I mean, no matter how I slice it, I have to be the one to make the conscious decision on what goes into my mouth......blowing 1st place at a contest in the fall HELPED ME OUT BIG TIME!

Now I know that I need a less-strict diet over many weeks as opposed to hitting it really hard and clean for a shorter period of time.

When bulking I eat whatever the FUCK I WANT -who will have to deal w/dieting and doing extra cardio in the end? ME....so I know exactly who I am screwing when I eat too much shit.

It's up to her....but you certainly are a sweety for caring!

When I started getting more serious about weight training and tracking my progress with a training log, I realized my body was NOT going to make any more gains without a better diet. For me the first challenge was to make sure I got enough protein. I wasn't before. Getting carbs was easy, but then I began to look for where I could substitute in healthier carbs. I did not eat much bad fat to begin with, but I began supplementing with flaxseed oil.

I've had to make these changes bit by bit. For instance, I used to always have 2 or 3 small chocolates everyday mid-morning and mid-afternoon. I have substituted the chocolates for meal replacement bar (40-40-30 type) - 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 for the afternoon. That's my candy now. Tastes pretty good, and keeps me feeling full. In my mind it's still a treat, but at least it's giving my body some nutrients too.

Eating smaller meals serveral times a day has helped a lot. This keeps the blood sugar stable, so you won't go into the crave zone. It's psychologically satisfying too to know your next meal's just a couple hours away. A written out diet is good for some people, but would not work for me. I have been aiming for one positive change a week and then building on that. I never thought I could give up that daily chocolate, but I have, and I don't miss it. All the other little changes have really added up.

I never believed when I'd read about people eating healty diets who'd say they actually began losing their taste for unhealthy foods, but I'm believing it now. My diet still has room for improvement, and my progress has been slow, but I'm moving forward AND I'm seeing lot's of progress in my workouts. I now think about that progress before I eat something.

I actually stay away from the protein bars - because I end up eating them like any other junk food.

Anyway, I too cannot tell you how bad my sugar cravings are. I wake sometimes in the middle of the night(and I love to sleep) with horrible cravings for anything with sugar in it. I have even eaten peanut butter and sugar sandwiches. I used to order dessert before my dinner while out. I have found nothing to help this. The only thing I do is let myself have 1 small bite size Three Musketeers or such everyday. If I deny myself and "be good" I will sooner or later freak out and binge on a shitload of sugar especially if pms has set in. This is when I get bitchy and resent the feeling of guilt from eating what my body is craving! So it's best for me to allow myself this small pleasure. I personally find it ridiculous to think a person who exercises is going to look like crap if they eat a tiny amount of sugar a day. Sure you train hard to look good but hell if you can't enjoy life which does include eating things you like in moderation I say screw it all!

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