I found these words online while doing Clean Eating research ( thanks Squidoo - see link at right ) and I think they are important enough to deserve a post of their own - 90% of choosing a Clean Eating path is overcoming the mental challenges to eating healthier. It's mostly a habit thing. You body is much happier eating healthy, wholesome food and your body as a machine works better than if you eat processed, fat laden, junk. As the computer programmers say - GIGO: Garbage In, Garbage Out. For some, the transition to the CE lifestyle is easier than for others. Myself, I transitioned into it - doing a modified CE before I had even heard the term "Clean Eating." Over the course of 2 months as I ate healthier and healthier and saw the weight falling away, I was becoming mentally prepared to pare away some lingering dirty foods: sodas and chips. It was an evolving awareness of my body's needs that encouraged me to make the break from Unclean habits.
I find mantras, or little sayings I can repeat to myself when confronted with unclean ( but still desirable ) food to be my mental help. The other night, I had to make a large tray of brownies for my husband's office Christmas party. As I mixed the bowl, and stared at the chocolate batter, I remembered how the "old me" would nick spoonfuls of batter and lick the bowl clean. As I cut the brownies and put them aside to cool, I remembered the old me who would enjoy the "first taste" before anyone else, and eat a few more than I'd confess to. It was by saying to myself these two phrases : "These don't belong to me; this isn't my food, it is for the office party" and "These brownies aren't Clean and will not make me healthy" that I was able to not eat the batter, not eat the brownies, not eat the leftover crumbs.
My mental willpower was rewarded the next morning: I had lost another 1/2 lb.
I often find myself saying "This will not get me where I want to be" when confronted with a food I want mentally but know is bad for me.
Find your own mantra.
Discover what mental phrase will work for you to keep you on the straight and narrow.