The Italian girl in me LOVES lasagna. When I changed my eating habits to paleo years ago, I had to cut out the grains and dairy so lasagna was obviously a big no-no. Now that I eat flexibly, I allow myself to eat non-paleo foods, however, I still limit them in my food choices. When I cook at home, my food is pretty damn clean. I’ve lived so long without things like pasta and sourdough bread that it’s not that big of a deal to continue on that path of a primarily grain-free diet. Eating out is where I tend to indulge in those kinds of foods that I normally wouldn’t make at home. And I no longer feel guilty about it. I know what foods are nutritious and good for my body but when I choose to order lasagna on a special occasion at a restaurant, I do so knowing exactly what I’m doing and what I’m eating. I don’t pretend that it’s ok to consume 1,000+ calories in a few bites or eat all of that gluten-filled pasta and fatty cheese. But when I rarely do it, I do so without any regrets. Sometimes I feel like shit afterward from the gluttony and other times I feel just fine. The bottom line for me is that I work my ass off to live a healthy lifestyle. So I’m OK with letting my inner Italian fat girl out on occasion with some non-clean eats. Moving away from such a rigid diet to a more flexible eating style has eliminated that horrific guilt factor that I associated with eating Paleo for so long. And even though I can now eat whatever I want, I actually find myself still making the most nutritious choices for my body and my performance. I just now have a different attitude about food and eating outside of the “lines.” Continue reading