Healthy Choices!

Date:       Monday, 8 August 2011

Weather:  Overcast (feels like rain) 48 at 9:15am

Weight:     198 still on the scale this AM (though daily weighing is probably retarded!)

Doing good! I feel good! I have stopped munching at night! Restarted counting my calories, and I am just downing the water :) I am eating a few small meals a day and not feeling guilty about my eating choices!

To put my weight loss ticker here on this page I signed up for myfitnesspal.com. AWESOME huh? But then I started looking at the app for the iPhone and realized that my old app, caloriecount.com, had only 3 1/2 stars, and this one had 5 full starts (and HUNDREDS of reviews). hmmmm ... so I am trying it :) Thus far? IT'S AMAZING!!!!! I told the program that I want to lose 30 pounds at approximately 2 pounds per week. It recommends a consumption of 1,200 calories a day (minimum caloric intake). However, 1,200 calories is equal to food consumed less exercise burned. So If I burn 350 calories doing exercise, I can eat 1,550 calories :) SCORE! Not to mention that I am conservative in my numbers, so when it asked about my activity level I said "sedentary" (yes, I have a desk job, but I sit on a ball chair, I am constantly up and moving around, and I chase a toddler all evening at home ... I probably more light to moderate activity, but I like to be on the safe side). It's a breeze to track my calories (personal accountability right here) and even keep track of my water intake!! Whatever is not in their system, it's easy to put in! AND it even sends me "push notifications" to remind me to log in my foods :) what a GREAT application!!! Now only if it would yell at me to do just ONE MORE sit up!! LOL 

Eating is going so well for me! I have a new mind set and it feels great! I shopped on Friday (Saturday maybe) and bought SUPER healthy foods! Light yogurts, fiber one bars, fruit, vegetables, lean meats, etc. so when I go to the fridge to get something to eat, I ONLY have healthy choices! :) I wanted a sweet snack yesterday, so what did I have?! a tootsie pop :) 60 calories, take a while to consume, and sucking on a sucker Lord knows burns calories! Actually, here's an interesting fact! Sitting down and eating I personally burn approximately 35 calories an hour (simply EATING) http://www.fitday.com/webfit/exerciseinfopage.html Figure out how many calories you burn just eating! So when it takes me 20 minutes to eat my meal (that's putting my fork down between bites, visiting with my family, and drinking my water) I can burn almost 12 calories :) WOOP WOOP!! ;-)

So to make healthier eating habits I am trying to follow the advice at this web site http://burnfatloseweight.info/diet-and-weight-loss-tip/foods-that-help-you-lose-weight/ ...

1. HIGH FIBER FOODS To do this I am eating more fruits and vegetables and have fiber one bars on hand (great sweet treat, decent calories, and 35% daily fiber needs)

2. LEAN PROTEIN I purchased lean meat "deli fresh" lunch meats, lesser fat content burger, leaner cuts of beef, and am trimming ALL the meat that we eat! Oh, and eggs :) hard boiled eggs are good!

3. LOW FAT FOODS The foods that I am eating are more "fresh" these days, so when I do buy something prepackaged (like yogurt) I always go for the "light". Now, granted, I should start buying low fat cheeses, too, but I do use light  mayonnaise and light ranch :)

4. GOOD CARBOHYDRATES Not 100% sure on this one? I try not to eat too much bread, and stay way from "starchy" foods, so I am now buying 100% whole wheat bread, and when we buy rice again I will buy whole grain rice.

5. DRINK WATER I am keeping a water bottle with me at ALL times! it's a 24 ounce bottle, so one bottle is 3 "cups", so I need to drink about 2 1/2 water bottles for the daily recommended of 64 ounces. And to start working myself up to the gallon of water I need to drink for the advocare cleanse, I need to drink 5.5 of these bottles! SO I am not drinking any other than tea and water (and wine, occassionally, but yes, I am counting those calories!)

6. PRE-PORTIONED SNACKS Being aware of exactly what I am putting in my body is super important, so when I buy "snacks" I am buying them prepacked in smaller quantities (yes, the 100 calorie snack packs cost more for less, but having them divvied up REALLY helps!) I am also taking big bags of stuff (like fishy crackers, mmmmmmm) and putting them in smaller baggies of one serving. Grab and Go!

7. SPICY FOOD Now I am taking this literally ... not just "hot" spicy, but "flavorful" spicy! The website says "hot spicy"  but from experience, anything cram packed full of flavor I tend to eat slower and enjoy! The flavor is so satisfying (i.e. I had plain noodles the other morning, left over spaghetti minus the sauce, so i spritzed it with an olive oil spray, added a sprinkle of garlic powder, and tossed ... delicious!!)

Lunch is always a pinch for me, so I bought some soups the other day! I know, from experience, that 1/2 a can of soup is MORE than enough for me! When I eat something and I'm not "full" I eat fruit or vegetables with it. 

MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE is driving by McDonald's AT LEAST 4 times a day :-/ seriously! HARD one! I actually talked myself OUT of stopping there for a large non-fat iced caramel mocha (300 calories) this morning that I was trying to justify because I was so tired from having such a long night! Instead I told myself "that 300 calories could be 2-6oz glasses of wine, 6 tootsie pops, or 1/2 a sandwich baggie of goldfish" thinking of it that way didn't make it worth it! "Besides" I told myself "you got skinny tea and breakfast tea at work waiting for ya!" :) and I didn't stop! And I feel good about that!!

But, enough with my babbling on! My Advocare has been ordered. Miss Joy said it SHOULD probably  maybe ship today :) (i hope) and she said took hers 4 days to ship here :D SO by this weekend it should be here! I want to start on Saturday morning!! EXCITED! 

See ya on the flip side! HAPPY MONDAY!!

:)NiCo