!

I am at the part of my journey where I know what I need to be eating/doing, the hard part is actually putting it in to practice. It's nice to see others that are living the lifestyle I hope to attain!

Neeterskeeter -- did you make the switch to clean eating gradually (like one goal at a time) or did you just make an "all at once" adjustment?

mrd232

Well you are well on your way! I am the same way you described - I rarely get "drunk" but it seems like almost every day is an "occasion" to have happy hour drinks after work with my co-workers or friends or in catching up with friends or in going to a work event or networking event... now that I try to limit my alcohol I see how it is everywhere. I would usually just have one or two drinks but even not having that makes a difference. And sometimes I would "accidentally" have a couple more and that was no fun the next day at all. I feel so much healthier without alcohol and I swear my stomach stays flatter!!

Good for you for making these positive changes, it feels great, doesn't it?

Me too. I rarely drink these days and my body thanks me for it. It became way too routine in college - even if it was only 1-2 drinks at a time.

jessmomof3

Hey girl!! That was me!! Former sugar adict turned clean eater here!! I find that clean eating combined with tracking keeps me in line!! And I just keep at it, it's not a diet for me. It's a lifestyle. I'm healthier and so is my family!!!

jlefton1212

Thank you so much for this post...it is very inspiring!

I am at the part of my journey where I know what I need to be eating/doing, the hard part is actually putting it in to practice. It's nice to see others that are living the lifestyle I hope to attain!

Neeterskeeter -- did you make the switch to clean eating gradually (like one goal at a time) or did you just make an "all at once" adjustment?

I guess my question wasn't just for Neeterskeeter, but for all those who have successfully transition to a clean eating lifestyle. Was it a gradual process? I feel like I am taking baby steps (no artificial sweetener anymore, and no more white pasta, rice, or bread). Would it be better to just clear out the pantry and make all of the recommended diet changes at once?

StiringWendel

I guess my question wasn't just for Neeterskeeter, but for all those who have successfully transition to a clean eating lifestyle. Was it a gradual process? I feel like I am taking baby steps (no artificial sweetener anymore, and no more white pasta, rice, or bread). Would it be better to just clear out the pantry and make all of the recommended diet changes at once?

I made my transition gradually. I wanted to make sure that every change I made was a permanent change. The first thing I did--after cutting out all junk food and sweets (which I did cold turkey)--was take things like sugar and cream out of my coffee/tea. That took a little bit of time because I wasn't sure I could live with it the rest of my life.

Once I did that, I looked at my breakfast and said 'What can I do to make it clean?' I made the changes, got used to them, and then moved on to the next meal. After I worked on lunch....everything else just kind of seemed to go quickly because eating cleaner (I don't eat totally clean and probably never will) had, throughout this process, just became my habit. I don't think about it anymore until somebody mentions to me 'Boy, you eat really clean!'

I started this journey in January (and I, too, was a sugar addict!) I, too, no longer have cravings. I eat the odd piece of dark chocolate, but I haven't had a full dessert since January....and I don't miss it (most of the time! ) I haven't eaten any fried foods or junk foods since January, and I can honestly say I don't miss those at all....ever. And I used to love me a good juicy hamburger with fries!

But I think what works best for you--whether it be a gradual change or a sudden change--is what works best for you. For me, again, I wanted to make each change a permanent change, so the gradual route worked better for because that many 'permanent' changes at once probably would have overwhelmed me.

neeterskeeter, congratulations on the changes you've made! Like you, I've never felt better in my life than I do now that I'm eating a relatively clean diet. It made all the difference in the world for me in how I not only look, but, more importantly, how I feel. :flowerforyou:

neeterskeeter

Thank you so much for this post...it is very inspiring!

I am at the part of my journey where I know what I need to be eating/doing, the hard part is actually putting it in to practice. It's nice to see others that are living the lifestyle I hope to attain!

Neeterskeeter -- did you make the switch to clean eating gradually (like one goal at a time) or did you just make an "all at once" adjustment?

Hi jlefton. It was definitely a gradual process for me in terms of being consistent. I used to be really extreme and I would eat clean/healthy for a while and aim for weight loss and lose like 3 to 5 pounds pretty quickly, then I would fall off the wagon and eat whatever and quickly re-gain those 3 to 5 pounds. That is really frustrating and when I looked back at all the calories I had logged (and this was even when I was being "good" -- I didn't even bother tracking them when I had fallen off the wagon b/c I didn't want to admit to myself how much junk I was eating), I realized something. During extreme "dieting"/trying to eat clean days or weeks I would eat too little calories -- my net calories would be like 930 or so after my exercise was accounted for -- and during the extreme not-caring too much days or weeks, especially if I didn't work out, my net calories would be like 1800 or so. I guess I figured it would all balance out but now I see that I was killing my metabolism.

So for me I had always had periods of eating clean but not consistently, and when I was eating clean, I wasn't eating *enough* clean food calories. I had to take the focus off the weight loss because I just want to be healthy and have a lifestyle that makes me feel good and that hopefully leads to permanent weight loss, instead of always trying to lose and re-lose those same pounds! So then I had a pretty sudden shift to making sure I ate almost exclusively clean foods, with the exception of alcohol which is my hang-up, and to make sure that I got my 1200 or 1300 net calories a day and that has been what has done it for me I think.

I would say just start, and once you do it for even a day or two you will notice a big difference! Then the more you do it you're like, "wow, this is really something great, I could really do this long-term and why didn't I do it before?" and it becomes second nature. At least that is what has happened for me. Good luck.

jlefton1212

Thank you everyone for answering my questions! Very helpful.
It is great to start the weekend with so much inspiration!

neeterskeeter

Hey girl!! That was me!! Former sugar adict turned clean eater here!! I find that clean eating combined with tracking keeps me in line!! And I just keep at it, it's not a diet for me. It's a lifestyle. I'm healthier and so is my family!!!

You're a huge inspiration... I actually thought of you when I decided to nix my Hazelnut coffee creamer for good.

And I have been working out or running pretty much everyday so I can be in shape to start P90X this fall. My boyfriend is transforming our garage into a work-out room with carpet and a big TV and the treadmill etc. My friend wants to do P90X with me so I'm thinking we will start around September 9th because my birthday is December 9th and my present to myself will be getting into super good shape!! I will let you know when we are ready to order it. I figure that now that I'm eating healthy and getting into good shape then I will be ready for the total transformation!

barbiecat

I spent years with unhealthy eating promising myself that I'd change tomorrow or blaming my husband's bad eating for my shortcomings.

On our 20th anniversary in January I made the decision to change. I started by planning my meals for the day and sticking to the plan. Taking baby steps I have made huge changes in how I eat. I detoxed gradually off caffeine, sugar, and artificial sweeteners and today I eat no sweets. I eat a limited amount of fruit.

The longer I stay away from sugar, the less interested I am in having it. I decided to say no to birthday cake and see desserts as "something I don't eat" in the same way that someone who is allergic to peanuts doesn't have just one bite.

I decided to give up eating as a form of recreation and when I get together with friends we do things that don't involve eating. In retrospect I've realized that most conversations over food and drink are shallow.

Thank you to all of you who shared on this thread. You have been educational and inspiring.
Barbie

neeterskeeter

I guess my question wasn't just for Neeterskeeter, but for all those who have successfully transition to a clean eating lifestyle. Was it a gradual process? I feel like I am taking baby steps (no artificial sweetener anymore, and no more white pasta, rice, or bread). Would it be better to just clear out the pantry and make all of the recommended diet changes at once?

I made my transition gradually. I wanted to make sure that every change I made was a permanent change. The first thing I did--after cutting out all junk food and sweets (which I did cold turkey)--was take things like sugar and cream out of my coffee/tea. That took a little bit of time because I wasn't sure I could live with it the rest of my life.

Once I did that, I looked at my breakfast and said 'What can I do to make it clean?' I made the changes, got used to them, and then moved on to the next meal. After I worked on lunch....everything else just kind of seemed to go quickly because eating cleaner (I don't eat totally clean and probably never will) had, throughout this process, just became my habit. I don't think about it anymore until somebody mentions to me 'Boy, you eat really clean!'

I started this journey in January (and I, too, was a sugar addict!) I, too, no longer have cravings. I eat the odd piece of dark chocolate, but I haven't had a full dessert since January....and I don't miss it (most of the time! ) I haven't eaten any fried foods or junk foods since January, and I can honestly say I don't miss those at all....ever. And I used to love me a good juicy hamburger with fries!

But I think what works best for you--whether it be a gradual change or a sudden change--is what works best for you. For me, again, I wanted to make each change a permanent change, so the gradual route worked better for because that many 'permanent' changes at once probably would have overwhelmed me.

neeterskeeter, congratulations on the changes you've made! Like you, I've never felt better in my life than I do now that I'm eating a relatively clean diet. It made all the difference in the world for me in how I not only look, but, more importantly, how I feel. :flowerforyou:

That is definitely the way to do it, I think. I too decided to just *stop* eating sugar and sweets, but that didn't happen until I had had awhile of trying to eat healthy and really thinking about my priorities. Then at ever meal I too started thinking how I could make it the most healthy, with an eye towards filling protein and getting a lot of fruits and veggies every day. Soon there was no room for the bad stuff!

jessmomof3

Hey girl!! That was me!! Former sugar adict turned clean eater here!! I find that clean eating combined with tracking keeps me in line!! And I just keep at it, it's not a diet for me. It's a lifestyle. I'm healthier and so is my family!!!

You're a huge inspiration... I actually thought of you when I decided to nix my Hazelnut coffee creamer for good.

And I have been working out or running pretty much everyday so I can be in shape to start P90X this fall. My boyfriend is transforming our garage into a work-out room with carpet and a big TV and the treadmill etc. My friend wants to do P90X with me so I'm thinking we will start around September 9th because my birthday is December 9th and my present to myself will be getting into super good shape!! I will let you know when we are ready to order it. I figure that now that I'm eating healthy and getting into good shape then I will be ready for the total transformation!

Thank you!! :flowerforyou: I've continually gotten *cleaner* with my eating. I just finished reading Jillian Michael's Master your Metabolism and that has really wanted me to cut out *anything* artificial.

Awesome!!! Just let me know when you're ready to order P90X!!! :drinker:

neeterskeeter

I will, jessmomof3.

Over the weekend my best friend from law school (who happens to be featured with me in my profile pic ) and her fiance were visiting me from New York City. On Friday night my boyfriend and I roasted a turkey breast so that we would have healthy turkey for the weekend. It was so delicious and we still have some leftover (wondering how long it will keep in the fridge?!)

We went out to breakfast at one of our favorite New Mexican restaurants that has breakfast burritos and other former favorites of mine that are not very healthy. I ordered a veggie omelette with green chile and it tasted just as good as a burrito and was much healthier. We threw them an engagement party where we grilled chicken and made turkey burgers.

I was really proud of myself for incorporating healthy changes into what once would have been a sugar/fat fest weekend. I *did* drink at the party... the Rasbperry/Pomegrante Michelob Ultras and a bit of red wine, and I did have some banana's fosters with ice cream and one of the cupcakes I made for them. I am still not sure how to get out of those festivity treats or even if I want to... I'm *thinking* it's okay to "splurge" every now and then on sepcial occassions such as that, especially when I've made so many other changes that help the rest of the weekend be very healthy and clean. Ideally I would never eat sugar or drink alcohol but I don't know if I'm that strong ha ha ha.

Jessmomof3 do you still post your meals on the clean eating thread or anywhere else? I want to see how "cleaned up" your diet is!

ittybittybadonkadonk

My addiction with sugar was coffee with vanilla creamer ....but now i switched to a french vanilla sugar free coffeee .. GREAT STUFF and it keeps me away from the real sugar creamers ... GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE AND THEIR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY