Is it harder or easier to eat clean as time goes by?

[Cristian22]

I work at a law firm, and went to the kitchen to fill my third bottle of water for the day (not that healthy, I also have a coffee on my desk). I saw that somebody brought this greasy-shiny looking lemmon cake from Wal-Mart. Three months ago, I would have eaten two or three slices just because it was there, but the moment I saw the cake just now, I said to myself within nanoseconds "Yeah right, like I need lemmon cake now".

What I was wondering was if it happens the same with you'all when eating clean that happens with me (the longest you've been eating clean, the hardest it is to cheat and the easiest it is to keep eating clean), or it goes the other way, like some I've seen around here (the longest you're eating clean, the most you crave for a weekend of beer, pizza and chicken wings).

Don't get me wrong, I do cheat once-twice a week (Had nachos twice this weekend lol), but I never go pass that "twice-a-week" line. Also, I felt like a pig until I ran 5 miles this morning lol.

[jfla32033]

Didn't read your whole post...but in response to the title question, it is much easier as time goes on.

It's easier for a number of reasons. You find more healthy foods that you like and you find many ways to prepare the foods to suit your cravings and tastes. So since you are satisfying your cravings by using spices and seasonings for the healthy foods, you will not feel the need to cheat as often.

1-2 cheats per week is kind of a lot depending on your goals and how big the cheat is. If it's a meal out to dinner then its no big deal but if its a tub of ice cream then that could be detrimental to your goals.

I think everyone's view of cheating is different and in my perspective, I don't cheat at all....but I may have less strict standards about cheats. For example, I dont consider subway hoagies as cheating. I would rather a home cooked healthy meal but I dont hesitate to eat Subway 2-3 times per week. The macros are good for most of the stuff.

[kamjah]

well, i've been eating clean for about 2.5 months now. and as i look at it now, i don't think i could ever go back to my former eating habits. knowing what i know now about nutrition will stop me from doing so. that being said, in some situations, it will be difficult to eat completely clean. For example when im at school, eating 6 pre-packed meals a day simply won't be possible w/ my school workload. The best i can do is use the mealplan and do my best to eat the cleanest food they provide, and lower my portion sizes because of the higher caloric content.

[grapemaster]

easy, I've been eating moderately clean since I was like 11-12 (b/c I was fat) with little breaks here and there... but generally always watched what I eat so I guess I was used to it.

[pengh]

It gets easier after time and the more you learn about nutrition and how the body works the more you like doing it (Eating good). I do have a problem with the weekends though. I cheat like hell Sat and Sun. And I drink beer... I eat clean as hell Mon-Fri.

[Captain Sagara]

Much,much easier as the time goes by...
In the begining was kinda hard to get used too,i even past throught the usual Binge situations,now i can't even cheat anymore(which sucks a little too ahaha)...

[MAK060]

easier for sure,
once u get to enjoy the healthy real food u see that u have no use and desire for the sugar crap. it's like getting used to sth new - once u get used to a healthy diet it just becomes part of ur life...

[Dominikm]

It is harder. I wanted to have a treat the other night, not a craving but I just wanted to treat myself and I ended up going home and eating a flavoured tuna sandwich.

It does get harder. I think my cheats will stay as going out and getting on the piss as I have enough will power to not eat **** food while i'm out and can make to desision to eat good if I do get food. All the calories from beer, say I drink 1000cals, mate, i'll burn for 1500 from dancing the night away So no one lecture me about drinking is bad, not the best but better to go have a good time on "empty calories" than eat a grease ball of a burger.

[JEH]

I think it's harder but it's easier at the same time.

I usually cheat a little more often with my food but it's easier for me to handle since I know I am working out 6 times a week. I keep it as clean as possible but I don't worry now if I go a little overboard. Will it slow my progress down? Maybe but I am not in a super rush and I know in the end I will be where I want to be.

[Maxfits202]

overall once you make the lifestyle change it isnt hard, but im maintaining a low cut and i have to tell you its very hard to maintain. i get urges to cheat a lot more than when i was actually losing the weight.

[ChiefGuy]

I'd say easier, once you educate yourself well enough to know what foods are clean they are easy to choose in any situation. I also believe that after months of eating clean the occasional cheat would likely never be enough to throw you off track where as a cheat early on may send you back to the dark side.

[formula1]

Easy, then difficult, then even easier. I think it's very simple at first.. but after a couple weeks, you really start to miss your favorite greasy, fatty foods. Give is a couple more weeks, and this phase will pass. You will learn better recipes, and start to enjoy healthy foods. Eventually, you will never want to go back.

[vinnie85]

i have to say easier. i've heard it takes about 2 weeks for your diet to become regular. i've adopted my current diet after about a month and a half and have had no problems. as long as you can keep finding new ways to cook chicken breast and tuna you should be fine. its hard when u make the same chicken day in and day out. as long as you be creative with ure food then it should be np. also cheat days (my weekends) really help out. i cheat about 2-3 meals a week and i hold up and maintain 160lbs with increasing strength pretty good.

[The Brotherhood]

fit whatever you want into your macros a meal or two a day. It will not affect your physique negatively.

[GForce78NJ]

when im at home and not working, im with my friends. they eat a lot of bad food and dont think twice about it, so im always testing my will by going around with them. At college if some friends are going out to eat bad food i always got many other choices such as not go out to eat there and hang out with a different group of friends for the time being (not everyone goes usually anyway so u dont feel bad being the only one not going) or even going to the dining hall and getting less fattening food. At school its like second nature to me now i rarely cheat at school, cant wait to get back so i can get on my grind completely again

[gfundaro]

Both, strangely enough.
There's a part of you that becomes accustomed to your food choices and comfortable in ignoring temptations. You feel good about what you're doing.
Then there's a part of you that really hates chicken, and although you can turn down temptations, it's in the back of your mind saying, "You haven't eaten cake in 3 months...".
It's like, if you don't eat sweets, you don't think about them, but at the same time you can remember how yummy they were and miss them a bit.

[MattyH7688]

i make healthy food taste good.. which is awesome preventing cheats

[Cally-Man]

Originally Posted by Cristian22

What I was wondering was if it happens the same with you'all when eating clean that happens with me (the longest you've been eating clean, the hardest it is to cheat and the easiest it is to keep eating clean), or it goes the other way, like some I've seen around here (the longest you're eating clean, the most you crave for a weekend of beer, pizza and chicken wings).

When you make a committed decision, your mind just 'clicks', and you know you're going to eat clean for the rest of your life. The longer you eat clean, the more habitual it becomes- you eat without thinking 'this is clean food' (it's just a normal routine). I haven't had a cheat meal in two years. If you have a craving, your mental programming isn't as strong- but that doesn't mean you can't get excellent results. A cheat meal is good if you're the type who really misses their old foods; they can be eaten as a 'reward' for a week of hard work.

So really, it just depends on your mental conditioning.

[DanHolm17]

I'm into my 2nd week and it's hard. But I see it similar to football practice. Over the summer you just lifted and did little cardio, and the first day of double sessions is pure hell, but after the first 2 weeks of doubles, it's cake from there.

[Alley-oop21]

I think it gets harder. That's probably because I tend to eat the same thing day in and day out.

[2 D]

Once you get in a routine, it actually gets hard to break IMO. My routine is eating light and healthy and I know whenever I go back home I'll still eat light and healthy, but I won't have the options like I do when I'm on my own.

[PatMac]

Originally Posted by gfundaro

Both, strangely enough.
There's a part of you that becomes accustomed to your food choices and comfortable in ignoring temptations. You feel good about what you're doing.
Then there's a part of you that really hates chicken, and although you can turn down temptations, it's in the back of your mind saying, "You haven't eaten cake in 3 months...".
It's like, if you don't eat sweets, you don't think about them, but at the same time you can remember how yummy they were and miss them a bit.

Likewise. I'll be pretty frank with it, I hate eating clean but I do it for results just because I've learned to look at food as fuel and not for taste but I still want my desserts. Sometimes I find it easy to go weeks without them and sometimes I go only a couple days, i dont think i'll ever be one of those people who just completely cuts it out

[tanyab1976]

I go in phases. Most of the time it's easier now as time has gone on, but then I'll have a day where I'm making my husband a pizza or chocolate chip cookies and I'm dying inside because I want one so bad! It is easier though because I've worked so hard to get to this point, so I'm much less likely to grab for the crap and screw it up after coming this far.

I think that giving up junk food is just like giving up any other addicting thing-part of you will always crave it.

[gfundaro]

Originally Posted by Cally-Man

When you make a committed decision, your mind just 'clicks', and you know you're going to eat clean for the rest of your life. The longer you eat clean, the more habitual it becomes- you eat without thinking 'this is clean food' (it's just a normal routine). I haven't had a cheat meal in two years. If you have a craving, your mental programming isn't as strong- but that doesn't mean you can't get excellent results. A cheat meal is good if you're the type who really misses their old foods; they can be eaten as a 'reward' for a week of hard work.

So really, it just depends on your mental conditioning.

That's very true...after a while that's just your normal food. You look at it the same way other people look at their fast food lunch. But you look at their fast food lunch differently than they do

[Cristian22]

Originally Posted by tanyab1976

I go in phases. Most of the time it's easier now as time has gone on, but then I'll have a day where I'm making my husband a pizza or chocolate chip cookies and I'm dying inside because I want one so bad! It is easier though because I've worked so hard to get to this point, so I'm much less likely to grab for the crap and screw it up after coming this far.

I think that giving up junk food is just like giving up any other addicting thing-part of you will always crave it.

I know, my wife asks me to put the pizza in the oven all the time, I do not get how she can be so unconsiderated with my diet. But as you say, when it has been a while since you started eating clean, one actually embraces it and goes on. Now, I crave the pizza for a couple of seconds, then smile because I know I won't be having any no matter what, and go back to my cc. MWAHAHAHA.

[Liff_Wates]

After eating clean for a long time I find I can't even cheat with foods like McDonald's, chips or anything too sugary or deep-fried because just a few bites makes me feel sh*tty and sick. Yesterday I could barely finish a whole chocolate bar. Now I just cheat with high-calorie stuff that is still reasonably nutritious, like alfredo pasta or bread and butter.