Cleaning eating???

So when I discovered clean eating I didn't really know what to make of it. The concept that protein is more filling than carbs boggled my mind! I've always associated being full with a big plate of pasta etc.. But yet I always knew that carbs weren't the best for loosing body fat. In fact your body stores sugars as fat and carbs are sugar, but ironically your body burns fats that you eat before sugars. So getting my head around Sugar= bad and Fat= ok was revolutionary.

So my diet has changed in the following way

NO REFINED SUGAR-This means no chocolates, sweeties, flavoured yogurts that claim to be "low fat" etc... The trick I guess is to read every label, know what you're putting in your body.
No simple carbohydrates- no white potatoes, bread, pasta, white rice etc...

MORE GREENS = LEAN - Try to have as much as you can stuff in!

MORE PROTEIN- Try to have at least 100g of protein source each meal, whether it be eggs, chicken, fish or nuts.

EAT LITTLE AND OFTEN- Try to eat 5/6 times a day, it's not easy when you work long hours like me but if you can find time to snack on a chocolate bar you can replace that with some nuts or a protein shake. This stops your body going into "starvation mode" and your metabolism will be quicker and therefore you'll burn more calories!

DRINK MORE - Water!!! Not booze, alcohol is empty calories and sugars and we already know sugars are bad. A tipple every now and again is ok but replace that evening glass of wine with a fruit tea!

EXERCISE- Try to exercise as much as you can, do weight training before cardio and you will see more change quickly. 1 hour of exercise a day is only 4% of your day....

MEASURE PROGRESS NOT WEIGHT- It seems obvious but not many people do this! I was used to starring sadly down at the scales wondering why I didn't lose weight when I started, but when I took my measurements I realised I'd lost inches instead of pounds, what's more important? What the scales say or how you look & feel? I know what I wanted and seeing the inches drop quicker than my weight is more of a motivator.

KEEP EVERYTHING IN PERSPECTIVE- we all have "hungry days" and being a woman, hormonal changes are a big factor in this. It's ok to fall off the wagon, as long as you get back on again quickly! 1 salad won't make you thinner, just like 1 bar of chocolate won't make you fat. Enjoy yourself, happiness burns more calories thank being stressed so go out for dinner with your friends occasionally but make sensible choices and work out the next day if you decided to have that sticky toffee pud!

Remember this is a lifestyle change not a diet