The End (clean eating)

I know you guys are probably sick of hearing about clean eating, but I'm really loving it. If you haven't already, check out my first two posts about this: 1 & 2. I finished my week (actually eight days for me though). There were so many days when I didn't know if I could make it through the rest or the day without eating a little sweet snack for a boost of energy, or not. There's that certain time of day that always gets me. It's too late in the day for coffee, so I always turn to something sweet. I'm SO happy with myself for staying true to these past eight days. I was going to quit today since I had made it to a week yesterday, but eating clean became such a habit for me that I continued it on through today(not counting dinner). I finished my clean eating week and my amazing weekend by going out to eat with some friends and family and decided to order whatever I wanted as a little reward to myself! I don't think I'm going to quit though, I hope eating this way becomes a little bit of a habit for me. Because a) I feel so much better than normal. b) Just within a few days of eating clean my over two month long ear infection started to get better! I'm so impressed with how just changing a few things in your diet can effect you.
Since there were no carbs the past eight days I did have a little bit of a hard time feeling full. I would eat and eat until I was full, but never did feel that actual "full" feeling that I'm so used to. I got used to it towards the end of the week and after eating carbs for the first time at the end of the eighth day I remember what that actual stuffed feeling feels like again. After a long day of hot springs and a big carb dinner I am SO tuckered out typing out a few thoughts right before bed drinking hot herbal tea after cup of hot herbal tea. Anyways, here are a couple of important things I learned this week.

1. Relearn your full meter. As I mentioned, it was hard for me to know when I was full. It's such a different feeling without having carbs that I had to pretty much relearn how to know if I was full or not.
2. This is probably the most important thing for myself that I learned and I didn't discover it until the end of the week! When you're having those doubtful moments during the day and you feel you can't make it another moment though your day without a little something sweet for a boost simply, DRINK WATER!!!! There are so many terrible moments though this last week that I could have avoided if I would have just taken this simple step. Eventually once I learned this little trick, every time I had a craving I would just drink a giant glass of water or two and I would feel much more satisfied! Not saying that your cravings will disappear, but this helped me tremendously the past few days. Since you're body is sorta detoxing from all the processed foods, sugars, carbs, and so on you body NEEDS to be flushed out of all those toxins, so it's super important that you always drink plenty of water. Once I started making sure I drank plenty of water throughout the day, my cravings were very controllable.
3. If you still have a craving or need an energy boost after taking advice above, have a little fruit. Whenever I just could NOT make it I would eat slices of green apple with natural peanut butter or a grapefruit( these fruits have the least amount of sugar in them). I, of course, didn't need the little cheater fruit bits once I started drinking more water.

If you're thinking about starting your own one week clan eating challenge for yourself, DO IT!!! I can't tell you how empowered you'll feel once the week is over. Seriously. It's amazing what a week of complete self control can do for not only your body, but you're mind! Once you finish you'll feel like you can concur anything you put your mind to, and YOU CAN! Let me know, and best of luck! xo -Liz